Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Bryan Mone, Wolverine

Salt Lake City (UT) Highland defensive tackle Bryan Mone
(image via Scout)
Salt Lake City (UT) Highland defensive tackle Bryan Mone committed to Michigan on Tuesday.  He chose the Wolverines over offers from BYU, Mississippi, UCLA, Utah, and Wisconsin, among others.

Mone is a 6'4", 315 lb. defensive tackle who had 70 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, and 3 sacks as a junior in 2012.

RATINGS
ESPN: N/A
Rivals: 4-star DT, #12 DT, #172 overall
Scout: 4-star DT, #7 DT, #111 overall
247 Sports: 4-star SDE, 93 grade, #8 SDE, #114 overall

Mone was Michigan's first offer for the class of 2014.  He maintained that Michigan was his leader almost all the way throughout the process, partly because rising sophomore fullback Sione Houma is an alumnus of Highland.  Mone took an unofficial visit to Michigan for the Northwestern game this past season.

Mone played a lot of strongside end for Highland last season, but his size and skill set suggest that he'll end up somewhere on the interior in college, either at nose tackle or 3-tech defensive tackle.  He has really grown in size from his sophomore season, when he was listed as a 255 lb. defensive end.  He's legitimately up around 315 now, and the weight doesn't look sloppy.  He shows good feet and an ability to stay low, which are both promising qualities for someone with his size.  Perhaps the most impressive thing about him is his hands; he shows an array of moves, and he understands hand placement to keep offensive linemen out of his body.  That's an important skill that kept someone like Quinton Washington off the field for his first few seasons at Michigan.

There aren't many weaknesses that show up on film.  Mone might not ever be one of the top two or three guys at his position in this class because he's not quite as explosive as some other defensive tackles that get ranked that high (Eddie Vanderdoes, Montravius Adams, Andrew Brown, etc.), but he does look like a player who could be one of the top five or seven defensive tackles.

When I watch Mone's film, I see Johnathan Hankins, the Ohio State Buckeye who is projected as a potential first round pick in the upcoming 2013 NFL Draft.  Mone isn't extremely fast or quick, but he understands leverage and he carries his weight well.  There will be a step up in competition from the high schools of Utah to the Big Ten, and that may require an adjustment period.  But with his size, athletic ability, and the technique he has already shown, I think Mone could be an early contributor for the Wolverines.

TTB Rating: Pending until I finalize the 2013 TTB Ratings, which will be soon but I'm busy

13 comments:

  1. Great news ... thanks for posting! Always great to see a high-profile recruit at that position (DT) which has, in the modern era ('80s and beyond) been staffed with stubby overachievers.

    ReplyDelete
  2. yeah buddy , dude looks like a stud.....cant wait for the defense that doesnt have to blitz

    ReplyDelete
  3. Glad to hear the promising review. He's been a guy that Michigan fans have had their eyes on for a while, but his offer list isn't light-out. Still, you can't be anything but happy with a 4-star kid who is top 10 in his position nationally, and someone the coaches offered so early.

    Do you think this has any impact on either Hand or McDowell?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No, I don't think this would impact Hand or McDowell. Both of those guys should play defensive end, and Mone is going to be strictly a tackle.

      Delete
  4. If he really did play for Highland's Rugby team as his pants would lead you to believe then that is not sloppy weight by any means.

    ReplyDelete
  5. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Is he a Jedi? Looks like it based on the picture you posted, ha. Regardless, love the pick-up. With his size and understanding of the game, he should be able to contribute early.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Fursty..its not that he is a Jedi, but more so of him having swag

    ReplyDelete
  8. 1-tech or 3-tech? Pip will be a junior when Mone enrolls, and I think Hurst may slide more to the 3-tech due to his size, so I envision Mone as more of a 1-tech. What do you think?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think he's ideally a 1-tech, but I could see him playing 3-tech if a nose tackle like Pipkins is already entrenched.

      Delete
  9. How can you tell he is not as explosive as Vanderdoes or the top two or three guys? He looks very quick to me but I don't know what to look for when comparing. I watched both Vanderdoes and Mone and they just look dang good.

    ReplyDelete
  10. How come you think he is not as explosive as Vanderdoes or the top two or three guys? Maybe I don't know what to look for when comparing. I watched Vanderdoes and Mone's film and they both just look dang good.

    ReplyDelete