Ty Haywood, Wolverine

 

Denton (TX) Ryan OT Ty Haywood

Denton (TX) Ryan offensive tackle Ty Haywood committed to Michigan on Wednesday morning. The former Alabama commit also had offers from Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, and USC, among others.

Haywood is listed at 6'5" and 285 pounds. He also participates in the high school shot put, where he has put up a personal record of 58'6".

RANKINGS
ESPN: 5-star, 90 grade, #3 OT, #16 overall
On3: 4-star, 95 grade, #13 OT, #76 overall
Rivals: 4-star, 5.9 grade, #11 OT, #77 overall
247 Sports: 4-star, 97 grade, #10 OT, #42 overall

Hit the jump for more.

Haywood liked Michigan initially as then-offensive line coach and offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore personally offered him on a trip through the Lone Star State. But then Alabama and its NIL program moved in, and Haywood committed to the Crimson Tide. Late in the fall, Michigan upped its NIL game and got back in the game with Haywood. For better or worse, it seems as if some of Michigan's late momentum with elite recruits was really driven by the increased capacity for NIL participation. But this is the way the recruiting game is played these days.

The athleticism Haywood shows at 6'5", 285 lbs. (his Hudl page lists him at 6'6", 306 lbs.) is elite. He moves his feet like very few players his size can, especially as he drive blocks downfield. In some ways he reminds me of former Michigan offensive guard Patrick Omameh, who was a lightly regarded recruit but then carved out a nine-year pro career with 58 career starts. Haywood's long arms also have potential for him as an offensive tackle. He does a good job of using gallop technique on his double teams, and he also shows nifty feet as he finishes blocks; a lot of linemen will just trip and fall when they get near a pile, but Haywood's quick feet and nice balance help him stay up.

My absolute #1 concern with Haywood is something that shows up on almost every single play: he is consistently the last lineman off the ball. I don't think I've ever seen an elite lineman so slow off the ball, and that's not because Haywood is slow. On the contrary, I mentioned his quick feet above. I almost wonder if there's something structural with his high school offense (do they use a silent count?) or if he has a hearing issue. We've seen a couple receivers over the years learn during their college careers that they needed contact lenses or eye surgery. Maybe we'll find out that Ty Haywood has a hearing issue that delays his first step. That weakness doesn't cause a ton of problems in high school because he's so physically dominant, but if he's slow off the ball in college, it's going to matter. I'm also curious about how sound he is in pass protection, because there aren't many good pass pro reps in his highlight reels.

Overall, Haywood is one of the most physically gifted linemen I've ever seen commit to Michigan. His ability to move his feet and maintain his balance is elite. Whether he develops into an elite lineman at the college level will depend on how well he cleans up some of those issues I mentioned above. Initially, I had some concerns about his listed weight of 285 lbs. when it came to determining whether he could contribute early, but if he's truly 305 lbs. or so, perhaps he could be a guy who plays in year one. I think playing tackle in year one might be a stretch because of his rawness, but he could potentially play guard in year one if he can get quicker off the ball.

Haywood is Michigan's 24th and likely final high school recruit in the class of 2025. He joins offensive tackle Andrew Babalola, offensive guard Avery Gach, and center Kaden Strayhorn as the linemen in the class, along with transfers Lawrence Hattar (Fresno State) and Brady Norton (Cal Poly). Haywood is also the third Texan to join the class, following receiver Andrew Marsh and cornerback Jayden Sanders. The Wolverines have never had a player from Denton (TX) Ryan.

TTB Rating: 90