 |
| Benjamin St-Juste |
St-Juste is a 6'3", 170 lb. corner.
RATINGS
ESPN: Unranked
Rivals: Unranked
Scout: Unranked
247 Sports: Unranked
I had heard last week that St-Juste had a positive showing at the Exposure U camp. When I went to look up some more information, there wasn't much out there. Supposedly, he was offered and accepted during the camp.
There is very little film on St-Juste, and what film there is lacks much clarity. He is tall for a corner, and he does a good job of using his hands and long arms to disrupt receivers' routes, raking the ball out of receivers' hands, and batting down passes other corners might not reach. He changes directions fairly well for a big corner.
St-Juste lacks great speed, and he could get burned in the open field. He will probably be limited to boundary corner at the next level, or he might move to safety. He shows some aggression when blocking and defeating blockers, but he is not a great tackler and needs to get stronger in both the upper and lower body. He also does not show great instincts for the ball and settles for breaking up passes rather than intercepting them. I find these things concerning since he does not play against great competition and his opponents are not coached extremely well, although that lack of great coaching probably applies to St-Juste as well.
Overall, this is a questionable pickup for a Michigan team that needs speed and field corners in the defensive backfield. It's unclear whether St-Juste will be a 2016, 2017, or later recruit. He attends a CEGEP in Montreal, which means that he is basically in what Americans would call a prep school. Most CEGEP students are at least 17 years old already, and when he will finish his education there is a little murky. Until we get some clarity, I will assume he's a 2016 prospect.
The Wolverines have a need for speedy corners, and the combination of St-Juste and Antwaine Richardson doesn't offer a great deal of explosiveness in the defensive backfield. Aside from Keith Washington, Michigan is basically putting together a bunch of corners who are big and physical. That concerns me for the long-term, because it limits what the defense can throw at record-setting offenses.
It doesn't happen often, but this is not the first time that Michigan has dipped its toes into Canadian waters. Over the years, Michigan has recruited running back Tshimanga Biakabutuka, tight end Deitan Dubuc, defensive end Alain Kashama, defensive tackle Renaldo Sagesse, and others from America's top hat.
TTB Rating: 51 (ratings explanation)
