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| Tarpon Springs (FL) East Lake offensive guard Mason Cole |
I wrote a scouting report on Cole a few weeks ago, so there's no reason to re-invent the wheel. Since then he has been ranked the #107 overall recruit by Rivals.
Since you can see my thoughts on Cole in the link above, there's not much more to say. I really like Cole and think he should be a quality starter down the road. He may have to wait a few years because of the talent ahead of him, though. In addition to the value of his commitment, he also attends school with 2014 wide receiver offeree Artavis Scott and 2015 wide receiver offeree George Campbell. Cole and Scott have talked about being a "package deal," so this would seem to help Michigan with wide receiver recruiting.
Cole represents the first time Brady Hoke has dipped into Florida for a commitment, and he's the first Floridian to choose Michigan since Tony Posada (who committed to Rich Rodriguez in the class of 2011 but quit football almost immediately). Cole is the fourth member of the 2014 class.
TTB Rating: To be determined
Here's a link to his Hudl highlights.
Good get considering that crazy offer list. Position-wise, interior OL isn't a huge need but you want to take at least one every year, even given the big numbers taken over the last two years. Nice that they presumably won't need him to make an immediate contribution (unlike the last 2 classes which will be put to the test in '13 and '14).
ReplyDeleteOT is a big need for this class though. Seems like LTT is a boom or bust prospect and Fox may end up on the interior. Seems like the coaches want a taller prototypical tackle prospect next.
Yeah, you definitely want to take at least one C/OG per year. The coaches seem to be after more tackles than guards/centers, so I would guess the class will consist of Cole, Doles, and maybe two tackles.
DeleteThat would be ideal. I do like that the coaches grabbed a number of versatile kids that could hypothetically play multiple positions (e.g.,Kalis) but now they can afford to take an OT-exclusively.
DeleteIs anybody else around here wondering just a little bit whether Tommy Doles can get big enough to play BIG interior line. He's really lean.
DeleteProbably just ensures he's a red-shirt, but even if he can't put on enough weight the staff can make use of him as a blocking TE or move him to defense. Supposedly they're very high on his athleticism.
DeleteConsidering he's a HS junior and won't see the field till his sophomore year of college at the earliest, I wouldn't worry. Particularly for a center prospect, although he is fairly tall.
I'm not concerned about Doles. He's already 255. He'll be 265 or 270 by the time he hits campus (wherever he goes). Give him a redshirt to gain 10-15 pounds and he's right there almost at playing weight.
DeleteI have admitted on numerous occasions that I don't know jack s... about offensive line prospecting, play or technique, having never even watched OL video until I started hanging around here.
DeleteBut, in my arrogance (Michigan Man) I'm starting to think I know what I'm looking at ... some.
I really like Tommy Doles a lot as he looks like he's every bit the nimble footed athlete that Mason Cole is and I really like the in line blocking tight end idea as he is clearly eager to hit any linebacker/safety type that he can track down.
But ...... I think he's a lot closer to 240 than he is 255. He looks to me like a real thick, good looking D3 power forward prospect. I mean that as a compliment.
It's always possible that recruits can lie, but he said in a recent interview that he's 255.
DeleteYeah, I saw that too. I don't view it as a lie so much as positive thinking.
DeleteSo if the coaches get Doles and Cole, who would be the most likely tackle prospects? It's always hard to know who are actually likely to play tackle in college because the recruiting sites often list them at the position they play in high school. Some of the big names Michigan has offered seem more likely to be guards based on their height(assuming the sites inflate heights like they always do), like Mustipher, Bars, Gibbons, and Jones.
ReplyDeleteMost good high school linemen play tackle, period. And the fact is that kids want to play/be listed as tackles because that's the position that creates recruiting hype and earns the big bucks in the NFL. We haven't offered Reilly Gibbons, but Bars could be an OG/OT combo player. Damian Prince seems to be the best shot at a true tackle, and Braden Smith has said that he wants to visit; either one would be an excellent pickup.
DeleteWhen is the last time a "package deal" actually came to fruition?
ReplyDeleteFor Michigan? Off the top of my head...maybe Denard Robinson and Adrian Witty in 2009.
DeleteThat was a successful package deal, even though Witty went to Cinci.
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