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| Freddy Canteen (image via TheWolverine.com) |
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 176 lbs.
High school: Elkton (MD) Eastern Christian Academy
Position: Wide receiver
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: #17
Last year: Canteen was a senior in high school.
Final TTB Rating: 83
Canteen played with famed quarterback recruit David Sills in high school. The somewhat odd setup of Eastern Christian Academy (an online high school centered around its football program) leads to difficulties with scheduling. Yet with all the big-time recruits, one would think that highlights would be easier to find. Unfortunately, it was a little difficult to find extensive highlights of Canteen and fellow freshman Brandon Watson, despite the fact that they - and others on the team - were bound for big futures.
Canteen and Watson enrolled early in January, and Canteen was one of the main talking points of the spring. He claimed to be the fastest guy on the team, he looked like a big-play guy in the spring game, and people are talking as if he's a sure thing to see the field extensively this fall. Canteen is skinny - just look at that picture above, which was taken during practice a few weeks ago - but he does have the long speed and the quick feet to be a threat early. The plan is to play him in the slot, which means he's not necessarily a starter. But I do rank him above a potential starter like De'Veon Smith or Amara Darboh because Canteen seems to have that knack for getting open and making big plays that we haven't seen from Darboh, Jehu Chesson, and other receivers, and he does not appear to be interchangeable with another player like Smith and Derrick Green. If Michigan loses Canteen for a stretch of time, they lose a guy who can be a mismatch against safeties and who can take the top off the defense.
Prediction: Starting slot receiver; 25 catches, 400 yards, 4 touchdowns
I agree with this ranking and think he could bring something special to an offense badly in need of playmakers to complement Gardner and Funchess. All the circumstantial evidence and indicators point to an instant impact player. I'd be surprised if his role was limited to the slot.
ReplyDeleteThis is perhaps a bit unfair to Darboh and Chesson. Darboh has only seen the field as a true freshman, when even great receivers don't always do much. He hasn't gotten the practice buzz of Canteen, but in the end, talk is all that is. He's shown about as much ability to get open and make big plays in actual games against real defenders as Canteen, which is to say, none. We've got optimism and finger-crossing for Canteen, but nothing else yet. Chesson also has had only one year seeing the field, and although it was his second in the program, he was more than satisfactorily productive for that experience level.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, with an offensive line that is likely to sputter at times, if Canteen is a guy who can shorten the field, and relieve the offense of having to sustain 10+ play drives all the time, he will probably deserve this ranking.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwDDswGsJ60 This is a good song.
ReplyDeleteIn the above photo, Canteen appears to be engaged in punt catching practice. Punt catching and then running is something we could stand to be much better at than we have been in the recent past.
ReplyDeleteI will support Freddy Canteen for the #19 position in this exercise if he can only field punts without causing my heart to rise into my throat, and then run FORWARD a lousy 9 or so yards on average as opposed to the 6 ish our guys managed last year.
I doubt he'll earn that job.
DeleteFreddy reminds me of Anthony Carter. Hope he plays like that on Saturdays!
ReplyDeleteFirst of all that is sacrilege. Secondly, from your lips to God's ear.
Delete