Jacksonville (FL) Bartram Trail linebacker Micah Pollard committed to Michigan on Monday. He picked the Wolverines over offers from Auburn, Kentucky, Ole Miss, Penn State, and Virginia Tech, among others.
Pollard is listed at 6'3" and 200 lbs. He made 69 tackles, 27 tackles for loss, 12 sacks, and 1 interception as a junior in 2020.
RANKINGS
ESPN: 3-star, 77 grade, #61 OLB
Rivals: 3-star, 5.7 grade, #39 OLB
247 Sports: 3-star, 87 grade, #66 LB
Hit the jump for more.
Pollard was offered by Michigan when the new defensive staff was hired. Linebackers coach George Helow has Jacksonville connections and reached out to Pollard. Pollard is the son of former NFL tight end Marcus Pollard, who played with Jim Harbaugh on the Indianapolis Colts, and the nephew of former Michigan receiver Braylon Edwards. Both Auburn and Michigan were feeling good leading up to Pollard's announcement, but it always seemed like Michigan had the most momentum. (NOTE: Micah Pollard is not related to cornerback commit Myles Pollard, but Micah does have a brother named Myles.)
Pollard's highlights show good closing speed. He repeatedly comes off the edge and chases down plays from the back side. Much of his highlight film shows him being completely unblocked - after all, why would you block the D1 linebacker coming off the edge to kill your quarterback? - like he pilfered the Invisibility Cloak, but on the rare occasion when somebody bothers to try, he shows a good push-pull move, can dip his shoulder to turn the corner, and plays with nice agility to evade blockers. I'm impressed with his ability to sink his hips and lower his center of gravity, which helps with his agility.
Pollard will have to get stronger, because some of his arm tackles will get shaken off by higher-level ball carriers. I also wonder about his long-term upside, because he lacks elite speed and size.
Overall, I like Pollard as a college prospect and think he can have some success. I do not expect him to be an elite player, but he can make an impact. He reminds me of Mario Ojemudia, who ended up at 6'2" and 252 lbs. by the end of his career and made a few plays here and there while starting seven total games.
Michigan now has 16 commitments in the class of 2021. The Wolverines have never secured a commitment from a Bartram Trail graduate.
TTB Rating: 74
Interesting comp.
ReplyDeleteI'm excited to see what the defense looks like this season. Hard to guess at personnel fits until then. But staff certainly seem to be loading up on edge prospects (big LB or small DL).
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I recall Greg Mattison saying, before he left for OSU, that what the interior defensive line does, or does not do, is key to the rest of the defense. If the interior can dominate, it allows all sorts of things to take place elsewhere on the defense. If the interior can't get push, then the rest of the defense has to accommodate, and overall the defense isn't as good.
ReplyDeleteDo we think Michigan's new coaching mix on the defensive side believes that, or would they consider that old school thinking? What would we say is the objective of the interior defensive line to this staff: immovable object, or disruptive pusher?
Supposedly they want to have 3 DT types now, with one being a true jumbo NT. So that would indicate they do see interior DL as a priority.
DeleteI've seen and felt some skepticism about this -- Aiden Hutchinson is going to be an OLB now? Do we have 3 DTs we trust, let alone backups to rotate in? How are we going to handle spread teams with 3 DL and 2 OLBs that are quasi-DEs?
We'll see soon what the season holds for the new defense.
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@ Anonymous 2:57 a.m.
DeleteI don't think that's "old school" thinking at all. You need disruption in the middle if you want to be successful. If the NT is a space-eater, your 4i guys need to be disruptive. If the NT is a penetrator, then maybe your 4i guys can just eat up some space. But you can't afford to have 3 guys who can't get in the backfield, because there are too many gaps and vulnerabilities in the middle of the defense.
I don't think any team recruits with the idea of being "immovable objects" all along the defensive line. You want one or two guys who can do that, but for the most part, you want to create havoc in the backfield.
@ LANK 11:07 a.m.
DeleteMichigan won't have 3 DL and 2 OLB vs. spread looks. If you watch the Ravens or similar teams, it's very rare that they're in a static 3-4 look. We're going to see a lot of packages (IMO) that look like a 4-2 with 2 true defensive tackles, 1 DE/OLB hybrid, and 1 more traditional SAM-type linebacker (Shawn Crable, Jake Ryan, Victor Hobson, etc.).
Thanks for clarifying and I think you're right Thunder. But others are saying we're going to have 3 DL bigger than Hutchinson in our base package. Spread offenses are a plurality if not a majority so that doesn't make sense to me.
DeleteAlso - if there are really 2 guys in a 4-2 that are categorized as linebackers many will not identify it as a 4-man front. It'll be called a nickel package or 3-3-5.
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@ LANK 10:09 a.m.
DeleteI call the defense a 3-4, but if you're looking at a base package, it's honestly more of a 5-2 defense (5 guys on the line of scrimmage, 2 guys off). There are some arguments about that in coaching circles, whether it's a 5-2 or a 3-4. Personally, my opinion is that if the OLB never drops out in coverage, it's a 5-2.
@Thunder
ReplyDeleteAnother point of clarification - when you talk about a guy playing in the 4i gap, ideally that guy looks something like a quasi-DT or SDE correct? Like what Don Brown called Anchor?
In terms of Michigan personnel we want somebody bigger than Hutchinson (270) and Paye (260). Ideally a large DE like a Wormley or Gary, or maybe an undersized DT like Kemp. Is that right?
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A 4i would line up on the inside shoulder of the tackle, in the B-gap. So it's more like a 3-tech (outside shoulder of guard) than a 5-tech (outside shoulder of tackle).
DeleteI think Hutchinson and Paye could play there because they're good, and so could Wormley or Gary. But you probably want guys who are 280-290 lbs., especially if they're not freak athletes like Paye. (And even Paye mostly moved inside on pass rushing downs.)
Thanks for clarifying.
DeleteI'd guess we'll see Hutchinson there a good bit by season's end, but we'll see...
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@ LANK 11:34 a.m.
DeleteCoincidentally, there was just an article on Rivals today where they interviewed Hutchinson's dad. He said he'll be in a two-point stance on first and second down and then get in a three-point on third down. That seems to imply that he'll be moving around a little bit on the line rather than always coming off the edge.