Name: Kenneth Grant
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 335 lbs.
High school: Merrillville (IN) Merrillville
Position: Defensive tackle
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: N/A
Last year: Grant was a senior in high school (LINK). He made 38 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, 2 pass breakups, 12 quarterback hurries, 4 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries, and 8 blocked kicks (4 field goals, 2 extra points, 2 punts).
TTB Rating: 85
Grant is a high quality prospect. He moves with a lot of fluidity for a guy who's 335 lbs. I'm surprised that he only ended up ranked as a 3-star, the #59 defensive lineman, and #444 overall in the 247 Composite. While he didn't have a great offer list, some schools with pretty good pedigrees were after him, like Ohio State and Wisconsin.
My biggest concern with guys who enter college at 330+ pounds is their conditioning. You can no longer take any plays off in college like you did in high school. Furthermore, Michigan has a few guys they can plug into the middle of the defense, such as Mazi Smith, Cam Goode, and Rayshaun Benny. I wouldn't be surprised to see Grant play some as a freshman - in fact, I fully expect him to appear in some games - but it takes a lot of big guys at least one year before they can adjust to the speed of the college game.
Prediction: Redshirt
Patience is a virtue
ReplyDeleteOhio St wanted him badly. And there were some articles at one point, from a couple of reputable sports writers, that he was likely going there.
ReplyDeleteI think he should be higher than #87, BTW.
That big iceberg at Georgia wasn't an every down play either, even in his senior year. Grant weighs only 6 pound less than him.
Maybe he should be higher than #87, but in regard to Georgia's Jordan Davis...Davis is 6'6" and Grant is 6'4". So the difference might be only 6 pounds, but Davis has two extra inches in height to spread it around. So basically you're confirming that Grant is...not in as good of shape as Jordan Davis.
DeleteI think 87 is ok here, maybe I'd go a little higher, but not much.
DeleteHe's gonna have two very veteran guys in front of him. Mazi Smith and Cam Goode are both more mature, stronger (likely), fitter (likely), technically more advanced (certainly). I would also think they will likely be more motivated and business like as they are sort of on the equivalent of contract years. Those guys are gonna get the snaps.
I do think Grant will get some snaps and I think he'll get some BIG snaps, but he's most probably #3 among the nose guys and #5 among the interior guys when you think about Benny and Graham.
Actually, I'm hoping for #4 at the nose and #6 overall really, as it would be a very big thing for us if Iwunnah starts to assert himself during the course of this season.
I think JDD may have a point here - Grant doesn't necessarily need to play a lot of downs to warrant being in the top 60 or so.
DeleteThat said Thunder is right to be skeptical of a freshman DT playing behind a number of other older guys. Size isn't enough to put him ahead of others with more skill, experience, and talent.
I'd rank him a bit higher than this because of uncertainty and frequent rotation on the DL, but an instant impact doesn't seem very likely. It remains to be seen if he'll end up being more Whitley or Mone.
I know those guys are better than him. But I think he will have more value to the team than #87. The middle of the D Line has the biggest need on the team.
DeleteDisagree. I think it's probably the strongest unit on the defense right now.
DeleteSmith / Jenkins / Goode with Welshof/Benny and more behind them. That's a strong unit. High floor. High ceiling. Likely takes attrition for Grant to emerge ahead, and even then Graham may be better.
DE/Edge is the biggest need on the team. Replacing Hutchinson and Ojabo is going to be far harder than replacing Hinton and Jeter. Morris and Upshaw are decent veterans but unlikely to be all conference players. Harrell is still young enough (junior) to be considered on the rise, but few expect a star.
I'm pretty bullish on Harrell but even an optimist has to see a huge drop off. And depth? Cross your fingers. Hopes on McGregor seem to be fading rapidly. They'll likely be counting on freshman to help, and maybe even have to pull from LB to get a rush threat.
I was hoping for a transfer but that window probably closed.
It would be nice if it was the strongest unit, but come on.
DeleteI certainly wish there was a stronger unit. de, lb, and db all have big holes to fill and some huge questions.
ReplyDelete