Name: Zach Ludwig
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 202 lbs.
High school: South Park (PA) South Park
Position: Linebacker
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: N/A
Last year: Ludwig was a senior in high school.
TTB Rating: 55
Ludwig is one of the most interesting commitments during my time covering Michigan football. The nephew of (former) strength coach Ben Herbert, Ludwig got an offer from the Wolverines and committed, without seeming to have any other schools pursuing him. When scouring his film, it was hard to see where he might fit in - quarterback, tight end, linebacker, long snapper? Nobody really seems to know. Even the status of his "scholarship offer" seems to have been in question.
Now that Herbert is the strength coach for the Los Angeles Chargers, one has to wonder if Ludwig will stick around in Ann Arbor. Regardless, at a listed 6'3" and 202 pounds, Ludwig is unlikely to play as a freshman. Perhaps when he adds some strength down the road, he can be considered a threat to play some special teams.
Prediction: Redshirt
This reminds me a little bit of the "legacy" offers we used to see during the pre-Rodriguez era. Usually, though, they had very recognizable last names. I'm thinking of guys like Jason Carr and Curt Mallory.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting that the bottom three (so far) are "linebackers" ... that is, they're of a shape, size and athleticism that doesn't quite fit them anywhere else, so they fall into that category. They might be useful in some capacity -- maybe -- down the road, so for now they're on the roster at LB, probably won't see playing time outside of special teams, if that, and in 20 years they'll tell their kids they played football at Michigan.
ReplyDeleteLinebackers, wide receivers, and defensive backs seem to be good investments from the perspective of trying to beef up special teams. It's pretty rare that those guys play a significant role on defense (though Harris and Reynolds did get some snaps), but guys like Rolapp, Boivin, Kolesar, Thaw, etc. have all played roles on special teams units.
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