Cal Poly offensive lineman Brady Norton committed to Michigan on Monday. He picked the Wolverines over an offer from Ohio State.
Norton was listed at 6'3" and 275 pounds while at Cal Poly as a redshirt freshman this past season, but commitment reports list him at 6'4" and 290 pounds. He graded out as Pro Football Focus's top FCS offensive lineman for the 2024 season.
With limited film from the FCS level, I don't have a lot of insights into Norton. I've watched a few clips here and there, and I'm impressed by his quickness. I think Michigan fans might be impressed by how well he moves once he puts on a winged helmet. We'll also be waiting to see how he measures up when he arrives on campus. Even if he is indeed 290 pounds, that's a little bit light to expect much of a contribution upon arrival. He might need a year to comfortably get in the 300-310 pound range to make him a little more playable.
Norton reportedly has long arms, which could make him an option at tackle; I like his feet for the tackle position, but those can also be put to good use if the coaches plan to pull him from the guard spot. Again, the athletic ability is there, but the size might be more of the determining factor for which position he plays.
Norton has played just one season of college football after redshirting in 2023, so he has three years of eligibility remaining. The last FCS transfer Michigan took was cornerback Aamir Hall prior to the 2024 season, and Hall ended up making a couple interceptions and being a de facto starter with Will Johnson missing half the season. I don't expect such an immediate impact from Norton, but he could be a solid player down the road.
The NFL is littered with people from small colleges, so good talent being found there is not unreasonable. Thunder, as a coach at the high school level, you've no doubt seen kids who seem to start getting traction with the game late in their senior seasons; that is, they "blossom late." Those kids don't get big-name D1 offers, but they might find themselves at a FCS school and get really good. Let's hope Nolan is that kind of player!
ReplyDeleteI like this path for getting developmental players. Comparing Norton to a high school prospect, he's got 2 added years of experience, training, and maturing. He's also coming from a higher level of competition and so likely facing a shorter timeline to being starter ready. That's a lot of benefit relative to the tradeoff of having "only" 3 years of eligibility compared to a high school kid of 4.
ReplyDeleteIn other words -- let someone else develop your guy for free. The risk/uncertainty of bringing somebody like Norton is still there, but it's a whole lot less than most high school kids.
Glad to see Moore and Magee bringing a kid like this in. Hoping it works as well as Josiah Stewart did, although that's not an identical situation there is similar question about moving up level of competition.
Always take the OL with experience
ReplyDeleteI think his size (lack of) keeps him inside, and that's okay ... outside I'd be more concerned. While PFF loved the kid in passpro, he was beat up in his one P4 opportunity, against Stanford
He's not plug and play the way that Henderson was at OT but I think that's the most relevant comp. Maybe Runyan. Shorter OTs with long arms. Capable of playing it at the college level.
DeleteThe OT vs OG question is not something they need to resolve right now -- bring him in and let him try both and see where he fits best. The parallel on defense is a bigger EDGE. Maybe he grows into a DT or maybe he acts more like a SDE. We can use good players at both spots, so check back later.