Showing posts with label Rashad Weaver. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rashad Weaver. Show all posts

Monday, June 15, 2015

2016 Recruiting Update: June 15, 2015

Norco (CA) Norco quarterback Victor Viramontes (image via Press Enterprise)
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COMMITMENTS
Delray Beach (FL) Atlantic cornerback Antwaine Richardson committed to Michigan on Friday (LINK).

Cooper City (FL) Cooper City defensive end Rashad Weaver committed to Michigan on Sunday (LINK).

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2016
Carson (CA) Calabasas safety Marquel Dismuke decommitted from Cal. He's a 6'1", 180 lb. prospect with offers from Michigan and Nebraska, among others. He's a 247 Composite 4-star, the #10 safety, and #246 overall. Dismuke was an early offer by the Jim Harbaugh staff, and he committed to Cal surprisingly early when Michigan thought they had a chance. The Wolverines still might be able to pull him in, but the decommitment came a couple weeks after Nebraska offered, and the Cornhuskers have 89% of the Crystal Ball votes.

Norco (CA) Norco safety Troy Dye was offered by Michigan. He's a 6'3", 200 lb. prospect with offers from Colorado and Oregon, among others. He's a 247 Composite 3-star, the #41 safety, and #634 overall. He earned his offer at the satellite camp in Mission Viejo. Listed as a safety, he moves like a linebacker and should probably be reclassified by 247 Sports. Regardless, he has some upside as an outside linebacker and still probably slots in as a 3-star prospect. Michigan was his favorite school growing up. His father was born in Michigan and played football at San Jose State (so why not go play for Al Borges and Greg Robinson?), where he also had a baseball career that led to the Houston Astros organization.

Cartersville (GA) Cartersville tight end Miller Forristall was offered by Michigan and then committed to Alabama. He's a 6'5", 220 lb. prospect who's a 247 Composite 3-star, the #20 tight end, and #486 overall. As a junior in 2014, he caught 32 passes for 600 yards and 8 touchdowns. The home state Bulldogs never stepped forward with an offer.

Hit the jump for a couple more 2016 offers, some guys who committed elsewhere, and some random bits and pieces.

Sunday, June 14, 2015

Rashad Weaver, Wolverine

Cooper City (FL) Cooper City defensive end Rashad Weaver (image via 247Sports.com)
Cooper City (FL) Cooper City defensive end Rashad Weaver committed to Michigan on Sunday. He chose the Wolverines over offers from Air Force, Illinois, Syracuse, and Temple.

Weaver is 6'4", 245 lbs. He claims a 4.9 forty, a 4.66 shuttle, and a 27" vertical.

RATINGS
ESPN: Unranked
Rivals: 2-star WDE
Scout: Unranked
247 Sports: Unranked

Weaver was a total unknown to me until he participated in the Florida satellite camp. It looks like he was also unknown to most of the recruiting world. But when a player is looking at offers from the ones listed above plus some FCS schools, a scholarship from Michigan looks pretty darn good. Weaver was thought to be considering an immediate commitment to the Wolverines, but he ended up taking about a week before pulling the trigger.

Weaver has a thick frame that looks like it will probably continue to fill out and add weight. He has a long wingspan and can get his hands in the throwing windows. He also shows some decent speed in the open field if he can beat the blocker in front of him. He can be an aggressive hitter who makes the quarterback or running back feel some punishment if he gets a clean shot.

Unfortunately, he is also a very raw player. When it comes to technique, virtually everything needs to be tweaked - from his stance to his initial steps to his hand placement to the angles he takes to the ball. He plays 3-4 defensive end in high school, which is probably pretty similar to what he will play in college. However, he often fails to get his second step down unless he's speed rushing on the outside, and he tends to stand up too high off the snap. He does not use his hands well and instead tries to shoulder past offensive linemen.

Overall, Weaver seems like a boom-or-bust prospect in more ways than one. If he cleans up his technique and adds the necessary strength, he could be a very good strongside end in a 4-3 or a 3-4 end. In fact, his body type is pretty ideal for those types of positions. With the way his body is built, he could even turn into a 300-pounder, because I think he looks a little like Chris Wormley coming out of high school. On the other hand, his technique and the way he plays reminds me even more of another Ohio defensive end, Chris Rock, who left Michigan early and walked on at Ohio State, where he never played a meaningful snap. Weaver also has a chance to play some tight end, where he would presumably more of a blocking tight end, although offensive highlights are few.

Michigan now has twelve commits in the 2016 class. He is the first defensive end in the class, and it's a position that needs some replenishing. Michigan took two defensive ends in the 2015 class, but the position is rather thin with senior Mario Ojemudia and junior Taco Charlton the only experienced ends at this point. Michigan is even more in need of Buck linebacker types who can speed rush the passer. After Rich Rodriguez concentrated heavily on Florida, Brady Hoke focused his efforts on the midwest. Jim Harbaugh is back to a more national approach, and this is the fourth commitment in the 2016 class from the deep south (two from Alabama, two from Florida), joining the four who committed near the end of the 2015 cycle (three from Florida, one from Alabama).

TTB Rating: 45 (ratings explanation)