Maize 'n' Brew: June 12 Recruiting Update

I don't know who this is.  Berenger Rose is pretty good looking.

The weekly recruiting post is up over at Maize 'n' Brew.

Erik Magnuson, Wolverine

Erik Magnuson: His father would be proud.
Trust me.

Erik Magnuson, an offensive tackle from La Costa Canyon High School in Carlsbad, CA, committed to Michigan on Saturday.  He chose the Wolverines over offers from Arizona, Arizona State, Boise State, California, Cincinnati, Colorado, Miami, Notre Dame, Oregon, Oregon State, San Diego State, Stanford, UCLA, Utah, Washington, and Washington State, among others.

Magnuson was reeled in by tight ends coach Dan Ferrigno, who handles a lot of Michigan's recruiting on the west coast.  The coaching staff originally made contact with Magnuson when they were at San Diego State, and they parlayed that early relationship into convincing the young man to drag his butt halfway across the country.  Magnuson had maintained that Michigan was his leader for the past couple weeks, and when he finally got a chance to see the campus, that was all it took.

His current ratings:

ESPN: 4-star, #24 OT
Rivals: 4-star, #5 OT, #34 overall
Scout: 4-star, #16 OT, #97 overall
24/7 Sports: 4-star, #13 OT, #85 overall

As you can see, the reviews of Magnuson indicate that he is either good or very good.  He shows very good balance and mirroring abilities as a pass blocker; his kick slide and ability to cancel inside rushes should serve him well at the next level.  He also has a mean streak on the field and likes to finish his blocks.

Something Magnuson lacks is truly elite athleticism.  Although he has the traits I mentioned above, his feet aren't particularly quick.  If I were coaching or training him, I would really be working agility training to get his feet moving a little better.  Speed rushers could potentially give him some trouble in college and beyond.  His run blocking could also use some work.  There are times when he uses his upper body to hook defenders rather than getting his feet and hips around to the front side of the block.  That won't work with stronger players.  Furthermore, sometimes he lets his base get a little too narrow when run blocking, which could hamper his ability to stay on blocks.  That last point is the easiest to correct, though, and shouldn't be an issue in the long run.

Magnuson seems like a LT/RT tweener to me.  He doesn't have the elite quickness that I'd like to see in a left tackle, but he doesn't have the mass (right now) or run blocking technique to be great at right tackle.  I do think these issues are correctable, but his success depends upon how quickly he can shore up these weaknesses.  Hopefully it happens soon.

This gives Michigan 16 commitments for the class of 2012.  As things stand now, there are two remaining spots to fill.  The Wolverines still need a nose tackle and another offensive lineman; I would prefer a guard since Michigan has four guards who will be fifth year seniors when the 2012 class arrives on campus.  A quarterback, running back, wide receiver, and safety would be welcome additions if the class expands.

TTB Rating: 87 (view the rating system)

2012 Offer Board Update

Jehu Chesson (#5)

The 2012 Offer Board has been updated:

South Carolina OG Patrick DeStefano committed to Clemson.

California WR Malik Gilmore committed to Oregon State.

California OT Erik Magnuson committed to Michigan.

Ohio DE Tom Strobel committed to Michigan.

Maryland DE Michael Moore committed to Virginia.

Missouri WR Durron Neal committed to Oklahoma.

California TE Taylor McNamara committed to Arizona.

Added Pennsylvania OT Adam Bisnowaty.

Texas LB Dalton Santos de-committed from Oklahoma State.

Georgia DE Jarontay Jones committed to Virginia Tech.

Added Missouri WR Jehu Chesson.

Throwback Uniforms Released

vs.

September 10, 2011

Ann Arbor, MI

8:00 p.m.

ESPN

Tom Strobel, Wolverine

Tom Strobel.

Tom Strobel, a defensive end from Mentor, OH, committed to Michigan on Friday.  He's a 6'6", 245 lb. strongside end who picked the Wolverines over offers from Cincinnati, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Ohio State, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Stanford, West Virginia, and Wisconsin, among others.

Is it a coincidence that Strobel plays for the Mentor Cardinals, which just so happens to be the same nickname of Brady Hoke's old team, the Ball State Cardinals . . . ?

Probably.

His current rankings are as follows:

ESPN: 3-star, #56 DE
Rivals: 4-star, #36 DE, #231 overall
Scout: 4-star, #24 DE, #211 overall
24/7 Sports: 4-star, #14 WDE, #169 overall

When three out of four sites agree that he's a top-250 prospect, then I tend to think that ESPN doesn't know what it's talking about (Hint: They don't).  For someone that big who runs a reported 4.8 forty yard dash and has a 28" vertical leap, anything less than a 4-star rating seems a little foolish.  What's even more ridiculous is that the state of Ohio has several defensive ends who are on par or perhaps even better than Strobel, such as Adolphus Washington, Se'von Pittman, Ifeadi Odenigbo, Pharaoh Brown, and Greg McMullen.

While the majority of the sites agree that Strobel is an elite prospect, what they don't seem to agree on is his eventual position.  He has been projected as a strongside end, a weakside end, and a 3-tech defensive tackle by various scouts.  To me he looks like a strongside end all the way.  First of all, he has the bulk to play on the strong side without getting knocked off the ball.  Secondly, he doesn't have the athleticism to be an elite pass rusher and come off the edge from the weakside.  And third, if he's a true 6'6" tall, then I don't want him inside playing tackle.  Anytime tackles get over 6'5", I think their height becomes a disadvantage.

Strobel has a great motor.  There are plays when he gets completely turned around, finds the ball, and makes a beeline toward the ballcarrier.  There's no hesitation or thought of "Maybe I should give up" or "Maybe one of my teammates made the play by now."  He's also thick from head to toe, which means he should have sufficient upper and lower body strength to keep blockers off of him with his arms while also powering through blockers and ballcarriers with his legs.  He uses his hands very well and keeps separation from offensive tackles.

I am slightly concerned about Strobel's production thus far in his high school career, though.  In two seasons of varsity ball, he's only made 84 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, and 9 sacks.  He did miss a couple games due to injury as a junior, but for a guy with his tools to only make 37 tackles and 2 sacks as a junior in high school is a little bit curious.  I also have all kinds of issues with Strobel's technique.  While he uses his hands very well, his butt's too low in his stance and his right foot is too far back, which makes him cockeyed.  With his foot back that far, almost every one of his first steps makes him stand straight up.  I'm not too concerned that Michigan's coaches will notice his stance issues and make the necessary corrections.  The more pressing issue is how quickly Strobel will adjust to a new stance, whether he will be comfortable, and whether he can keep his balance once the tweaks are made.

Overall, Strobel seems like a high-floor/medium-ceiling type of player.  As a strongside end, perhaps the most important quality is to be relentlessly active, and he does have that quality.  However, he will get eaten alive if he doesn't play lower.  The track record of his future coaches speaks for itself as far as coaching up defensive linemen, but I can't really expect greatness from a kid who had 37 tackles and 2 sacks as a junior.  I will be interested to see how he does in the upcoming season, so the following number may change, but as for now . . .

TTB Rating: 79 (explanation here)

2011 Countdown: #80 Frank Clark

Frank Clark

Name: Frank Clark
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 210 lbs.
High school: Glenville Academic Campus
Position: Linebacker
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: #57
Last year: Clark was a high school senior (commitment post here)

TTB Rating: 59

Clark was one of those kids that a lot of Michigan fans were excited about because getting him would mean a foot in the door at a school full of talent.  The only issue is that Clark is just kind of a so-so prospect compared to some of the talent that comes from Glenville.  There weren't many highlights available for him, but the ones we did see weren't overwhelming.

Clark could play any number of positions at Michigan, depending on what the needs are and how big he gets. He could play strongside linebacker, weakside end, or tight end.  He's still thin and needs to bulk up, so his best chance for playing in 2011 would be to show some promise as a special teamer.

Prediction: Redshirt

Attractive Michigan Girls of the Week: Knee High Socks

And you thought tube socks were out of style . . . 

If you have any other pictures of you or your friends wearing Michigan gear, drop me an e-mail at touchthebanner@gmail.com.