Coach's Corner: Grading the Michigan 2010 Recruiting Class -- Part 3 of 3

Posted at 8:00am -- 2/14/2010

Coach's Corner: Grading the Michigan 2010 Recruiting Class -- Part 3 of 3

This is about the fifth revision. Why so? The 2010 class is a tough group to evaluate, because after the top twelve, or so, most of the players are very close as to upside and actual to-date, on the field, performance.

Going in reverse order:

8) Cullen Christian:

Cullen is a solid cover-two cornerback, but he clearly lacks top-end speed. Cullen is a tough, determined player who makes up for shortcomings with good size and very physical play.

Grade: On Film B ... Ceiling B+

7) Jerald Robinson:

CoachBt has Jerald rated higher than most “sources.” Doc has heard coaches (and informed fans that travel the state every week) from the Ohio area give comments that run the gambit, from super steal to cannot play (especially for a certain state school). CoachBt loves physical split-ends with great/strong hands. Jerald is a very physical player, and he is tough enough to be a good safety. Ponder this three-part question: what can Jerald do with highly skilled quarterbacks getting him the ball, will his playing time accelerate and increase by becoming the best wide-out blocker, and will Jerald eventually be the first of this large group to switch to another position?

Grade: On Film B ... Ceiling B+

6) Will Hagerup:

Will has a tremendously strong leg and he is definitely a “thunderfoot.” But as stated on this site many times, Will definitely needs to speed up his action and he takes an extra step. A freshman kicker with a slow delivery causes opposing special teams coaches to salivate. Not much to ponder here. A punter by any other name is still a punter (he is a big, strong, smart athlete and look for some fake punts in his future, ala ZM).

Grade: On film B+ ... Potential A

5) Marvin Robinson:

At safety we do not rate him as high as at Stevie Brown’s outside linebacker spot. Marvin may not have the movement skills to excel in space, but he does possess the toughness and instincts to play at the line of scrimmage. Now add in the intangibles and Michigan has a very good recruit. Marvin was physically advanced at a young age but now other athletes have caught up. It will be that way in college as well, where Marvin will be but one of many skilled players on the field. Ponder this two-part question: will Marvin continue to grow and fill out and where will his final position destination be?

Grade: On film B ... Ceiling B+

4) JiBreel Black:

The more CoachBt watches JiBreel’s film the better he likes this player. JiBreel plays the game extremely hard and moves well for his size. Ohio coaches have had good things to say about JiBreel. Ponder this question: is JiBreel really a defensive end or a defensive tackle?

Grade: On film B ... Ceiling A-

3) Richard Ash:

Richard has a big body that can move, and he plays the game with an edge. Richard is very underrated in the opinion of Coach Bt. It may also be pointed out that Richard is from a very tough environment and has played against very tough and skilled players over his high school career. Like the other Pahokee players, Richard just might thrive in the environment of the Michigan program and he will compete. Ponder this two-part question: will Richard end up being the best of the three tackles and what technique tackle will he play in the hybrid defense?

Grade: On Film B+ ... Ceiling A-

2) Demar Dorsey:

Demar is the best athlete in the class. And by many accounts Demar is probably one of the top five athletes in the last ten years. He definitely needs quantity and quality of coaching to rise quickly, but this is the type of skilled athlete every team needs and recruits hard. Ponder this question: will there be secret (or not so secret) races between Woolfolk, Robinson, and Dorsey this spring, and who will win?

Grade: On Film B ... Ceiling A+

1) Devin Gardner:

If one doubts the importance of quarterback play, re-watch last week’s Super Bowl or the recent BCS championship game. College basketball is a point guard game and football is a quarterback game. No Super Bowl has ever seen such a combined domination from two quarterbacks as this past Sunday. Now let us go on to young Devin. He is an athlete with unlimited potential. The run-spread in the Michigan system is very mediocre with a mediocre quarterback. It can be dominating with a dominating athlete (assuming a nice supporting cast). Devin does have a few mechanical things to correct, but there is no doubting the skill level derived from superior athletic ability. He worked hard at summer camps and clearly his throwing has improved from one year ago. Low elbow and reading the field will almost certainly dominate Devin’s work this spring. Now add in the size and his ceiling is high, but so will be the expectations. Ponder this question: are there indeed quarterbacks now rated ahead of Devin that will not be remotely close in two years?

Grade: On Film B+ (mechanics)... Ceiling A

Written by GBMW Staff

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