The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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AUGUST 2019 THE WOLVERINE 67 COMMITMENT PROFILE M ichigan tight ends coach Sher- rone Moore offered Burke (Va.) Lake Braddock three-star tight end Matt Hibner May 30, and within 10 days the 6-4, 228-pounder was a part of U-M's class. Rivals' No. 21 player in Virginia picked up the tender, set up an un- official visit and pulled the trigger in such a hurry that it all felt a bit rushed. However, Hibner said he didn't feel that way at all to him. "I knew about Michigan's aca- demics and football [before being of- fered], but I kind of dug a lot deeper and researched the business school and the general academics, along with the football team, once I was offered," he explained. "From there I realized that Michigan is a top con- tender in football and education, so then it became a matter of visiting and making sure that I loved the place and all of the coaches. "Once I visited, that was it. I had a feeling that Michigan was home. I knew it was the place to be. That all came together well and fit every- thing perfectly." Moore, along w i t h o ff e n s i v e coordinator Josh Gattis, spent a lot of time with H i b n e r d u r i n g that visit to show him exactly how he would fit in t h e y e t - t o - b e - s e e n - i n - p u b l i c offense. Once the rising senior tight end saw how he would be utilized on tape, he felt even better about his decision. "Coach Moore likes how quick I am," Hibner ex- plained. "He defi- nitely wants me to keep my speed, so I'll be one of the more mobile tight ends I think. "I'll be kind of like a wide re- ceiver who can block. I think that really fits me very well and I'm going to work to be the best one of those guys I can be." Lake Braddock head coach Mike Dougherty loved the choice his big tight end made, and also got pretty excited when he thought about how good Hibner could be in his own of- fense and once he is at Michigan. "When you watch his film, he's impressive," Dougherty said. "He can move, he's long, he's rangy. Af- ter packing on almost 40 pounds from last fall, he's just a man now. He catches everything like a slot re- ceiver. I think of typical slot receivers catching everything and that's him — except for he's 6-4, 230 pounds. "He's going to be really good. If me and my coaches don't screw it up, he'll catch 80 balls for us this fall. With our RPO [run-pass option] sys- tem and the quarterback we have coming back, it should be an 80-re- ception year for him." As a junior, Hibner missed his first four games due to a nagging hip flexor injury, but he still managed to put together a pretty impressive campaign and finish strong down the stretch. On offense, he had 15 catches for 371 yards and two scores. On de- fense, he racked up 80 tackles with 12 sacks. He also broke up three passes, had an interception that he returned for a touchdown, forced a fumble and recovered three others. Hibner took his official visit the same weekend as 19 other prospects from June 21-23 and could not have had a better time. He loves Ann Ar- bor, the coaching staff and his future teammates. The process is over for him and he's happy about that as well. "I'm all in on Michigan," he said. "I really don't need any more recruiting at all." — Brandon Brown Michigan Moved Quickly In Offering And Landing Matt Hibner FILM EVALUATION Strengths: Matt Hibner is a very solid athlete and he has a great build after adding 40 pounds since last fall. He is a natural catcher of the ball and really does a good job using his size and strength to get position. He is also sneaky quick and actually creates separation better than you would expect because of his build. Areas Of Improvement: For Hib- ner, it is going to be about retaining the speed, athleticism and quick- ness that makes him effective right now as he continues to bulk up and get stronger. He will also need to sharpen his skills as a blocker, but he is definitely willing and has an aggressive mentality because of his skills on the defensive side of the ball. Michigan Player Comparison: Hibner has some similarities to for- mer Michigan standout Jake Butt. At 6-4, Hibner tips the scales at right around 230 pounds, where Butt was 6-6, 235 pounds. By the time Hibner graduates next year, he could be pretty close to Butt's listed 6-6 and will likely be heavier at north of 240 pounds. Butt looked a little more stretched out and wiry in high school than Hibner does now, but both had pretty well- rounded games and a lot of room to grow entering the college ranks. — Analysis from TheWolverine.com Despite being hampered by a nagging hip flexor injury that caused him to miss games during his junior season at Burke (Va.) Lake Braddock, Hibner managed to haul in 15 receptions for 371 yards and two touchdowns. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM