The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/116680
commitment profile to my parents and my family, and the only thing that was keeping them away them is distance. But distance is nothing. They liked the decision that I made and they're happy. Everybody else is happy, too." "He came to me and told me that he thought about it over the weekend, discussed it with mom and dad, and felt it was time to pull the trigger and make a decision," Highland head football coach Brody Benson said. "Obviously he and Sione are good friends. That had a lot to do with it. "The relationships that he built with the staff, just the ability to communicate and talk with the coaches and feel comfortable just 'being Bryan' was important. He described to me that he could just be himself, and he just felt comfortable." More was named first-team 4A allstate as a junior after recording 70 tackles, with 10 for loss and three sacks. Rivals.com ranks as the No. 172 player in the nation. "I think Coach [Aaron] Wellman their strength and conditioning coach is going to be excited to have Bryan in there," Benson said. "Bryan's a kid who gets in and works his guts out. He's a great kid to have on your team." Wellman may be able to get his hands on Mone a little earlier than expected — he plans to finish his high school career in December and head to Ann Arbor next January. "My next step right now as a player is to graduate early, so I've got to pick it up in the classroom," said More. "I can't wait to get up there." ❏ Film Evaluation Strengths: Mone uses his hands very well for a young player. He gets quick hand extension in the targeted chest area that gives him excellent leverage. He also does a really good job of using his hands to defend against the cut blocks that bigger high school players like Mone have to defend. He is tall and wide with a really nice burst off the snap of the ball. He keeps his feet moving through the play and shows a great motor to get to the ball. Mone also does a good job of keeping his shoulders square to the line. Areas Of Improvement: Because Mone is physically bigger, stronger and faster than the high school competition he faces, he can get away with popping up too high out of his stance and peeking in the backfield. He will have to continue to develop the skill of keying the offensive lineman in front of him as his first priority. His size and speed are also a perfect formula for a nasty bull rush, which he should work to develop in his game. Michigan Player Comparison: Alan Branch (2004-06), a current Seattle Seahawk, was a dominant interior defensive lineman for Michigan. He played with a great combination of quickness and power. — Analysis by former U-M All-Big Ten OL Doug Skene