The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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SEPTEMBER 2020 THE WOLVERINE 33 FOOTBALL RECRUITING "His football IQ is definitely going to pay dividends for him. That's the thing about Greg. He's an astute learner. He's a guy that seeks as much informa- tion as possible. As much as they are going to throw at him in college, he's definitely going to be able to handle it. He has already built the mental and physical strength to do that." The only better center prospect nationally may be fellow Michigan commit Raheem Anderson, who also has guard flexibility. The No. 149-ranked overall prospect in the nation, the 6-3, 295-pounder is a bully in the trenches and loves to finish off blocks. He also has a high football IQ and is a commander along the offen- sive line. The Detroit Cass Tech product committed to Michigan in April and, like the aforementioned El-Hadi, has been a true leader in the class. "You look at those guys who are true offensive centers like [former U-M standout] Cesar Ruiz, like Ra- heem Anderson, and what coaches really have to see out of those guys is there's a threshold they all have to cross," Helmholdt said. "The snap to set or that snap to first step has to be instantaneous. You have to have a guy who can snap the football almost like he's chewing gum. It has to be second nature to him, and from the very begin- ning Raheem Anderson has been able to do that. "When he was young, he was able to go into set- tings where he was go- ing up against guys two to three years older than him and physically com- pete from a strength stand- point, from a technique standpoint. He was able to compete, one, because he's a strong kid and, two, because technically he was well ahead of the curve. "He's a guy who is very patient. He doesn't over- extend himself very often and he bends and gains leverage really well." Along with those three monsters, Michigan has a literal giant in three-star commit Tristan Bounds. At 6-8, 285 pounds, the Wallingford (Conn.) Cho- ate Rosemary Hall prod- uct is truly a physical marvel and fits exactly what Warinner wants in his prototypical left tackle. Bounds may not be part of the top-150 club, but he perhaps has the highest ceiling out of all of them. "Last time we saw him, his game was a work in progress," Rivals East Coast recruiting analyst Adam Fried- man explained. "He has the look of a guy who's still growing into his body. He's very, very lean. There was not a whole lot to his frame the last time we saw him. He's really just working on getting stronger, moving with more purpose, and I think once he physically develops that's when we're going to see his game hit the next level, because he does under- stand how to play with technique. "He understands how to use his best assets to his advantage — his length, his leverage. He can run his feet, but the quickness that he needs to show to be an early impact player at Michigan we have not seen that from him just yet. I think the strength and conditioning program there is going to really, really benefit him. "You look at the way the offensive tackle position has changed, just in the last five years — they don't want just behemoths at that position; a wide, tall body, a wall type of guy. They want guys who are long and can move and can get out in space and make key blocks on screens or running plays. I think [Bounds] has that frame that they're looking for. They need to fill him out, they need to get him stron- ger, they need to get him a little bit more coordinated and quicker. Then, we could see him at his best." Warinner and Michigan aren't done yet, though. The Wolverines are vig- orously pursuing Rivals100 Boston Noble & Greenough guard Drew Ken- dall. The four-star prospect has long been considered a Michigan lean and could be on the verge of making a de- cision in the very near future. While the 6-4, 255-pounder needs to add some weight to his frame, he's perhaps the most athletic interior of- fensive lineman in the entire country. He also has great bloodlines and is the son of former NFL offensive line- man Pete Kendall. A Boston College legacy, Kendall has pressure to stay home and follow in his father's footsteps. But the Wolverines have dominated in New England this cycle and have put them- selves in a position to seal the deal with the nation's No. 65 overall prospect sooner rather than later. While more of a long shot, Michigan is also still working hard on Rivals100 Lititz (Pa.) Warwick offen- sive tackle Nolan Rucci. Clemson, Penn State and Wisconsin — where his older brother plays — are considered the three major players in the recruitment of the nation's No. 36 over- all prospect. However, Warinner has prioritized Rucci throughout the pro- cess, and if visits open up the Wolverines could rise up his list. If Michigan is able to land Kendall or Rucci, this offensive line class won't just be special — it will be downright historic. Michigan has never reeled in four top-150 of- fensive linemen in the Ri- vals era. This year, it may be a forgone conclusion. ❏ Drew Kendall has emerged as a top target for Michigan and is listed as the nation's No. 65 overall prospect, which could give the Wolverines a quartet of offensive linemen ranked among the top 150 recruits in the land for the first time in the Rivals era (which dates back to 2002). PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM