The Wolverine

January 2021

The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports

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JANUARY 2021 THE WOLVERINE 29   FOOTBALL RECRUITING once he hits the open field. He is an absolute burner with 10.55 100-meter speed (time came as a sophomore) and stretches the field on the outside. He shows more straight-line speed than wiggle, but is quick in short space. Worthy will do a ton of damage out of the slot with his ability to turn a short slant or screen into a house call. He gains separation with ease and is an adequate route runner, but has room for improvement in that area. He can also make plays as a kick and punt returner, is the perfect fit for Michi- gan's 'speed in space' offense and will see the field as a true freshman. However, he is very skinny, and adding weight and strength is a must. Worthy has a ceiling similar to Alabama All-American receiver DeVonta Smith, who offensive coordina- tor Josh Gattis coached in 2018. 5. TE Louis Hansen One of the most underappreciated commits in the class, Hansen is an elite- level talent that should be a multi-year starter at the tight end position. While the lack of a senior season hindered a potential rankings jump, Hansen looked terrific in his film from camp this fall. He has added really good weight and strength to an already im- pressive frame, and shows adequate speed in the 40-yard dash, running in the 4.7s at 6 -5, 232 pounds. Hansen will be an even more impres- sive physical specimen after a year in the strength and conditioning program at Michigan. He is an excellent route runner and natural pass catcher, who knows how to use his size to his advantage and will bring down the ball at the highest point. Hansen displays great body control and is a physical blocker in the run game. He flashed his ability as a defensive end, re- cording three sacks, during my in-game evaluation when he was as a junior. This is a very bright young man that will be an ambassador for the pro- gram on and off the field. He has an extremely high floor. 6. K/P Tommy Doman Doman is the best a team can get as a specialist. Selected to both the Under Armour and Adidas All-American Games, he will be a weapon for the Wolverines. The 6- 3, 180-pounder has excellent size and a big leg. It wouldn't be sur- prising to see him handle kickoffs, field goals and punts very early in his career. His punts have terrific hang time, and he uses an array of techniques to put different spins on the ball when at- tempting to pin opponents deep. He's also an accurate kicker with con- sistency on short and intermediate tries, and is capable of making long kicks. He may be a better punter now, but he definitely is above average as a kicker. 7. OL Giovanni El-Hadi El-Hadi is one of the more difficult prospects in the class to evaluate. He has an excellent physique and frame with plenty of room to be developed in a college strength and conditioning program. The 6-5, 305-pounder shows terrific bend, flexibility and athleticism. He projects best as a right tackle but could also slide inside. He can get nasty when he wants to and bury the opposi- tion, but does not do it on a consistent basis. He is a plus technician with really good hand placement. While athletic and twitchy, El-Hadi still has a bit of an issue with slow feet. He did not make a big leap from his junior to se- nior year, but still is a very good prospect. El-Hadi could be a three-years-and-on- to-the-NFL type of player for Michigan. He will have the advantage of being men- tored by an excellent talent developer in offensive line coach Ed Warinner and is an ideal fit for the Michigan program. If he puts it all together, El-Hadi has the chance to be the best offensive commit in the class, but the question marks — a senior in-game evaluation that was not overwhelming and a low floor — forced me to dish out a conservative ranking. 8. OL Raheem Anderson The first thing that pops out about An- derson is his leadership. The intangibles are all there for the 6-3, 298-pounder to be a multi-year starter at the center position. He is very vocal, commands respect from his teammates and is a player others want to follow. On the field, Anderson displays a high football IQ, brute strength, flexibility and great pre-snap recognition with the ability to help fellow offensive line- men make adjustments. He plays with a mean streak, likes to get nasty when run blocking and has served up numerous pancakes during my in-game evaluations. Playing with a bully mentality, he overwhelms defen- sive linemen with his size and strength. Anderson improved tremendously tech- nically from his junior to senior year. He also cut some bad weight. That has al- lowed him to become deceptively nimble, and very good with his hands and feet. The Michigan staff has compared him to former Wolverine offensive lineman Michael Onwenu, who is having an out- standing rookie season with the New England Patriots. 9. WR Cristian Dixon Dixon is a big-bodied wideout with the frame to continue to add weight and strength. Though he is listed at 6-2, 187 pounds, he added around 10 pounds while training this offseason. He did not have a senior season but did flash as a junior at national powerhouse Mater Dei against top competition from across the country. Dixon shows great game speed for his size and can take the top off the defense on the outside. He builds his game around technique, is fluid and sinks his hips well. Dixon was known as a deep threat when rising up the ranks but now is a refined route run- ner. The pass catcher spent the offseason working with projected first-round NFL Draft pick Jaylen Waddle of Alabama and added more versatility to his game. He displays an excellent catch radius and can bring the ball in when com- ing across the middle. Dixon will be a quarterback-friendly target on short-to- intermediate routes. He does not use his size to his advan- tage enough and is more finesse than physical. He has a high ceiling but needs to play at a high level more consistently. 10. OL Tristan Bounds I wish I could have seen Bounds in person more than once, but he was an- Four-star offensive lineman Giovanni El-Hadi was the first recruit in the 2021 class to com- mit to Michigan, pledging on March 19, 2019. PHOTO BY BRANDON BROWN

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