The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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30 THE WOLVERINE JANUARY 2021 FOOTBALL RECRUITING other that did not have a senior season. He looked extremely impressive in a pri- vate workout and has really come along from a development standpoint. At 6-8 and 305 pounds, he's built more like a heavyweight boxer than a basketball player. He is a large, strong human with perhaps the biggest upside in this class. Bounds could easily outplay his ranking if his development goes as expected. He has added plenty of weight and strength to his frame, and can continue to add more while maintaining his athleticism. He moves really well at a height that can often create awkwardness. He uses his long arms to keep rushers at bay. The obvious ideal projection is at left tackle. Bounds plays aggressively and wants to physically punish the opposi- tion. He can clean up some technical parts of his game, but there is a lot to love about Bounds' potential. 11. DL TJ Guy I'm calling my shot with Guy. I feel like he's going to be the steal of the class, so it's no surprise I have him ranked higher than the industry, which across the board has awarded him a three-star designation. None of the three major recruiting services list him higher than the fifth-best senior in Massachusetts. Guy is all potential right now. He's very raw from a technical standpoint and hasn't learned how to unlock his ath- leticism yet. For how physically impres- sive he is, the 6-4, 240-pounder doesn't seem to overpower offensive linemen. A couple years of good coaching and strength and conditioning work could do wonders here. He does move extremely well for his size, which shouldn't come as a sur- prise since he ran the point for his high school basketball team and received some lower-level hoops offers. In my in-person evals, he showed improved pass-rushing moves and im- pressive lateral quickness — remember he did not have a senior season, so only junior film is available. He can play the five-technique end or slide inside depending on how he fills out over the next couple of years. His athleticism, length and explosion are too exciting for me not to give him such a high grade. 12. DL Kechaun Bennett A Northeast prospect with a Brook- lyn attitude, Bennett is an expert pass rusher who's at his best when he can pin his ears back and get after the quar- terback. During my in-game eval last season, the 6-4, 220-pounder was a ter- ror off the edge with pure speed and recorded a pair of sacks. Most of his junior film is him simply edge rushing and sacking or pressuring the quarterback. Bennett is much faster than the weak competition he plays, but he also shows an array of pass-rushing moves, which should allow him to make a quick transition to the next level. Bennett can play as a stand-up 'backer or provide a pass-rushing presence from the five technique, depending on how his body fills out. He needs to con- tinue to add weight and strength but looked a little more filled out in the pri- vate workout I saw this offseason — he did not have a senior season. I have not seen much of Bennett against the run, but as a pass rusher, he's an excellent addition. 13. CB Ja'Den McBurrows At 5-10 and 165 pounds, McBurrows lacks the ideal height and length that Michigan looks for in a cornerback prospect, but he plays bigger than his size and makes up for it with quickness and toughness. He plays aggressively in press-man coverage and has terrific technique and patience. McBurrows was asked to play on an island against powerhouse Plantation (Fla.) American Heritage when I saw him live, and he completely shut down his side of the field. McBurrows isn't afraid to get physi- cal against the run and make tackles. Though he doesn't boast super straight- line speed (he ran 11.0 in the 100 me- ters as a junior), he does have great foot speed and breaks on balls quickly. There may not be a high ceiling here, but McBurrows is a safe take with the coveted 'dog' mentality. He'll eventually earn a starting job or, at the very least, make a big impact from the nickel. 14. S Rod Moore The 5-11, 180-pound Moore has aver- age height and length for a safety but needs to add weight. How he develops in the Michigan strength and condition- ing program will determine his trajec- tory in Ann Arbor. He isn't spectacular in any one area but is very good all around. He has above-average field speed with good track times (7.12 in the 60 meters). Despite not having a muscular build, Moore also isn't afraid to mix it up in the box. His ability as a striker stood out to me the most during my in-person 2021 Michigan Signee List Player Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown (High School) Raheem Anderson OL 6-3 298 Detroit (Cass Tech) Andrel Anthony WR 6-2 180 Lansing, Mich. (East Lansing) Kechaun Bennett DL 6-4 220 Suffield, Conn. (Suffield Academy) Tristan Bounds OT 6-8 305 Gaithersburg, Md. (Choate Rosemary Hall [Conn.]) Junior Colson LB 6-2 230 Brentwood, Tenn. (Ravenwood) Greg Crippen OL 6-4 285 Northborough, Mass. (IMG Academy [Fla.]) Cristian Dixon WR 6-2 187 Santa Ana, Calif. (Mater Dei) Tommy Doman K/P 6-3 180 West Bloomfield, Mich. (St. Mary's) Tavierre Dunlap RB 6-0 196 Del Valle, Texas (Del Valle) Donovan Edwards RB 5-11 190 West Bloomfield, Mich. (West Bloomfield) Giovanni El-Hadi OL 6-5 305 Sterling Heights, Mich. (Stevenson) Dominick Giudice DL 6-4 265 Freehold, N.J. (Mater Dei) TJ Guy DL 6-4 240 Mansfield, Mass. (Mansfield) Louis Hansen TE 6-5 232 Dover, Mass. (St. Sebastian's) Jaydon Hood LB 6-1 212 Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (St. Thomas Aquinas) Ja'Den McBurrows DB 5-10 165 Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (St. Thomas Aquinas) J.J. McCarthy QB 6-3 195 La Grange Park, Ill. (IMG Academy [Fla.]) Tyler McLaurin LB 6-2 220 Bolingbrook, Ill. (Bolingbrook) Rod Moore DB 5-11 180 Clayton, Ohio (Northmont) Xavier Worthy WR 6-1 160 Fresno, Calif. (Central) 2022 Michigan Commitment List Player Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown (High School) Connor Jones OL 6-7 285 Monument, Colo. (Palmer Ridge) Marlin Klein TE 6-6 215 Rabun Gap, Ga. (Nacoochee) Tyler Martin LB 6-2 249 Cambridge. Mass. (Buckingham, Browne & Nichols) Davonte Miles DL 6-4 265 River Rouge, Mich. (River Rouge) Alex VanSumeren DT 6-2 260 Essexville, Mich. (Garber)