The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1451622
great things. I also liked the family feel with the coaches and players. Location was a plus as well. That covered every- thing I was looking for as a player." Former Michigan defensive coordina- tor Mike Macdonald recruited Rolder, who is now ranked as the No. 60 overall prospect nationally by On3, thanks to his ability to fill gaps in a hurry and play sideline to sideline. A prototypical Big Ten inside linebacker, Rolder is a tack- ling machine who registered 115 stops, four sacks and three interceptions as a senior. While Macdonald is no longer on staff, Michigan did hire Jesse Minter as his replacement. Like Macdonald, Minter spent time with the Baltimore Ravens in the NFL and plans to run a very similar scheme. Rolder isn't too fa- miliar with Minter just yet but believes he'll still be a great fit in the middle of the U-M defense. "I think it was a great idea," Rolder said. "Coach Harbaugh said he was go- ing to hire a guy that knew the scheme really well. I think it's a great fit. Last year, the defense looked great. Being able to pick up where you left off with a guy that knows the same scheme is great." Rolder is also fully dedicating him- self to football and developing in the strength and conditioning program once he arrives in Ann Arbor in June. Harbaugh is always supportive of multi-sport athletes, but Rolder made the choice this winter to completely give up baseball. A star third baseman, Rolder backed off his baseball commit- ment to Illinois shortly after his football recruitment blew up. And now, Rolder believes his best days on the gridiron are ahead of him. "I really want to focus on football," Rolder said. "I've always liked football more. I've never been able to focus on lifting and speed training in the offsea- son. I've always gone from football to baseball during that time. I want to de- velop myself into a great football player instead of holding myself back from reaching my full potential. "Before I get to Michigan, I'm hitting the weight room hard and getting on the field. Once spring ball starts, I might be able to Zoom into football meetings. I definitely want to start learning the playbook and talk to some of the guys there. I'm fired up." ❑ MARCH 2022 THE WOLVERINE 55 THEY SAID IT • On3 director of scouting and rank- ings Charles Power: "The first thing that sticks out with him is the size and play speed combination. Then you look at how physical he is as a tackler, his striking power. Whenever he hits the ball carrier they're going backwards. He's just very physical at the point of attack. "And then you look into his athletic background, that guy's a top baseball player and was going to Illinois to play baseball. He's very coordinated and he's not just a pure in-the-box linebacker; he has interceptions, he can drop into coverage, he can play in space — he's really got a complete skill set." JIMMY ROLDER LINEBACKER 6-2 • 220 MARIST HIGH SCHOOL ORLAND PARK, ILL. RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 175 15 5 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 60 4 2 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ — 31 8 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 194 7* 6 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 233 8* 6 * Ranked as an inside linebacker STATISTICS Year Tackles TFL INT FF 2021 115 13 4 2 HONORS • Named a semifinalist for the Dick Butkus Award, which is presented to the nation's top high school line- backer. • I llinois H igh S chool Football Coaches Association Class 8A All-State honoree as a senior. • Helped team reach the state semi- finals as a senior; the defense posted three shutouts in 13 games. • All-conference selection as a junior in 2020. RECRUITMENT • Pledged to Michigan on Nov. 17, 2021, after picking up his offer from the Maize and Blue in October 2021. • Picked U-M over offers from Ohio State, Iowa and LSU. • Recruited by linebackers coach George Helow. DID YOU KNOW? • Was previously committed to Illi- nois to play baseball before emerging on the gridiron as a senior; starred as a third baseman at Marist. • Born Feb. 9, 2004. A talented two-sport athlete, Rolder was originally committed to the Illinois baseball team as a third baseman before signing with Michigan as a linebacker. PHOTO COURTESY ROLDER VIA TWITTER 2022 Projection Rolder is a very technically sound linebacker with the athleticism to cover in space. He won't enroll until the summer, but is ready to play as a freshman if needed. He won't need much time to develop physi- cally since he's already filled out and projects well as a pure inside linebacker. His high floor makes him a prime candidate to play early. Marist head coach Ron Dawczak on Rolder "It's a testament to him that he just put his nose down and continued to work hard. When he got his opportunity this fall, he shined." 2022 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE consensus