Each week leading up
to the Spring Game, I’ll take a look at each position Michigan will be
recruiting and which recruit could possibly fill the needed spots. This week,
I’ll be looking at a position Jim Harbaugh has a niche in developing- Tight End
Who is Michigan
Targeting at Tight End in 2016?
Heading into the 2015 season, Michigan only has five players
on their roster listed as a Tight End in; A.J Williams, Khalid Hill, Ian
Bunting, Michael Jocz, and Jake Butt. We all know by now that Jim Harbaugh loves
tight ends and is extremely good at developing them. During his time at
Stanford, Harbaugh turned several recruits into NFL roster players, which
include; Coby Fleener, Zach Ertz, Jim Dray and Levine Toilol. With so much
experience regarding Tight Ends, it’s no surprise that top recruits at the
position are now looking at Michigan. According to 24/7, Michigan has offered
twelve tight ends in the 2016 recruiting cycle, and most of them have interest
in playing at Michigan. So, who is most likely out of this group to join the
Wolverines?
1) Devin Asiasi (Concord, CA)
Devin is without a doubt one of the highest targets on Michigan's board for 2016. He was one of the very first 2016 tight ends that the coaching staff extended an offer towards, and he fits the exact mold as to what the coaching staff looks for in tight ends.
Devin Asiasi is one recruit who would be
extremely dangerous in a Jim Harbaugh offence. He has your prototypical size at
6'5 and 265 lbs. He moves very well for someone his size, and is a constant
threat to catch the ball. Every time I watch his highlight film, all I can do
is dream of what a nightmare he'd be to match-up against in the red zone. He's a
decent route runner and always seems to get in 1on1 coverage, leading to him
catching the ball most times. Does a good job of catching the ball and
absorbing contact. One of the hardest recruits I've watched to get taken down
by defenders. Keeps his legs moving while being tackled, and since he's so
powerful, he's able to break a lot of tackles. Very agile for a tight end, and
can contort his body like a wide receiver to catch the ball. Asiasi is
definitely a name to be remembered going forward.
Devin is a consensus four star
recruit, who is ranked as the #5 tight end and #110 overall recruit according to
Rivals. He holds a very impressive scholarship offer list including; Alabama,
UCLA, USC, Oregon, Auburn, Arizona State, and Washington.
2) Naseir Upshur
(Philadelphia, PA)
Naseir is a recruit that has been offered by both the Brady
Hoke and Jim Harbaugh coaching staffs. In
December, Naseir released a Top 15 list which didn’t include Michigan at the
time. Since Harbaugh’s hiring, Naseir has seen a boosted interest in Michigan,
and at this point I would assume they have climbed back into his top schools.
Naseir is rated as one of the top tight ends in the nation
and for good reason. He’s a do it all type tight end, who excels in blocking
and in the passing game. He’s good excellent size standing at 6’3 and already
weighing 235 pounds. Can lineup as a
traditional tight end on the line of scrimmage, or to the outside in pass catching
plays. Plays very aggressive and will
finish his blocks. Gets low on his man and dominates in blocking situations.
Although he won’t burn many defenders with his speed, he does have more than
adequate speed for someone his size. Gets off the line of scrimmage with a good
burst. A solid route runner, who will constantly pull in short yardage
passes. A very dangerous red-zone threat
due to his size and pass catching abilities.
Can high point the ball and bring it in. Isn't afraid to go across the
middle or to the outside.
Naseir is also a consensus four star recruit, who is ranked as
the #3 tight end and #61 overall in the 2016 recruiting cycle according to
Rivals. He boasts a very impressive scholarship offer list including school
such as; Alabama, Florida State, LSU,
Maryland, Ohio State, UCLA, USC, and
South Carolina.
3) Cary Angeline
(Exton, PA)
Cary is a prospect who has seen a major boost in his
recruitment lately, seeing many big named schools offering him a scholarship
over the past month.
Cary is a much underrated recruit in my mind. He’s got excellent size and speed to be a
force at the college level. He gets off the line of scrimmage very quick and
can get down field in a hurry. With Cary standing at 6’7, he is constantly over
matching linebackers/defensive backs with his size. He’s got excellent hands
and can bring in just about any ball thrown his way. Due to his height, he is able to high point
the ball and makes the catch over the heads of defenders. A very under-rated route runner, who can run
short or deep routes. Is one of the
harder tight ends to bring down by defenders due to his size, and does an excellent
job of keeping his legs moving while absorbing contact. A very high ceiling recruit,
who could have a lot of success in a pro-style offense.
Cary is rated as a 4* recruit by; Scout, 24/7, and ESPN. He holds scholarships from; USC, Virginia, Penn State,
Notre Dame, Ohio State, Miami, and Alabama.
As a junior, Cary had 67 receptions for 1,051 yards, with 10 touchdowns.
4) Isaac Nauta
(Bradenton, FL)
Isaac is another recruit that has been recruited by both coaching
staffs. Although he committed to Florida
State in December, this hasn't stopped the coaching staff from recruiting him.
Nauta recently told 24/7’s Luke Stampini that he will be taking an official
visit to Michigan later on this year.
Isaac is rated as the #1 tight end in 2016 by both Rivals
and 24/7. He’s easily the most dominate tight end in the 2016 recruiting cycle
and his highlight tape proves it. Isaac
is one of the faster tight ends in 2016 and is constantly a threat in passing
situations. Excellent size at 6’4/240
pounds and already has the strength needed to play tight end at the college
level. Isaac is an excellent route
runner and always seems to find himself in open space. Does a good job of high
pointing the ball and bringing it down. Good hands and is easily one of the
best pass catchers in this year’s class. Wherever Isaac ends up playing in college, he
will surely vie for playing time early on in his career, as he is too talented
to not be on the field.
Flipping Isaac won’t be the easiest task, but with an
official visit in the works, anything is possible.
5) Jacob Mathis (Tampa,
FL)
Jacob is a new name to the Michigan recruiting game. He wasn't
offered by the previous staff and in early November received a phone call while
at school from Jim Harbaugh informing him that he had an offer to the
University of Michigan.
Being a tight end is sort of new to Jacob, as he was lined
up mostly as a wide receiver for his Berkeley Prep High School squad. Since he
has so much experience as a receiver, Jacob is exceptionally good as a
pass-catcher. He has a good frame standing at 6’3, but will need to add on some
additional mass once he arrives in college. He’s a more than adequate route
runner and has no problem beating his man in 1on1 coverage. When I first watched his film, I was
surprised at how quickly he gets off the line of scrimmage and down field. He’s
good very good straight line speed and when the ball is in his hands, he turns
into a very shifty runner. Very soft
hands and rarely drops a catch-able ball. Since he has played receiver for most
of his high school career, Jacob will have to work on his blocking, as he hasn't
seem much playing time on the line of scrimmage. Jacob will surely benefit with a redshirt
wherever he ends up playing his collegiate career, but that doesn't mean he won’t
have an illustrious career. With the hands and speed he possesses, Jacob could
be a real threat in red-zone and third down situations. While watching his film, it’s easy to see a
young Devin Funchess in the making.
Jacob is ranked as a 3* recruit and the #20 tight end in the
2016 recruiting cycle. He holds scholarship offers from; Florida, Miami, Ohio
State, Stanford, Georgia, Missouri, and Boston College. At this point in his
recruitment he is considered a Florida “lean.”
*Note- List is in order of likeliness
to commit to Michigan, not based upon rankings
Other Notes:
2016 Safety Cameron Lewis committed to LSU on Thursday
morning. Michigan offered him a scholarship in early February.
2016 WR Ahmir Mitchell released his Top 6 schools late last
Friday night, with Michigan making the cut. Ahmir was offered a scholarship by
Brady Hoke’s coaching staff to play Safety, but the new regime likes him better
as a receiver.
On Wednesday, I exchanged a few messages with 2017 QB Jake
Allen. Allen told me that he really wants Michigan to offer him in the future,
and that it would be a “dream” to play for the Maize and Blue.
The coaching staff sent out more “Photo-shopped” edits to
recruits this week, and by far the one that stands out most is the one sent to
2016 4* QB Dwayne Haskins Jr.
〽️
pic.twitter.com/AkKzpW45gG
—
Dwayne Haskins, Jr (@dh_simba7) March
12, 2015
Michigan’s edit game is very impressive to say the least.
For up to the
minute recruitment news, you can follow Travis Cooper on Twitter @MaizenBlueCoop. You can
also follow Maize & Blue Nation on Twitter, Facebook, and Flickr.
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