Hello: Devin Bush Jr.
[Greg Oyster/247Sports]
Michigan survived a late push from Florida State to land one of their top overall targets in the class, four-star Hollywood (FL) Flanagan ILB Devin Bush Jr., who announced his commitment to the Wolverines in a ceremony this afternoon. Bush, the son of former FSU and NFL safety and current Flanagan head coach Devin Bush, joins teammates Devin Gil and Josh Metellus in the 2016 class, which now sits at 22 commits.
Bush is the second linebacker in the class, along with three-star Dytarious Johnson, and as an early enrollee he'll have every opportunity to make an instant impact at Michigan's thinnest position group.
GURU RATINGS
Scout | Rivals | ESPN | 247 | 247 Comp |
3*, #13 ILB |
4*, #5 ILB, #184 Ovr |
4*, 82, #12 OLB, #180 Ovr |
3*, 88, #19 ILB, #456 Ovr |
4*, #11 ILB, #241 Ovr |
As you can see, there's a major split in Bush's rankings; Rivals and ESPN have him as solid four-star while Scout and 247 place him in high three-star territory. Bush's size—listed at 5'11", ~225 pounds everywhere but Scout (6'0", 215)—is the likely cause of the difference in opinion; those listings are apparently a little generous on length, as Bush measured in at 5'9", 227 at The Opening.
[Hit THE JUMP for the informative stuff.]
SCOUTING
Scout's free evaluation doesn't sound like that of a three-star prospect:
Plays fast to the ball. Very instinctive player who plays one step faster than many opponents. Has very good game speed. Great inside the box going downhill. Works some on the edge as a blitzer as well and he is very effective. When he hits, there is pop with it. A lot of opponents go backwards. Best in attack mode. Can move sideline to sideline. Plays with aggression and an ideal in the box. Not elite size or length, but big enough.
Strengths
- Hitting Ability
- Instincts
- Strength
Areas to Improve
- Pass Coverage Skills
- Size
While Scout notes pass coverage as an area for improvement, Bush stood out in that regard on the camp circuit last summer, especially at the Rivals Five-Star Challenge, where he earned #3 defensive performer status after a pair of picks in 7-on-7 action:
Bush, who came up with two interceptions, is a very smart linebacker that is much faster in the open field than the tight ends and running backs originally thought. One interception was in the flat near the sideline and one was downfield when covering a wheel route. Bush knows when to bump the running backs and tight ends, and knows when to jump so he can knock down the pass.
ESPN has high praise for his run defense, athleticism, and instincts, and they also like his play on passing downs ($):
We like the blitzing facet of his game on passing downs and ability to pressure and get after quarterbacks. Would like to see him time his jump more consistently but he will close fast and aggressively on evading quarterbacks and can be disruptive. Quick to get to his zone drop in coverage and will blanket his underneath area with strong plant and drive burst.
Bush is an explosive linebacker prospect who would be higher up our board with a bit more length. We feel he has better short-range burst and overall tools that project best inside than out at the college level and with that projection he will need to continue adding size and strength before making an impact as an every-down linebacker.
Bush is a lock to play inside linebacker at Michigan, which will play to his strengths.
Rivals' Rob Cassidy caught Bush in live game action last month and came away without much worry about his size ($):
Flanagan linebacker Devin Bush lacks elite height but continues to show why that isn't much of a concern. Bush swarmed around the ball on Friday and made a number of plays to help hold a high-powered St. Thomas offense in check for most of the night. Bush is sound fundamentally and plays with little regard for his own body. His closing speed is what makes him a high-level prospect, but he's not half bad in coverage, either.
The scouting reports are quite consistent: Bush is an athletic, instinctive run-stuffer who plays with aggression and can hold up in coverage; he is also short. While that latter bit has caused concern among a couple of the recruiting sites, it certainly hasn't prevented top programs from taking a hard run at him, as evidenced by...
OFFERS
Bush holds offers from Alabama, Auburn, Colorado, Florida State, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisville, LSU, Miami (YTM), Mississippi State, NC State, Nebraska, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Oregon, Oregon State, Pitt, Rutgers, South Carolina, TCU, Tennessee, Texas, UCLA, Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, and Wisconsin, among several others.
HIGH SCHOOL
Flanagan, which now has seven FBS commits in this class alone, captured their first football state title this year after winning Florida's 8A classification. Michigan has already offered two Flanagan prospects in the 2017 class, four-star CB Stanford Samuels and three-star WR Clevan Thomas.
STATS
A couple sites have incomplete stats but I couldn't dig up anything definitive. Rivals says he had 113 tackles, three picks, and two sacks as a sophomore; 247 lists consecutive 67-tackle seasons for his last two years but that seems low—also, Bush's senior season just wrapped up last week.
FAKE 40 TIME
Bush's SPARQ-verified combine numbers from The Opening:
LB Devin Bush Jr., 5-9, 227, 4.65 40-yard dash, 4.68 shuttle, 40-foot PB throw, 30.8-inch vert 97.02 SPARQ
He's got some wheels for a linebacker.
VIDEO
Mid-season junior highlights:
Freshman highlights and single-game reels can be found on his Hudl page.
PREDICTION BASED ON FLIMSY EVIDENCE
The competition is wide open at inside linebacker for 2016; assuming Ben Gedeon locks down a spot, Bush should be right in the mix to play next to him. His competition will be Noah Furbush, Mike McCray (if healthy), Jared Wanger, and perhaps a fellow freshman if Michigan brings another ILB on board—it'd be a surprise if Dytarious Johnson competed for time right away. Bush getting on campus early will be a big help, since he'll need to add some muscle before he's viable at the Big Ten level.
Whether or not Bush locks down a starting job, he should be part of the linebacker rotation as a freshman, and when Gedeon departs after next season it'd be very surprising if he didn't step into a starting role.
UPSHOT FOR THE REST OF THE CLASS
Bush fills the most glaring hole in the class as an inside linebacker capable of competing for time right away. Michigan is now at 22 commits in a class that will reach 27; the expectation is we'll see status changes with perhaps a couple more current commits as the coaches try to fit the top remaining targets into those spots. One may drop tomorrow when top-ranked running back Kareem Walker chooses between Michigan and FSU.
Other top targets include DT Rashan Gary, TE Isaac Nauta, CB David Long, CB LaVert Hill, OT Jean Delance, OG Terrance Davis, WR Donnie Corley, WR Dylan Crawford, ATH Jordan Fuller, WDE Levi Onwuzirike, ILB Dontavious Jackson, and ILB Jonathan Jones. Tight ends Jacob Mathis and Chase Allen are both distinct possibilities to end up in the class should Nauta, as expected, land with Georgia.
Here's the class as it currently stands:
December 16th, 2015 at 12:33 PM ^
GO BLUE WOOOOOOOOOOOOO
December 16th, 2015 at 3:08 PM ^
What recruiting sites worry he lacks in height, he will more than make up for in speed, instinct, and pop.
So I echo you:
GO BLUE WOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
December 16th, 2015 at 4:56 PM ^
December 16th, 2015 at 5:09 PM ^
December 16th, 2015 at 12:35 PM ^
Fantastic choice young man!!! Go Blue!!!!
December 16th, 2015 at 12:38 PM ^
couldnt get it to post before, but this deserves a little snoop...
December 16th, 2015 at 4:02 PM ^
Can someone please share how to copy and paste these GIF's files into email... I'm cracken up. Every time I try the file stops working ... Oh, and I'm pumped for this signing.
December 16th, 2015 at 4:10 PM ^
I take that back .. I answered my own question.
December 16th, 2015 at 1:09 PM ^
December 16th, 2015 at 1:46 PM ^
Welcome to the World of the Plastic Beach
December 16th, 2015 at 1:47 PM ^
The 3 #Michigan #DirtyBirdz throwing the Block M @RyanBartow pic.twitter.com/s4GxJf2E2c
— Steve Lorenz (@TremendousUM) December 16, 2015
December 16th, 2015 at 1:52 PM ^
If Gil is 6'1 as listed and Metellus 6'0, Bush is probably 5'11ish. Gil looks huge - I am going to assume Metellus (sans hair) and Bush are both 5'11ish. Bush definitely will need to pack on some weight in the next 8 months.
December 16th, 2015 at 5:22 PM ^
December 16th, 2015 at 7:00 PM ^
Also, is it some sort of new thing to wear two watches now?
December 16th, 2015 at 8:37 PM ^
December 16th, 2015 at 9:06 PM ^
Risk management against cell phone and one watch failure.
December 17th, 2015 at 1:22 PM ^
When he stands next to 6 ish footers he is almost there. There is a pic of him with his dad and Derrick Brooks (both 6') and he only looks a hair shorter. Not worried about it.
December 16th, 2015 at 12:35 PM ^
Go Blue!
December 16th, 2015 at 12:36 PM ^
Excellent job Ace! You had it all written up beforehand because you already knew.
Florida sweep!
December 16th, 2015 at 6:14 PM ^
December 16th, 2015 at 12:45 PM ^
Thanks Booger! That is one of my favorite movie scenes of all time.
December 16th, 2015 at 12:47 PM ^
I think my greatest fear is my daughter bringing him home
December 16th, 2015 at 1:24 PM ^
That would be frightening.
The dialog between booger and the Asian kid in revenge of the nerds was always priceless.
What the fuck is a Frush??
December 16th, 2015 at 3:02 PM ^
"She's not that kind of girl Booger"
"Oh what, has she got a penis?"
December 16th, 2015 at 3:42 PM ^
I think "Ogre" would be worse by a long shot
December 16th, 2015 at 4:22 PM ^
Idk. Ogre could at least move heavy objects for me. Every time my daughter brings a guy to the house I put his ass to work.
December 16th, 2015 at 5:14 PM ^
Is your avatar something from Dr. Seuss? I always see it and think it's a cartoon butt with something coming at it. I guess I haven't grown up yet...
December 17th, 2015 at 12:09 AM ^
It's one of Kluneberg's greatest works of art.
December 16th, 2015 at 1:27 PM ^
What? I don't comprehend? Did the joke go straight over my head?
December 16th, 2015 at 2:15 PM ^
Mine is turning on the TV late night and seeing my daughter on a Girls gone Wild commercial. I always feel so sorry for those Dads.
December 16th, 2015 at 2:16 PM ^
We got Booger Pressley on the main guitar, and a rap by little old me, Lamar...
We got Takashi beating, on his gong, the boys and the Moos are clapping along...
December 16th, 2015 at 3:20 PM ^
Haven;t you had enough, Wormser?
December 16th, 2015 at 7:29 PM ^
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
December 16th, 2015 at 12:40 PM ^
amazing volume of writing in 2 minutes!
December 16th, 2015 at 1:41 PM ^
It's almost like he knew . . .
Nah. This is Michigan 'crooting.
He's just really a fast researcher.
If we get Walker tomorrow, he'll do it again. Amazing.
December 16th, 2015 at 12:40 PM ^
I don't usually follow high school recruiting, but when I do, I follow the Bush.
December 16th, 2015 at 12:41 PM ^
December 16th, 2015 at 12:41 PM ^
December 16th, 2015 at 12:41 PM ^
great news for us. Congrats to Devin!
December 16th, 2015 at 12:42 PM ^
Do we expect Devin Gil at LB as well? That seemed like the consensus a few months ago, and I read somewhere he is currently listed at 215. It seems to me that he's more likely to end up there than S, but I wanted to see if that still seemed to be the case among those in the know.
I'll hang up and listen.
December 16th, 2015 at 1:05 PM ^
Brian has him listed as a LB in the useful stuff section - I'd assume with a year or two of S&C he is going to be 230ish if he is 215 now as was listed in the program for the FL hs championsip game.
So if accurate and we land Jones we'd have 4 LBs in the class as long as Johnson stays in the class. Jones is ND v UM.
December 16th, 2015 at 1:09 PM ^
December 16th, 2015 at 1:25 PM ^
December 16th, 2015 at 1:54 PM ^
Yea based on the photo above Gil is the largest of the 3 not just in height but bulk. You dont often seen guys over 215 patrolling a college secondary. He looks headed to LB based on body alone.
December 16th, 2015 at 2:17 PM ^
230-240 doesnt fly as an OLB in a 3-4.
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