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2017 Jacksonville (Fla.) Trinity Christian linebacker/fullback Chase Lasater has committed to #Michigan pic.twitter.com/HP5JwdqYuK

— Brice Marich (@BriceMarich) March 31, 2016

Michigan kicked off a huge recruiting weekend a little early, securing a commitment from FL LB/FB Chase Lasater on Thursday night. Lasater is listed at 6'2", 238 pounds on his Hudl page, which until last night was the only thing resembling a recruiting profile on him. The four sites have now added his profile, and a couple have even posted scouting reports.

Lasater entered his visit this weekend holding only a Troy offer. Michigan really values his potential as a fullback, however, so they didn't wait long to give him a scholarship offer, and Lasater didn't wait long to accept it:

"Harbaugh saw me and immediately wanted to offer, so I committed," Lasater told Scout. "Well, I was expecting an offer already, just not that day. But I met Harbaugh, we talked for a few minutes, and then I told him I was ready to commit.

"He then told me that I can commit this second, and I was quite surprised, but I shook his hand and the deal was done. (It's a) great feeling. They can expect a hard-nosed, tough player who will make plays and not let them down!"

Lasater is Michigan's ninth commit in the 2017 class and the first at fullback. He should also get a chance to play linebacker; he best projects as a thumping lead blocker.

GURU RATINGS

I have no idea how the 247 Composite came up with their ranking, but Lasater's only been given a cursory three-star ranking on Rivals, and they've yet to give him a position ranking.

All four sites list him in the same range as his Hudl page: 6'2" and ~235 pounds. ESPN lists him one inch shorter, which wouldn't be a bad thing if he ends up at fullback—he's plenty big and that would give him a little more leverage when blocking.

[Hit THE JUMP for scouting, video, and more.]

SCOUTING

There wasn't anything on Lasater when he committed, but in the wake of his pledge several scouts have taken a look at his film. One who's actually had the opportunity to see him live is Scout's Florida analyst, Corey Bender, who provided this quick evaluation after his committment:

Lasater, who straps on the pads at both inside linebacker and fullback, is a physically-imposing figure that's tenacious and strong at the point of attack at a chiseled 6-foot-2, 238 pounds. He does a good job of driving through his opponent and playing with great physicality, and flashes decent closing speed to the football as well.

When chipping in on the offensive side of the ball, Lasater is relentless and fierce when locking onto his opponent with good hand placement. He gives it his all until the whistle is blown, and is a hard-nosed kid that will certainly transition nicely into the Big Ten.

Tim Sullivan had Rivals Southeast analyst Rob Cassidy go over Lasater's junior film; he had one primary takeaway:

“He’s just mean,” Cassidy said. “He finishes blocks, and has some decent speed for a fullback in the plays where he’s lined up there. You can see on defense that he has the long arms and the ability to wrap up.

“He looks like a versatile guy, depending on where Michigan wants to play him. He could be at a number of positions.”

The most detailed evaluation comes from Magnus at TTB. After watching Lasater's film a couple times, I think this is spot-on:

In Lasater’s film, the thing that sticks out most is his willingness to pretend to be Juggernaut. There are numerous clips of him running full-speed down the field on kickoff coverage and plastering would-be blockers on the gridiron. He has good height – not too tall or too short – and a good frame for a college fullback. As a blocker, he is very strong at the point of attack, maintains pretty good leverage, and moves his feet extremely well through contact. He has good speed in a straight line, whether his forty time is 4.57 or 4.75.

There are few clips of Lasater touching the ball, so that may not be an obvious strength of his. He also does not change direction extremely well. From the linebacker position, there are few clips of him reading and diagnosing plays. The little I see on that side of the ball suggests to me that reading-and-reacting is also not a significant strength.

A lot of the defensive clips on Lasater's film come in partway through the play, which doesn't help much when evaluating him. Magnus thinks Lasater is a B1G-starter-quality fullback prospect, but far less likely to crack Michigan's two-deep at linebacker; I agree with him.

OFFERS

Lasater held an offer from Troy prior to receiving his Michigan offer. That's not a surprise for a prospect recruited primarily as a fullback; not many programs these days give fullbacks full rides, but it makes a lot more sense for Harbaugh to do so given his style of offense.

HIGH SCHOOL

Trinity Christian Academy is a powerhouse in one of Florida's smaller classifications, winning the last three 3A state championships and eight consecutive district titles. The program has produced a long list of Power 5 commits, including a couple recent five-stars: 2015 LSU signee Kevin Toliver II and 2017 Ohio State commit Shaun Wade, both cornerbacks.

STATS

According to his MaxPreps page, Lasater recorded 43 tackles, 10.5 TFLs, five sacks, five QB hurries, and two passes defensed as a junior. On offense, he had seven yards on two carries, one of which went for a touchdown; he was obviously used primarily as a blocker.

FAKE 40 TIME

Lasater has a SPARQ-verified, zero-FAKE 40 time of 4.75 seconds, which is more than fast enough for both fullback and inside linebacker. His overall combine numbers are impressive [click to embiggen]:

VIDEO

Junior highlights:

Sophomore highlights and single-game reels can be found on his Hudl page.

PREDICTION BASED ON FLIMSY EVIDENCE

This one isn't too difficult. There will be only two scholarship fullbacks on the roster, Henry Poggi and Khalid Hill, when Lasater gets to campus, and both will be seniors—they also both switched positions to play fullback. While Lasater may not play over them as a true freshman, he'll have the inside track to the starting job in 2018.

Lasater has a similar build and profile as former Stanford standout Owen Marecic, a stellar blocking fullback who also developed into a decent inside linebacker at the end of his career. Even if Lasater doesn't become a two-way player like Marecic, it's tough to understate the importance of having a seasoned veteran at fullback in Harbaugh's offense, and Lasater has the opportunity to be a three- or four-year starter there.

UPSHOT FOR THE REST OF THE CLASS

Michigan stands at nine commits in a class that should get into the mid-20s in number by the end of the cycle. The Wolverines are obviously done at fullback. Outside receiver, offensive tackle, safety, and defensive linemen of all shapes and sizes are among the top priorities for the class going forward. Here's how it currently stands: