Hello: Jibreel Black
MGoBlog's own Tom Van Haaren reported that things looked good with OH DE/DT Jibreel Black on his official visit, and now GBW is reporting that Black has given his word to the Wolverines.
Informative update coming later.
INFORMATIVE UPDATE
GURU RATINGS
| Scout | Rivals | ESPN |
|---|---|---|
| 4*, #15 DT | 3*, #25 DE | 3*, 78, #44 DE |
The gurus are all over the map with this kid, with Scout calling him a 4* tackle while Rivals and ESPN both think of him as a 3* d-end. At Michigan, he'll probably end up on the interior of the line, as the Wolverines need much more help on the inside than they do out. ESPN even points out in their evaluation:
He is a good example of why not to judge a book by its cover. On film, he has kind of a thick and squatty build with less-than-ideal height. He almost looks like a defensive tackle, but plays the end position well.
So, if he plays like a tackle, and most schools that he has committed to (Michigan is #3 behind Indiana and Cincinnati) have considered him a tackle, why not grade him as a tackle? Anyway, ESPN's judgment of his game:
There are more naturally athletic ends, but he can get it done. He is a good wrap-up tackler and plays with a good motor. As a pass-rusher, he can bring some heat off the edge. He works to attack that outside shoulder and use his weapons to knock the blockers hands down and turn the corner. He does not look like a dangerous edge rusher, but he can cause some problems.
Again, it seems as though they're "meh"-ish on him as a defensive end, but his upside as a tackle seems much higher. Scout's brief evaluation of him falls in line with that:
Black is a player who could line up as a defensive end or at the tackle position. He's got great burst and will give all out effort on each play. Does a good job going lateral and shows great strength and toughness. With good size and speed, Black is still learning techniques and moves that will take his game to another level. Special player who doesn't get the credit he deserves.
(Sidetrack: I never understood people whose job it is to rate players calling a particular player is underrated. If you think that, just raise his rating, no? That's on you, man). An athletic defensive tackle who is still a little raw, as Scout lists his only weakness as technique, but strengths of body control, explosion, and effort. From a local article when he committed to the Hoosiers, Black gives a short breakdown of his skills:
Black brings a combination of speed, strength, and technique to IU. “I’m a very physical player, and my footwork and handwork separates me. I use my hands a lot to get free, and that allows me to get to the running back and quarterback. And I’m pretty fast for being 295 lbs, 4.9 speed right there.”
He's probably overstating his footwork and hand technique, since those attributes are listed by others a the ones he needs the most work on. Also: 295 pounds is a huge difference from what the recruiting site list his weight, in the 260-pound range. Did the writer just make a typographical error of 259? That has to be the case.
As a guy who is considered. a tweener between defensive end and tackle, he probably won't develop into the big 1-tech space-eater that MIchigan is lacking in this class, but the 3-tech Ryan Van Bergen position may be a better option, with Richard Ash given time to grow into a 1-tech.
OFFERS
Black had previously been committed to both Indiana and Cincinnati, so he obviously held offers from them. Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia, Michigan State, Bowling Green, Purdue, Syracuse, South Florida, Kansas, Wake Forest, Minnesota, South Carolina, Illinois, Michigan offered him in March, so it's not like he was some fall-back plan: the Wolverines really liked this guy.
Following his junior season, he also picked up some interest from Alabama, as well as Tennessee back when they had the all-star recruiting staff. He also received interest (but no offer) from the in-state Buckeyes.
STATS
As a junior, Black racked up 76 tackles and 8 sacks, along with 3 forced fumbles and 2 recoveries, with one going all the way to the end zone. That was his first season playing defensive end, as he had previously been a tackle. His senior year, he had 10 sacks and 61 total tackles along with 2 forced fumbles, as Wyoming made it to the State Finals.
He was named All-Ohio Defensive Player of the Year, sharing the honor with MSU commit Travis Jackson. That, of course, also means he was named 1st-Team All-State.
FAKE 40 TIME
His self-reported time is 4.9, though Rivals gives him credit for a 4.8-second 40-yard dash. I'll take his word for it, since he would be more likely to exaggerate how fast he is, and didn't do so. That gets a mere one FAKE out of five.
VIDEO
He has a highlight video up on Youtube, but Black's ScoutingOhio video is longer (and therefore better, of course):
PREDICTION BASED ON FLIMSY EVIDENCE
Black is Michigan's third defensive tackle in the class of 2010 (more if you count someone like Jordan Paskorz as a future possibility), but all three seem to be 3-technique guys. Black is one of the smaller, at just 250ish pounds, right around the same size as Terry Talbott. Michigan currently has good talent starting, with limited depth behind.
The plan is probably to have all three guys redshirt, with Ash, the biggest of the three, aiming to bulk up enough to become a true nose tackle. Michigan's starters at DT are good, but there is limited depth, so these guys could get a little bit of playing time as redshirt freshmen, and move into key backup roles as sophomores.
Black seems to have some pretty high potential, and as a possible multi-position guy (he could play RVB's DE/DT spot or even Brandon Graham's DE position), he's tough to predict too specifically for the future.
[Editor's Note: I think maybe we might be thinking about this all wrong by attempting to file the DEs and DTs in different piles. RVB and Graham both played inside and out during their careers at Michigan and the sort of body types M is looking for at the three-tech and strongside defensive end are similar enough that I'm looking at the big glob of defensive linemen like so:
NT: none
Quick: everyone apparently but Paskorz, Rogers, and possibly Ryan or Kinard most prominently.
SDE or DT: Ash, Talbott, Wilkins, Black
Once Michigan gets these guys in for a year or two they'll have a better idea of who fits in what spot and if any of them are NT material. They probably won't be and Michigan will bring in a couple different mounds of humanity next year.]
UPSHOT FOR THE REST OF THE CLASS
The final numbers are all very muddled. Black's spot could be the last one in the class, or there could be as many as two spots left depending on the academic status of a couple kids and if a couple players are willing to grayshirt.
Any remaining spots are probably being reserved for safeties (Sean Parker, Demar Dorsey, Rashad Knight) unless a surprise blue-chip falls into Michigan's lap.
http://www.scoutingohio.com/index.php/view-profile.html?task=userProfile...
"Black brings a combination of speed, strength, and technique to IU. “I’m a very physical player, and my footwork and handwork separates me. I use my hands a lot to get free, and that allows me to get to the running back and quarterback. And I’m pretty fast for being 295 lbs, 4.9 speed right there.”
He's probably overstating his footwork and hand technique, since those attributes are listed by others a the ones he needs the most work on. Also: 295 pounds is a huge difference from what the recruiting site list his weight, in the 260-pound range. Did the writer just make a typographical error of 259? That has to be the case.
THIS IS TALKING ABOUT JIBREEL'S BROTHER, LARRY BLACK.
http://iuplanet.com/forum/indiana-hoosiers-sports-talk/18036-big-d-linem...
If you think having a D-line of Black and Blue would be nice, how about when Rodriguez recruited Dingle and Berry to be d-lineman at WV?
Normally the title that informs of a recruits verbal commitment "Hello ________" does just fine. But in this case some additional cleverness is called for in my oppinion. (I say this fully realizing that Tim, Brian, and the gang do an amazing job with this blog) Perhaps something like "Black is Blue!" Better still, find another D Lineman whose name is "Blue". Then you could have the "Black and Blue Boys" Oh the marketing possibilities...I hate the offseason
I see what you did there.
Black is Blue. Minor is Major. Are you a writer for the Big 10 Network? Be honest.
I tried to be, they said I was over-qualified and out of their payscale.
Headline followed by event leading up to headline
"Round(tree) peg in a square hole"...reserved for when Roy Roundtree decides to transfer.
"Say it (tous)aint So"!...for when angry michigan RB hating god severs fitz's ACL during spring practice.
"Say hello to my little Friend"...for when UConn OT Kevin Friend (http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/recruiting/player-Kevin-Friend-92310) decides to transfer to Michigan.
I bow to your superior corney headline writing ability. Obviously I am just an amateur.
Looking forward to seeing him on the field in the future!
Now bring on Parker!
Not sure which spot but it may be at BG's spot. Coaches are really high on Jibreel as evidenced by the early offer in his late junior year. Coaches have been trying to get him to visit for the longest time and Jibreel finally visited last week. It basically sealed the deal for them.
They tell me that "once you go black, you never go back." I hope that applies in this case.
Tell that to Indiana and Cincinnati.
http://touchthebanner.blogspot.com/2010/03/what-will-michigans-defense-l...
Black is a great and much needed addition to this class. Now, if he can just get Parker
for Rich. Could get better if there are spots available. This was a pleasant surprise.
"There are a lot of fine schools and a lot of very good football programs around the country, but when you combine all the factors, only one comes out on top -- the UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN." Bo, 1998
Yaaaay. Welcome, Mr. Black.
Rodriguez might deserve to be fired at season's end, but certainly not for lacking cajones to head south and recruit players from the Buckeye state.
Interesting little comparison from recent years: Rodriguez already has attracted more recruits (21) from Ohio than Lloyd Carr did in his last 6 years at Michigan.
2002: 2 recruits- W.Barringer, M.Bihl
2003: 2 recruits- S.Crable, P.Burgess
2004: 1 recruit- Mike Massey
2005: 4 recruits- B.Harrison, M.Manningham, M.Simpson, Z.Mesko
2006: 3 recruits- J.Boren, C.Mixon, B.Wright
2007: 0 recruits
2008: 7 recruits- K.Koger, E.Mealer, M.Shaw, T.Hill, B.Moore, P.Omameh, R.Roundtree
2009: 3 recruits - I.Bell, J.Turner, F. Toussaint,
2010: 11 recruits! - J.Black, J.Robinson, C.Pace, C.Avery, T. Talbott, Terry Talbott, A.Kinard, D.Rogers, R.Vinopal, J.Ryan, DJ Williamson
Markusr2007
http://www.maizenbrew.com/
Not that it matters a great deal, but a handful of those 2008 recruits committed to Carr, not Rodriguez.
Also, one could argue that while Rodriguez has recruited more, Carr got a higher concentration of talent.
http://touchthebanner.blogspot.com/2010/03/what-will-michigans-defense-l...
I really like the commit, just imagine how good our defensive lineman are going to be once all these commits spend a good amount of time in the weightroom.
Welcome aboard Black.
I'm pumped that we're out recruiting OSU in their own state, currently 11 to Michigan and 7 osu. Sure they will argue they didn't offer half the guys but it still makes them look bad when the hated rival comes in and grabs a few of the better players in their own state and has the higher total.
That deserves a big
GO BLUE!!!
that sounds an awful lot like the DANTONIO OWNS THE STATE OF MICHIGAN argument, which claim they (MSU) are outrecruiting us in-state based on the number of (state of) Michigan guys in their class. Please tell me we haven't fallen to that level yet.
Fact is, OSU has gotten the cream of the ohio crop. We got some (likely) good players, but I don't think anyone would say we have outrecruited them in Ohio.
Not to burst your bubble Franke, and I'm glad we're recruiting Ohio so much as well, but I don't think OSU offered any of the commits we have, and we offered a number of the commits they have. I'm all for being happy we're getting so many Ohio kids, but saying we are "out recruiting OSU" is not true at all.
But we have to consider if a few recruits would have been offered by OSU if they had not committed so early to Michigan. Also, I would still argue that we are out recruiting them in their own state, they have only 5 in the Ohio top 50 where Michigan has 10 in the top 50...... yes they have the interest of the top recruits in Ohio that are uncommitted but for now I'd argue we have done better in their own state, technically I would argue we've done better overall. Considering Ohio is one of the top producers of football players I'd say we've done well. Regardless, it says a lot about the coaching staff to get that many kids from a rival state.
Although I admit it's a little weird that of the top 10 in Ohio, 5 of them are commited to not-OSU, and that could be higher since 3 of the top 10 are still undecided.
Also, if OSU offers a kid from Ohio, there's a good chance they'll bite. I think they have to be a little more selective out their offers at first, and as top guys start dropping off the board they might reconsider offering some lower ranked guys. But if they had RR's offer cannon, their class would probably fill up in a heart beat.
It seems like if OSU offers, the kid from Ohio commits, but if Michigan offers, they wait to see what else happens and if the staff wins them over, commit to Michigan.
It's actually a handicap for OSU, because they may wait to see how a kid performs his senior year before offering, but a school like Michigan offers first and the kid gets pissed because OSU doesn't offer, so becomes a Michigan player.
Boycott the Detroit Free Press! Do not click on any link to a freep article.
GO BLUE
It's convenient you used top 50, since we have #45, 46, 47, and 48. OSU has more in the top 10 (we have 0), and more in the top 20 than we have.
Don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of this class, and I love that we're picking up so many guys from Ohio. But the stats that you're picking are a little misleading.
OSU would offer any kid from Ohio they wanted. They're not sitting in the film room thinking, "Damn, I wish we could offer this D.J. Williamson kid, but he's already committed to Michigan! I guess we better keep our hands off him." They've shown before that they will offer guys who are already committed elsewhere.
http://touchthebanner.blogspot.com/2010/03/what-will-michigans-defense-l...
Cullen Christian and Marvin Robinson beg to differ.
http://touchthebanner.blogspot.com/2010/03/what-will-michigans-defense-l...
He's talking about Ohio recruits.
You can hate on me all you want to, but what can you possibly say to somebody that looks like Rambo, pretty much, with his shirt off?
Dually noted.
http://touchthebanner.blogspot.com/2010/03/what-will-michigans-defense-l...
Welcome, indeed. I like this commit a lot.
And he piled upon the whale's white hump, the sum of all the rage and hate felt by his whole race. If his chest had been a cannon, he would have shot his heart upon it.
I have got a feeling about this kid. He will be a terror for Michigan. He doesn't run past the play, he hunts down the ball carrier. He looks like a Mark Messner, who was in the backfield all the time. I'm excited about his commitment.
Victors Valiant '88
Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think Ash is going to be a nose. We were undersized on the defensive front this past year, and Ash is only 265. Do you really think they want him to put on FORTY pounds or so to be sufficiently big enough to play NT?
IMO, Black and Ash and Talbott are all defensive ends or defensive tackles, but none are NTs.
http://touchthebanner.blogspot.com/2010/03/what-will-michigans-defense-l...
Ash is 6'4. At that heighth he has the frame to add 40 lbs. Right now he is not a NT, but in 2-3 years...it could happen.
I sincerely doubt we'll see any grayshirting. Taking grayshirts makes more sense when a team will lose a lot of seniors the following year. We won't - we're scheduled to see 13 guys graduate. Using Ray Vinopal as an example (since he's our lowest rated recruit), if he grayshirts, that's one less guy that we can recruit for 2011. So instead of having 13 scholarships to give, we'll only have 12. Is taking Vinopal really worth taking only 12 guys in a recruiting class? I don't think it is.
I don't think there will be grayshirts. I think people won't qualify or people will be Barnes-ed.
http://touchthebanner.blogspot.com/2010/03/what-will-michigans-defense-l...
There were rumblings Ash might not make it. Given how many 3 techs we have committed and the schools that cooled on him maybe the coaches think he won't make it.
You can hate on me all you want to, but what can you possibly say to somebody that looks like Rambo, pretty much, with his shirt off?
Sam Webb reported he was good to go.
http://genuinelysarcastic.blogspot.com (UPDATED: 3/8)
OK, well, good.
You can hate on me all you want to, but what can you possibly say to somebody that looks like Rambo, pretty much, with his shirt off?
Curious that the things that people have to complain about with this class is dwindling.
Must be that the coaching staff really read all those "WHY SIGN WR - THE COACH DOESN'T CARE ABOUT DEFENSE!!" posts.....
Is it Spring Practice yet?
I've redeemed MGoPoints for valuable and exciting merchandise!
ans why there are not more true NT guys being targeted...we're probably going away from the 30 front after somone decided giving up 30+ points a game was not a good idea. This class and this approach tells me were probably going to field a true 40 front and build the depth on it otherwise we're going to only have one guy who is truly suited to play NT and that's Campbell.
I think Black has the potential to be a Sirius contributor in a couple years.
That was clever. +1 to you good sir.
Fuck you and fuck me and fuck everybody.
- Confucius (or Mike Leach)
I've had this same feeling before. The explanation that I've heard is that guys will be rated low by the national people but the regional/local people will think that he's better than that but be unable to convince the people that determine the final rankings of that. Thus, the regional guys call him underrated since they write the stories about players but don't determine the full ranking.
My problem with that explanation is that it implies such a disconnect between the national and local guys that I don't think the recruiting services could continue to exist if they had that much internal tension and discord.
I think it's more likely just a way for writers to placate fans by saying that a guy is underrated. Think about how many angry emails from Michigan fans they can avoid just by putting in that one phrase. I'd be curious as to how many schools with huge fanbases (like Michigan) have their lower rated prospects called "underrated" compared to other schools.
Avatar: Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus/Bill Frieder/Boris Becker
Just call me B9B or Caesar, it's easier than Bleedin9Blue.
Glad to have another defense commit.
With all the bad press and set backs on the field, I think sometimes around here we forget that this is still Michigan. Good recruits/parents of those recruits will always be impressed with a top 25 school and a well respected team that's on national TV every week and plays in front of 110,000 fans and in arguably the biggest rivalry in sports. Go Blue.
How does a grayshirt work exactly?
I'm sure there's a better definition, but this is the first that came up after a quick google search, and the guy's picture on the website is amazing!
http://www.randyrodgersrecruiting.com/_d_storyDescription.asp?id=58
who they may ask to greyshirt??
Patience is the key to success
Conelius Jones and D.J. Williamson. They seem to fit the mold. And I think we'd only need two to grayshirt, if we land Sean Parker, and have no de-commits or players that don't make the grades.
This is a great player to commit to the Wolverines. I always felt Jibreel Black would go blue. I'm really glad we got who we want. This kid can really play.
Forget that Jibreel is a three star player! Braylon Edwards was a three star player too, he just caught an 83 yard pass from Sanchez in the AFC Championship game. Wooooooo! Go Blue! That boy can run. When does football season start, I'm ready.
Victors Valiant '88
The voice in my head that I hear while reading your post is that off a 10 year old with asbergers. HIGH FIVE!! ALRIGHT!!