Hello: Ondre Pipkins Comment Count

Tim

Weeeee, defensive tackles. MO DT Ondre "Pee-Wee" Pipkins has pledged to Michigan's 2012 class.

ondreP.jpeg

GURU RATINGS

Scout Rivals ESPN 24/7 Sports
4*, #12 DT,

#102 Ovr
4*, 5.8, #19 DT

#4 Missouri, #246 Ovr
3*, 78, #45 DT 4*, 94, #16 DT,

#3 Missouri, #149 Ovr

The best three sites that have rated Pipkins place him in about the same place within his position group. The primary disagreement is where that 16th-18th DT fits in the grand scheme of things, with 24/7 Sports the most optimistic, and Rivals barely slotting him into their Top 250. ESPN, clearly, is without a clue. As you'll see, he's been dominant ever since the Army Combine.

ESPN (per typical) is the odd service out on his height, calling Ondre merely 6-2, while the other three sites agree that he's 6-3. 24/7 Sports is the outlier on weight, crediting him at "merely" 305 pounds, while the others all put him in the 320-325 range. 6-3, 320 seems to be your consensus weight.

He was the subject of a Sam Webb article back in April:

"Pipkins is a big-bodied space-eater that can command double teams, but he's quick enough and light enough on his feet to penetrate and disrupt," said Trieu. "Once he learns to really use his hands and consistently play under people, he's going to be an even tougher guy to move and block. Right now he's rated the No. 16 defensive tackle nationally, but he does have a chance to move up higher. Big kids like him that are 320 pounds and move the way he does are very rare."

His coach agrees with Allen's assessment:

"Ondre is strong and quick off the ball, and when he can latch onto an opponent and stay low, he can take care of some gaps for sure," Reynolds told Scout.com. "He gets double-, sometimes triple-teamed, which allows our linebackers to flow freely. He plays with a good motor. His job is to draw the double- and triple-team, but he is very disruptive in the backfield. We're going to do some things next year to try to open things up for him."

He even told Sam how Michigan plans to use him:

"(Michigan assistant) Coach (Greg) Mattison said I'd have the chance to play right off the bat because I'm the kind of defensive tackle that can move around and play multiple positions. They're only taking one nose guard and I can be that nose guard and come in and play for four years. That's mainly what they tell me -- that I can just come in and play nose for a straight four years, graduate, and take a chance of getting to the NFL."

Last spring, he impressed at the National Underclassmen Combine in Kansas City:

Ondre Pipkins (Park Hill) is a physically imposing 6'2 319 lb d-lineman with the skills to pay the bills. He has great quickness for somebody his size, good lateral movement and strength (bench pressing 185 lbs 21times). Pipkins was a force to be reckoned with and is worth looking out for.

He won the defensive line MVP at that event. Pipkins was a "star" at the Army Combine ($, info in header).

Tom Lemming likes his game:

“He’s one of the two best players in Kansas City,” said Lemming, who has covered the national recruiting scene for more than 30 years. “He can play both sides of the ball. I think he could an All American guard on offense or a very steady defensive tackle.”

Considering the #1 player in Kansas City is also supposed to be the best player in the nation (WR Dorial Green-Beckham), that's high praise. Ondre has been firmly stock-on-rise for a long time, so this commitment is big for Michigan.

OFFERS

Ondre's a Saginaw native, who went to school in Rochester Hills his sophomore season. That explains Michigan and Michigan State interest. Alabama, Florida, Iowa, Missouri, Ohio State... need I go on? He has a huge offer list.

STATS

UPDATE: Hey, those were the stats for long-lost recruit Wayne Morgan. Hooray for copying and pasting!

I couldn't find easily-available junior stats on Pipkins.

FAKE 40 TIME

Rivals lists a 5.15 time for his 40-yard dash, something totally reasonable for a guy his size whose athleticism is one of his strengths. A mere one FAKE out of five.

VIDEO

Oddly for a high-ish profile guy, there's very little on him. This video, entitled "Ondre Pipkins Highlights" doesn't seem to be him at all.

He's featured in the first 7 or so reps in Rivals's OL v. DL Army Combine highlights, but other than that, I can't find a whole lot of freely available stuff.

PREDICTION BASED ON FLIMSY EVIDENCE

Pipkins is a much-needed piece of this class, and he'll have a chance to contribute almost immediately as a member of the DL rotation in 2012, with a good chance to take over a starting position upon Will Campbell's graduation following that season.

If he's as good as the combines would lead us to believe, he has definite NFL potential, and a good chance to make All-Big Ten teams as an upperclassman.

UPSHOT FOR THE REST OF THE CLASS

Finally comes the DT. Michigan's needs are filled - aside from at least one wideout - and can focus on just taking top-top prospects for the remainder of the class, regardless of position.

Comments

M-Wolverine

August 8th, 2011 at 1:47 PM ^

Sam Webb this morning didn't think there was any offer to be pulled. He didn't think there was any serious interest between the two.  Maybe a cursory look after he was turned down by ND, but he was never likely to come here. At least according to Sam.

In reply to by M-Wolverine

Don

August 8th, 2011 at 1:57 PM ^

and Rivals shows no offer either. To add onto what M-Wolverine said, apparently Schutt never at any point indicated any interest in UM, and had no contact with the staff. I would guess the staff had a very good feeling about Pipkins, and saw no reason to muddy the waters by suddenly bringing in Schutt for a visit and possible commit.

Mengin06

August 8th, 2011 at 1:47 PM ^

I've got a good feeling about this kid. It still would be nice to pick up another top guy in that position group, though. Hopefully O'Brien will still be interested and the coaches will have a spot for him.

harmon40

August 8th, 2011 at 1:58 PM ^

I was a persevering RRod supporter/defender, and one of those disappointed that we didn't get Harbaugh.  Never in my life have I been so happy to have been so wrong.

Can anyone remember when the last time was that Michigan was killing it like this on the recruiting trail?  Was it ever this good, even under Carr (of whom I tend to be a defender rather than a critic)?  Would we have to go back to the early 90's perhaps?

Michigan...football destination once more.  Hooray!

 

734mgoblue

August 8th, 2011 at 3:11 PM ^

"Finally comes the DT. Michigan's needs are filled - aside from at least one wideout - and can focus on just taking top-top prospects for the remainder of the class, regardless of position."

 

So we feel comfortable at RB?

wlubd

August 8th, 2011 at 3:23 PM ^

Who do we go after assuming we don't get Dunn? Garmon's the only other real option at this point and that isn't looking too good.

Any one else we go after is at risk of falling in to the adding a guy simply for depth category. We have RB's, we'll have 6 on the roster in 2012, in an offence where the OC wants 1 feature back. It's a matter of someone stepping up or getting an elite guy like Dunn.

Adding a RB simply because he's a RB would be a waste of a spot in this class.

Bodogblog

August 8th, 2011 at 3:32 PM ^

What a great addition to an already incredible class.  I'm greedy and I want O'Brien, but if he jumps on board I won't ask for anything else (though I wish Diamond would come on b/c he seems to fit and his moms seems sweet). 

I know his nickname is Pee-Wee, but I can't help but think we'll soon be calling him Ondre the Giant!  (yes, it's awful, but no one else went for it)

gt4blue

August 8th, 2011 at 9:08 PM ^

I'd love to see Danny and Ondre filling the middle for years to come. I can just see opposing coaches trying to figure out which one to double team. I know our LBs and DBs are probably excited. Coach Hoke and company is making their lives alot less stressful back there.

TTUwolverine

August 8th, 2011 at 5:42 PM ^

I know that we haven't really been mentioned at all with DGB... but do you think that like, maybe the coaches might try to give him a couple phone calls?  Pipkins is a KC guy, maybe they know each other?  Maybe if I ask the coaches nicely?  Beuller?

 

 

rockydude

August 8th, 2011 at 6:23 PM ^

Welcome aboard, Ondre. We were really needing a brawler in the middle. Glad to have you here, as I think the middle of the line just became a place nobody will want to run !

maizenblue87

August 8th, 2011 at 7:06 PM ^

Hoke and staff have been flawless on the recruiting trail. For this year, the rubber hits the road in 26 days. Let's get several W's this year to complement all the great gains off the field.

gt4blue

August 8th, 2011 at 8:49 PM ^

I've been looking forward to this one for quite some time. From one Michigan fan in KC to another, welcome aboard. They say you can take the boy out of Michigan but you can't take Michigan out of the boy.  Go Blue!

uminks

August 9th, 2011 at 1:41 AM ^

Welcome aboard Ondre!  Another great pickup by Hoke and company! Nice to have all the necessary recruiting spots filled this early. Now we can target some more 5 and 4 star recruits to round out the class.