Hello: Richard Ash
According to a text he sent to Tom VanHaaren, FL DT Richard Ash has committed to Michigan. Ash is a Pahokee kid, the fourth to sign on with Michigan in three years, and either a three-tech DT (ie: Ryan Van Bergen) or a strongside defensive end.
Early in the recruiting year he had a ton of tres impressive offers—Florida, Miami, USC—but his options dwindled as those schools filled up. He committed to West Virginia just a couple weeks ago, but that was always shaky and Doc Holliday's departure to become Marshall's head coach was the final nail in their coffin.
More informative update on its way.
Defensive tackle lovers, rejoice! Michigan has extended the Pahokee pipeline into the Class of 2010 (Martavious Odoms was the '08 representative, and Vincent Smith and Brandin Hawthorne hailed from the Muck in the 2009 class) by convincing FL DT Richard Ash to switch his commitment from West Virginia to the Wolverines.
GURU RATINGS
| Scout | Rivals | ESPN |
|---|---|---|
| 3*, #48 DT | 4*, #24 DT | 3*, 77, #52 DT |
The three sites don't quite agree on what they think of Ash's ability, and Rivals is definitely the outlier, as they give him 4 stars and say he's the 24th-best DT in the class. ESPN's evaluation:
Ash moves around the defensive line in high school and at this point he is a bit of a 'tweener between the tackle and end spot. He could start off in college as a defensive end, but in the long run we think he projects as a defensive tackle or...
Not too much evaluation of his ability, but rather just his eventual position. Scout lets Richard talk about his strengths and weaknesses:
“I’m quick off the ball. I have a good first step and have great hands. I use them good and have great technique. I like to play quick and fast.
“I want to run better and get faster in the forty. I’d like to be more explosive because that would help me get more sacks.”
So he's quick (understandable for a smaller DT), and claims to have good technique. He needs to get into better shape, from the sounds of things. Not sure how he can reconcile "I am quick" with "I need to get more explosive," but whateva. His coach, the improbably-named Blaze Thompson, praises his work ethic and athleticism.
Long story short: He's a moderate prospect with more upside (he's only played football since 9th grade) than immediate potential.
Update: duplicate effort here, but I've got some other quotes to throw in:
Ash was an obvious D-I prospect early; when he showed up at the Miami Nike camp Rivals' Barry Every praised his "great body structure and really long arms," calling him "easily the best-looking interior defensive lineman physically in the camp."
In June, the Miami Herald ranked him a meh 90th in the state, saying:
90. Richard Ash, DT, 6-3, 265, Pahokee: After a solid junior season, this gifted athlete continues to make a lasting impression this spring. Talking with college coaches, they just love his quickness, strength and knowledge of the game. Plays the run very well and knows how to penetrate the backfield. Has steadily become a major force for one of the premier teams in the state of Florida.
The Orlando Sentinel, on the other hand, had him the third best defensive lineman in the state and declared his "great speed" made him "special."
Ash went to Florida's camp and didn't do so well. This is from SoFlaFootball's Luke Stampini:
No one seems to know for sure [about Ash and UF], a lot of speculation. Some say UF has cooled on him, but I can't find a straight answer.
He came to UF's camp out of shape and tested poorly in the 40 and vert. He performed well in 1-on-1's, but certainly not to the level of Ronald Powell (All-World DE from Cali).
This is a theory that one Richard Ash also supports:
"I've been hearing things that Florida doesn't want me after I tested at camp because of my 40 and my vertical," Ash told GatorBait.net. "I did good in the one-on-ones but I guess the 40 and vertical lowered me on Florida's scale. … They didn't like me as much after camp. That's what I've been hearing."
Somewhat oddly, the USC offer came after the meh camp performances. Later, Stampini would follow up on that in response to a West Virginia fan:
I doubt [WVU pulled its offer]. Florida did for some reason (most believe poor 40 and vert at camp), but UF has had some screwy recruitments that I think will come back and haunt them.
Then FSU came out and said they dropped Richard as well, but it was interesting timing coming a day after Richard basically said he would not be going to FSU in an interview.
LSU and USC Trojans appear to want Ash to commit, and I thought WVU was in Ash's top 4 with USF also.
One defensive coach I've talked to loves the fact Ash has a good frame to add weight, long arms, moves very well for his size, is 16 yrs old still, and is from Pahokee. He feels he can take those characteristics, coach him up a couple years and have an All-Conference caliber player.
And a final scouting report from Stampini:
Well Florida and FSU offered him. UF really wanted him to commit early, but he went and worked out at their camp tested poorly, performed average and the Gators dropped him. Before that Ash did an article stating he wasn't going to FSU (for whatever reason he never liked them) and the next day it comes out FSU was no longer recruiting him.
Now Ash has all the physical tools to be extremely good, but it his motivation has come into question. If someone can get in his head to work hard, get in shape, go all out every snap, he could get paid to play the game. Sometimes lighting a fire under someones rear is easier said than done though. Another issue with Ash (and most of those Pahokee lineman) is his play did not improve from his JR year to SR year like most prospects.
So… yeah, the rollercoaster was understandable.
OFFERS
At one point Ash's offer list stacked up with anyone's. As early as May, when his stock was "exploding," he had 14 offers, some of them major. In June, Florida had offered and led. In early July, USC offered and moved into the lead. Plus when he committed the first time around he mentioned offers from Michigan, LSU, Ole Miss, Oklahoma State, Tennessee, South Carolina, and UCLA plus a bunch of others. An absolute ton of schools were after this guy.
The weird bit is that when Ash committed these were the schools in his final five other than West Virginia:
The 6-foot-4, 265-pound defensive tackle also listed USC, Rutgers, Minnesota and South Florida as three schools he was seriously interested in.
What a bizarre list. USC plus three schools that are Lilliputian recruiters relative to the Trojans. And no Michigan, the school he would commit to in two weeks.
So what happened? It appeared a bunch of schools cooled off on Ash after some uninspiring camp performances. By September, Ash was reporting that USC offer but mentioning that he hadn't heard from them in a while. Florida turned off their interest more explicitly, as Stampini detailed above.
The UCLA interest was sincere and persistent, as he went on an official there. LSU brought him in for the Florida game, too, and West Virginia and Michigan were both hot after him. So not everyone was turned off, just the two programs who can basically pick and choose perfect prospects all day.
STATS
His high school stats weren't explosive but this is a defensive tackle. Junior:
Ash had 80 tackles, seven for loss, four sacks, and one interception.
FAKE 40 TIME
All three recruiting sites have Ash listed in the 4.85 to 4.9 range, so there's some internal consistency at least. That's a believable time for a defensive end, but since Ash is expected to move to tackle, and admits he wants to work on his speed, it's worthy of two FAKEs out of five.
VIDEO
Ash is a defensive tackle, and therefore doesn't have any fil... wha? Here's the Richard Ash highlight reel:
There are also some impressive senior highlights, but I can't embed them.
PREDICTION BASED ON FLIMSY EVIDENCE
Ash is not an immediate-impact type, and with Michigan's current depth on the defensive line, he won't be pushed into duty as a true freshman. A redshirt is in order to bulk up for the defensive tackle position or get into shape to be a big defensive end for 3-man fronts. Whichever position the coaches decide to let him play, he'll need a year under the strength and conditioning program to be ready to make contributions.
Ash is a boom-or-bust prospect. The up-and-down recruiting saga indicates a player with outstanding natural talent but some motivation and work ethic issues that USC and Florida don't have to take chances on. Thus the offers that ended up retracted. (The Florida State issue just appeared to be Ash not having much interest.)
Hopefully at Michigan he'll be more boom than bust, as he'll be around three other Pahokee kids who seem to be extremely hard workers—Odoms, at least, works like a dog on the field—and under the tutelage of Mike Barwis. If you end up at Michigan, you're going to end up working hard. He's also young for his grade, as Stampini mentions above, which gives him yet more upside. There's always a chance any prospect washes out entirely and Ash is farther away from his ceiling than really high-level prospects, but that ceiling appears to be about the same. If he puts in the work, he can be an all-conference player.
UPSHOT FOR THE REST OF THE CLASS
Michigan now has two three-tech defensive tackles (ie, RVBs) committed with OH DT Terrance Talbott the other. That meets a major need since Van Bergen is coming up on his junior year and the only other player on the depth chart is fifth-year senior Greg Banks. Assuming that these guys don't decommit a la Dequinta Jones and Pearlie Graves last year, Michigan will have filled that spot with a couple of slightly undersized guys who will probably take a redshirt—Banks gives Michigan that luxury—and then start a long war to be the nominal starter once Van Bergen graduates.
Since MI DT Jonathan Hankins plays the nose, he is still an option.
Etc.: Maybe Ash ended up not committing to USC because he watched The Day After Tomorrow too much?
“I was worried cause they say they have earthquakes, mudslides and wildfires.”
How do any of those differed from riding out a hurricane in Florida?
“Oh, see that’s something I’m used to, I ain’t ever experienced an earthquake,” said a laughing Ash.
He was always in the back field and he didn't miss a tackle. He even dropped back and intercepted a pass! If he bulks up I can see him starting or playing some major minutes by 2012!!!
expect the best
Don't know if anyone else read the SI article on the Muck Bowl and kids from Pahokee, but I left that article wanting more recruits from there. I was given Ash a week later. Kind of a nice plus after several minuses recently.
I really love the giddiness on this page. It's a nice change from the doom-and-gloom and in-fighting that happens sometimes. It was about time for some good news!
keeping the pipeline open is huge.
also he could end up being an absolute monster which we need, though i wish we didnt have to only get these guys that florida basically decided was too risky to take. my point here is i would love this if he was about the 10th most exciting player in the class instead of eaisly in the top 5 most exciting. I wish we had a few more cant miss types, but i guess thats life, you alwyas wish you had a little more.
Just Win Baby
Great news!
Just watched his video...
need work ON pad level Intangibles highly MEASURED
/tired jokes
I NEED QUESO! QUESOOOOO!!
I'd like to feel good about this pick-up but still have concerns. Look, RR's record is far worse than *all* of us expected. But we believe -- in him, in the spread, in the future.
But --
is he playing a game he can't win? I mean, we all wonder about these 2-3 star-level recruits and make excuses but is it because all the truly great spread players are in Florida and the South. So, those top recruits can go to Miami or South Florida or Florida or FSU or many other places. So, RR can pick off a great one, get some solid players that Florida and others pass on but can never get the equal of what Florida, say, can get. And does that mean we can never win (the big one) playing a 'SEC-style' game in the Big 10?
Don't negbomb. Just asking.
I don't know if you missed the Capital One bowl a couple years ago, but we dominated Florida. Granted, it was still Carr and still a Carr system (read: old-school), but we ran multiple spread sets very effectively against them, on their home turf. Even with a group of players who never really focused on the spread, we beat them at it. I'm pretty sure that indicates we CAN win SEC-style games...
it is false to say "all the truly great spread players are in Florida and the South" most HS run the spread nowadays. Cali, Tex, Ohio, virgina, all have great athletes, actually there are great athletes in a lot of states. Michigan is a national recruiter, we can recruit with Florida, these things go in cycles, florida will not be a powerhouse forever.
P.S. since when do we recruit against South Florida...Who the hell is South Florida...they are nobodies...are you kidding? FSU is more of a pro set too.
What "news" is in your post? Doesn't the word "news" imply that there is some relatively recent "information" or "fact" that you're passing along? If anything, your post is the opposite of "news," since FSU and Miami don't really run the spread, and your assertion that players capable of playing in the spread don't come from anywhere outside FLA or the South simply isn't supported by "fact." Masoli runs the spread pretty damn well, and he's from California. I have no doubt that it would be very easy to come up with a long list of guys who've done well in the spread who aren't from the South.
If you simply want to opine that you don't think Ash is a worthwhile recruit or that RR is a lousy recruiter, that's what this blog is for. But that ain't "news," it's simply an epinion. You asked not to be negged, but in this case it's entirely appropriate.
"all the truly great spread players are in Florida and the South"
i don't see how this matters for a defensive lineman.
also, ash is a 3-4 star-level.
i think i understand your concern, and perhaps it is best stated as "how can UM compete with teams on a national level when we get the lesser recruits from those team's backyards?" and i think the answer is that i hope that michigan has a "decided schematic advantage" of its own. florida is a very good team, but the other florida schools have been getting their kids and have not been exactly lining up trophies.
also, michigan does not have to play all the schools you say the great recruits can go, they have to play the teams on their schedule and one other in a bowl.
Here is my heart!
Take it and say, that we'll never part!
I'm just a slave, only a slave, to you!
better said than I, thanks.
and I hope you didn't also get negbombed by the Palinites on this board.
Is this a new variation on the "this is the Big Ten and RR doesn't get it- playing fast strong players instead of manly fat men"-meme?
And by big one do you mean NC/BCS (that the SEC has done pretty well in) or against OSU in The Game (OSU being a team that has been thumped by SEC teams)?
Awesome pickup. Dude is gonna terrorize
Ash's commitment is exciting. Despite what the absence of real marquee players (Gardner aside), this class is shaping up to be a good one.
but the redshirt issue makes me feel like the kid that found his christmas gifts in the attic weeks before christmas and has to just sit and wait and wait and wait until the big day when he can unwrap his present and have it release destruction and despair on opponents' quarterbacks.
Here is my heart!
Take it and say, that we'll never part!
I'm just a slave, only a slave, to you!
That's me. I love the idea of having a strong defensive line, especially the ends of course. A great defensive line will beat a great offensive line any day.
Aaron Swenk
What great news (even though it wasn't totally unexpected). This has been a hell of a few weeks as far as recruiting goes and things keep getting more exciting. I am stoked to get a kid like this and hope RR pulls a couple more rabbits out of that wizard hat before the recruiting class is done. Always nice to stick it to WVU as well....just for a bonus!
Welcome aboard Richard, great to have you!
The football masses down there must be apoplectic.
+1 for making fun of West Virginia.
+1 for using apoplectic accurately in a sentence.
+1 for the natty dreads.
This post made with 99% organic Snark®.
I guess all those tuition checks my mom sent to UM weren't a complete waste after all.
Love the avatar.
mgovideo | twitter | feed | admin@mgovideo.com
gets to prove that it's not all just hype.
M'Dog
With Richard having long arms, somewhere Jay Bilas is drooling.
it looked to me like he was in the backfield a lot. Tons of TFL's in there. The screen pass he intercepted was impressive. He read it perfectly. After watching us get torched by screens this year i'm very excited for RA to get up here. He looks like a smart disciplined football player. Dare I say maybe our next BG when he gets a year or two under his belt. Gotta love the Pahokee connections RR is building. Welcome aboard Mr. Ash.
HAIL TO THE VICTORS VALIANT, HAIL TO THE CONQUERING HEROS!
plenty of things that gave me reason to neg-bang you, but enough spot-on things for me to leave you alone.
"Wow, so you go to Michigan, so you can spell, good for you." - white_pony_rocks
Very excited about Mr Ash joining the team next year for a number of reasons.
First, as we know defense and especially defensive lines win championships. While our solid defensive line didn't exactly make-up for the rest of the defense's shortcomings this year, I think Ash will be another part of a great defensive line especially in 2011. With a great d-line even decent linebacking and then a solid defensive backfield, we can have a top Big Ten defense.
Secondly, adding Ash and Talbott (and hopefully Hankins) gives us more flexibility and depth on the d-line. Looking at a potential 2010 D-line we have:
3-Tech: Van Bergen or Martin with Greg Banks and Ash and Talbott as back-ups
NT: Martin or Campbell with Sagesse and hopefully Hankins as back-up
DE: Van Bergen or Roh with LaLota and maybe Wilkins and Murphy
Deathbacker: Roh or Herron with Wilkins or Paskorz
Overall, there is a lot more that Greg can do with this line-up especially in 2011 that can create mismatches for teams. And for the recruiting-junkies (which I confess I have become), we will have 7 or 8 four-star or better d-linemen playing at Michigan the next 2 years.
Finally I really like that Ash is a player with a lot of upside. With a good community of Pahokeeians around him, he could be a special talent in the future. Although I love a good lunchpail player, I also am glad to see Michigan bring in someone with some great measurables who could be a special player down the road.
Did this blog post by Brian get updated twice tonight, or am I losing my mind? There was the initial short post. Then an expanded post. Then a different version of the expanded post. I could have sworn there was less of the recruiting analysis and a different take on the rest of the class (which is what I wanted to comment on, but is no longer in the blog post). The initial statement was something to the effect that there would be one spot left in the class that it wouldn't go to a defensive lineman. That concerned me because of the potential to fill that spot with a player like Hankins, who we definitely right now do not have (i.e. huge with a lot of potential). The updated post seems to hit this point when it discusses that we've attracted several undersized defensive linemen. My take would be that even if Hankins doesn't pan out to be an every down player, having someone with his skill set and size that can play on the obvious running downs would be a huge addition, and plus, there is part of me that just can't believe that any player under Barwis would ever not be in their best shape by the time he is done with them.
You are not crazy. Tim and I had some miscommunication so I melded the two posts together; I corrected Tim's faulty assumption that Ash precluded Hankins.
MGoBlog | Sporting News | HTTV 2009 | e
Haha. Thanks, much appreciated! :)
Watch the clips where he's sprinting (the int. is the big one). Great feet for a big man. He's an athlete. Honestly, with big men, I don't worry about technique, flab, muscle tone...you can fix all of that. You can't fix crappy feet and stiff legs.
I was at a Nike combine and was watching guys run. There was a guard prospect who had just committed to a BCS school. He was a three-star recruit. He ran and looked like he had just gotten out of a hospital bed with two broken legs. He didn't run a 40 yard dash, he fell 40 yards.
The next kid was a DE prospect who was also about to commit. He also was a three-star guy. He ran like an athlete. He looked like a 240 pound track athlete.
The DE was a pretty good player. The guard never got off the bench.
He might become Michigan's version of Amobi Okoye. Ash will only be 17 next year and Okoye was 16. This means that they are still growing, still getting stronger, and still getting used to playing against elite talent. I think redshirting him is really smart but in year 3 this kid will dominate the inside.
Some kids make a big production of their commitment going on national television and playing the hat game, others just text TomVH, I prefer the latter.
that he was already committed to West Virginia before coming to the good guys.
When you reach the end of your rope tie a knot and hold on...
Does anyone know who his primary recruiter was/is? Bruce Tall I assume?
Either way, nice get.
This post made with 99% organic Snark®.
Rod Smith.
http://genuinelysarcastic.blogspot.com (UPDATED: 2/5)
This is great news. The Pahokee connection has been a real blessing.
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.
Welcome to Michigan Richard Ash. Enjoy your 4/5 years and in obtaining a valuable and relevant education.
"If the haters they don't hate you then you're doing something wrong" - David Cone
This kid I think won't have a working problem with Barwis. Love the southern Florida pipeline we are making, keep it up!!!
Every one of these kids from the P we bring in is a win/win. We get excellent players and they get a great education. Given all I've read/heard about life in Pahokee I can't help but pull a little harder for these guys. Welcome to the family RA.
This does not close the door on Hankins.
http://genuinelysarcastic.blogspot.com (UPDATED: 2/5)
Next player to commit wins?
Or are they still hoping for a few more commitments?
Grimes, Murphy, Furman, Hankins.
http://genuinelysarcastic.blogspot.com (UPDATED: 2/5)
When I was young, during the lazy summer months, I was often bitten by swarms of mosquitoes while I fished in the creek that passed through the woods behind our home. I found their relentless buzzing to be annoying, their bites itchy and it was also very frustrating because when I would smash them I would get blood splattered all over the place.
Those little flying bastards don't seem so bad after all: the Pahokee Boys are making me learn to enjoy the swampy muck all over again. Welcome to the Big House, Mr. Ash!
Oh my sweet baby jesus!
<3 Richard Ash <3
in my head. I'm glad someone else had the same reaction. I wasn't going to post it myself.
I love the way these kids from the muck play. Pahokee, send us more!
"Wow, so you go to Michigan, so you can spell, good for you." - white_pony_rocks
Awesome news. Please, please, can we use the RichRod snake oil banner for times like these? That was my favorite banner, and it needs to get more time on the site.
some pahokee kids.
lloyd was better.
i can see this guy being an absolute monster in ann arbor
Très impressionnant !
FIFY ;)
SPEAK AMERICAN!