Hello: Tony Posada Comment Count

Tim

After a brief server outage, here come the Hello. GBW is reporting that FL OL Tony Posada out of Tampa Plant High School has committed to become the 10th member of Michigan's 2011 recruiting class.

INFORMATIVE PORTION

tonyposada.jpg

GURU RATINGS

Scout Rivals ESPN
3*, #75 OT NR OL 3*, 78, #34 OT

At 6-5 and already over 320 pounds, Posada is expected to be an offensive tackle at the next level. We'll get started with the ESPN evaluation:

Posada has great size along with enough explosion and playing strength to dominate defenders at his present level of play. Has the height and weight we like to see for the offensive tackle spot at the major level of competition.

He has a number of strengths:

Flashes explosion off the ball with good pad level and fit for his height; brings his hips with a good base and the leg drive necessary to sustain contact.

His agility is also singled out as a positive, though they say that quicker pass rushers, primarily from the linebacker position, could give him trouble. Other points to work on:

Will need to work on all aspects of punch, location and extension however his arm length and quick hands should be an asset.

Uh, that's actually really brief. ESPN, per usual, gives the above raving review, then follows it up with a lofty... #34 offensive tackle ranking. How can a guy whose only weaknesses are "might have trouble picking up a blitzing linebacker" and "has a little technique work to do on his hands" be ranked so low?

Elite Scouting Services puts a decidedly non-elite effort into breaking down his game:

Up front the offensive line for Plant will be led by Tony Posada. He is a big kid who moves well. Posada also played very well in their state title game. He will have the chance to really blow up this fall if his play on the football field continues to improve.

UMGoBlog's Jon Jennings notes that he has a great nasty streak and excels in run blocking. GBMWolverine breaks down his game as well:

Tony also has enough flexibility to move inside and play offensive guard, which is always a plus when recruiting offensive linemen. The more spots a recruit can play, the more opportunities he might have with a program. Coaches like linemen who provide multiple possibilities instead of being tied to one position and having to then recruit other linemen to fill a specific need.

Tony is a bulldozer; think somewhat of a taller Justin Boren. The biggest difference is stength.

Despite "stength" being listed as one of his weaknesses, he has shown impressive strength in winning a regional title in the shot put, then finishing sixth in the state. Still, if there's even the slightest question about his strength, that 320-some pounds is not all good weight.

OFFERS

Posada was offered early, at least back in February. Kansas, USF, and Wake had also offered at that time. According to his Rivals profile, his other BCS-level offers included the likes of Duke, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisvulle, Missouri, Rutgers, South Florida, Tennessee, and Texas Tech.

The conventional wisdom on Posada was always that a Florida offer would be nearly impossible for him to turn down. When it became clear that an offer from the Gators was never going to come (despite performing impressively at their camp), Michigan became the heavy favorite. However, South Florida came on strong in the end, causing Michigan to stave them off down to the finish line.

STATS

Posada is an offensive lineman, and therefore doesn't have stats. He was, however, part of a dominant Tampa Plant running game last year (more on Plant in a moment). TJ Glover and James Wilder both ran for nearly 1,000 yards, and the team on the whole rushed for 2,945 yards on their way to a state title.

FAKE 40 TIME

Rivals credits him with a 5.39-second 40-yard dash time. That doesn't sound FAKE at all, but given the fact that he's well over 300 pounds, it still qualifies for one FAKE out of five.

VIDEO

There are no Posada-specific highlight reels available, but a bunch of Tampa Plant material is out there (Posada is #75):

Here's another game, and you can peruse Youtube for more.

PREDICTION BASED ON FLIMSY EVIDENCE

There's a huge disparity between descriptions of Posada and his actual rankings. He's certainly not under-the-radar, playing at one of the most visible programs in the nation. So what does it all mean? I would guess based on photographic evidence and measureables that he has to get in much better shape to be ready to play in college, in addition to the technique work mentioned above.

Tony's an offensive lineman, so he would probably be a lock to redshirt even if he didn't have conditioning and technique question marks. During his first year in Ann Arbor, he'll work to rectify those issues.

After a redshirt, Tony would hopefully be in decent shape to play (he certainly has good size). There will be more playing time available at tackle than guard, and he's a combo prospect who projects at either position. As a redshirt freshman and sophomore, he could get some playing time before sliding into a starting position as a junior and senior.

UPSHOT FOR THE REST OF THE CLASS

Posada is offensive lineman #3 of four or five in the class. That means there's only room for a couple more. Chris Bryant, Jordan Walsh, and Nick Martin seem like some of the most realistic prospects to fill any remaining OL spots.

Offensive recruiting is almost completed (a tight end, and outside receiver, and Dee Hart are probably the only three positions left on that side of the ball). Defensive tackles, another linebacker or two, and defensive backs are the emphasis from here on out.

ETC.

Plant is a powerhouse program, routinely pumping out tons of talent. In this year's class alone, 5-star RB James Wilder and 4-star QB Phillip Ely will graduate from Plant. Getting a foot in the door for future years can't hurt Michigan's recruiting efforts. The Panthers will play on ESPN on August 27, against Manatee in a preseason state title rematch.

Comments

GCS

August 11th, 2010 at 5:50 PM ^

Chris Bryant, Jordan Walsh, and Nick Martin seem like some of the most realistic prospects to fill any remaining OL spots.

Hmmm, appears somebody wrote up the first draft of this more than a few days ago.

Michigan4Life

August 11th, 2010 at 8:20 PM ^

not really.  They really liked him as a OG.  If he commits to Michigan, it's more likely that he'll play OG which is what the coaches' originally recruited him to play in this position.  Now they're saying that they may be fine with him playing DE which is to try to get him into this year class and move him to OG alas Barksdale at LSU.

Michigan4Life

August 11th, 2010 at 5:54 PM ^

Michigan is recruiting him to play OG or RT depending on their needs.  He is a big guy, but is not real fat.  He would be a good addition to the OL especially in run blocking.

 

Welcome to Michigan, Tony Posada!

Sopwith

August 11th, 2010 at 6:02 PM ^

Except this part made me wince:

<blockquote>Tony is a bulldozer; think somewhat of a taller Justin Boren.</blockquote>

I'll take the liberty of thinking of a taller, more committed, less lazy Justin Boren, how's that?

Tater

August 11th, 2010 at 6:17 PM ^

Posada is a beast at the HS level.  He is very fast for someone his size.  Watching a bruiser like Wilder Jr run behind him as they run over HS kids is sorta funny to watch.  His performance in the State Championship game was enough that he was iso'd for replays and then gushed over by the crew running the telecast.

I think he will be a great addition, and I agree with Brian that it won't hurt to have inroads to a school that is becoming a perennial top five Florida program.  Plant is a team that is big and athletic enough that I think they could defeat some lower-division (think GLIAC) college teams.  Having one of their grads contributing to the impending rebirth of Michigan as a truly elite college football team bodes very well for the future.

uminks

August 11th, 2010 at 6:29 PM ^

Tony is a great pickup.  He will be a big part of our OL in the future.  I'm glad to see our OL will be huge. All that talk a few years ago about small Offensive lineman is down the drain. Wow, he looks so thin for being  320 lbs. Just wait until he hits the weight room here. He could be pushing 340-350 lbs in a few years!!!!  Talk about pancaking some DTs.

Rasmus

August 11th, 2010 at 6:30 PM ^

If so, then the fact their backfield is so highly rated could be a sign of just how good Tony is. It's not insane to think we could be getting the player most crucial to their success as a team.

pullin4blue

August 11th, 2010 at 8:59 PM ^

Welcome to the University of Michigan.  You are going to have some of the best times of your life here and I can't wait to see what you can do on the field. 

Bodogblog

August 11th, 2010 at 9:09 PM ^

is #34 that low of a rating?  Seems like he's got some technique and physique questions to shore up, we've got people that can help with that

With Fisher and this kid at Tackle, seems like the coaches picked up 2 of their top targets

MGoShoe

August 11th, 2010 at 9:51 PM ^

...from this Jamie Newberg WWL.com article:

"I went up there (to Ann Arbor) and loved the visit. I was ready to commit but coach (Rob Weiner) wanted me to come back home. So I slept on it for a few weeks. But after talking it over with and my parents I knew this is where I wanted to go."

"They have everything. I love the coaches, facilities and the school itself. It just blew everyone away."

"Michigan and their offensive line tradition was a big factor for me. They have a big tradition of OLs there."

"I like Coach Rod's offense. The offensive tackle isn't squished next to a tight end at the line of scrimmage. It's a power football scheme that still allows you to be physical and dominant."

Apparently the kid has a pretty good head on his (large) shoulders.

stillMichigan

August 11th, 2010 at 11:12 PM ^

I just get uneasy when a guy has his heart set on a Gator offer, doesn't get it, and it just seems like he is settling for Michigan. This happens a lot these days.So if he blows up his senior year we have to worry about a Gator offer? We know the SEC oversigns. Posada could very well be a great Wolverine someday, this is nothing against him but I am not used to this and it happens a lot it seems. Can't wait till we go toe to toe with the elite again. I believe it's a matter of time.

charliebauman

August 12th, 2010 at 12:04 AM ^

This is definitely a victory for RR and Michigan. With all this bad news popping up all the time, it's good that Michigan is still getting some talented kids. Most of all this is RR's recruit that was based on attraction rather than promotion.

kevin holt

August 12th, 2010 at 12:31 AM ^

of that video, which I did not watch in its entirety by the way, was the RB who was tackled, kept his body from hitting the ground, sprang back up and stayed on his feet until the end zone. HOW DO WE GET THAT GUY?

If Posada can push our RBs into the end zone from 5+ yards out, consider me very happy right now

burntorange wi…

August 12th, 2010 at 4:30 PM ^

no no no. jadeveon clowney is the #1 overall prospect. no debate about it. that being said, james wilder is a physical freak and has muscles on his muscles. 

 

oh and you can basically cross georgia off his list, its a FSU/UF battle. he mentioned FSU's assistant coach's ability to get RBs in the NFL, which kind of makes me think hes going FSU. before that comment i thought he was 100000% UF. 

BlueinLansing

August 12th, 2010 at 2:32 AM ^

I find it somewhat annoying that on a day it was announced our latest 5 star failure was transferring, we beat out Duke, Wake Forest and South Florida for a recruit.

With that said, he looks like a potential stud, and if  WF and Duke were after him he's precisely the kind of smart intelligent football athlete Michigan should be recruiting.