Futurecast pick for MASSIVE DL Tawfiq Thomas
I assume 259 is a typo? That is far from MASSIVE
He’s listed as 6’3” 359lbs
That makes most of us feel a whole lot better.
August 8th, 2021 at 11:07 PM ^
give me a 259-pound high schooler over a 359-pounder, every time.
Don Brown? Is that you?
August 9th, 2021 at 11:04 AM ^
lol, right?
for me, it's kind of a similar thing to high school tight ends that drop down to offensive tackle. they seem to have more agility and ability to get out and block an edge rusher, even if they give up some mashitude.
359-pound high school players also seem to have more trouble getting and staying fit enough to be every-down players. that's anecdotal, gut-feeling on my part, of course.
August 9th, 2021 at 12:03 PM ^
Its ok to have depth on the DL. Even if he isnt an every down guy, he can still be essential to a defense.
obviously.
and chill. i'm not saying anything whatsoever about this dude in particular.
August 9th, 2021 at 12:01 PM ^
I can see that.
Onwenu was listed at 360 upon arrival. Give me that kind of positional production and I’ll happily take it.
August 9th, 2021 at 12:08 PM ^
His entire career I wanted him on the DL.... I want Thomas and Walker... Never do I want to see Wisconsin run it down our throats ever again. I'd rather be beaten in the air, but never up the middle.... seems to go against Michigan's tradition, and am surprised Harbaugh allowed the DL to get so small with Brown. Kemp should have been playing OLB.
Tyoo, sorry. Only 100 pounds off
+1 for the nice touch of misspelling the word typo while apologizing.
Only 259 lbs? Typo?
August 8th, 2021 at 10:00 PM ^
August 9th, 2021 at 10:01 AM ^
No it's a Tyoo
C'mon down Tawfiq!
GO BLUE!
PS - I think he weighs 335 pounds.
https://n.rivals.com/content/prospects/2022/tawfiq-thomas-258573
Interesting. I wasn't sure how hard we were pushing for him. Is this a sign Kenneth Grant is leaning elsewhere?
It might be, because I just read yesterday it looks like Ohio St may get him.
As it looks disconcertingly like Deone Walker may go Alabama, and Kenneth Grant may go Ohio St (God forbid both), Michigan may have turned it's full NT recruiting gaze onto Thomas.
He is one big human! 6'5", 359.
He's got a spin move. And he is quick for his size. He's in the first 30 seconds of this video:
August 8th, 2021 at 10:04 PM ^
The person falling to the ground in the second photo looks as if he now thoroughly regrets his life choices, perhaps even now being actively disgusted by them. That's the sort of result you want from a block from a defensive tackle, I would say.
August 8th, 2021 at 10:24 PM ^
Looks like when Suh would two hand shove Jay Cutler in the back
Tawfiq is a big boy with great feet and hand punch. He looks like he would be a great addition. Mario also looks like the real deal. He is a big athletic dude.
Tawfiq with OSU and Bama.
August 9th, 2021 at 12:28 PM ^
" Tawfiq with OSU and Bama. "
What does this mean ?
username checks out.
Huge swings and misses if true...no pun intended.
We need all 3 in the worst way.
Nolen was never coming, that one...give it your best shot, but I know I wasn't disappointed.
We ID'd Grant first and Walker is from Detroit. It's a position of desperate need. We need all 3. And would've taken Grant, Walker and Nolen.
...so I'm going to let myself believe that this is just taking Nolen's spot and we're ramping up the heat on Thomas now that Walter is out.
And the talent level this coaching staff brings in just keeps..........on keeping on.
August 8th, 2021 at 10:26 PM ^
P'ssst...hey...they don't have substantial junior film on any of these kids and the coaches get to evaluate them at camps and workouts in person unlike analysts. So stars mean even less than they usually do. Pass it on.
August 8th, 2021 at 10:35 PM ^
Pass it around. And by time it gets back to you who knows what your comment will be saying.
August 9th, 2021 at 12:22 AM ^
Recruiting analysts absolutely get to evaluate the players in person. They watch them at various camps throughout the region.
Why don’t they have substantial junior film for him? Was he hurt? It looks like his team went 11-1 in 2020. That sounds like a full season plus a couple of playoff games. Unless he was hurt, there’s plenty of game film to watch.
It’s possible that all of our three stars are simply overlooked and mis-ranked, but it’s also possible that our recruiting has dipped a little because of the 2-4 record last year, combined with the perceived instability for our head coach, and all the new guys on staff this year that have to quickly develop relationships with the recruits.
August 9th, 2021 at 10:04 AM ^
Im less worried about stars and more worried that this looks like a plan c NT.
August 9th, 2021 at 12:31 PM ^
Except none of the other "big boys" seem to need this excuse.
I'm sure you wouldn't be questioning the quality of any 5-star we get with that same tired refrain.
August 8th, 2021 at 10:42 PM ^
Both Eugenio and Thomas had/have Iowa St. in their top group. Seems like this is the kind of player they’ve built a stout defense around. They’re also usually good at identifying players who blow up early. Idk if that will apply for Thomas but for people who wanted Harbaugh replaced with Campbell, this seems to be the same kind of player Campbell would be after as well.
Don't get me wrong...I want Harbaugh to be our coach for the next 10 years. Because that will mean he turned this thing around (no Warde Manuel jokes). I want this team to win, so badly.
But just like they kept Thomas warm if other NT options don't work out...I keep my dream staff warm in case this season goes to shit.
A beautiful mix of ISU and Michigan.
HC: Matt Campbell
AHC: Jon Heacock
AHC: Vince Marrow
CO-OC/PGC: Joel Gordon or Nate Scheelhaase
CO-OC/RGC: Mike Hart
CO-DC: Roy Manning
CO-DC: Steve Clinkscale
QB: Joel Gordon or Nate Scheelhaase
RB: Mike Hart
WR: Ron Bellamy
TE: Vince Marrow
OL: Jeff Myers
DL: Eli Rasheed
LB: Roy Manning
CB: Steve Clinkscale
S: Jon Heacock
ST: Thomas Wilcher
No Chris Partridge in a pear tree?
Campbell is coaching at ISU, where the recruiting standards are far less than Michigan's. Thomas would be an ideal prospect for a school like ISU. Your logic is silly.
Shadow recruiting from Campbell. I like it.
August 9th, 2021 at 12:32 PM ^
Sure - but is that because they are so far ahead of the curve or they NEED to focus on players other schools (used to be Michigan) would "settle for"?
August 8th, 2021 at 11:12 PM ^
While this is good it might mean they aren't gonna wait on Grant or Walker. Welcome, nonetheless. Goes to show Campbell knows his stuff too. I like this kids film, let's hope he sticks, and have a feeling Eugenio is gonna be a fan favorite.
August 8th, 2021 at 11:39 PM ^
I imagine both would be takes even with Thomas on board.
my question is Tawfuq do you feed a kid that big?
August 9th, 2021 at 10:16 AM ^
And my response is that it is probably a bad ide to make a joke about this young man's name when we've all just watched a tape of him practically giving a swirlie to some presumably highly rated lineman during a football drill
August 9th, 2021 at 11:53 AM ^
ide? et tu, brute?
August 9th, 2021 at 10:09 AM ^
If he can stop teams like Wisconsin from running on Michigan with absolute impunity, I'm all for it.
I say Wisconsin because I've given up on the idea of finding one guy, much less an entire defense, who can stop OSU in any phase of its offensive game. Hell, even Clemson and Alabama can't do it. Or the most they can do is just slow them down to a degree, and that's with depth charts littered with five stars.
But stopping a team like Wisconsin? That is within Michigan's capability to do.
August 9th, 2021 at 10:18 AM ^
Getting Thomas for depth is fine, but it won't be much consolation if we don't land Walker.
August 9th, 2021 at 10:23 AM ^
Is the thought that Walker is slipping away based on anything more than just him Tweeting their offer to him? We don't know how high a priority he is for Alabama, they may have offered, but it's not like they're going to recruit him very hard. And even then, maybe he wants to stay closer to home, or maybe he wants to have a better shot to play early.
August 9th, 2021 at 12:34 PM ^
Your optimism in past years would make me also cautiously optimistic.
The past few years, however, have made it so now I only shake my head in disillusionment.
Tawfiq? I cannot wait to hear Dierdorf and Brandstatter take a run at that one...