Nike SPARQ Results for Michigan Commits

Submitted by kaykaybroke on

Here's the link to final SPARQ testing results from yesterday: http://espn.go.com/high-school/football/events/nike-sparq-combines/2012/test/results/_/id/113/page/2

Michigan Commits:

Taco Charlton:

Rank: 50, Height: 6-6, Weight: 249, 40: 4.89, Shuttle: 4.50, 31.6 vertical, 40ft powerball, SPARQ: 100.29

Jourdan Lewis:

Rank: 79, Height: 5-10, Weight: 159, 40: 4.68, Shuttle: 4.34, 32 vertical, 36 powerball, SPARQ: 85.05

David Dawson

Rank: 90, Height: 6-3.5, Weight: 282, 40: 5.54, Shuttle: 5.16, 22 Vertical, 41 powerball, SPARQ: 73.14

Kyle Bosch

Rank: 92, Height: 6-5, Weight: 311, 40: 5.52, Shuttle: 4.87, 23.2 Vertical, 35.5 powerball, SPARQ: 71.13

 

kaykaybroke

July 7th, 2012 at 12:05 PM ^

I think that's his real time, however it seems slow because all the 40 numbers we usually see are self reported, therefore inflated. 4.68 isn't shabby, and Lewis has incredible acceleration (see his shuttle) which is what makes him such a good corner. His powerball is exceptional as well (for a cb) and displays his strength. Physicality is his style of play.

[edit: beaten by magnus.]

jcorqian

July 7th, 2012 at 12:14 PM ^

I ran a hand-timed 4.57 in high school; it was in the 4.75 range electronically.  This is why I'm surprised that Lewis ran a 4.68; that gap between electronic timed and his reported hand timed 4.4 seems a bit bigger.  Also, that shuttle is very good, but I wouldn't necessarily consider it elite (kids have been running under 4.2, and some are under 4.0).

Again, by all accounts Jourdan Lewis is an exceptional corner and athlete.  I'm just surprised that given all the descriptions of him, his measurables tested slightly below expectations.

jcorqian

July 7th, 2012 at 12:01 PM ^

Is it just me, or does Jourdan Lewis's 40 time seem slow especially for someone of his size?  From all I've read, one of his biggest strengths is "exceptional closing speed."  Maybe that just means he has tremendous acceleration?  Can someone reconcile the two?  Nothing at all against the kid, who by all accounts is extremely impressive.  I'm just curious.

Lordfoul

July 7th, 2012 at 12:01 PM ^

Dawson = powerful but slow/un-quick

Bosch = not-so-powerful but suprisingly nimble

Lewis's powerball is impressive for a man his size + nice shuttle

Taco === BEAST

Magnus

July 7th, 2012 at 12:02 PM ^

None of those scores are too surprising (aka disappointing), but Elijah Qualls with a 5.39 in the forty?  Michigan was recruiting him for the defensive line, but some teams wanted him as a running back...

Magnus

July 7th, 2012 at 12:31 PM ^

Butt was also kind of slow getting off the line, didn't do anything to get himself separation, and used poor technique when trying to catch the ball.  The quarterback can't just sit there, hold onto the ball, and say, "Well...ummmm...you didn't get open, so I never threw it."  He's gotta throw it sometime.

There's a lot more that goes into completing these passes than whether it was a well thrown ball or not.

Dennis Talbott…

July 7th, 2012 at 12:09 PM ^

I don't put much stock in any of these numbers. I think things like the 40 time and especially the powerball throw depend a lot on your technique and don't correlate exceptionally well to speed and strength on a football field. I'm not overly concerned with some of our recruits low numbers. As long as they show it on the field, that's good enough for me. There's a difference between combine warriors and football players.

Dennis Talbott…

July 7th, 2012 at 12:23 PM ^

I just think that knowing how to throw the ball dramatically affects your result. For example, do you really think Jourdan Lewis is stronger than Kyle Bosch? Of course not, the powerball throw is just a very awkward motion, and he probably just has experience or better technique for throwing it.

Magnus

July 7th, 2012 at 12:35 PM ^

I agree with you there, but the technique of throwing the Powerball really isn't much different than a hand punch.  It's about rolling the hips more than anything and how much torque you can generate.  That's why you see linebackers/running backs/safeties destroying the Powerball toss and big, powerful linemen lagging behind...because better athletes have the advantage, and the better overall athletes aren't typically the 300 lb. blockers.

umalum16

July 7th, 2012 at 12:15 PM ^

The Lewis time is the only real surprise, but I feel like it's more of an outlier than a true test of his speed, much like Mario Manningham ran a 4.58 at the combine only to then run something like a 4.38 at Michigan's pro day. Some guys slip, some guys tighten up, some guys (like Manningham) use terrible form and don't practice the drills; it doesn't mean much at this point. Regardless, Lewis supposedly was singled out by several analysts as one of the best players in the 1-on-1s, breaking up as many passes as anybody. Dude looks incredibly fast in coverage too, so I'm not wasting 2 seconds worrying about one bad 40 time.

If all of these guys were to post these times at the NFL combine, I'd be more concerned. Guys can literally cut several tenths of a second from many of these drills just by learning a method and the right steps to take. A few U-M recruits said they weren't really even aware they'd have to do the combine. 5.5s from high school OL is normal. Taco's time is actually pretty decent IMO, and he will likely improve on it in college. I'm excited that he's already 6'6 249. He'll likely be close to his ideal size by the start of his career.

umalum16

July 7th, 2012 at 1:09 PM ^

Scout has video of the 4.68 40 and it looks like Lewis used improper technique on his start, leading to the poor time. The video has another kid walking in front of him as he begins, but it still looks clear that he kinda does a bob with his body and arm before starting forward. This kills your time because typically these electronic times are still started by a person - it's the finish line that eliminates the human factor of anticipatory crossing. In other word, he wasted a couple tenths of a second at the start line by not moving forward immediately, and the person timing it still has to hit the start time when they see any form of movement. This is supposedly exactly what Manningham did at the combine, which showed people that he didn't even take the time to learn the customary technique. For a high school junior, you get a free pass.

markinmsp

July 7th, 2012 at 12:17 PM ^

 The heading states these are unofficial results. I wonder if there are more results to be posted. I was interested in McCray, Derrick Green, and Bailey. Anyone know if they participated? My expectations were that McCray would do well.

NDPhilly

July 7th, 2012 at 1:41 PM ^

I really thought Jourdan Lewis was a 4.45 guy. 4.9 for Taco aint bad for someone his size. ND had some surprising ones to. Jaylon Smith only ran a 4.59 which suprised us. We thought he was a high 4.4 guy.

WolvinLA2

July 7th, 2012 at 1:50 PM ^

Not that arguing with ND folk ever gets me anywhere, but why did you think he was a 4.4 guy?  Because he ran a legitimate 4.4 before, or because he said he could run a 4.4?  Or some other reason?  There aren't a lot of top football recruits self-reporting 4.6s you know.