Based on the film that Denzel Ward released yesterday, I put together a scouting report on him. I have to say that I'm pretty darn impressed with what I saw out of him. He's a very good athlete, but he's a little bit raw. I don't think I've seen a Michigan player with his combination of size and athleticism, so he's difficult to compare to other Wolverines.
Is he a tight end stuck in an
Nah, he's not like that... I
Nah, he's not like that... I wouldn't want him going out to catch passes. But for his size, he's about as athletic as they come.
Shows occasional tendency to
Shows occasional tendency to be a waist bender
What does that mean exactly in terms of what the defender can do to a waist bender? Does a waist bender have issues with balance?
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Yeah, if guys lean too far
Yeah, if guys lean too far forward and get off balance, they can get out of position when trying to protect against the pass rush. That can also be a problem in the run game, because your drive blocking power comes from your legs; without the proper body lean and power angles, you won't get much movement in the run game. That doesn't affect him much with his high school opponents, but it will at the next level.
follow-up question
This seems like a common criticism of many high school OL prospects. If you have followed other OL prospects with this same issue as they progressed through college, does this problem temd to persist, or is it something that can be coached away easily. I would have to imagine that a kid that just started playing FB would be easier to coach this out of, as he has had less time to develop a strong tendency towards this styleof play, but I would be curious if you (or anyone else) has a thought on this issue.
I haven't followed the
I haven't followed the careers of many offensive linemen with this problem, because most of Michigan's offensive linemen haven't had much of an issue with this during the last few recruiting classes. There were some guys from the mid-2000s who struggled with it in high school and never got on the field, so it's unclear how much that had to do with their lack of playing time.
Generally, I think it's not a huge problem if you get a guy who's athletic enough. Guys who can bend their knees effectively sometimes are guys who can do it all the time; it's just a matter of choosing to do it or not.
HOWEVER, William Campbell was a guy who had a problem with pad level/knee bend coming out of high school, and he has struggled with that throughout his career. He has improved over the past couple seasons, but it's been a long process. He's another guy I wish would have redshirted in 2009, because then he'd almost certainly be coming back in 2013 with another year to work with good coaching.
Means he doesn't bend at the
Means he doesn't bend at the knee to get low, bends at waist and loses leverage. Power in the legs! Coach him up and this kid could be special.
Edit: and what Magnus said two seconds before me.
Not in Football but...
As a hockey goalie, it's similar. You want your shoulders low (pad level!) and the best way to do that is to bend your knees. Gives you a strong base, ability to move laterally, etc.
When people get tired, they bend at the waist instead. Means they're not nearly as powerful and don't have the ability to move.
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It means your center of
It means your center of gravity is off, making it easier for you to lose balance and leverage against a defender. You want to bend in your knees, a much more stable and athletic stance. It may be tough for Ward to learn considering bending at the waist is much easier and he's probably still able to dominate HS competition. But it's going to be essential he learn to bend with the lower body considering how tall he is.
I read your scouting report,
I read your scouting report, and I have to say: Chantel Jennings is cute. Very excited about this kids potential, now. Not surprised the coaches offered him at all. Great start to the next class with him and Ferns.
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I'm glad I could help you out
I'm glad I could help you out with a picture AND some content that you like.
If you read Magnus's site and
If you read Magnus's site and CJ stood out, then you need to read more of his site. No offense to Chantel, of course, as I think she's cute too.
I don't know what you're
I don't know what you're talking about...
He's impressive and raw. I
He's impressive and raw. I mean the kid just started playing football! He could be something special at Michigan. Great job coaching staff!
Totally!!!
Totally!!!
Omnia mutantur nos et mutamur in illis.
Thank you Magnus, I
Thank you Magnus, I appreciate the "common man" giving his fair view of up and coming prospects rather than being forced to listen to the know-nothing talking heads from 24/7 and the like. You're contributions and analysis are every bit as reliable as theirs and far more tailored to Michigan fans' interests.
Thank you.
You're welcome. I'm glad you
You're welcome. I'm glad you like it.
OL progress
Solid assessment. If LTT and Ward have sig upside with some development from UM coaching, is it fair to conclude the coaches are confident with Magnuson/Braden/Bars/Kalis/etc during the interim?
I think a huge advantage with quality depth is the flexibility for coaches to recruit "projects" for their high potential. Another reason to applaud Hoke is his short-term results while clearly assembling a roster that could be tremendous in a couple of years.
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I don't think the coaches
I don't think the coaches will hurry Tuley-Tillman or Ward onto the field. They're not otherworldly talents that need to play as freshmen. I do believe the coaches should be pretty confident in the guys they have, although I think our offensive line will still struggle next year when some of our starters are redshirt freshmen.
Is he a tight end stuck in an Olines body athletic?
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