Scouting Report: Jonathan Hilliman

Submitted by Magnus on

I wrote up a scouting report this morning on Jersey City (NJ) St. Peters Prep running back Jonathan Hilliman, who was one of Michigan's first running back offers for the 2014 class.  He released his junior highlights recently.  I'm not sure how many of you will agree with me, but when he gets to full speed, he runs a lot like Chris Perry.  

That's sort of a mixed bag, because while Perry was a very highly regarded recruit, I thought he was mediocre until his senior season; even then he was more of a workhorse than a truly explosive back, but it was still good enough to get him drafted in the first round.

http://touchthebanner.blogspot.com/2012/12/scouting-report-jonathan-hil…

willywill9

December 12th, 2012 at 8:43 AM ^

I hope we land him, if not for what you mentioned, then because I love local kids.  I went to Xavier HS (a Jesuit HS in NYC), so I know St. Peter's Prep fairly well- in my day, you didn't look forward to playing them.  I know their football was well regarded then too.  I rooted especially for John Ferrera for this reason as well.

willywill9

December 12th, 2012 at 9:07 AM ^

Yes,  Staten Island- didn't mean to mix that up.  We actually competed in HS against Staten Island, Manhattan and Bronx schools so I know those schools better.   Brooklyn and Queens were the oher division.  and St. Peter's Preps of the world  were more scrimmages than anything else, since they weren't in the city.

YoOoBoMoLloRoHo

December 12th, 2012 at 9:23 AM ^

Both are physical backs with good cuts and run between the tackles with squared shoulders, but they appear to lack the sudden burst of elite backs.

Other than Hilliman's size, Deveon has the same package now and very comparable upside. Green is also probably more workhorse than explosive. Hilliman will help depth, but this roster needs at least 1 explosive back.

Wolverine0056

December 12th, 2012 at 9:26 AM ^

Magnus, which of the offered 2014 running backs do you like best? I agree with YoBoMoLloRoHo that we need an explosive back that can be a game changer. Smith (DeVeon) will be a work horse, IMO, but I don't know as if he will be a guy that will bust out. Of course I am leaving out Green since we don't know where he is going and even he is one that doesn't seem like a big game changer.

Magnus

December 12th, 2012 at 9:58 AM ^

Well, L.J. Scott lists an offer, but I don't think it's a committable/real offer.

Otherwise, I don't think we have a great shot at any of the other guys we've offered.  Hilliman and Elijah Hood might be the best two guys we have a shot with because we've recruited those areas with a little bit of success in recent years, but we don't really have a pipeline to either place.

I like Hood a little more than Hilliman, so hopefully that answers your question.

Erik_in_Dayton

December 12th, 2012 at 9:52 AM ^

FWIW, I think you're dead-on with that comparison in terms of his gait and his running style generally.  I would gladly take another senior-year Chris Perry, though this kid looks not as quick to my untrained eye. 

Tater

December 12th, 2012 at 12:34 PM ^

When Chris Perry was at Michgan, S&C was still done under the old paradigm, where strength was being devloped at the expense of speed.  That is no longer the case.  If Hillman has Perry's talent, he has the potential to combine Perry's power with that extra bit of speed Perry could have used on occasion.

The only question is, does anybody have Chris Perry's "heart?"

Magnus

December 12th, 2012 at 12:40 PM ^

I'm not fully convinced either way about Michigan's current S&C program.  Nobody seems to have grown noticeably faster, and Toussaint seemed to get slower from last year to this year (although that might have had to do with Toussaint as an individual).  I'm not sure that Chris Perry in 2012 would be any faster than the Chris Perry of a decade ago.