Under Armour White Team OL vs DL Video
Lots of reps for Michigan commits in this video. Hard to tell with a video like this because it seems like the DL has the advantage, but Kugler and Dawson looked solid. LTT is still raw. Poggi looks quick. Hunt looks good.
Dorian Johnson did not look like the #2 OT in those reps.
January 4th, 2013 at 1:56 PM ^
My bads on my first attempt. I forgot to switch to plain text.
January 4th, 2013 at 2:15 PM ^
OK that was awesome, I love videos like that. My takes:
LTT needs work. Dude's big, but he needs work. That's OK, because he'll have a year or two to do that.
Poggi's reps were either incredible or he went nowhere. You can tell he's a little undersized for the position, but has great moves and incredible quickness. When he's 285 - watch out.
Dawson and Hunt maybe looked like the best OL in that video. They went up against very good talent and rarely got beat. Hunt would be a welcome addition.
Kugler has a little but of the Poggi effect - undersized compared to most of that group, so when he was bull-rushed by the bigger, stronger guys, he got pushed back. But he's quick and skilled too, and he'll get bigger. Plus a center will rarely have to deal with elite pass-rushers will quick moves like some of those guys. A DE against a C should be a mis-match in drills like this.
EDIT: Poggi addendum - he probably had the 3 most impressive clips from that whole video. There were a few times where it looked like the OL wasn't even ready for the drill, and I doubt that was actually the case. When you don't get your hands on him right now, he's gone.
January 4th, 2013 at 2:20 PM ^
In some of the practice reports I read said that Poggi, "is good a becoming small and quick in tight spaces."
I understand "quick in tight spaces", but the "good a becoming small" sounds strange to me. Does that mean it is hard for OL to get a hand on him?
January 4th, 2013 at 2:29 PM ^
Getting small is a reference to turning your body in order to slip between blockers or slide off of blocks. It is a difficult technique, and Poggi does it well.
I was impressed with Poggi, Dawson, and Kugler. LTT has a long way to go. Ira Denson was a beast. Cameron Hunt also looked strong, and I would love it if we added him to the class. He appears better than LTT.
Going back to Poggi for a second, you can tell he is a son-of-a-coach. His technique is extraordinary for a HS kid, and I would expect him to start making an impact after a year of adding strength and weight. In 2014, I think he will be in the rotation at DT or SDE.
January 4th, 2013 at 2:40 PM ^
Is Mike Martin another example of someone able to get small to split double teams or was that just him being a beast?
Ira Denson looked like an immovable object out there.
January 4th, 2013 at 2:54 PM ^
From a totally amateur and untrained eye, I think Keith Heitzman has this "get small-ability" as well
January 4th, 2013 at 2:28 PM ^
I had exactly the same takeaways. Some of the Poggi drills I was sort of like, "Oh...are they still doing the same drill? This looks totally different." His hand work was awesome.
Hunt and Dawson looked really good. Hunt, yes please. MORE O LINE.
January 4th, 2013 at 2:11 PM ^
Describing LTT as "raw" is an understatement.
January 4th, 2013 at 2:11 PM ^
LTT was awful. Dawson is a beast though
January 4th, 2013 at 2:25 PM ^
OK - chill out. He's a huge dude going 1-on-1 with other All Americans. We shouldn't have expected him to look great in these videos. Did you see how big he looked though? The coaches have a few years to turn that monster into an elite OT. Might he still have trouble with All American-type DEs? It's possible. Some of the guys doing those drills are much closer to a finished product than LTT is.
January 4th, 2013 at 2:33 PM ^
Was I too hot? I'm not sure why I should chill out. I am simply stating my OPINION of what I saw on video. I'm sure he can be great in the future, but I was commenting on what I saw.
January 4th, 2013 at 2:38 PM ^
We all knew LTT was raw and would be a project but you don't need to come off so cold.
January 4th, 2013 at 3:02 PM ^
Alright. Well apparently I am required to conform and call him "raw." I don't really understand why I can't have an opinion of his current skill level...it's not like they're in a competition to show off they're skills or anything. I called Dawson a beast and no one thought that was overhyping him. I'm sure LTT has a bright future under our coaches and maybe he will have a good game tonight too. I was simply commenting on a short video where I only saw bad things from him....hence...he was awful in the video against this competition. I'm sure he looks great in high school film. I apologize for striking a nerve with my comments, but like I said, it was just an opinion based on observation.
January 4th, 2013 at 3:06 PM ^
Stick to your guns. There's a difference between being cruel/bashing a guy and telling the truth. You did the latter.
January 4th, 2013 at 2:39 PM ^
Lets all keep in mind that LTT is 20 months away from getting any playing time, probably another year before he contends for a starting spot.
While he struggled against defensive ends (a position that is easier for athleticism to mask technique), I think conclusions should not be jumped to at this point.
January 4th, 2013 at 2:14 PM ^
I was impressed with Poggi. He didn't seem to overpower guys much, but he had a lot of reps where he would make a quick move, blow by the O-lineman and basically just job to the "QB".
January 4th, 2013 at 2:20 PM ^
To my untrained eye Dawson appeared to be the best of the bunch.
January 4th, 2013 at 2:28 PM ^
Him and Hunt both look very good to my untrained eye. Definitely moving Hunt into the "DO WANT" category.
January 4th, 2013 at 2:20 PM ^
Good stuff.
Also, am I the only one who thinks it's a mis-print every time I see that Dee Liner is a D-Lineman? I hear he has a twin brother named Oh, and guess what position he plays.
January 4th, 2013 at 2:32 PM ^
Safety?
/s just in case
January 4th, 2013 at 2:38 PM ^
You must be Dee's brother, One?
Hey-Ooooooo
January 4th, 2013 at 3:24 PM ^
I was surprised that he didn't really impress in this video. I didn't look at him and say "wow, that's one of the top prospects in the nation. A 5 star for sure." In a drill that favors the defender he even was basically a push against LTT. Kelsey Griffin, Poggi, and several others performed much better.
January 4th, 2013 at 2:21 PM ^
Dawson looked great in his few reps same with Kugler. I was really impressed with Ira Denson (FSU commit) he was lockdown every rep almost. And it's almost sad how easy it was for Carl Lawson..... He is good
January 4th, 2013 at 2:23 PM ^
From 247sports, don't know why it says Baylor:
http://baylor.247sports.com/Article/Under-Armour-All-America-Game-109427
Center
Patrick Kugler, Wexford (Pa.) North Allegheny
The Michigan commitment has manned the toughest position on the line in the all-star setting better than anyone else. Taking into consideration that it’s fast paced, with new install, very little time for connectivity among a line and in a setting that most certainly favors defensive linemen, the 6-foot-4, 275-pounder has been reactive, fundamentally sound and shown excellent lateral quickness.
Defensive Tackle
Henry Poggi, Baltimore (Md.) Gilman
While the defensive ends have received the majority of the attention, and for good reason, a trio of defensive tackles have stood out led by Michigan commit Poggi. The 6-foot-3, 260-pounder has proven to be too quick for any centers when lining up over the ball, and also shown a technically advanced use of his hands and the understanding of when to get small.
January 4th, 2013 at 2:24 PM ^
I dont think I saw Dorian Johnson or LTT win a rep in that video. These videos are fun and all but I've seen both ends of the spectrum and neither translated to college field excellence. I hope these guys get that even tho they might be dominant in high school they are offered scholarships off their potential. I hope the Michigan recruits keep working hard, harder than everyone else.
January 4th, 2013 at 2:26 PM ^
Na'ty Rogers looked like one of the worst o-lineman out there and I know he appeared on our radar a few weeks ago. So based on that video, taken with a grain of salt, Hunt is a far better option than Rogers
January 4th, 2013 at 2:26 PM ^
This fired me up. Poggi is fast, and relentless. His swim move worked really well, and he split through gaps before you could blink. He's gonna be a handful when he moves inside. Best looking Linemen I thought were guard prospects Dawson and Ira Denson. LTT is huge, but he looks more suited to handling the Strongside rush like Braden, which is fine because our shorter tackles are much more athletic, and better suited to the weakside speed rush right now. Kugler and Hunt had good athletecism and technique and were only overmatched by size it seemed. When they gain that inevitable college weight they can handle anybody. I was excited about Hunt already but now I really want him. Our offensive line is going to be so dominant in the future.
January 4th, 2013 at 2:30 PM ^
You need to understand that this drill favors defensive linemen. Really, they should be winning. If an offensive lineman wins, it's impressive.
January 4th, 2013 at 2:34 PM ^
I know LTT is projected to left tackle but with his size, I could see him starting out at RT where he won't be forced to pass block as often.
January 4th, 2013 at 2:42 PM ^
If Shane Morris is the QB then he would be better at LT.
January 4th, 2013 at 2:35 PM ^
Kugler looks better than solid. Dude is a beast up front.
January 4th, 2013 at 2:44 PM ^
I think I'd like Lawson for a DE. To the untrained eye, he seems quite good. These are fun to watch but for someone who knows everything they know about football from MGoBlog, I'm not sure what I'm really looking at the entire time.
January 4th, 2013 at 5:15 PM ^
Would probably safe to say, considering Lawson is pretty much a consensus top five recruit across the board. The kid is very good at football at this point in his career.
January 4th, 2013 at 2:45 PM ^
These drills do favor the defense, so it's really difficult to gauge dominance one way or the other. The only thing you can really take away from it is raw athleticism - speed, foot quickness, raw power, etc.
When I evaluated Tuley-Tillman, I said that it looked like he never had a day of quality offensive line coaching in his life. His high school team went 0-9 this year, and he's getting crushed in this video. There are some natural talents here, but he's the furthest away from reaching his potential of any of the offensive line commitments, and I would put Cameron Hunt - who looks good in this video - ahead of him if he commits.
January 4th, 2013 at 2:49 PM ^
I could definitely see Poggi coming in and playing as an end on the third down package Mattison likes to run and then after a few years and some extra weight sliding over and taking Black's place in the package at DT.
January 4th, 2013 at 2:54 PM ^
LTT looked rough, but we knew he was a project
Kugler looked good considering he isn't going to actually be in situations like that
Dawson looked strong.
Hunt looked pretty dang good.
Poggi is quicker than I thought, but a couple of times he didn't do anything.
Ira Denson looked to easily be the best in those drills.
January 4th, 2013 at 2:54 PM ^
Is he instructing the OL to..I guess, sink his butt for leverage purposes?
January 4th, 2013 at 2:55 PM ^
Yes. There's at least one rep where Cameron Hunt shows a great example of sitting down.
January 4th, 2013 at 3:02 PM ^
Hunting for that now.
Think it's vs Dee Liner. "Sit down, sit down, now stay there"
January 4th, 2013 at 3:31 PM ^
are you telling me there's a defensive lineman called Dee Liner?
...that's amazing.
January 4th, 2013 at 2:57 PM ^
Looks really quick. He and a Pee Wee type could be intense. A really fast nose guard (Poggi) and a mailer at DT!!!
January 4th, 2013 at 3:06 PM ^
Dawson, Hunt, and Denson looked great in the video. LTT needs some time to develop. I think once he's on campus and gets some coaching and practices against/with guys like Kalis, Dawson, Kugler, etc.. he'll make great strides. Plus he burns things with OSU on them, so you gotta love that.
January 4th, 2013 at 3:08 PM ^
I agree with Magnus, although this is a pass protection/ defensive line drills. Some of the videos I have seen on LTT he is much better at run blocking as the rest of the big fellas. I would like to see these DTs go again with the Oline guys but in a 'inside run' type drill. There is a large difference from run blocking, and pass protecting drills. Going backwards and waiting for an All-American defender to run at you at full speed with rip and swim moves not easy amigos. Most would look like LTT.
January 4th, 2013 at 3:50 PM ^
Most would look worse.
January 4th, 2013 at 3:25 PM ^
Denson looked like he was in an entirely different league. That kid is immovable.
January 4th, 2013 at 4:14 PM ^
I thought I was the only one who noticed. I looked at our recruits too but he stood out the most from those drills.
January 4th, 2013 at 4:31 PM ^
It looked so effortless that I thought he might have been holding the first time I watched it. He barely budged. That kid has a serious base on him.