ethan calvert

Layup for the Graphics Department

We're in the heart of high school football season, and much to the delight and relief of certain bloggers who compile certain types of recruiting posts, there's a healthy amount of scouting of Michigan commits available. It certainly helps that a decent chunk of M's recruiting class plays for Baltimore St. Frances, who 247's Brian Dohn saw shut out powerhouse St. Joseph Regional 28-0 last weekend. He wrote up reports on all three St. Frances Michigan commits; linebacker Osman Savage stood out to him the most among the three, and a certain trait popped out [emphasis mine]:

Savage was physical and fast. He was quick to read plays and he was able to get up the field against the run. He showed an ability to drop into coverage and be effective while reading the quarterback. He is explosive and he plays fast. He is fearless, and he excels in space because of his tackling skills and his body control.

Check out the mid-season film above and—yup, he plays fast. Fellow linebacker commit Nikhai Hill-Green "was physical at the point of attack, but was caught a few times peaking into the backfield on pass plays." Finally, running back Blake Corum got the Not Just A Scatback™ designation:

Four-star Michigan commit Blake Corum, who is the No. 14 running back in the 247Sports Composite, showed he can be a physical runner between the tackles. He ran for tough yards in the middle, and he was able to get to the edge a few times. He was patient and let the plays develop, and he picked up key yardage to get first downs. Whether he can touch the ball 20-plus times a game in college remains a question, but he can carry the load for St. Frances.

247's Allen Trieu got a look at four-star receiver AJ Henning a couple weeks ago and came away impressed with his versatility when injury forced him into some action as a running back:

So we saw him in the slot catching the ball and running it from the backfield. We knew he had legit breakaway 4.4 type speed, but he has shown more than just that too. He made a great diving catch, he broke tackles, he showed all the dimensions to his game. He is about 5-foot-9, not real tall, but has a compact build. I think he can be a running back or slot at the next level, but there is no doubt he can affect the scoreboard and help an offense in a lot of ways.

Out west, 247's Greg Biggins scouted three-star OT Jeffrey Persi, who may be the leader in the clubhouse for Sleeper of the Year if his rankings remain static:

At 6-7, Persi is so long he's tough to get around. He has long arms, good feet and moves laterally very easily. He's starting to fill out and looks like he has gained a solid 10-15 pounds from his junior season. 

He was good in one on one pass protection, was dominant in the run game and made some really nice blocks when he got out and pulled, showing very good athleticism for a big tackle. Persi is not even close to reaching his ceiling and will make another big jump when gets to college.

Biggins thinks he "should be a multi-year starter."

Over at MGoFish, their video scouting series continues with OG Zak Zinter and ATH RJ Moten. They see Zinter as a high-floor road grader in the Graham Glasgow mold, while Moten's athleticism and versatility gets him a lofty Jabrill Peppers comparison. There's an impressive amount of depth to these reports, and it's particularly nice to see one on Zinter, who doesn't get a ton of attention out in Massachusetts.

[Hit THE JUMP for the rest of the roundup.]