More Good Comments on Braden

Submitted by detrocks on

I know that Ben Braden has received some praise for his performance this summer and he gets some more from Trieu in a free article on Scout that talks about how kids from Michigan did during the camp season http://recruiting.scout.com/2/1083231.html

Regarding Braden, he writes:

When Braden committed to Michigan earlier in the year, he was still somewhat of an unknown. He had a good camp in Ann Arbor last year, and we had seen him twice in the fall, and he had earned offers from Wisconsin, Michigan State, and Syracuse. So we knew he was good, but he has proven to be even better. He dedicated himself in the weight room this offseason, adding good weight and getting up to 319-lbs. Even at that size, he was moving well enough to be considered a left tackle prospect. He's strong, technique is improving and he's more athletic than previously thought. He has a chance to move into the top 7-8 in-state and the four-star range when rankings are updated.

While the commitment of Magnuson and thoughts of Kalis, Diamond, Peat, Banner and Garnett have gotten a lot of attention, Braden is looking like an initially under-the-radar kid that could end up being a great prospect.

1464

June 29th, 2011 at 11:18 AM ^

Well.  If he gets that fourth star, I will commend Hoke on the pickup.  If he doesn't get that star, what the hell were we doing recruiting him anyway?  He'd just in the way of another four star recruit.  Unacceptable.

WolvinLA2

June 29th, 2011 at 11:52 AM ^

Braden is listed at 6'7" by at least one of the services, so him growing an inch might be part of how he put on good weight.  And if you're going to believe the part about him being 319lbs, we might as well believe the part about him being able to move well.

And even if he can't move all that well at 319, he's got a couple years to get that all taken care of before he'll see the field.  He can spend his RS year doing more of what Chris Bryant will be doing instead of what Taylor Lewan was doing.

Mr Mackey

June 29th, 2011 at 11:31 AM ^

IMO, an O-lineman with an offer from Wisconsin is a good sign. They know their linemen up there. That being said, I'm very excited about this OL class, especially with Kalis and Diamond (probably/maybe?) in the fold. One of the best we've had in a while.

Naked Bootlegger

June 29th, 2011 at 11:35 AM ^

How cool would it be for some of our 3-stars to earn higher rankings *after* providing verbal commits to UM.   I thought Rivals has an automated algorithm that causes UM recruits to universally stagnate after declaring their intentions to play in Ann Arbor.

In addition to pooping gold nuggets for the benefit of our athletic department budget, Hoke has also successfully hacked into Rivals' ranking system.   Well done, coach.  

 

Logan88

June 29th, 2011 at 1:16 PM ^

Do we trust him [Sam Webb] more?

Depends on whether or not the prospect is from Flint.

 

 

(Note: Sam, on the off chance you read this, I love you man but you ARE an unabashed Flint homer.)

animals77

June 29th, 2011 at 11:50 AM ^

I know this article came from a scouting expert from the midwest, but can anyone confirm that Braden is truly 319 lbs?  Scout has him at 280 lbs, Rivals has him at 285 lbs, 247 has him at 295 lbs and ESPN has him at 285 lbs.  How much "good" weight can someone garner adding around 35 lbs when that person is around 280 lbs to begin with?

animals77

June 29th, 2011 at 12:04 PM ^

It was a simple question.  I just wanted verification on his weight by more than one source.  I am guessing that the writer of this scout article got his weight from Michigan's camp.  Although I am somewhat convinced, I will be 100% convinced if many scouting experts had him at or around that 319 lbs instead of just one.

MWW6T7

June 29th, 2011 at 1:24 PM ^

I would say that it is just an oversight by the ranking sites as to why they still list him at a lower weight. I have read more than once from more than one source that he has grown about an inch and gained the weight. We all know those sites aren't quick to update rankings, much less a players physical stats.

Mr Mxyzptlk

June 29th, 2011 at 2:46 PM ^

Thanks, I was wondering how reliable this report was too.  I think we all know that athletes, especially fb and bb players, have a tendency to exaggerate their dimensions.  If this info came from a Michigan camp, thats good enough for me. 

Anyway wow, 6-6 319 and he's not even out of high school?  Sheesh.

WolvinLA2

June 29th, 2011 at 12:00 PM ^

Why would you choose not to believe the article specifically on Braden while at the same time assuming the generic profile numbers are accurate?

A couple reasons for the discrepancy:

1) 16ish year old boys grow, sometimes a lot.  It's not crazy for a kid his age to put on a lot of weight as his body changes.  As I said above, it's also been reported he's grown an inch, this can help.

2) These sites are often notorious for putting a weight down for a kid when the make his profile (often before or during his junior year season) and then not updating it often or at all.  Braden's weight could be over a year old on a lot of these sites, meaning they're from when he was 15 or 16. 

animals77

June 29th, 2011 at 12:06 PM ^

I am more so questioning the "good" weight the article is referencing to.  30 or so lbs in a matter of a few months?  I hope I am wrong, and there is a good chance I am wrong because I have not seen him in person from what he was back last fall until now, but this is what I think.

WolvinLA2

June 29th, 2011 at 12:11 PM ^

The point I was making is that it's not a matter of a few months.  That weight gain is likely over the course of a full year or so.  I think most of the services' weight numbers are from his junior season or before, making them about 12 months old. 

It's possible for a kid his age to put on that kind of good weight over the course of a full year, considering he also grew an inch or so taller as well.