Scouting Report: Malik McDowell
I did this week's scouting report on Southfield (MI) Southfield defensive lineman Malik McDowell. It might seem a little late in the process to do this, but I hadn't seen good video on McDowell throughout the recruiting cycle. The film from Loyola was minimal and from poor angles, so I had a hard time drawing many conclusions. Now he has a full highlight video on Hudl (from a good angle!), and regardless, he looks to have significantly improved.
http://touchthebanner.blogspot.com/2013/12/scouting-report-malik-mcdowe…
December 12th, 2013 at 7:44 AM ^
or update on his chances of coming to ann arbor?
December 12th, 2013 at 7:47 AM ^
It's at the bottom of the linked post...
December 12th, 2013 at 8:45 AM ^
<chuckling>
December 12th, 2013 at 10:52 AM ^
<chuckle>
December 12th, 2013 at 7:53 AM ^
It seems like people are bracing themselves for the first with McDowell. In fact it seems like many people have already written it off, and that might be the case, I think however, that it is just as likely that this is just a kid who is set on following a more traditional timeline for his recruiting. He and his family are doing their due diligence and seeing every thing they can. The excelerated pace of recruiting under Hoke has spoiled us a bit and made us impatient as a fan base.
December 12th, 2013 at 8:24 AM ^
I think your last sentence makes a very good point. We've become accustomed to having most of the class wrapped up months before NSD.
I mean, if a player knows what he wants and commits a year or two or three before he signs, fine. But at the same time, this is a decision that is going to impact a player for the next four years and for the rest of his life. If he wants to take his time and make the right decision on NSD, then I applaud him for it.
December 12th, 2013 at 3:05 PM ^
I desperately hope you're right. I'm one of the many bracing for the worst. I believe this is 70% simply momentum of a miserable second half of the season and 30% because I really do have a LOT less confidence in alleged "locks" that don't pull the trigger.
In my malaise I had not even considered that perhaps he's just following the conventional timeline. Thanks. You're a saint!
Of course if it turns out my fears are justified I'll just be that much more crushed. Drat. Maybe you're the devil.
Edit: Sorry. Meant to reply to Dinsdale613
December 12th, 2013 at 8:29 AM ^
I agree wholeheartedly, but the disappointment this season was has soured some recruits and makes most fans nervous about "locks".
December 12th, 2013 at 10:25 AM ^
I wouldn't say McDowell was ever a UM lock, he was always quiet about his recruitment and hard to read
December 12th, 2013 at 11:03 AM ^
exactly relieved our impatience, but you have a point.
December 12th, 2013 at 5:38 PM ^
Remember when we were spoiled with football wins and not just recruiting wins? *sigh*
December 12th, 2013 at 7:18 PM ^
You are a major downer.
December 12th, 2013 at 7:55 AM ^
December 12th, 2013 at 8:03 AM ^
I know this is off topic but I thought I would put it here since I can't start a new topic. According to Scout Kalen Ballage committed to Arizonaa State.
December 12th, 2013 at 8:16 AM ^
December 12th, 2013 at 8:04 AM ^
I didn't even really think about it before until Hageman was brought up in the article, but most defensive tackles are indeed several inches shorter than McDowell. That being said, he has been pretty effective for Minnesota in the last couple season and it would be nice to have that sort of size and speed up front.
Thanks for sharing, Magnus.
December 12th, 2013 at 8:31 AM ^
Do you think he could be in the 2 deep (assuming he comes to Michigan) as a SDE his freshman year, or do you think he will start off right off at DT?
December 12th, 2013 at 8:36 AM ^
Based on the video from Magnus, I would have to say he really is not ready yet! He may get there . . . but he looks pretty 'raw'. Has anyone done a good personal interview? Talking to a guy like that (or his coach) we could learn a lot more. Are our coaches really 'hot on his trail'? That would tell us a lot more about how they feel!
December 12th, 2013 at 8:38 AM ^
I think he would probably start out as a defensive end, eventually growing into a defensive tackle. If he came to Michigan, I would imagine he would start off at #3 on the depth chart and potentially work his way up, kind of like Ojemudia, Charlton, etc. I don't see him redshirting, but I don't see him being a stud right off the bat, either.
December 12th, 2013 at 8:59 AM ^
I am still trying to figure out the nuances, but he is very tall and has decent speed, so it'd seem like he'd play well in a 3 tech or SDE like VanBergen. Maybe I'm way off, but at that weight and height, it'd seem like a penetrator/contain guy, not someone who can hold up to any doubles or two gap guys. I don't know how it all works though.
December 12th, 2013 at 9:35 AM ^
At that weight, I think he'll be an SDE. But as he adds weight, I think he'll become more of a 3-tech type. The 3-tech position does not face many double-teams, so I don't think that would be a problem. As long as he can beat an OG or OT one-on-one, he should be okay.
December 12th, 2013 at 8:40 AM ^
If they keep beyer at SDE i dont think so. Wormley has the experience factor and should be much better next year. Now he could definitely be on the two-deep for 3-Tech. Especially if Henry is moved to nose
December 12th, 2013 at 9:21 AM ^
WOTS is that Wormley will be a 3-tech next year, and he was already playing quite a bit of it here in 2013.
December 12th, 2013 at 10:04 AM ^
seems like a really big dude that could add a lot of weight. i could see him being one of the biggest and most athletic inside guys we've had here by the time he is a senior.
December 12th, 2013 at 10:07 AM ^
I'd love to see another MM or RVB type player in the middle. I think that was the key to the defense in Hoke's first year and the re-tooling that had to occur after GERGs departure.
December 12th, 2013 at 10:18 AM ^
Yeah, I've read that the coaches told Malik that he would competing to play right away at SDE as Wormley is moving inside next year.
December 12th, 2013 at 11:22 AM ^
December 12th, 2013 at 11:44 AM ^
Someone who plays as much as Beyer should have more than 22 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, and 2 sacks, which were his stats during the regular season, IIRC. I was pretty high on Beyer coming out of high school, but I think he's ideally a backup at any possible position (SAM, WDE, or SDE).
December 12th, 2013 at 10:38 AM ^
December 12th, 2013 at 11:01 AM ^
I agree about Beyer. He was 250 lbs. this year. I don't know if he can bulk up to be an SDE between now and then. Roh was 250 at one time, too, but he was 269 lbs. as a WDE before bulking up to 280 as a senior. Beyer would need to add about 30 lbs. in one year to get to that weight.
December 12th, 2013 at 9:14 AM ^
December 12th, 2013 at 10:06 AM ^
December 12th, 2013 at 10:44 AM ^
Thanks, Magnus.
Earlier in the season a coach from an opposing team of Southfield mentioned Marshall as being a great player, etc. At the time I found it interesting that Marshall was mentioned specifically and McDowell was not. Was it just a case of Marshall having a great game or is it possible that Marshall is at least as good or better a prospect? I bring this up because I think folks are forgetting that Marshall is a very good player (a flip from OSU) and missing out on McDowell is not the world.
December 12th, 2013 at 10:53 AM ^
Context - perhaps he was asked about Marshall? You first need to know the context of the statement before making anything whatesoever out of it.
December 12th, 2013 at 12:07 PM ^
This is what I'm asking...what was the context? Anybody?
December 12th, 2013 at 11:21 AM ^
I don't know who it was, the context, whether McDowell was injured, whether the other team blocked Marshall at all, etc. I can't really comment on that.
What I will say is that both players have been scouted heavily by the recruiting services, and McDowell is ranked higher by every one of the services - usually by a large margin. I like McDowell more based on what I've seen, too.
December 12th, 2013 at 11:04 AM ^
I really hope we are still the favorites. A D-line class with him, Marshall, Palante and Mone would be fantastic, but if Saban were to leave and we could somehow get Hand, that would rival OSU's class of Spence, Washington and Schutt from a few years ago.
December 12th, 2013 at 11:38 AM ^
December 12th, 2013 at 11:45 AM ^
Pittman has transferred, so while it was a highly rated recruiting class, he never helped them out at all on the field.
December 12th, 2013 at 12:54 PM ^
Pittman was the one who was committed to MSU before OSU, right? I mean it's shocking he would then want to transfer somewhere else....
December 12th, 2013 at 1:16 PM ^
Yep, that was the one...
December 12th, 2013 at 12:01 PM ^
I live in New Orleans and all my LSU co-workers seem to be convinced he will land in Baton Rouge.
December 12th, 2013 at 12:25 PM ^
The more I see of Malik the more I like him. For whatever reason I wasn't as excited on him last summer...maybe I was too enthralled by Hand. But, with Hand now off the board IMO Malik is super important to this class. Also, although we've been in the running and even landed one replacement from top national kids (Peppers & Hand) it would still sting a bit if UM missed out on the states top 2 players (Webb & McDowell).
December 12th, 2013 at 12:52 PM ^
McDowell looks better than a season ago. You can tell the level of competition helped him. Thanks for the write up, Magnus!
December 12th, 2013 at 5:14 PM ^
You're welcome!