The Michigan Wolverines’ football program has made a living off of recruiting the New England region of the country in recent years, thanks in large part to defensive coordinator Don Brown’s familiarity and coaching background there.
Dedham (Mass.) Noble and Greenough School three-star linebacker Casey Phinney is one of three commits in Michigan’s 2021 recruiting class who currently resides in Massachusetts, with two more pledges calling Connecticut home.
Players in this part of the country oftentimes fly a bit under the radar from a national standpoint, and that appears to be precisely the case with Phinney when considering his only other FBS offer was from UMass.
Thayer Academy (located in Braintree, Mass.) head coach Jeff Toussaint got a chance to see Phinney up close and personal last season on Oct. 26, however, and was impressed with how active and smart the young linebacker was on the field.
“The way he was all over the place was what impressed me most about him,” Toussaint explained, whose Tigers squad fell to Noble and Greenough School, 35-7. “Phinney was very active and physical, and athletic and fast.
"He blitzed sometimes and just attacked downhill at other times, but was very decisive any time he did anything. He times his blitzes beautifully, and that’s obvious to see on film.
"When he’s not blitzing and a play needs to be read, he can find the window of when to attack and/or when to pass drop.
