Over the last few weeks, I spent some time in Texas watching a couple of Michigan targets in the Lone Star State.
Let’s start off in the 2021 class with Rivals250 athlete Dametrious Crownover.
At 6-foot-7, 235 pounds, Crownover is a gigantic, physical specimen. The Grandview (Texas) native plays at the small-school level, so he is easily one of the most gifted players every time he steps on the field.
Right now, Crownover is a ball of clay waiting to be molded. He has the size and athleticism but is extremely raw and brings a basketball mentality to the gridiron. If he can add physicality to his game, he has all the upside in the world.
Crownover doesn’t have a true position, but I like him more as a defensive end. He only made a couple of stops in his team’s state title win but when you’re that big and athletic, I feel like you need to focus your attention on being a defensive lineman.
With that said, Crownover gets pushed around too easily by inferior offensive lineman. He needs to learn to use his size to his advantage.
Crownover does use his hands extremely well and, at times, showed flashes of what he could eventually be. But right now, he is a long, long way off from his ceiling. His ranking is really generous.
On the recruiting front, Crownover is looking to narrow his list and said Michigan would likely make the cut.
Moving on to the 2022 class, Michigan has an offer out to elite 2022 Southlake (Texas) Carroll quarterback Quinn Ewers. And by elite, I mean this guy has five-star written all over him.
Southlake Carroll is a quarterback factory that has produced guys like Chase Daniel, Greg McElroy and several other FBS players at the position. Ewers might be the best of the bunch when it’s all said and done.
At 6-foot-3, 190 pounds, Ewers is a tall, pro-style quarterback that can also make plays with his legs when needed. His arm is super strong for a sophomore, he’s accurate and he can fling the ball downfield with ease. Simply put, his arm talent is incredible.
Ewers passed for close to 400 yards and three touchdowns against a Duncanville defense that is loaded with FBS talent. In fact, Duncanville has one of the best high school defenses in the country.
For Ewers to put up those type of numbers in the 6A DI (biggest classification in Texas) state semifinals speaks volumes of his ability. Ewers made several impressive throws on the day, including this one, which I don’t believe many FBS quarterbacks can make.
Michigan jumped on Ewers extremely early, and it’s a school he’s considering making a visit to this offseason.
The Wolverines also have an offer out to 2021 Duncanville (Texas) High linebacker Kendrick Blackshire. However, the Rivals250 prospect did not play due to a torn ACL. He is towards the end of his recovery.
When healthy, Blackshire is a physical inside linebacker with a true nose for the football. He is an impressive prospect overall, but there have been some concerns about how big he'll end up getting.
Blackshire has been a household name in Texas for years, earning his first offer in the eighth grade. He has a ton of hype and was living up to expectations prior to the injury. It will be interesting to see how he bounces back as a senior.
Blackshire recently named Michigan in his Top 14 and is looking to make a visit this offseason.
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