The Wolverine's EJ Holland was in Delaware this weekend and saw several Michigan underclassmen targets at Friday's ESPN camp.
Here are his thoughts from the event.
*** Perhaps my biggest takeaway from the camp was Tyler Martin’s size. The highly touted 2022 prospect from Cambridge (Mass.) BB&N has long been considered a top Michigan target at the linebacker position. However, the lingering question has always been: How big will Martin get? Well, Martin came in at 6-foot-2, 249 pounds. Obviously, the latter seems like a bit of a concern. The only high school junior linebacker I’ve seen excel at that weight was Noah Sewell, who signed with Oregon last cycle. Despite the weight, Martin says he feels like he’s in the best shape he’s been and is carrying it well. Maintaining speed and athleticism is key, especially considering he’s young.
*** Martin did have a strong camp. Obviously, he’s a huge kid and is built for actual football settings as opposed to events like this. Still, I thought Martin was quick and moved well for his size when going in a straight line. Martin did have a little bit of trouble changing direction. I loved him in pads last year. He’s a physical downhill striker that was an absolute monster in the middle. He also covered well and was deceptively athletic at fullback. At that point, Martin was playing at around 230. I’m interested to see how he does in pads at around 250. In Michigan’s system, he would likely be a WILL, where Casey Phinney was recruited this cycle.
*** My first thought when seeing new 2022 running back offer George Pettaway was: ‘he’s a little on the small side.’ However, Pettaway was one of the top overall performers at the camp and blew me away with his speed, agility and quickness. Pettaway blazed through drills — even in the pouring rain — and showed off great balance and foot speed. The four-star prospect from Suffolk (Va.) Nansemond is an electric back and would definitely fit the ‘speed in space’ concept that Josh Gattis has instilled at Michigan. I would like to see Pettaway add some good weight and bulk up, especially in his upper half.
*** Fellow four-star 2022 running back Nicholas Singleton also had a really nice day in Delaware. Singleton has an interesting build that makes him look a little more like a linebacker, but man, he’s fast for size. Singleton is listed at 190, but I would say he’s closer to 200. At first, I thought he would be a battering ram type, but he exploded throughout individual drills. I went back and watched some of his film, and he shows that same explosiveness and speed on tape. I feel like Singleton would be a perfect fit for the Big Ten. He’s physically imposing but with enough speed and burst to be a difference maker.
*** The other Michigan offer in the running back group was four-star 2022 North Chesterfield (Va.) Lloyd C Bird prospect Ramon Brown. This was an early offer made by Chris Partridge, who is no longer, with the program, so I won’t spend too much time here. However, it would be nice to see Michigan revisit Brown. He’s an intriguing athlete that will likely stick at running back but may have a higher ceiling at linebacker. He’s well put together, especially in his lower half, and moves well laterally.
*** On to the quarterbacks. There has been a lot of discussion about 2022 quarterback recruiting, and I had a chance to see four-star Oradell (N.J.) Bergen Catholic signal-caller Steven Angeli throw for the first time this weekend. Angeli was the most consistent quarterback at a camp full of inconsistent play from the position. He’s accurate, poised and has a ton of touch when throwing deep. Physically, Angeli won’t wow you, and I would love to see him throw the ball with more mustard. I wouldn’t say he lacks arm strength, but he does need to put more zip on his passes. But again, he had a very solid day, and I’m interested to see how he continues to develop at one of the premier high school programs in the Northeast.
*** The other 2022 quarterback in attendance was Baltimore (Md.) St. Frances quarterback John Griffith. I graded him really low after watching him in-game last year. He was extremely subpar in a loss to Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei. However, Griffith came on at this camp. He rifled in passes, was mostly and competed with a chip on his shoulder. Still, Griffith lacks size and the overall tools to be successful at Michigan. I could see him excelling at a G5 program or a lower level P5 school.
*** While I’ve been up to New England on multiple occasions, this was my first time seeing 2023 Springfield (Mass.) High quarterback Pop Watson. Michigan is already recruiting him hard, and he definitely flashed today. Watson is on the shorter side, but he can launch it. Watson has above average arm strength for his age and impressed with some deep balls at the end of the camp. Watson did have some consistency issues, but he has great mechanics and footwork. I love his upside and potential. And you also have to keep in mind that this setting didn’t allow him to showcase his ability as a runner. He’s an electric player on film.
*** And that leads us to our next prospect — 2023 Lynn (Mass.) St. John’s Prep athlete Joenel Aguero. I’ve been banging the Aguero drum since my last trip to New England. He’s a physical freak for his age and was one of the most impressive physical specimens at the camp. He’s built well in both his upper and lower halves and has tremendous speed and burst. Aguero isn’t necessarily a natural pass catcher, but he was one of the better receivers at the camp. He also has the ability to play safety at the next level. I’m excited to see what position he blossoms at over the next couple of years. Right now, he’s an elite level athlete, and a guy I fully believe will be a Top 100 player nationally.
*** The only other prospect with a Michigan offer that worked out at wide receiver was 2022 Baltimore (Md.) St. Frances wide receiver Lamar Patterson. Originally from Florida, Patterson has really good speed and is quick in and out of breaks. He is very much on the short side and is a true slot receiver. I’m not fully onboard that he’s a Michigan level guy at this time, but he is one to watch moving forward.
*** One of the true breakout players of the camp was Delran (N.J.) High defensive end Kenny Fletcher. The Jersey native is unranked and just starting to earn attention on the recruiting trail. However, Fletcher looked the part of a big-time pass rasher. He has super long arms and was one of the fastest defensive linemen when going through individual drills. I want to see him in pads, but he definitely passed the eye ball test in this setting. This is an upside kid with a lot of room to add weight and grow into a beast off the edge.
*** Baltimore (Md.) St. Frances defensive end Derrick Moore is shy and extremely quiet. However, the four-star prospect plays violently in pads. I really liked him in-game last year, and he showed up in a big way at the camp. He uses his hands extremely well, has a quick first step and a yet to be developed frame that can add more weight. I see Moore being a traditional strong-side defensive that uses his power and quickness to overwhelm opposing offensive linemen at the next level. Right now, Moore grades out as a Top 100 kid nationally.
*** This camp gave me my second look at rising 2022 Brookline (Mass.) Dexter offensive lineman Sully Weidman. Right now, Weidman is more of a project. He is carrying some bad weight that will need to be cut this offseason, but he’s a massive kid that could easily develop into a multi-year starter at right tackle or slide inside. With Weidman, it’s all about projection. He’s pretty athletic for where his body is right now. He actually ran a 5.3, which is moving for his size. Weidman is fundamentally sound, but he does need to work on his feet. The athleticism is there, but he hasn’t fully unlocked it yet.
*** I had a camera malfunction during the DB portion of the camp, so that hindered my ability to properly evaluate the group. However, I saw some individual reps of 2022 Chesapeake (Va.) Oscar Smith safety Sherrod Covil. He’s not super long, but he does have a muscular build and is well put together overall. I thought he looked smooth in his back pedal and was quicker than expected. He actually reminded me a bit of current safety commit Rod Moore.
*** Despite limited reps, I came away really impressed with rising 2022 Washington (D.C.) St. John’s cornerback Joshua Thompson. He’s still very raw from a technical standpoint, but he’s a legit 6-foot-2 and has super long arms. Development work is needed, but I love this kid’s ceiling. I wouldn’t be surprised if he really blows up on the trail once college coaches are able to see him in person. He’s physically impressive on the hoof.
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