Michigan Football Recruiting: UA All-American Game Stock Report
Several members of the Rivals.com analyst team are down in Florida for the Under Armour All-American Game giving them a chance to see six U-M commits in person. During yesterday's practice session, two future Wolverines stood out — one in a positive way and one not so much. Here's what Mid-Atlantic recruiting analyst Adam Friedman and Georgia recruiting analyst Chad Simmons saw.
Stock Up
Friedman/Simmons: Michigan signee Mazi Smith just kept pushing the man in front of him into the backfield all day. He was strong at the point of attack, he played with good leverage and he was tough to slow down. He looked like he got stronger as the day progressed.
TheWolverine.com's Take: This should come as no surprise to anyone who has followed Smith's trajectory. If he wants to dominate, he does. The thing with him at the next level is learning to play with that desire on every snap. He's strong and very athletic for his size and build and really should get a lot better. His development is extremely important as he may be called upon to at least provide depth next year as a true freshman.
Stock Down
Friedman/Simmons: Despite being one of the smaller offensive linemen, Nolan Rumler has been getting beaten off the line. The Michigan commit had a hard time slowing down defensive linemen that crossed his face and beat him to the outside. Rumler was stout against inside rushes and did a good job getting to the second level on run plays. He will really benefit from the Michigan strength and conditioning program.
TheWolverine.com's Take: This breakdown does come as a surprise. Not many people would classify Rumler as small at 6-4 and more than 300 pounds but apparently he looks a little outmatched in Orlando. It's also surprising that he struggled against anyone because he's been dominant in a very competitive division in Ohio for four years. Where he was playing is key because he'll never be an edge player. He's all interior, either at center or guard, and is very comfortable and capable there. He's been billed as a potential early contributor for the Wolverine so hopefully he can stack up a couple of better days down in Florida in order to prove that he's ready for the next level.
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