West Bloomfield blew out Oak Park on Friday night. Here's some of our takeaways from watching Michigan targets in live action ...
2021 Rivals100 DT Rayshaun Benny, Oak Park
*** We’ll start with Benny, who did not play due to a left leg injury. He was wearing a big brace on it. His team really could’ve used him. They were dominated up front by West Bloomfield, and the lack of his presence was significant.
*** Though he didn’t participate, Benny remained engaged on the sideline. There were a few times where Oak Park players got visibly down on themselves after a big West Bloomfield play. We observed Benny picking up his teammates a few times, and it was clear he’s a big-time leader for that squad.
*** Our EJ Holland posted the latest intel on Benny’s recruitment on Thursday, and you can check that out here.
2022 Rivals250 RB Dillon Tatum, West Bloomfield
*** Tatum began the game on a high note, jetting down the sideline for a 32-yard gain on the first play from scrimmage. All in all, he carried it three times for 58 yards. Tatum lined up at both running back and receiver, and looked very smooth athletically.
*** Tatum played both ways. Listed as a running back on Rivals.com, Tatum is actually being recruited by the Wolverines on both sides of the ball and is in close contact with both running backs coach Jay Harbaugh and cornerbacks coach Mike Zordich. His natural fit may just be on defense.
*** On defense, Tatum didn’t get a whole lot of action, considering Oak Park’s offense was largely inept and didn’t cross the 50-yard line at any point during the outing. The man he was guarding didn’t get targeted much, again since this wasn’t exactly a great offense he was going up against, but he blanketed his man all night long in coverage, not allowing any separation. He also came up and laid the wood, making a nice tackle.
*** That’s actually the one thing we wish we saw more of — opportunity for Tatum defensively to come up and make tackles. But fortunately for head coach Ron Bellamy, his West Bloomfield secondary didn’t have to make many tackles, with the defensive line and line backing corps dominating at the point of attack. Overall, a very nice game for Tatum. He is very fluid to watch in a live setting.
Rivals100 RB Donovan Edwards, West Bloomfield
*** We posted a detailed update on his recruitment after talking to him last night, and you can read that here.
*** Edwards had a great night in the blowout victory. The Rivals100 running back rushed the ball nine times for 41 yards, which isn’t super impressive at surface level, but we’ll go in-depth here on Edwards’ game as a whole — and that includes things outside of the box score (a box score that included three touchdowns, by the way). Keep in mind, too, that this was a blowout game, and Edwards didn’t take any snaps after the first drive of the third quarter.
*** First, the box score. Edwards got about half of his carries via a direct snap out of the wildcat formation, and that’s actually the position he was at for all three of his touchdown runs. Edwards displayed very good vision, and showed off his downhill running ability by powering through defenders to fall forward and gain extra yardage.
*** Edwards also lined up at wide receiver, in the slot and as a punt returner, showing his versatility, something that has always been a big part of why he’s such an elite prospect. Although he only made one reception (for eight yards), he still made an impact while lining up wide. On a fade route to the corner of the end zone, Edwards drew a pass interference call, and if it weren’t for the contact initiated by the Oak Park defensive back, he would’ve made an impressive catch for six. He also blocked at a very high level, and took it very seriously, which is something we were watching for closely. Going up against much smaller competition than what defensive backs will be like in the Power Five, Edwards obviously had a size and skill advantage. Nonetheless, he was impressive in that area, blocking a defender into the ground on one play.
*** Which leads us to our overall evaluation. Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh has a quote up on the white board in his office that reads: “It ain’t hard being a football player if you’re a football player.” And we were reminded of that quote last night. If you look at Edwards as a “football player” and not just a running back, you’ll leave realizing just how impactful he is. One example of that impact that doesn’t show up on the stat sheet is that he was a decoy on a play in which the Lakers scored on a deep pass. Edwards motioned across the formation and drew the eyes of defenders.
*** Part of being a good/great football player is being a leader, and we left extremely impressed by the qualities Edwards showed in that department. We made sure to watch for this closely. For example, in between plays, he was encouraging his teammates and he was the first one to celebrate with quarterback Alex Short following the signal caller’s opening-drive scoring scamper.
The team goes as Edwards goes. At halftime, while up 32-0, Edwards gave a rousing speech to his teammates, saying the following: “I don’t care what the score is. Give yourselves a hand, but it’s 0-0. All gas, no breaks. I want 70.
“Can I get in on defense, coach?”
Then it was Edwards who told the team to line up and stretch ahead of the second half. While others may have taken a break during halftime or left the game early because of the lopsided score, we kept observing and came away with a good sense of who Edwards is as a leader and teammate.
Postgame, he gave some more wise words to the squad, encouraging them to move forward now and focus on week two. It was a spectacular night altogether for Edwards and Co.
2023 OL Amir Herring, West Bloomfield
*** Quick thoughts on Herring: He played left tackle, and looked pretty good. He’s only a sophomore, and that’s important to consider when watching him play, but he’ll need to continue to physically develop. He’s an interior lineman, certainly, at the next level and is an intriguing prospect.
The best part about his performance Friday night was the way he blocked until the whistle. When we were at West Bloomfield for picture day back in August, Herring stood out as a super nice kid, was more than willing to talk and made sure to personally shake hands with us after the interview. But on the field, he showed flashes of some of that nastiness needed to be a successful offensive lineman in college.
*** Final note: 2022 four-star West Bloomfield ATH Michael Williams did not play with an injury.
2021 Rivals100 DT Rayshaun Benny, Oak Park
*** We’ll start with Benny, who did not play due to a left leg injury. He was wearing a big brace on it. His team really could’ve used him. They were dominated up front by West Bloomfield, and the lack of his presence was significant.
*** Though he didn’t participate, Benny remained engaged on the sideline. There were a few times where Oak Park players got visibly down on themselves after a big West Bloomfield play. We observed Benny picking up his teammates a few times, and it was clear he’s a big-time leader for that squad.
*** Our EJ Holland posted the latest intel on Benny’s recruitment on Thursday, and you can check that out here.
2022 Rivals250 RB Dillon Tatum, West Bloomfield
*** Tatum began the game on a high note, jetting down the sideline for a 32-yard gain on the first play from scrimmage. All in all, he carried it three times for 58 yards. Tatum lined up at both running back and receiver, and looked very smooth athletically.
*** Tatum played both ways. Listed as a running back on Rivals.com, Tatum is actually being recruited by the Wolverines on both sides of the ball and is in close contact with both running backs coach Jay Harbaugh and cornerbacks coach Mike Zordich. His natural fit may just be on defense.
*** On defense, Tatum didn’t get a whole lot of action, considering Oak Park’s offense was largely inept and didn’t cross the 50-yard line at any point during the outing. The man he was guarding didn’t get targeted much, again since this wasn’t exactly a great offense he was going up against, but he blanketed his man all night long in coverage, not allowing any separation. He also came up and laid the wood, making a nice tackle.
*** That’s actually the one thing we wish we saw more of — opportunity for Tatum defensively to come up and make tackles. But fortunately for head coach Ron Bellamy, his West Bloomfield secondary didn’t have to make many tackles, with the defensive line and line backing corps dominating at the point of attack. Overall, a very nice game for Tatum. He is very fluid to watch in a live setting.
Rivals100 RB Donovan Edwards, West Bloomfield
*** We posted a detailed update on his recruitment after talking to him last night, and you can read that here.
*** Edwards had a great night in the blowout victory. The Rivals100 running back rushed the ball nine times for 41 yards, which isn’t super impressive at surface level, but we’ll go in-depth here on Edwards’ game as a whole — and that includes things outside of the box score (a box score that included three touchdowns, by the way). Keep in mind, too, that this was a blowout game, and Edwards didn’t take any snaps after the first drive of the third quarter.
*** First, the box score. Edwards got about half of his carries via a direct snap out of the wildcat formation, and that’s actually the position he was at for all three of his touchdown runs. Edwards displayed very good vision, and showed off his downhill running ability by powering through defenders to fall forward and gain extra yardage.
*** Edwards also lined up at wide receiver, in the slot and as a punt returner, showing his versatility, something that has always been a big part of why he’s such an elite prospect. Although he only made one reception (for eight yards), he still made an impact while lining up wide. On a fade route to the corner of the end zone, Edwards drew a pass interference call, and if it weren’t for the contact initiated by the Oak Park defensive back, he would’ve made an impressive catch for six. He also blocked at a very high level, and took it very seriously, which is something we were watching for closely. Going up against much smaller competition than what defensive backs will be like in the Power Five, Edwards obviously had a size and skill advantage. Nonetheless, he was impressive in that area, blocking a defender into the ground on one play.
*** Which leads us to our overall evaluation. Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh has a quote up on the white board in his office that reads: “It ain’t hard being a football player if you’re a football player.” And we were reminded of that quote last night. If you look at Edwards as a “football player” and not just a running back, you’ll leave realizing just how impactful he is. One example of that impact that doesn’t show up on the stat sheet is that he was a decoy on a play in which the Lakers scored on a deep pass. Edwards motioned across the formation and drew the eyes of defenders.
*** Part of being a good/great football player is being a leader, and we left extremely impressed by the qualities Edwards showed in that department. We made sure to watch for this closely. For example, in between plays, he was encouraging his teammates and he was the first one to celebrate with quarterback Alex Short following the signal caller’s opening-drive scoring scamper.
The team goes as Edwards goes. At halftime, while up 32-0, Edwards gave a rousing speech to his teammates, saying the following: “I don’t care what the score is. Give yourselves a hand, but it’s 0-0. All gas, no breaks. I want 70.
“Can I get in on defense, coach?”
Then it was Edwards who told the team to line up and stretch ahead of the second half. While others may have taken a break during halftime or left the game early because of the lopsided score, we kept observing and came away with a good sense of who Edwards is as a leader and teammate.
Postgame, he gave some more wise words to the squad, encouraging them to move forward now and focus on week two. It was a spectacular night altogether for Edwards and Co.
2023 OL Amir Herring, West Bloomfield
*** Quick thoughts on Herring: He played left tackle, and looked pretty good. He’s only a sophomore, and that’s important to consider when watching him play, but he’ll need to continue to physically develop. He’s an interior lineman, certainly, at the next level and is an intriguing prospect.
The best part about his performance Friday night was the way he blocked until the whistle. When we were at West Bloomfield for picture day back in August, Herring stood out as a super nice kid, was more than willing to talk and made sure to personally shake hands with us after the interview. But on the field, he showed flashes of some of that nastiness needed to be a successful offensive lineman in college.
*** Final note: 2022 four-star West Bloomfield ATH Michael Williams did not play with an injury.
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