Commitment Profile: Shane Morris (2013)

Name: Shane Morris

Location: Warren, MI

Position: QB

Ratings: ESPN – NR* (40), Scout – NR*, 247 Sports - NR*

Notes: Projected as a high four star with a chance of a 5^th if everything goes well?

Recruitment: Shane Morris appears to be one of the elite quarterbacks in the 2013 class, so it was important for Michigan to get in on him early. That was certainly the case as Brady Hoke gave Shane the first extended UM scholarship of the 2013 class. Shane grew up in a Wolverine household, and was clearly thrilled when he got the offer, but a commitment in May 2011 was somewhat unexpected.

Offers: Michigan, Michigan State, Cincinnati, Syracuse and some MAC schools.

Stats: Currently weighs around 187lbs at 6’3. As a sophomore he passed for 1139 yards, 14 touchdowns with only five interceptions.

ESPN Analysis: None available.

Scout.com Analysis: None available.

Since the recruiting services don’t have evaluations on 2013 prospects yet, here’s a long quote from his high school coach:

"We knew right then he was going to be something special," said DeLaSalle coach Paul Verska. "You could just tell. He threw the ball well and he handled himself beyond his years. He just had that leadership quality — that special thing you hope for in a quarterback. We knew all year long when he was on the freshman team that if we had some injuries, he would be able to come up and help us out. Shane came up as a freshman and played in three playoff games and led us to the semifinals. We lost in the semifinals in a tough game against Inkster (vs Devin Gardner), but he did a great job of leading us. Then in his sophomore year he threw for over 1,400 yards, 14 touchdowns, and five picks. Of the five picks, three of them went right through receivers' hands, so really only two of them were his fault. He makes great decisions with the football, he has a very strong arm, and he is learning and getting better every day. As long as he continues to do that I think great things will keep happening for him."

Improvements: Hard to say this early on.

Film Highlights: Link here.

Final Thoughts: Watching his sophomore highlights, I couldn’t help but smile; there is a lot to like about this guy. I’m not much of a scout, but he looks to have a great arm and solid accuracy, even when on the run. Speaking of on the run, I was pleasantly surprising by his mobility and ability to scramble, I didn’t know he was that fast. The best part is that this is only his sophomore year; he’s got two more years to refine his skills and get ready for college.

When he gets to Michigan, he’ll have three quarterbacks already ahead of him, in a senior (or RS Jnr) Devin Gardner, plus Russell Bellomy and probably a 2012 QB recruit too. This means no matter how good Morris is, he’s probably redshirting so he can learn the offense and adjust to the speed of the college game. After Gardner leaves he’ll compete for the starting role, and even if he loses out to Bellomy (an underrated QB btw), there’s a chance he could leapfrog the 2012 recruit on the depth chart to become the backup.

Morris’ commitment will also have an impact on both the 2012 and 2013 Michigan recruiting classes. With an elite QB now in the fold for 2013, Brady Hoke doesn’t have to land a top notch QB in 2012, he can afford to take a chance on a sleeper prospect. Or he could decide to save a scholarship if he doesn’t find the right fit.

As for 2013, an early commitment from a prospect as well regarded as Morris can only have a positive impact on the class. Morris will attract some big time 2013 recruits to take a look at UM, especially wide receivers. If Shane gets active in the recruiting game, he could help lure a major class to Michigan; after all, he’s got over a year and a half to recruit these guys!