Commitment Post: Willie Henry (Re-posted)

Name: Willie Henry

Location: Glenville, OH

Position: DT

Ratings: ESPN – 3* (75), Scout – 3*, 247 Sports - 3*


Recruitment: Willie Henry came out of nowhere really with a surprise official visit to Michigan on the last weekend before signing day. He got the offer and committed a day or so later. Henry will join his former teammate Frank Clark on the Michigan defensive line in 2012.

Offers: Michigan, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Hawaii and some non BCS schools.

Stats: Currently stands at 6’3 and around 270lbs and runs a 4.78 forty yard dash. 247 sports credits him with 10 sacks this year.

ESPN Analysis: Though Henry needs to keep developing his frame and add some more good mass he does possess good natural size and looks to carry more bulk than is listed. As a defensive tackle he flashes a good get-off, but can be inconsistent and while at times he shows a nice burst at other times he can be a beat late and needs strive to be more consistent in his get-off.

He sometimes plays with high pad level and even when he plays low he can get overextended. Needs to generate more power from his lower body if he's to compete at the next level. Improvement of hand use would really help him disengage and beat blockers.

Improvements: Needs to get bigger, and general technique.

Film Highlights: Link here.

Final Thoughts: We thought Michigan was done on the defensive line, but clearly they were searching for a guy to go alongside Ondre Pipkins in the middle. This frees up Matt Godin and Chris Wormley to begin at strongside DE.

For a lowish three star to get an offer from Michigan at this stage is fairly unusual. Henry really came on during his senior year and clearly the UM coaching staff sees some potential in him, and with 3 DL coaches on the staff, Henry will have every opportunity to improve his game.

As a freshman he's more than likely heading for a redshirt year so that he can add some bulk to his frame and work on his technique. Further down the road he'll be competing to get in the DT rotation, but generally DT can be hard to project. He could explode his RS Fr year, who knows!

As for the rest of the class, its a bit of a mystery. Jordan Diamond is the only certain prospect, but even his commitment isn't certain. Michigan might make some signing day moves, we'll just have to wait and see.