Commitment Profile: Anthony Standifer

As you might have guessed, I was sleeping last night when this all went down, so I’ve only just heard about Standifer’s commitment, sorry!

Name: Anthony Standifer

Location: Crete, IL

Position: CB

Ratings: ESPN – NR* (40), Scout – 3*, 247 Sports - 3*

Recruitment: Anthony Standifer flew under the radar until a few months ago, when his film started to attract some BCS attention. Soon plenty of Big Ten Schools were coming to visit him and offering scholarships, but Michigan was his first major college offer and I think that meant a lot to him. With spaces tight in the defensive backfield, Standifer committed whilst on an unofficial to Michigan, despite having plans to visit Notre Dame the very next day.

Offers: Michigan, Notre Dame, Iowa, Arizona, Cincinnati, Boise State, Northwestern, Indiana, Purdue, Minnesota and some others.

Stats: Currently stands at 6’1 and 180lbs with no reported forty yard dash time. As a junior he made 44 tackles and nine interceptions, whilst also causing one fumble.

ESPN Analysis: None available.

Scout Analysis: None available

From the man himself: “I have good size, I'm fast for my size, good at finding the ball, I have good enough hands to be a receiver if I wanted to be, but I still have a lot of room for improvement.”

Improvements: Pending analysis.

Film Highlights: Link here.

Final Thoughts: At 6’1, Standifer gives Michigan a different type of cornerback than they’ve been used to having. He possesses great ball skills and pretty good speed, as can be seen in his impressive highlight reel. If you’re a ratings guy, don’t worry, his stock is certain to rise from now until signing day; I wouldn’t be surprised if he ended up a four star guy. For the record, Tom Lemming just ranked him in the top100 for the class of 2012.

With so many corners signed ahead of him, I think Standifer will probably redshirt his first year, but after that he’s got a good chance to see the field when Michigan comes up against the taller receivers. Of course, there’s no guarantee he’ll even stay at corner, as he could easily turn into a FS at the next level.

As for DB recruiting, there's a chance that Wayne Morgan will announce for Michigan today, which would complete the DB class for the Wolverines with four guys. However, if Wayne delays his decision, or picks another school, then this opens the door for Armani Reeves, a guy who really likes Michigan as well as Penn State.

Extra: Standifer is also the first commit not from the states of Michigan and Ohio, hopefully he won't be the last!!