Recapping 2012 Commit Amara Darboh

Michigan only picked up two WR in the 2012 class.  Those players were Jehu Chesson and Amara Darboh. Amara was definitely one of the more highly touted commits for Michigan and a lot of people were excited when he chose the Wolverines.  Amara is from West Des Moines, Iowa.  He is listed right around 6'2" and has better size than Chesson, as he's listed right around 200 pounds.  Michigan is thin at wide receiver, so predictions for 2012 and Darboh are all over.  I will break down some of those below.

Amara is another guy that the Michigan coaches picked up with good size.  I've seen on a lot of sites that he's been compared to Braylon Edwards, and we all know how good he was for Michigan.  He's not the fastest guy on the field but he can go anywhere to get the ball and once he gets the separation after breaking a tackle or two, he's not that easy to catch.  He runs right in the 4.40 range for the 40, so he's got some good quickness.  He's another guy that has great hands and has the rare willingness to go across the middle and not afraid to get lit up.  Amara actually pulled the commitment trigger before his other wide receiver mate Chesson.  He's a solid guy that doesn't drop the ball very much so Michigan fans should definitely be excited about that.

Here's the scouts quick rundown of Amara:

	ESPN	Rivals	Scout	247Sports
Height	6’2”	6’2”	6’2”	6’2”
Weight	195 lbs	190 lbs	200 lbs	205 lbs
Position	WR	WR	WR	WR
Rating	3*	4*	4*	4*
Position Rank	#82	#30	#32	#26
National Rank	NR	#215	NR	#199

So with the exception of good old ESPN, all of the sites have Amara listed as a 4* recruit.  He's 6'2" and right around 200 pounds, so good size.  I've seen comparisons from Braylon Edwards to Roddy White so he could end up in some good company.  The only real weakness is elite speed, but all the scouts have said he has amazing hands and ability to jump up and catch the ball.  Amara I think is the better receiver than Chesson coming out of high school so he has the better shot at playing early.  He was rated as the top receiver in the state of Iowa as well.

He could be a big time factor down in the red zone, but I see him being able to do more all over the field.  He's not a player that's going to be limited to one area of the field or one offensive set.  He has the size, toughness, and skills to be a major factor in every aspect of the game.  He's not Braylon Edwards and might never have a game like the 2004 MSU game, but he certainly has the talent to be able to take over a game. Probably not right away, but he could definitely be making an impact in the near future.

Right now, Michigan's not a depth chart of tall guys and there aren't many proven receivers.  There's only a handful of guys that have played significantly for Michigan in the past and some of those are not that proven anyway.  Is he slated to be a starter?  At this point no, but we truly need to see how he progresses in fall camp.  Perhaps he can nail down a starting role a few weeks into the season, but I think he's just going to get some solid playing time as a backup.  There's a chance that Michigan could have some wide receiver depth if they move some people around such as Devin Gardner, but even with him there still isn't a ton.  That reason alone is why I believe we will see some significant Darboh time in 2012.

Here are his highlights: