Recapping 2012 Commit Ben Braden

The last man up front we are recapping is Offensive Linemen Ben Braden hailing from Rockford, MI.  This kid is a load at 6'6" and around 320 pounds and he's nobody to mess with.  He is pretty versatile as well, splitting his time at offensive tackle and defensive end.  Not the highest ranked guy in the world, but one of those mid-level guys that with some great coaching can turn into a player that will carry the line, team, and program into the future.

First thing that jumps out at me about Ben is that he's a big kid.  He's over 6'5" tall and he's got long arms to go along with his 320 pounds.  Ben has good speed and quickness and does a great job getting into defenders. He's one of those kids with great athleticism and superior strength.  Ben might not play time at left tackle at Michigan in the future, but he could be a formidable right tackle for the team.  I would say that he's better in run-blocking, but is coming into his own as a pass blocker and will definitely improve as he gets more experience.  With his size and strength, it's hard to keep a kid like this on the sideline so he has the chance to play early depending on how good he does in fall camp and beyond.  Michigan isn't the deepest at offensive line, so anything is possible.  If Ben is able to improve his skills as a pass blocker, he could turn out to be one of the good ones and definitely has a legitimate shot at early playing time.

2012 Positional Breakdown: Offensive Line

This is the position that should strike fear into everybody.  Opponents should fear it because of the strength and experience of Michigan's starters and Michigan fans should fear it because of the severe lack of depth the team will be facing for the next few years.  This is certainly not the most flashy, interesting, or complex position on the roster, but it is one that could radically change the direction of the season.  Odds are that it will be solid and lead one of the Big Ten's best rushing attacks, but if bad things start happening, Michigan could be in deep trouble.

LT - Taylor Lewan (Redshirt Junior)
The anchor of Michigan's 2012 line.  Lewan has been a force at Michigan since he arrived on campus and he is set for an even better year this season.  Projections already have him going as a Top 15 NFL Draft pick and he's been listed to preseason All-Big Ten teams.  Can he live up to the hype?  Well, he's been great so far and has outperformed expectations in every season.  If there is a player outside of Denard that I would bet on having a good year in 2012, it's Taylor Lewan.

Recapping 2012 Commit Erik Magnuson

Rolling along with the offensive line commits for 2012 we reach another highly touted guy in Erik Magnuson out of Carlsbad, California.  Erik is another bigger game who comes with a lot of hype to Ann Arbor's campus in 2012.  An Army All-American in his own right, he's obviously in the upper echelant of talent in the 2012 recruiting class.  Hoke and company had said that they were going to definitely get into an offensive line haul and here's another big time guy that's a part of that.  Michigan quarterbacks have to be looking forward to the next few years with guys like Erik in the trenches.

Erik has good size and because of his height, he has the potential to be an elite offensive lineman and offensive tackle.  He's known for his run blocking and has decent pass protection, but that's definitely his area of weakness.  I watched some of his film and I tend to agree.  I'm not saying that he's a bad pass blocker by any means, but he's definitely weaker there.  However, he has plenty of time for improvement.  Something I did notice about Erik is that he doesn't quit on plays and is always going through the whistle, which I think is important.  Shows that he's a good intense guy and that's the type of player you like to see on the field.  Most of the sites have him listed around 275 pounds and with the pro-style coming back into play in Ann Arbor, he will want and need to bulk up a little more before he becomes a key player in Michigan's offense.

Get to Know Su'a Cravens

Total. Beast. I could probably end this analysis on him there. Seriously, this kid is amazing.

Cravens is a consensus 5* safety from Murrieta, CA. He stands 6’1” and 205 pounds. Rivals ranks him 5th overall in the nation and he has over 30 offers from all over the country. Offers include Michigan, Florida, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Stanford, and USC. Normally, it’s pretty rare for a California kid to choose Michigan, but with Coach Hoke at the helm, things could be different. Hoke landed 4* offensive tackle Erik Magnuson in 2012 because of their prior relationship when Hoke was at SDSU. Hoke has a connection with California kids, and this could help when pursing a player like Cravens. Of course it’s exceptionally difficult to get West Coast kids to Ann Arbor, but it’s not impossible. 

There a few reasons we would be able to lure someone like Cravens to Ann Arbor. First of all, like I said above, we have the Hoke factor. I would not be surprised if at least one player for the 2013 class is from the West Coast. Coach Hoke realizes that although he made some great connections while coaching in the West Coast, it’s a different story now that he’s at Michigan. All the athletes that were once interested because of him are now doubly interested because he coaches at Michigan. This could be a big help going forward. Another West Coast offer we’ve given out for the 2013 class is 5* LB Michael Hutchings out of Concord, CA, who happens to have a high interest in Michigan. Like I’ve said, Hoke has a West Coast connection. 

Secondly, since Michigan already has their safety of the future in Dymonte Thomas, Cravens is being offered as a running back. This may sound surprising, since he’s such an excellent safety, but Cravens is an excellent athlete in general. Being offered as a running back is something I’m sure intrigues him. It’s something different, it’s new, and it’s a challenge. Granted, I’m not sure if any other school has offered him at another position. However, Dymonte Thomas has been our safety commit for some time now, and it’s quite known the coaches were only planning on taking one safety. Cravens is athletic enough that if he were to bulk up, he could play weakside linebacker too. Honestly, he could probably be listed as an “athlete” on most sites considering the array of positions he is capable of playing. 

The last reason is that Cravens actually has shown some interest in Michigan. Although his “top-3” consisted of USC, Oklahoma, and Arkansas, those were given almost 3 months ago. He’s gotten tons of offer since then. He has also said himself that Michigan intrigues him enough to want to take an official visit. “I’m looking at TV coverage, a school that is a championship contender, and a school with strong academics,” he said. Well, come on down Mr. Cravens. And we know what can happen when a recruit gets on campus...