Hello: Devin Bush Jr.
[Greg Oyster/247Sports]
Michigan survived a late push from Florida State to land one of their top overall targets in the class, four-star Hollywood (FL) Flanagan ILB Devin Bush Jr., who announced his commitment to the Wolverines in a ceremony this afternoon. Bush, the son of former FSU and NFL safety and current Flanagan head coach Devin Bush, joins teammates Devin Gil and Josh Metellus in the 2016 class, which now sits at 22 commits.
Bush is the second linebacker in the class, along with three-star Dytarious Johnson, and as an early enrollee he'll have every opportunity to make an instant impact at Michigan's thinnest position group.
GURU RATINGS
Scout | Rivals | ESPN | 247 | 247 Comp |
3*, #13 ILB |
4*, #5 ILB, #184 Ovr |
4*, 82, #12 OLB, #180 Ovr |
3*, 88, #19 ILB, #456 Ovr |
4*, #11 ILB, #241 Ovr |
As you can see, there's a major split in Bush's rankings; Rivals and ESPN have him as solid four-star while Scout and 247 place him in high three-star territory. Bush's size—listed at 5'11", ~225 pounds everywhere but Scout (6'0", 215)—is the likely cause of the difference in opinion; those listings are apparently a little generous on length, as Bush measured in at 5'9", 227 at The Opening.
[Hit THE JUMP for the informative stuff.]
SCOUTING
Scout's free evaluation doesn't sound like that of a three-star prospect:
Plays fast to the ball. Very instinctive player who plays one step faster than many opponents. Has very good game speed. Great inside the box going downhill. Works some on the edge as a blitzer as well and he is very effective. When he hits, there is pop with it. A lot of opponents go backwards. Best in attack mode. Can move sideline to sideline. Plays with aggression and an ideal in the box. Not elite size or length, but big enough.
Strengths
- Hitting Ability
- Instincts
- Strength
Areas to Improve
- Pass Coverage Skills
- Size
While Scout notes pass coverage as an area for improvement, Bush stood out in that regard on the camp circuit last summer, especially at the Rivals Five-Star Challenge, where he earned #3 defensive performer status after a pair of picks in 7-on-7 action:
Bush, who came up with two interceptions, is a very smart linebacker that is much faster in the open field than the tight ends and running backs originally thought. One interception was in the flat near the sideline and one was downfield when covering a wheel route. Bush knows when to bump the running backs and tight ends, and knows when to jump so he can knock down the pass.
ESPN has high praise for his run defense, athleticism, and instincts, and they also like his play on passing downs ($):
We like the blitzing facet of his game on passing downs and ability to pressure and get after quarterbacks. Would like to see him time his jump more consistently but he will close fast and aggressively on evading quarterbacks and can be disruptive. Quick to get to his zone drop in coverage and will blanket his underneath area with strong plant and drive burst.
Bush is an explosive linebacker prospect who would be higher up our board with a bit more length. We feel he has better short-range burst and overall tools that project best inside than out at the college level and with that projection he will need to continue adding size and strength before making an impact as an every-down linebacker.
Bush is a lock to play inside linebacker at Michigan, which will play to his strengths.
Rivals' Rob Cassidy caught Bush in live game action last month and came away without much worry about his size ($):
Flanagan linebacker Devin Bush lacks elite height but continues to show why that isn't much of a concern. Bush swarmed around the ball on Friday and made a number of plays to help hold a high-powered St. Thomas offense in check for most of the night. Bush is sound fundamentally and plays with little regard for his own body. His closing speed is what makes him a high-level prospect, but he's not half bad in coverage, either.
The scouting reports are quite consistent: Bush is an athletic, instinctive run-stuffer who plays with aggression and can hold up in coverage; he is also short. While that latter bit has caused concern among a couple of the recruiting sites, it certainly hasn't prevented top programs from taking a hard run at him, as evidenced by...
OFFERS
Bush holds offers from Alabama, Auburn, Colorado, Florida State, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisville, LSU, Miami (YTM), Mississippi State, NC State, Nebraska, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Oregon, Oregon State, Pitt, Rutgers, South Carolina, TCU, Tennessee, Texas, UCLA, Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, and Wisconsin, among several others.
HIGH SCHOOL
Flanagan, which now has seven FBS commits in this class alone, captured their first football state title this year after winning Florida's 8A classification. Michigan has already offered two Flanagan prospects in the 2017 class, four-star CB Stanford Samuels and three-star WR Clevan Thomas.
STATS
A couple sites have incomplete stats but I couldn't dig up anything definitive. Rivals says he had 113 tackles, three picks, and two sacks as a sophomore; 247 lists consecutive 67-tackle seasons for his last two years but that seems low—also, Bush's senior season just wrapped up last week.
FAKE 40 TIME
Bush's SPARQ-verified combine numbers from The Opening:
LB Devin Bush Jr., 5-9, 227, 4.65 40-yard dash, 4.68 shuttle, 40-foot PB throw, 30.8-inch vert 97.02 SPARQ
He's got some wheels for a linebacker.
VIDEO
Mid-season junior highlights:
Freshman highlights and single-game reels can be found on his Hudl page.
PREDICTION BASED ON FLIMSY EVIDENCE
The competition is wide open at inside linebacker for 2016; assuming Ben Gedeon locks down a spot, Bush should be right in the mix to play next to him. His competition will be Noah Furbush, Mike McCray (if healthy), Jared Wanger, and perhaps a fellow freshman if Michigan brings another ILB on board—it'd be a surprise if Dytarious Johnson competed for time right away. Bush getting on campus early will be a big help, since he'll need to add some muscle before he's viable at the Big Ten level.
Whether or not Bush locks down a starting job, he should be part of the linebacker rotation as a freshman, and when Gedeon departs after next season it'd be very surprising if he didn't step into a starting role.
UPSHOT FOR THE REST OF THE CLASS
Bush fills the most glaring hole in the class as an inside linebacker capable of competing for time right away. Michigan is now at 22 commits in a class that will reach 27; the expectation is we'll see status changes with perhaps a couple more current commits as the coaches try to fit the top remaining targets into those spots. One may drop tomorrow when top-ranked running back Kareem Walker chooses between Michigan and FSU.
Other top targets include DT Rashan Gary, TE Isaac Nauta, CB David Long, CB LaVert Hill, OT Jean Delance, OG Terrance Davis, WR Donnie Corley, WR Dylan Crawford, ATH Jordan Fuller, WDE Levi Onwuzirike, ILB Dontavious Jackson, and ILB Jonathan Jones. Tight ends Jacob Mathis and Chase Allen are both distinct possibilities to end up in the class should Nauta, as expected, land with Georgia.
Here's the class as it currently stands:
December 16th, 2015 at 12:42 PM ^
5'9???
too small for early entry in the NFL draft - come back and win a 2nd Butkus......
(my post from from 2018)
December 16th, 2015 at 1:18 PM ^
December 16th, 2015 at 12:42 PM ^
December 16th, 2015 at 12:43 PM ^
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December 16th, 2015 at 12:44 PM ^
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December 16th, 2015 at 1:43 PM ^
Universal descriptions of Bush: Fast and a playmaker. Just what we need.
December 16th, 2015 at 12:44 PM ^
Saw that almost-TD on the kick return the other day and couldn't believe he didn't make it. Also couldn't believe he was a LB. LB/RB speed?
December 16th, 2015 at 1:05 PM ^
Yes speed. Ahmir Mitchell is a sparq 4.67 and thats a wr. Bush 4.65.
December 16th, 2015 at 3:46 PM ^
The 1st play is him carrying the ball........Do we think Harbaugh has any 2-way plans for Bush?
December 16th, 2015 at 6:21 PM ^
I always have two way plans for Bush, unfortuntely my wife usually stops at one.
December 16th, 2015 at 2:20 PM ^
For some context Bush was ranked around 14th in SPARQ score from the opening (that Ace linked to above). A few spots above Jones (if you're wondering why Michigan is recruiting a 3-star LB so hard).
http://www.studentsports.com/football/2015/07/08/nike-football-rating-n…
That, to me anyway, indicates that among elite prospects Bush has typically good athleticism. He's not an off-the-charts freak, but he's a very good athlete. Match that with the reported good instincts and you should end up with a very good college player.
That offer list says it all. At 5'9 to 5'11, to get that many elite programs offering...
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As a side note: Donovan Peoples Jones DOES rank out as an off-the-charts freak athlete. Michigan needs to get him. Dylan Crawford is in the same category...
December 16th, 2015 at 12:45 PM ^
is coming, let's hope this is the norm from now on.
Go blue!
December 16th, 2015 at 12:45 PM ^
Welcome to the family Devin!
December 16th, 2015 at 12:51 PM ^
That can't feel good on the knees
December 16th, 2015 at 12:45 PM ^
I get that he isn't 6'2", but to me the concern about his height that seems to be holding down his Scout and 247 rankings is probably a bigger issue when projecting players for the NFL than college. 5'9" is short, but given his athleticism, speed and frame, he should be absolutely fine. Huge pick-up at a position of great need.
Now we just need to pick up Walter tomorrow.
December 16th, 2015 at 12:48 PM ^
Everyone knows London Fletcher was not 5'10"
I'm so glad we picked this kid up, the LB numbers were starting to become alarming.
December 16th, 2015 at 12:59 PM ^
...he was 5'9". Height is nice for a MLB but not essential.
December 16th, 2015 at 1:14 PM ^
He will put on some height once he gets in the weight room.
December 16th, 2015 at 1:45 PM ^
It will get him to 6'2". Just like it did for Harbaugh.
And none of that candy-ass 2% stuff.
December 16th, 2015 at 1:34 PM ^
And it will all be the good height, not the bad height!
December 16th, 2015 at 1:18 PM ^
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December 16th, 2015 at 4:24 PM ^
I'm pretty sure everyone knows that. Also, when projecting NFL success, the rule is failure, everyone who makes it are the exceptions.
December 20th, 2015 at 10:16 AM ^
people always point to the exception to the rule as if it's the norm. Fact is 6' or under LB rarely have success in the NFL. There is a reason why they dont' succeed. It's a law of probability.
December 16th, 2015 at 1:00 PM ^
I also recall one of the guys who was at the opening doing the measurements (from 247 I think) disputed the 5'9" height that was posted and said it was a typo. There's no way I'll be able to find it now but I'm pretty sure it's a thing that exists.
December 16th, 2015 at 1:01 PM ^
London Fletcher is exactly who I thought of with this guy. A sturdily built, speedy, instinctive and excellent all around middle linebacker who happens to be 5'9.
December 16th, 2015 at 1:19 PM ^
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December 16th, 2015 at 2:23 PM ^
Rivals lists Tulloch as 5"11", 215 and running a 4.63 40 coming out of high school, so that seems to be a pretty good comparison, at least physically.
Tulloch was listed at 5"10", 241 at the combine, where he ran a 4.86 40.
December 16th, 2015 at 1:37 PM ^
December 16th, 2015 at 1:05 PM ^
with our new Nike Jumpman air-filled elevator cleats this summer. He'll have to wing it during Spring Practice, though. Can't sport the new stuff until 8/1 I hear.
/s
December 16th, 2015 at 2:20 PM ^
Pretty sure Tulloch is only 5'9.
December 16th, 2015 at 12:45 PM ^
Excited. I mean, he's not the biggest, nor highest rated, but man, the coaching staff reeeeaaaallly wanted him and so did FSU, so I think they all see some serious potential there. He was a very sought after target, and it's great to get your plan A recruits. Especially from out of state.
December 16th, 2015 at 1:12 PM ^
top programs as well. That is ONE damned impressive offer list. He is definitely the type of player Michigan needs to create an elite defense. His range and ability to cover from sideline to sideline is something we just didn't see at LB this year. Great pick up. .
December 16th, 2015 at 1:21 PM ^
The only thing I have a slight concern about is his ability to take on blocks as an ILB with his size. Flashbacks to James Ross playing inside when the DL wasn't keeping him clean. Now, if UM's DL can stay at an elite level, Bush's quickness and speed could really be a needed asset against, say Ohio State. But hey, you're right; his offer sheet reads like a 5-star and he was an early and continued priority for the staff and a position of extreme importance. And an early enrollee. So I'm pretty damn pumped he'll be playing at UM.
December 16th, 2015 at 1:41 PM ^
as it is size. Joe Bolden has pretty typical ILB size and really struggled taking on blocks for a long time and even when he got better at making contact still hasn't been great at shedding / picking a side
December 16th, 2015 at 2:05 PM ^
Yeah, give me Ross over Bolden taking on blocks all day.
December 16th, 2015 at 1:37 PM ^
Yeah, but were they all committable offers?
I mean, were Colorado or Rutgers really gonna take this kid, or did they just offer to offer?
Y'know?
December 16th, 2015 at 12:46 PM ^
December 16th, 2015 at 12:47 PM ^
You know what I like about this commit? Aside that we need him very much?!
He started the ceremony at 12:30 and the Hello post was up by 12:35! No big "look at me" show - I didn't look at the Periscope, did he even do a hat thing?
Let's get down to business!!!
Welcome Devin Jr! Go Blue!!!
December 16th, 2015 at 1:10 PM ^
No hat thing. Just some nice words talking about people around him and its been a long process and then committment.
Also his HS principal is a babe.
That said, Jabrill rapped on ESPN and that worked out too. No big deal either way .
December 16th, 2015 at 1:40 PM ^
Well yeah, but Jabrill can RAP!
I mean straight up if football don't work out he's got a fallback Rap... keep putting his hand through windows he might need it sooner than we'd like too!
December 16th, 2015 at 12:48 PM ^
Not sure if it was Flannagan's defensive scheme, but the video shows him blitzing quite a bit...which is awesome with his speed. I didn't see him take on too many blocks in the highlights though - not sure if their defensive scheme "protected" him more - but am curious to see how he holds up against much taller, heavier, offensive linemen.
December 16th, 2015 at 1:10 PM ^
In the play that starts at about 0:50 of his Hudl video, he does a great job sifting through trash on a sweep play and nailing the runner. I'm thrilled with any LB who has the instincts to do that, much less one with Bush's speed and athleticism.
And I'm not convinced that height means much for a LB any more in the age of spread offenses, because he'll be playing in space more often than not.
December 16th, 2015 at 12:48 PM ^
December 16th, 2015 at 12:48 PM ^
That's a solid looking class so far. I don't know how anyone could complain about Harbaugh's recruiting up to this point and I really doubt we'll hear it anymore after he wraps up this class.
December 16th, 2015 at 12:53 PM ^
December 16th, 2015 at 12:55 PM ^
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December 16th, 2015 at 1:49 PM ^
They were complaining pre-June about his scattering of mystery 2-star offers.
They were under the impression that somehow he could not recruit and he "had" to do this. Rather than, you know, he's Harbaugh and he marches to his own drummer and he'll recruit who he damn well pleases.
December 16th, 2015 at 1:02 PM ^
are people complaining about his recruiting?
December 16th, 2015 at 1:17 PM ^
Satellite camps ring a bell?
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