Michigan has its third member of a 2020 class that didn't have any as of a couple weeks ago. Four-star West Aurora (IL) defensive tackle Denver Warren announced his commitment, choosing the Wolverines over Michigan State, Penn State, and Wisconsin, among others.

I am 143% committed to the University Of...... ?? https://t.co/mrIoC02SPc

— Denver “Humble Beast” Warren (@drippy_D1) July 3, 2018

Warren is yet another commit from the huge group of visitors a couple weekends ago. I'd count them all up but there may be more to come in this second wave and I'm tired, y'all.

GURU RATINGS

Rivals	ESPN	247	247 Comp
4*, 5.8, #15 DT, #5 IL, #213 Ovr	NR DT	3*, 88, #21 DT, #4 IL, #284 Ovr	4*, #22 DT, #5 IL, #279 Ovr

The two sites that have evaluated Warren have him in a similar spot; Rivals likes him a bit better than 247, which has him three position rank spots away from a fourth star.

Warren is a big dude already. He checked in at 6'2", 318 pounds at a camp this year. He'll have some reshaping to do before he plays in college, which could add to some already surprising athletic ability.

[Hit THE JUMP for scouting, video, and the rest.]

SCOUTING

@WABlackhawkFB 2020 DT Denver Warren stole the show today https://t.co/qK5rlngXAJ pic.twitter.com/cBTpmZb8Mw

— Gus Ramos (@G1Bound) April 23, 2017

Warren began drawing attention from the recruiting sites when he had an Alpha Dog-worthy outing at the April 2017 Under Armour Chicago camp. 247's Gus Ramos:

Aurora (Ill.) West Aurora defensive lineman Denver Warren was a man child during the one on one drills. Warren is only a freshman but played far better than expected for somebody his age. The young lineman was very coachable and pushed his way to the top tier working group. He has a quick first step and can attack to opponents by using aggressive hands.

Ramos chose Warren as the top performer over some legitimate 2018(!) talent, including top-100 Oklahoma DT signee Michael Thompson, top-100 Georgia TE signee Luke Ford, four-star Texas ILB signee Ayodele Adeoye, four-star Michigan State CB signee Kalon Gervin, Notre Dame OLB signee Ovie Oghoufo, and Army All-American center Tyrone Sampson—particularly relevant given they probably lined up against each other. It's rare for any player, especially a lineman, to stand out above a talented field of players two years further along in their development.

Following a productive sophomore season, Warren made 247's first team from January's Army Bowl combine, where his technique and strength stood out:

DL Denver Warren: The Aurora (Ill.) West Aurora 2020 defensive tackle showed why he will be one of the Midwest’s most sought after recruits. He overpowered offensive linemen, he used a variety of pass rushing moves to shrug them off in what was one of the day’s better performances.

Shortly thereafter, at the Midwest BOOM Best of the Midwest Showcase, Warren showed a strong competitive edge and advanced technique, per 247's Jeremy Werner:

Denver Warren outplayed some four-star 2018 defensive tackles last spring at the Under Armour camp in Chicago and already has several FBS offers, including Illinois, Michigan State, Iowa State and Syracuse. So even though he's a known top prospect, he still participated in Sunday's showcase because he's a competitor striving to be great. Warren has that power-five mix of power and quickness, which is so hard to find. But his technique and handwork are better than some college freshmen. He reminds us a bit of Calvin Avery. 

Avery was a top-250 DT and the jewel of Illinois' incoming recruiting class.

Warren is wearing #303.

This spring, Warren was one of just two 2020 prospects—the other fellow Michigan commit Andre Seldon—to merit position MVP honors at the Rivals Chicago regional camp:

The 2020 defensive tackle already has a number of top offers, but competed like he was playing for his first on Sunday. Warren won reps against offensive linemen all afternoon with a full complement of pass-rush moves, which was particularly impressive considering his size. He looked particularly vicious in an early matchup against fellow 2020 prospect Tyler Elsbury, beating him on the first rep with a push-pull combination and again on the next rep by dipping under his outside shoulder and running clean into the backfield.

While not the Alpha Dog that he was as a freshman, Warren again performed well at the Chicago stop on the Under Armour circuit, per Werner:

Class of 2020 defensive tackle Denver Warren broke out at last year’s UA camp, outshining four-star 2018 DTs Michael Thompson and Trevor Trout. He shined again on Sunday, winning most of his one-on-one reps. Warren doesn’t look like the most impressive prospect on the hoof, but he is just a heck of a football player. He’s strong but quick and has advanced hand-fighting abilities for a prospect entering his junior season. Illinois and Michigan State are standing out early in the recruitment of the No. 3 junior prospect in the state of Illinois.

Allen Trieu added he "was powerful and tough to block because of his center of gravity and that strength." Trieu also has the most recent report on Warren from June's Lindenwood Mega-Camp, where he was one of the top defensive performers:

West Aurora (Ill.) class of 2020 defensive tackle Denver Warren showed why he is a major prospect. He ran a 5.1 forty, impressive at his size (315 pounds), and his power and motor made him tough to contend with in one-on-ones.

The picture here is pretty clear. Warren is a big, powerful prospect whose sheer size belies his plus athleticism, high motor, and advanced technique. He's not a first-off-the-bus guy but he's on track to develop into a strong and productive interior presence.

OFFERS

Warren holds offers from Michigan State, Penn State, Wisconsin, Boston College, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Iowa State, Minnesota, Syracuse, and a number of MAC schools. Georgia and Notre Dame showed interest but have yet to offer.

HIGH SCHOOL

Warren is one of just three Division I commits and the first to earn four stars or land in the Power 5 out of West Aurora since 2002, according to the Rivals database.

STATS

According to MaxPreps, Warren recorded 46 tackles (36 solo) with 5.5 sacks in ten games as a sophomore.

FAKE 40 TIME

Warren's Hudl page lists a 5.23 40 (one FAKE since it's unsourced but very realistic), 28-inch vertical, 29-foot powerball throw, 325-pound bench press, 545-pound squat, and 26 reps of 185 pounds on the bench. That's an exceptionally strong high school sophomore.

VIDEO

Sophomore highlights:

Freshman film and single-game reels can be found on his Hudl page.

PREDICTION BASED ON FLIMSY EVIDENCE

There's a looooooooooooooooooong way to go before Signing Day 2020, but Warren would have a chance to make a relatively early impact—Michigan didn't end up with a DT in 2018, which is going to leave early opportunities to crack the two-deep even if/when the Wolverines add to their 2019 DT haul of Mazi Smith. Warren has the requisite size and technique to contribute sooner than most defensive tackles.

UPSHOT FOR THE REST OF THE CLASS

It's way too early for this. Here's the entire class: