Hello: Ondre Pipkins Comment Count

Tim

Weeeee, defensive tackles. MO DT Ondre "Pee-Wee" Pipkins has pledged to Michigan's 2012 class.

ondreP.jpeg

GURU RATINGS

Scout Rivals ESPN 24/7 Sports
4*, #12 DT,

#102 Ovr
4*, 5.8, #19 DT

#4 Missouri, #246 Ovr
3*, 78, #45 DT 4*, 94, #16 DT,

#3 Missouri, #149 Ovr

The best three sites that have rated Pipkins place him in about the same place within his position group. The primary disagreement is where that 16th-18th DT fits in the grand scheme of things, with 24/7 Sports the most optimistic, and Rivals barely slotting him into their Top 250. ESPN, clearly, is without a clue. As you'll see, he's been dominant ever since the Army Combine.

ESPN (per typical) is the odd service out on his height, calling Ondre merely 6-2, while the other three sites agree that he's 6-3. 24/7 Sports is the outlier on weight, crediting him at "merely" 305 pounds, while the others all put him in the 320-325 range. 6-3, 320 seems to be your consensus weight.

He was the subject of a Sam Webb article back in April:

"Pipkins is a big-bodied space-eater that can command double teams, but he's quick enough and light enough on his feet to penetrate and disrupt," said Trieu. "Once he learns to really use his hands and consistently play under people, he's going to be an even tougher guy to move and block. Right now he's rated the No. 16 defensive tackle nationally, but he does have a chance to move up higher. Big kids like him that are 320 pounds and move the way he does are very rare."

His coach agrees with Allen's assessment:

"Ondre is strong and quick off the ball, and when he can latch onto an opponent and stay low, he can take care of some gaps for sure," Reynolds told Scout.com. "He gets double-, sometimes triple-teamed, which allows our linebackers to flow freely. He plays with a good motor. His job is to draw the double- and triple-team, but he is very disruptive in the backfield. We're going to do some things next year to try to open things up for him."

He even told Sam how Michigan plans to use him:

"(Michigan assistant) Coach (Greg) Mattison said I'd have the chance to play right off the bat because I'm the kind of defensive tackle that can move around and play multiple positions. They're only taking one nose guard and I can be that nose guard and come in and play for four years. That's mainly what they tell me -- that I can just come in and play nose for a straight four years, graduate, and take a chance of getting to the NFL."

Last spring, he impressed at the National Underclassmen Combine in Kansas City:

Ondre Pipkins (Park Hill) is a physically imposing 6'2 319 lb d-lineman with the skills to pay the bills. He has great quickness for somebody his size, good lateral movement and strength (bench pressing 185 lbs 21times). Pipkins was a force to be reckoned with and is worth looking out for.

He won the defensive line MVP at that event. Pipkins was a "star" at the Army Combine ($, info in header).

Tom Lemming likes his game:

“He’s one of the two best players in Kansas City,” said Lemming, who has covered the national recruiting scene for more than 30 years. “He can play both sides of the ball. I think he could an All American guard on offense or a very steady defensive tackle.”

Considering the #1 player in Kansas City is also supposed to be the best player in the nation (WR Dorial Green-Beckham), that's high praise. Ondre has been firmly stock-on-rise for a long time, so this commitment is big for Michigan.

OFFERS

Ondre's a Saginaw native, who went to school in Rochester Hills his sophomore season. That explains Michigan and Michigan State interest. Alabama, Florida, Iowa, Missouri, Ohio State... need I go on? He has a huge offer list.

STATS

UPDATE: Hey, those were the stats for long-lost recruit Wayne Morgan. Hooray for copying and pasting!

I couldn't find easily-available junior stats on Pipkins.

FAKE 40 TIME

Rivals lists a 5.15 time for his 40-yard dash, something totally reasonable for a guy his size whose athleticism is one of his strengths. A mere one FAKE out of five.

VIDEO

Oddly for a high-ish profile guy, there's very little on him. This video, entitled "Ondre Pipkins Highlights" doesn't seem to be him at all.

He's featured in the first 7 or so reps in Rivals's OL v. DL Army Combine highlights, but other than that, I can't find a whole lot of freely available stuff.

PREDICTION BASED ON FLIMSY EVIDENCE

Pipkins is a much-needed piece of this class, and he'll have a chance to contribute almost immediately as a member of the DL rotation in 2012, with a good chance to take over a starting position upon Will Campbell's graduation following that season.

If he's as good as the combines would lead us to believe, he has definite NFL potential, and a good chance to make All-Big Ten teams as an upperclassman.

UPSHOT FOR THE REST OF THE CLASS

Finally comes the DT. Michigan's needs are filled - aside from at least one wideout - and can focus on just taking top-top prospects for the remainder of the class, regardless of position.

Comments

Erik_in_Dayton

August 8th, 2011 at 12:17 PM ^

This is a great way to start the week.  I'm sure our favorite Michigan-hat-wearing skeleton head will be happy. 

On another note: Isn't part of the above scouting report for Wayne Morgan? 

Michigan Shirt

August 8th, 2011 at 12:20 PM ^

I had thought he was our silent DT commit that the coaches referenced when talking about Schutt, but that he was just waiting to announce after his week with his dad (and when he re-visited after visiting with his dad). Glad that it's official now and will be really interested to see what happens with Obrien.

ironman4579

August 8th, 2011 at 12:20 PM ^

I was going to comment on the stats section, but I've obviously been beaten to the punch.  So instead I'll just say:  Welcome Ondre!!  It's great to have you be a part of the Michigan family!

michfan4borw

August 8th, 2011 at 12:36 PM ^

The sparties are gonna really hate them some Hoke (fat jokes, negative recruiting, pressure tactics, rant, rant, rant).  I haven't looked over there yet, but I would bet $100 easy that the sparty threads are right now (Monday 8/8/11 at 1135pm CST) discussing Michigan recruiting and Ondre Pipkins in particular.

michfan4borw

August 8th, 2011 at 1:56 PM ^

in re to Pipkins.  I saw a thread started (title: "Ondre Pipkins commits to scUM") this morning, but the mods took it down quickly.

The sparties aren't learning, but maybe their mods are. 

Blue in Seattle

August 8th, 2011 at 12:57 PM ^

they take another 1 tech DT/NT next year.

My take on Mattison's approach for the DL is that the true 1-tech  is a very specific body-type/athlete, and the 3-tech to SDE 5 tech and WDE 5 tech is really a spectrum of body-type athletic ability where you go from favoring mass to favoring speed.

I expect BWC to move over to 1-tech once Martin leaves, and now with Pipkin there's your 2-deep next year.  I think if BWC had received the proper motivation and red shirt training season, he would already be at the 1-tech, like his 5 star rating suggested when he was recruited.

I expect the recruiting politics will also get close to favoring Pipkins with a 5 star rating, now that he's part of this Mattison 2012 class.  Also assuming Pipkins senior season is as promising as his High School coach hopes.

 

 

dayooper63

August 8th, 2011 at 1:29 PM ^

BWC needs to work on his technique, pad level and leverage before he moves back to the 1 tech.  If not, he will be levered out of the way doing our team no good.  Hopefully, the DL coaches will teach him how to play dline properly.  Tall did him no good trying him at the NT last year when he wasn't ready.

Bodogblog

August 8th, 2011 at 1:34 PM ^

I suggested long ago that Wilkins may move to DT (based on how much weight he was putting on), and was rightly critiqued on the board.  I think he'll be a very good 5T, but I believe he's beefed up as much as he can w/out it affecting his play.  But what the hell do I know

maizedandconfused

August 8th, 2011 at 2:35 PM ^

hes 6'3 320.. running apparently a 5.15 40. 

If thats not a 1tech body size I dont know what is.. at the very least hes a 3-tech. no chance with the current class we have that we see him outside of the nose,

I see Wormley and Tom Strobel at the SDE, with Godin and Pipkins at the 3tech and 1tech..

I think the recruit Im most excited to see are our future WDEs the rush ends, because brown and ojemudia are going to be nasty.

jbibiza

August 8th, 2011 at 2:56 PM ^

Exactly why so many of us want another DT like Danny O who could play either 3 tech or NT, but this time - with Mattison in charge - we can be sure that the coaches have a viable plan so it will be interesting to see what transpires.  Got a feeling that Q may have made more of an impression than they are letting on.

MGoShoe

August 8th, 2011 at 12:22 PM ^

...you put Morg... Yeah, you got that already.

Huge get (literally and figuratively). This graf deserves some highlighting:

Finally comes the DT. Michigan's needs are filled - aside from at least one wideout - and can focus on just taking top-top prospects for the remainder of the class, regardless of position.

That is tremendous.

 

BrownJuggernaut

August 8th, 2011 at 12:26 PM ^

Despite the picture fest in the other thread, I am super excited about this commitment. I think this kid has good people to look up to (HA Woodley) and he's going to be a beast. Even moreso, I am excited about how dynamic our defense is going to be in a few years. Unimaginably good.

BostonWolverine

August 8th, 2011 at 12:28 PM ^

This is awesome. That means just 4 spots left for:

 

Madaris/Darboh/Payton/Chesson (maybe just one now that Stonum is redshirting?)

Bri'onte Dunn

Danny O'Brien

Jordan Diamond

Reeves/Wright.

 

This is a great class.

michfan4borw

August 8th, 2011 at 12:32 PM ^

I noticed in the drills video posted as a comment in the Ondre Pipkins thread (now locked) that the D-lineman JJ who committed to Iowa kinda owned Diamond in that drill.  Granted, it's only one rep in one drill.  Anyway . . .

Is he that much better than other O-linemen we're also strong with? 

In any case, it would be pretty sweet to get Diamond and O'Brien, who looked dominant in that drills video. 

 

Blue in Yarmouth

August 8th, 2011 at 12:38 PM ^

Diamond was injured at that event (back issues). You can see him grab his back after the run in with JJ on the video.That said, I don't think he is THAT much better than the other OL recruits we are looking at.

BostonWolverine

August 8th, 2011 at 12:38 PM ^

Based on the input of some other posters, I'm led to believe that there was some sort of physical issue with Diamond at the combine. Perhaps he was hurt? Were there any indications of this, such as wincing after reps?

Then again, I'm no good at subtlety.