Strong Crystal Balls for 2021 RB Tavierre Dunlap
Wiltfong and Webb both with High confidence (8) for this very fast Texas running back.
He and Edwards would be an excellent RB class.
https://www.hudl.com/video/3/9821841/5dcdc26390eeb108b49ff300
https://247sports.com/Player/Tavierre-Dunlap-46076669/
September 4th, 2020 at 9:57 PM ^
Very fast? I assume he's improved on his 4.63?
Headed to watch his film...I assumed he was a power guy similar to Corey Kiner. Interested to watch now.
September 4th, 2020 at 10:06 PM ^
Yeah, I didn't think elite speed was part of his game. Has decent speed and decent balance. Don't see a ton of shiftiness or see him trucking guys. 3 stars seems about right, still want Edwards.
September 4th, 2020 at 11:06 PM ^
It's not a him or Edwards situation. The coaches would like 2 backs.
September 5th, 2020 at 12:29 AM ^
He didn't say otherwise.
September 4th, 2020 at 10:13 PM ^
Update: he's definitely not a bruiser. He's a one cut, put your foot in the ground and go kind of back. He's definitely faster than I thought, not sure why I was thinking he was more of a Hassan Haskins/De'Veon Smith type.
Based off just his junior highlight type, he doesn't really remind me of anyone at Michigan. Maybe Fitzgerald Toussaint?
September 4th, 2020 at 11:37 PM ^
Hassan Haskins/Deveon Smith type? I’m not one to disparage another MGoBlogger, but holy hell if those two dudes are absolutely nothing alike.
September 5th, 2020 at 12:04 AM ^
I would have to strongly disagree. Haskins is about 6'0 220. Smith was listed about 6'0 230 at Michigan, though I think he measured in at 225 before the Draft.
Both are what you would call "power backs." Neither are the fastest guys, though Haskins is clearly faster than Smith. They've both got great size, but their best feature is their incredible balance. The combination makes them extremely effective at breaking tackles, and very effective runners overall, even though they don't hit a lot of home runs. Looking at Haskins high school film, I thought Smith was clearly the closest recent Michigan comparable, and that has largely been borne out from what I've seen of him in college.
September 5th, 2020 at 12:43 AM ^
Haskins isn’t a power back, at all, he’s somewhat shifty with a little bit of breakaway speed and decent top end speed. Smith had tough legs with absolutely minimal acceleration and no top end. Height and weight are legitimately completely irrelevant to running style. 6’0” 220 lbs describes 80% of running backs.
September 5th, 2020 at 1:23 AM ^
6’0” 220 lbs describes 80% of running backs.
No, it doesn't. Especially not in college. I think I disagree with almost everything you said there. Haskins is somewhat shifty, but so was Smith. He had a surprisingly effective jump-cut for someone his size. That doesn't change the fact that their best quality was their ability to break tackles, not dodge them. And weight is very relevant to running style. Larger backs clearly incorporate their size, and the momentum it provides, into their strategy. It's instinctual and it would be absurd for them not to do so.
September 5th, 2020 at 8:31 AM ^
Uhh...
Neither shies from contact and both are used in "and short" situations to get tough yards.
So "nothing" is obliterated right there.
Now, I never said they were the same. I said I envisioned him like Smith or Haskins and he not much like either.
He would be more similar to Haskins than Smith, but he's not that either.
Again, he's a one cut, put my foot in the ground and "go" kind of back.
Michigan hasn't had one of those in quite some time. Max Martin? Derrick Green?
Regardless, for the system we run, he's an ideal type back.
September 5th, 2020 at 12:32 AM ^
Toussaint looked way shiftier than Dunlap. His jump cut ruined in high school.
September 5th, 2020 at 7:53 AM ^
I loved fitz coming out of HS. He was my dude in NCAA
September 5th, 2020 at 7:40 AM ^
He consistently outruns the angle against good Texas competition. That spells fast.
September 5th, 2020 at 8:37 AM ^
He consistently outruns the angle against good competition, maybe true. Someone (below) from TX seems to say it's a mixed bag.
That spells fast. ...I mean, maybe? Unless you've watched more than highlight videos.
You know who else outruns everyone in his highlight video agaisnt good competition? Zach Charbonnet.
September 5th, 2020 at 9:43 AM ^
Come on man...you're making up crap here. ZC does not out run everyone-this kid does. There is nothing wrong with a one-cut back who takes it to the house. And, he absolutely trucks a DB/LB early in the tape at about the five-for a TD. Over 7 minutes of tape and he never gets caught from behind-never is a very big word and he never gets caught from behind-not once and this is a junior year tape. The difference between a junior and a senior, for most of us, is physically fairly significant.
I love this kid's tape-very high ceiling...SEC speed.
September 5th, 2020 at 10:09 AM ^
Because people put getting caught from behind on their tape?
September 4th, 2020 at 10:06 PM ^
He'd be a great complement to Edwards in the class. Bigger guy with great vision. And 247 likes him a lot more than the composite, having him as a four-star in their top 247
September 4th, 2020 at 10:11 PM ^
TD: great initials.
Marich and Webb think he is gifted. Thinking this would be a great pickup.
September 4th, 2020 at 10:11 PM ^
Sam Webb said on the Michigan Recruiting Insider that the staff likely got Donovan Edwards' blessing in taking Dunlap in this class. Ideally we get Edwards and Dunlap, but Dunlap is good enough where if he wants to come to Michigan, we take him and don't put all our chips in the Edwards basket with the potential of getting burned
September 4th, 2020 at 10:14 PM ^
The young man has a nice up-side. Love, love, love speed and he is always the fastest kid on the field. Mr. Dunlap would be an outstanding addition to this class.
September 4th, 2020 at 10:16 PM ^
As someone said, his balance is a plus. His vision while running with his head up is a promising sign as well.
September 4th, 2020 at 11:25 PM ^
This post really shows the state that this board is currently in. It’s sad to see a post about politics get a ton of activity but a post that’s actually exciting and about sports gets little to no activity. Either way Dunlap looks like a great player and I can’t wait to see another player join the 2021 class.
September 5th, 2020 at 6:44 AM ^
Dude look at your clock. Stop trying to inflame things when its quiet.
September 4th, 2020 at 11:35 PM ^
Look, I love locking up the in state guys, but Edwards obviously has other interests at hand, and even if he does go to the good guys, it seems like a half hearted commitment, IMO. Also Dunlap is better. I know it might get me negged, but fuck me if the guy isn’t flat out better ??♂️
September 5th, 2020 at 12:14 AM ^
Don’t agree here, but appreciate that you attempted to be tactful and genuine in your explanation.
September 5th, 2020 at 12:50 AM ^
If I were a professional analyst, I’d have a job doing such. Looking at the tape, through my amateur eyes, it isn’t that hard to see that Dunlap does what Edwards does, but a little better. Albeit, we may get both, and it would be an embarrassment of riches, but Edwards seems like the “combine” guy and Dunlap seems like the actual football player. Maybe I’m wrong, and hopefully we get both and I am.
September 5th, 2020 at 1:34 AM ^
Edwards looks to have more shiftiness, better acceleration and better top end speed. I don't see anything Dunlap does that looks better.
September 5th, 2020 at 8:58 AM ^
I hear you about the tape but Donovan is a legit football player willing to do it all. I have been wrong before but I will be shocked if Donovan is not a great college player. Donovan loves football and is very focused on excelling at his craft.
Having said that, I do question whether he ends up at Michigan.
September 4th, 2020 at 11:42 PM ^
So I should not assume that because heavy CBs are coming In for this guy that this means the staff is getting the feeling that Edwards is telling them “thanks but no thanks” and UM is falling back on a contingency plan?
Not trying to be snarky. I have no idea if the original hope/intent from Harbaugh and Gattis was to get both of these guys in the class.
September 5th, 2020 at 12:04 AM ^
Nah. Edwards has made it clear that he would be perfectly fine in a 2 RB class. Edwards was actually going to team up with Evan Pryor at OSU but thankfully Treyvon Henderson committed to OSU. I’m also gonna guess that the staff made sure he was okay with it considering he’s probably the top remaining target.
September 5th, 2020 at 12:45 AM ^
Edwards has said he’s fine in a two back class and Michigan would like two backs in the class. So this doesn’t have anything to do with Edwards.
September 4th, 2020 at 11:54 PM ^
Can anyone speak to the level of competition he is playing against? He definitely is able to run away from everyone on the field and is very fluid. It doesn't look like he is running very hard but proceeds to run past everyone.
September 5th, 2020 at 12:31 AM ^
He plays for Del Valle which is in the far southeastern suburbs of Austin, TX. Some of the highlights were against Westlake which has been a powerhouse program for decades. Their competition is mixed. Some pretty bad schools, some schools with D1 talent on a fairly regular basis, and the the occasional legit powerhouse (Lake Travis and Westlake).
He should not struggle adjusting to college based on his high school competition.
September 5th, 2020 at 12:25 AM ^
He sure looks faster than his timed speed.
September 5th, 2020 at 10:08 AM ^
The 4.63 Forty is from his sophomore season so I definitely think he’s improved his speed
September 5th, 2020 at 10:14 AM ^
That's helpful. I'm slower than my last timed speed, but it was 28 years ago.
The timing of the timing of matters matters.
September 5th, 2020 at 1:26 AM ^
I don’t know if people have been watching a different tape but this kid can advance the ball.
September 5th, 2020 at 9:52 AM ^
People like to shit on these kids to make it look as though they are experts. What they are is narcissistic. I am leery of highlight tapes but, as I have stated, when in a 7 minute tape (of his junior year no less) he never gets caught from behind...it is more than simply an assumption that he is fast.
September 5th, 2020 at 6:51 AM ^
I hope our president's apathy about our football program doesn't turn these kids off. It's a concern.
September 5th, 2020 at 12:52 PM ^
What a weird comment to make on a post about how a kid is being projected to come to Michigan
September 5th, 2020 at 9:16 AM ^
To confirm what others have said.... NO this does not really mean anything re: Edwards - Sam W. said that given M’s focus on Edwards, they likely even “got an OK” from him before working to close Dunlap.
Recruits “Experts” see him as a nice compliment to Edwards, more of a bruiser though also speedy. Pretty sure the 4.63 is a laser timed number = a lot closer to real than any hand timed 4.4 or 4.5 —- and I also think the 4.63 was as a sophomore (but I could very well be getting that part confused with another prospect.)
Dunlap has been on the radar for a few months but my hunch is that staff has learned that we are going to lose Kendall and have decided to use that scholarship for Dunlap rather than chase another OL at this time. (Guy on a Rivals podcast - Jim S - noted that M has recently added several OL offers in 2022 which may be an acknowledgement that we know we will need more in that cycle)
Fun aside — I noticed that there were several MSU kids/targets in the IMG game last night - the running opponent QB who will be a DB in college, a second DB on the opponent and also one of the IMG TEs who was a commit before flipping to Pitt. Given that, I went to see if there was any action on a RCMB about the game as our thread was pretty dead. I was expecting it to be 99% M-focused I.e. JJ actually sucks etc. There was NO activity at all on the game BUT in the 2021 recruiting thread I saw someone mentioned the Dunlap CBs and wondered if that meant MSU was making moves in the Edwards recruitment LoL. I know they make fun of us for focusing too much on recruiting but that is really being unaware of the situation.
September 5th, 2020 at 11:58 AM ^
Watch the film again. But pay attention to the Center. Kind of want him wearing the block M.
September 5th, 2020 at 1:35 PM ^
I didn't see the center in particular, but damn that team can block, out to the sidelines.
September 5th, 2020 at 2:36 PM ^