Moore is Less

Trotwood TE Brandon Moore has committed to the University of Michigan. If so, this is a nice get by the Wolverines, who are incredibly thin at TE right now. Moore has been the subject of a lot of discussion on Ohio State message boards this spring, because the talented player had not received an offer from the Buckeyes. What does the Moore commitment mean, and what impact could it have down the road?

First, Ohio State won't shed any tears about Moore leaving for Michigan. Not only did he not have an offer, it did not appear that an offer was coming anytime soon. Of the four elite TE prospects in the state (Rudolph, Stoneburner, Moore and DiLillo) the Buckeye coaching staff allegedly had Moore as the clear #4. This isn't to say he's not a very athletic, talent pass-catcher. But as I noted in yesterday's blog, Moore doesn't appear to be a superior blocker, nor does he project as someone with the flexibility to switch to DE. In that regard, he's probably not a great fit for OSU.

Watching his film, he uses his size in space extremely well to create mismatches and make big plays. Again, my highly topical, someone tongue in cheek post asked whether Moore would have the same success when the size differential is not so great.

Michigan fans will be happy because Moore as listed as a top 100 type player on some lists, but think that's a little high for him. I would speculate that his appearance on those lists, particularly for Rivals, was due to his early offers from SEC schools. Many of the analysts for that network have a not-so-subtle southern bias, and the eary rankings reflect those offer lists. You can argue with a player that has offers from Florida, Georgia, Tennessee Miami (FL) and LSU. But Michigan fans have to wonder about a player that was not preferredd by their two main competitors Ohio State (Stoneburner) and Notre Dame (Rudolph). As I undertand it, an Ohio State offer would have catapaulted the Buckeyes immediately into Moore's top five, possibly top three. But much like with Rudolph, Moore had some concerns about the way the tight end is used in the OSU offense. So it's possible an offer would not have ultimately made a difference.

Two other things that bear mentioning. The first is how will this commitment impact Kevin Koger, the TE/DE from Whitmer in Toledo. Koger came out of nowhere this spring to gain offers from Michigan and then Ohio State, and appears likely to choose between those two. With strong family ties to Michigan, the Wolverines probably hold a slight lead for his services. But Ohio State is coming on strong, with DeVier Posey and Mike Brewster working on Koger to become part of the Buckeye class. In reality, it doesn't affect Michigan in the least. They would be happy to take two tight ends, and may in fact be recruiting Koger as a DE. It may provide some marginal assistance to Ohio State, who can focus additional energy on Koger as the only TE on their board.

However, at the center of this commitment is that Michigan now has its second commitment from the state of Ohio. A trend? Re-establishing a foothold in a talent rich state? Ohio State fans believe (hope) this is an aberration based primarily on OSU's extremely limited scholarships. The Buckeyes already have 6 commitments from Ohio and have targeted a handful of other elite players (Mike Zordich, Dan McCarthy, Cordale Scott and the aforementioned Koger). But in a deep year, there are going to players that get away, and it is particluarly galling when they go to Michigan. Weve seen two, and you could see a third if Brandon Beachum fails to get a Buckeye offer. It will also be interesting to see how players like Elliott Mealer develop in Ann Arbor. Ohio State has already demonstrated success in turning in state 3-stars into key contributors. Will Michigan have the same luck? Further, will Michigan use commitments from Ohio players as a springboard to future recruiting victories? Or will Ohio State continue to hand pick the players they want from the state?

Check back for more recruiting updates and additional discussion on the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry.