Film Study: What 4-star CB Monsanna Torbert brings to Michigan Football
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Michigan Football recently landed 2027 four-star cornerback Monsanna Torbert, and what an addition it should be for head coach Kyle Whittingham.
The Rivals Industry Rankings has Torbert as the 97th-best player in his class, 14th among cornerbacks and fourth in Ohio. The Cincinnati native starred on Taft High School’s football and basketball teams, and has transferred up I-75 to Princeton High School for his senior year.
On the gridiron, the 5-foot-10.5, 173-pounder played quarterback and defensive back last season, throwing for 1,791 yards and 26 touchdowns, rushing for 450 yards and four scores, and making 40 tackles on defense with three interceptions and three pass breakups.
Here is what his film taught us:
Pros
This could be viewed as a con, but a lot of Torbert’s highlights come at quarterback. He can really sling the rock; however, the more encouraging, translatable aspects are his breakaway speed, feel for the game and willingness to take physical punishment.
Defensively, Torbert has many single-high safety looks where — knowing the position — he does well to read the quarterback’s eyes. Whether it be an in-breaking route, toward the boundary or over the top, he uses his sleek hips and closing speed to make plays on the ball. That vision, combined with his twitchiness, gives his corners all sorts of opportunities to play more aggressively with the ballhawk there to swoop in at a moment’s notice.
When Torbert does intercept a pass (or take off as a quarterback), he has long, lethal strides that leave pursuers in the dust. His excellent vision is also a major plus as a ball carrier.
Torbert is also capable as a box safety. He does not shy away from attacking players with the ball, especially when dealing with bigger, heavier offensive linemen barreling toward him. He is not necessarily a menace tackler, yet he can certainly wrap up ball carriers and limit any further damage.
Cons
While Torbert’s highlight reel displays his ridiculous athleticism and two-way abilities, he does not have much man-to-man tape. On3’s Ethan McDowell ($) did note that, “He attended a few national showcases this offseason and showcased strong man-to-man coverage skills as well.”
Torbert looks like he has all the tools to succeed as an outside corner: a low center of gravity, fluid change of direction, coherent feet and football senses to thrive. It’s just a matter of seeing that more.
This does not seem like a one-size-fits-all player. Torbert should have opportunities to compete for snaps all around the secondary, except maybe strong safety, as his slighter frame and less-than-ideal height are probably best suited for corner/free safety duties.
Where do you think Torbert’s skills are best utilized? Let us know down below.
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