Michigan Flips Rangy, Athletic Linebacker Away From Wisconsin

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Michigan Flips Rangy, Athletic Linebacker Away From Wisconsin

Michigan got some good news on the recruiting trail earlier today when Cincinnati St. Xavier linebacker Aden Reeder committed to Sherrone Moore, Brian Jean-Mary and the Wolverines.

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Reeder, a 6-3, 210-pounder had been previously committed to Wisconsin since May of this year. However, three days ago, after an official visit to Michigan, the rangy backer decided to open things back up and decommit from the Badgers. Now, he's a Wolverine.

When you cut on Reeder's tape, you see a long, athletic kid who can do a lot of things. Playing for a very established, disciplined and well-run program like St. X, you know he's getting coached up well, so when you see him in several different positions, you know he's smart, coachable and versatile.

The majority of his highlights are when he's on the edge and coming after the quarterback. There's no doubt that his future is likely going to involve rushing the passer a lot. However, he looks quite comfortable shedding blocks and playing down the line of scrimmage in the run game and even looks at home when asked to drop into coverage. 

There are a couple of really nice plays on the tape where he instinctively peels off from his pass rush and covers a running back out in the flat or reverses field to get into the pursuit of a ball carrier. 

Allen Trieu of 247 Sports had this to say about Reeder.

Reeder is very long, athletic, and plays for a great high school. He shows the ability to read and diagnose plays quickly and his acceleration and burst are impressive.

That same initial quickness shows up when he’s asked to rush the passer. He gets off the ball very quickly.

When he needs to take on blocks, he does so with good pad level and physicality. There is still room for him to bulk up but we like his frame and general build as a high school senior and believe he will physically develop rapidly come college.

When I watch Reeder's tape, I actually see a second coming of Jaishawn Barham. The current Wolverines linebacker/edge rusher was listed at 6-3, 230 pounds when he finished his prep career at St. Frances Academy. He plays at around 243 pounds now. Reeder is currently listed at 6-3 and between 210 and 215 pounds depending on where you look. It's quit realistic that he could be close to 230 by the time he finishes high school and in the 240-245 range when he finally hits the field in a winged helmet. 

Also like Barham, he's high cut, long limbed and has the ability and athleticism to play in a traditional linebacker role or as a pure pass rusher from the edge. We'e all seen what the near-permanent move to edge has done for Barham. There could be a similar trajectory for Reeder once it's all said and done.

At the end of the day, Michigan got a defensive prospect in Reeder that could end up playing three to four different positions depending on how he physically develops and how he takes to coaching. He held more than 20 offers from schools like Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan State, Nebraska, Northwestern, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, and obviously Wisconsin among others. He's an academic kid with a lot of offers — sounds like a good fit for the Wolverines. 

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