photos via 247Sports
As much of the Michigan media assembled in the Regents Room to hear Mark Schlissel announce Dave Brandon's resignation, The Wolverine's Tim Sullivan was doing some work, as well—breaking news of the most oddly timed commitment in recent memory:
Elkton (Md.) Eastern Christian Academy 2016 linebacker @dele_harding commits to Michigan.
— Tim Sullivan (@TimS_Wolverine) October 31, 2014
Junior linebacker Dele' Harding, a high school teammate of current M players Freddy Canteen and Brandon Watson, pledged to the program at the very apex of its turmoil. He became Michigan's third commit in the 2016 class and the first on defense, not to mention the football program's first commit from any class since the day before this ill-fated 2014 season began.
While having two former teammates on campus certainly helped with the decision, the timing and the quotes Harding's father gave to Sullivan make it clear he committed with much more than football in mind:
While [Canteen's and Watson's] presence in Ann Arbor was a bonus for Harding, it wasn't the main reason he picked the Maize and Blue.
"They stay in touch all the time," David Harding said. "That plays a very small part. I think it's more than anything, that's just an icing on the cake. The body is what Michigan has to offer. His commitment is to the university, not just for football. It's the total package."
Welcome, Mr. Harding. You picked a mighty fine university, and they're really working quite hard to figure out the football bit.
[Hit THE JUMP for the full, informative portion.]
GURU RATINGS
| Scout | Rivals | ESPN | 247 | 247 Comp |
|
3*, #29 OLB, #286 Ovr |
4*, #5 ILB, #186 Ovr | 3*, NR ILB | 3*, 84, #17 ILB |
3*, #12 ILB, #461 Ovr |
At this still-early juncture for 2016 recruits, Harding's rankings have a pretty wide spread, from unranked three-star on ESPN to top-200 four-star on Rivals. All four sites list him at 6'1" and 230-235 pounds; with that stout build, all but Scout expect him to play inside linebacker at the next level.
SCOUTING
Harding, like Canteen and Watson before him, has earned most of his recruiting attention while on the camp circuit. He first caught Michigan's eye at the same M technique camp that resulted in offers for his two teammates, then reeled in a Michigan offer of his own after showing out for the coaches at June's Sound Mind Sound Body camp.
It's encouraging that Rivals has Harding ranked highest of the four services, as they happen to be the outlet with by far the most material on him. Here's Adam Friedman after Harding turned in a top-ten defensive performance at the Rivals Camp Series in New Jersey over the summer ($):
Harding is a big, physical linebacker that understands the subtle nuances of the game. He knows how to read running backs and tight ends, so he can jump their routes. He also knows how to divert them so they can't run a crisp route. In pass coverage, Harding could keep up with nearly every running back and tight end. One of the more impressive things Harding showed was the athleticism and strength to break up jump balls against tight ends.
As Rivals national analyst Mike Farrell points out, Harding's advanced instincts in pass coverage are at least in part a result of Eastern Christian Academy's heavy emphasis on 7-on-7 play, which really tests a linebacker's ability to cover ground in the middle of the field. Those instincts help mask that Harding isn't an elite athlete, and they also benefit him against the run, per Farrell ($):
"He's a big kid," Farrell said. "He's certainly got size: he stands right out and you think he's an older kid because of his size. If you watch him in games, he takes the right lane, he always seems to take the right tackling angle, and he always seems to be around the football. As a 235-pound guy, he really delivers a hit when he arrives, too."
Farrell seems quite convinced Harding will play on the inside in college.
247's Clint Brewster evaluated Harding based off his sophomore film, concluding that while he doesn't have the highest upside, he's got the ability to be a productive college player ($):
His shorter frame allows him to get underneath defenders and use his natural leverage to get off blocks and make tackles. His first-step instincts take him to the ball without guessing and Harding shows some quickness getting to the ball carrier and strikes upon contact. ... Reads the quarterbacks eyes when he’s dropping into coverage and makes open field tackles look easy. Harding is vocal setting up his defense and is always around the ball, looking to force a fumble. He can work on wrapping up better and using his hands more to shed blockers.
ESPN's undated evaluation pretty much goes against everything written above ($):
STRENGTHS: Harding is a quick moving linebacker who has the speed to make plays sideline-to-sideline. Does a good job of squaring up, breaking down, and not over pursuing the ball carrier. Has the ability to play man coverage with his speed and is learning zone coverage schemes. Has experience playing ILB, OLB, and DE. ... AREAS OF IMPROVEMENT: Has a hard time making decisions when playing on or close to the line of scrimmage. Will need to work on his zone coverage drops.
Since ESPN's only article mentioning Harding posted in June of 2013, between his freshman and sophomore seasons, I wouldn't put a ton of stock in their scouting report.
The last word goes to Harding's coach, Dwayne Thomas, who spoke to Sullivan after Harding's commitment ($):
"He's a fierce competitor," Thomas said. "He's very technique-sound at inside linebacker or outside linebacker - he has a great IQ as it pertains to playing defensive football. He brings a physicality to the game that is equivalent to all of their linebackers in the Big Ten.
"He's a very physical player. In most regards, he's like a man playing amongst boys on the field of play. He's also an extraordinary student. We can always improve in our technique, in our strength and conditioning as well as speed. You can always improve in our overall football knowledge."
Sturdy, physical, instinctive linebacker is the running theme here; Desmond Morgan 2.0, perhaps.
OFFERS
At the time of his commitment, Harding held offers from Michigan, UMass, Tennessee, and USC. He earned the USC offer at their camp, which tends to be a positive sign.
HIGH SCHOOL
Eastern Christian Academy's program has been discussed thoroughly here; it's the same football-centric school that produced current Wolverines Freddy Canteen and Brandon Watson.
STATS
From Sullivan's interview with Harding's coach comes stats from his first ten games of this season: 67 tackles, 2 TFLs, 1.5 sacks, 5 forced fumbles, 4 fumble recoveries. As you'll see on the tape, Harding has turned ripping the ball clean out of his opponent's hands into something of a signature.
FAKE 40 TIME
None of the four sites list a 40 time, fake or no.
VIDEO
ECA was ready for this one—on the day Harding committed, they released his partial junior highlights from the season still in progress:
Harding's Hudl page is private, so the only other widely available highlights are of him lighting up the competition... in middle school.
PREDICTION BASED ON FLIMSY EVIDENCE
Harding's athleticism is a limiting factor, so I believe he'll end up as an inside linebacker at Michigan, which would play more to his strengths—diagnosing plays and sure tackling—than leaving him in space on the outside. Unless he improves his speed and agility, I'm not sure he can reach all-conference levels of play, but his size/instinct combination reminds me quite a bit of Desmond Morgan—getting to that level seems to be a reasonable expectation for Harding, who'll have plenty of competition at inside linebacker when he hits campus in 2016.
UPSHOT FOR THE REST OF THE CLASS
The 2016 class will be a bigger one than 2015; otherwise, it's difficult to pin down a specific number or major areas of need given the program's (and the class of 2015's) state of flux.