Hello: Jordan Anthony

Commitmas continues unabated as four-star IMG Academy linebacker Jordan Anthony announced his commitment to Michigan this evening via video. The Wolverines beat out fellow finalists Auburn, Maryland, Oklahoma, and Penn State.

Anthony is the 25th commit in the 2017 class and the fifth to make his pledge in the last eight days, following Tarik Black, Donovan Peoples-Jones, Cesar Ruiz, and Deron Irving-Bey—all of them are composite four-star recruits or, in the case of Peoples-Jones, even better. If you happen to agree with Rivals, Anthony is also a five-star talent.

GURU RATINGS

There's a significant outlier here: Rivals, which already had Anthony at 70th overall, moved him into five-star range in their latest update. ESPN, which likes Anthony as both a running back and linebacker, also has him a little higher than the other two. He's was primarily a running back as a freshman and junior; he was primarily a linebacker as a sophomore and senior. ESPN is the only site that spends much time discussing his potential on offense:

Quite honestly it would be easy to immediately slot this guy into a linebacker role for the next level which he likely is, but the more you watch him on offense the more belief you have that he may be able to remain on offense in the right scheme as a load carrier.

They expect him to wind up at linebacker and Michigan's needs indicate he'll play defense, too. I don't believe the position-switching explains the split in his rankings; IMG is too well-scouted for sites to fire-and-forget on their highly touted guys.

Every site save 247 (6'0", 220) lists Anthony at 6'1" and 220-226 pounds. Depending on how Don Brown utilizes the SAM spot post-Peppers, Anthony could wind up at either the WILL or SAM; he's got the athleticism and coverage ability you want in an outside linebacker.

[Hit THE JUMP for scouting, video, and more.]

SCOUTING

Anthony has been mentioned as a potential big-time prospect since his freshman year at Good Counsel. 247's Ryan Bartow listed him as one of the area's rising stars in October of 2013 and he ranked 58th on 247's initial top 100 for the 2017 class in August of 2014.

Just prior to transferring to IMG for his final two seasons of high school, Anthony stood out at linebacker at the 2015 RCS Richmond, per Adam Friedman:

Anthony possesses all the physical tools to be a major difference-maker in college and he is only a sophomore. In coverage, he made plays toward the sideline and downfield and in drills, Anthony's footwork was some of the best out there. It's hard for linebackers to shine in the camp setting, but Anthony made his presence felt.

When Anthony got to IMG, however, he primarily played running back as a junior, working behind four-star 2016 Notre Dame signee Tony Jones. Despite the timeshare, Rivals's Rob Cassidy liked Anthony's potential on offense when he took in IMG's matchup with Paramus Catholic, saying he "already has the tools and vision to be a highly regarded prospect."

ESPN doesn't appear to have updated their scouting report for Anthony's senior season, so I'll stick the pertinent paragraph, covering his best attributes at both linebacker and running back, up here:

As sophomore, physical with great power on contact and the ability to dish out punishment. Good wrap-up tackler who is capable of being a hard striker and knocking ball carriers back. Does not let up leaky yardage. Shows some flashes as a zone player. Disciplined in his reads and pursuit angles. Plays square while maintaining good outside leverage on the ball. Displays a good nose for the ball. Reacts quickly to the ball more than a backer who reads-and-reacts to blocking schemes at this point. Quick to fill downhill and blow up the inside run play. Beats blockers to the point of attack with inside-out angles. As junior, a tough runner who will lower the shoulder when the seam closes. Not a dancer -- he will plant and get downhillgenerating the power needed to run through arm tackles and keep forward momentum. A load for smaller second level defenders to take down when he builds a head of steam. Has a decisive, quick-to-the-hole style that translates well to the college level. Shows the patience and quick footwork in heavy traffic to stay with blocking schemes and get the yards that are blocked for him.

Anthony was back on defense for camps following his junior year, and this time he stuck. Scout's Corey Bender named him one of the ten best defensive players at the Orlando Opening regional in February:

It's hard to find many weaknesses when dissecting the game of this Maryland native, who actually starred at running back a season ago. Anthony was fluid in space and really matched up well with the running backs, and also handled his duties when it came to pass [coverage]. This is a determined kid that really wants it.

At the same event, 247's Steve Wiltfong said Anthony "moved at a different speed than his peers," and ranked him fourth among defensive players.

A superlative senior season led to Anthony's five-star bump on Rivals. Adam Gorney compared Anthony favorably to five-star teammate Dylan Moses after scouting IMG's win over California powerhouse Corona Centennial:

Four-star linebackers Jordan Anthony and Dylan Moses both looked awesome for IMG Academy on Saturday night and that's not easy to do against Corona Centennial, which has such wide spreads on its offensive line and runs its offense incredibly fast up and down the field.

Both Anthony and Moses filled holes so quickly, lowered the boom time and again, got pressure in the backfield and did an excellent job all over the field for four quarters.

Anthony especially was productive time and time again slowing down running backs, timing his blitzes perfectly and being involved in so many plays I lost count.

Bender came away very impressed with Anthony's midseason highlights:

Anthony also shows good change of direction, but it's his ability to tackle in space and fly from sideline to sideline that soaks up your full attention. He sheds blocks, and then strikes with good pad level. Anthony plays with patience, but once he diagnoses the play, he finds his lane and gets to the football in a hurry.

Anthony, who also flashes the ability to wreak havoc as a pass rusher, checks in with the size and frame that coaches wants in today's day-and-age of college football. This is an instinctive defender that has a nose for the football.

After the season, Anthony got that five-star bump from Rivals, with Mike Farrell calling him a "tackling machine" in the accompanying video:

Rob Cassidy added a glowing evaluation:

Anthony is the most active member of an IMG defense that might just be the nation’s best. He moves incredibly well laterally and is a versatile player that shined as a running back before moving to linebacker full time. He’s as disruptive a linebacker as there is in the class and seems to be in the backfield on most snaps. 

I'll conclude with Scout's free evaluation, which sounds like one for a player ranked higher than 185th:

Evaluation

Anthony does so many things well, but what stands above all else is his ability to tackle in space. If it 1-on-1 with a running back, he is winning it. He changes direction well, has the ability to find the ball carrier in traffic, and he gets off blocks well. He can blitz from the edge or the middle, and he can chance down on the backside. He has very good instincts and should be a tremendous weakside linebacker in college. -- Brian Dohn

Strengths

• Athleticism
• Change of Direction
• Instincts

Areas to Improve

• Pass Coverage Skills
• Strength

I assume, like last year with Devin Bush Jr., that Anthony would be ranked higher across the board if he were an inch or two taller—even Farrell brings that up in the video above. Don Brown doesn't appear to value height for linebackers as much as most; Bush and Anthony fit the mold for his inside linebackers.

OFFERS

Anthony boasts an impressive offer sheet featuring Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Louisville, LSU, Maryland, Mississippi State, Nebraska, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Penn State, Pitt, Tennessee, and Virginia Tech, among others.

HIGH SCHOOL

IMG is the sports academy where Michigan held their spring practices; that trip probably didn't hurt their pursuit of Anthony and teammate Cesar Ruiz, who committed on Monday. The coaches are already in pursuit of a number of 2018 prospects from IMG headlined by five-star DT Taron Vincent, who visited Ann Arbor this season and has Michigan among his top schools. They've also offered four-star WR Brian Hightower, four-star CB Houston Griffith, four-star OG Curtis Dunlap, four-star OT Antwan Reed (a Muskegon transplant), and mammoth Autralian OT Daniel Faaele, who participated in M's Australia satellite camp before transferring to IMG.

STATS

According to MaxPreps, Anthony had 79 tackles (42 solo), five TFLs, and three passes defensed in ten games as a senior. He rushed for 243 yards (5.6 YPC) and five touchdowns on 43 carries in seven games as a junior.

FAKE 40 TIME

Anthony ran a 4.83 in this year's SPARQ combine, which gets zero FAKEs. His overall SPARQ score of 113.67 is 11th-beat among linebackers this year in any class; he added a 4.30 shuttle, 40.5-inch vertical leap, and 36-foot powerball throw. ESPN also lists a combine 40 time of 4.73. Anthony is an impressive athlete for a linebacker.

VIDEO

Senior highlights:

I'm embedding junior highlights to give a sense of his ability as a running back:

Not bad. Not bad at all.

Single-game reels can be found on his Hudl page.

PREDICTION BASED ON FLIMSY EVIDENCE

Anthony's athleticism and versatility will give him a chance to see the field early, especially if Don Brown goes with a more traditional SAM—whether full-time or situationally—instead of a Peppers-type hybrid. The path to immediate playing time is clearer at WILL in either case. Assuming Mike McCray slides to the MIKE and Devin Bush Jr. starts at WILL, Anthony would compete with Jared Wangler, Elysee Mbem-Bosse, and his fellow freshmen (definitely Josh Ross, probably Drew Singleton, maybe Willie Gay; we expect Ben Mason to play fullback) for rotation snaps.

I like Anthony's ability at either outside linebacker spot. He's a fluid athlete who plays well in space and looks good in the handful of plays he's in coverage in his highlights, which may allow him to be a full-time SAM down the road, if not next year. He's excellent at picking through traffic on the interior, so he wouldn't be out of place at WILL, either. While the depth chart probably dictates he stay on defense, he looks good at running back, too. Wherever he plays, I expect Anthony to be a productive multi-year starter. 

UPSHOT FOR THE REST OF THE CLASS

Anthony is the 25th commit in the class and the second who projects to linebacker, joining in-state four-star Josh Ross. (As mentioned above, we expect three-star CT ILB Ben Mason to play fullback at Michigan.) Brian covered the current numbers outlook in a recent roundup:

We've been projecting a 32-man class since the season started, but that might be difficult to pull off without some weird guys showing up. Michigan has 24 commits. We have 12 guys listed in "top group" or "leader" on the recruiting board, and we're not sure if IA WR Oliver Martin and FL OG Tedarrell Slaton are takes right now. Let's assume Michigan holds out for AL WR Nico Collins, leading Martin to commit elsewhere, and Slaton's testing doesn't go sufficiently well to get Michigan back in the game; let us further assume that both of those upcoming LB announcements go well. [Ed-Ace: So far, so good. Drew Singleton, who hasn't set a date yet, is the other.]

To hit 32 without going off the board Michigan would have to get six of the following eight recruits: [Najee] Harris, Collins, TX OT Chuck Filiaga, VA OT Mekhi Becton, UT DT Jay Tufele, AL DT Aubrey Solomon, MS LB Willie Gay, and CA CB Elijah Hicks. And that's without any decommits.

Possible. Maybe not probable, and with Michigan's board so restricted right now it's hard to see where a potential hole gets filled.

There are a handful of prospects who aren't on that list who could conceivably wind up in the class—Brian listed some in the original post—but the recruiting board is pretty clear for the most part. Out-of-nowhere additions would be especially out-of-nowhere this year.

After Anthony's addition, Michigan remains in fourth place in the composite team rankings, edging closer to #3 Georgia. Alabama and Ohio State are near-locks to finish in the first two spots.

Here's the class as it currently stands: