Michigan football makes top group for nation’s No. 1 OT in 2024
Michigan football already has four offensive linemen committed in 2024 — Ohio’s Ben Roebuck and Luke Hamilton, legacy Blake Frazier, and Missouri-based Andrew Sprague. While the Wolverines are looking to add at least one more, and apparently lead for four-star Bennett Warren out of Texas, there’s another really big fish who could choose to come to Ann Arbor.
On Thursday, the Wolverines made the top group for a truly elite prospect. From powerhouse Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei, Brandon Baker is a five-star recruit and the nation’s top offensive tackle in 2024. Michigan football made his top 10, along with Georgia, Washington, Oregon, Ohio State, Nebraska, Texas, Florida State, Tennessee, and Miami.
BREAKING: Five-Star OT Brandon Baker is down to 🔟 Schools!
The 6’5 290 OT from Ontario, CA is ranked as the No. 1 OT in the ‘24 Class
Where Should He Go?👇🏽https://t.co/ZyVPyAkpcR pic.twitter.com/LR8k6cUdaN
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) June 15, 2023
According to 247Sports, Baker is ranked No. 23 overall and is the second-best player in the state of California in 2024. Gabe Brooks has the scouting report:
Athletically-built offensive lineman who can live long term on the outside. Owns adequate height with above average length and frame space to continue adding mass.
Plays mad and it shows in the run game. Excellent drive blocker who looks to finish blocks to the ground. Displays impressive lateral quickness and range when required to pull or reach targets at the second level.
Plays with consistent leg drive, especially once engaged. Play strength is good and combines with size to often overwhelm smaller, overmatched defenders.
Pass-pro reps are promisingly natural and effective. Quite light-footed and body-controlled in pass pro. Hand placement also shows encouraging consistency in pass reps.
Faces excellent competition in practice and often in games, though high-profile program results in lack of preferred multi-sport profile and two-way experience. Run-game hand placement consistency and body control when engaged can improve. Overpowers defenders with regularity, but punch power can more consistently manifest.
Through junior season, appears to have established himself as one of the top offensive tackle prospects in the 2024 class. Projects as a potential multi-year high-major starter with an eventual ceiling that could lead to NFL Draft early-round candidacy.
While some other schools have linemen who have gone highly in recent NFL drafts, the Wolverines do have the bonus of having produced two-straight Joe Moore Award-winning offensive lines — the best in the country two years running.
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