Make A Choice: Otis Reese Or Tyler Friday?
Michigan's 2018 recruiting class contained some guys that are going to be massive contributors this fall — Ronnie Bell, Hassan Haskins, Aidan Hutchinson, Jalen Mayfield and Cameron McGrone just to name a few.
But Michigan also missed on a couple of key guys during that cycle who could really help the Wolverines in 2020 at some positions of need.
If you follow recruiting, you definitely remember the names Otis Reese and Tyler Friday. If you could rewind the clock and convince one of them to come to Michigan, which one would you choose?
Coming out of Lee County High School in Leesburg, Ga., Reese was the No. 87 overall player in the country according to the 247Sports Composite. At 6-4, 206 pounds, with linebacker and safety skills, he seemed to be a perfect fit for Don Brown's viper position. He was coveted and recruited by some of the top schools in the country, so when he committed to Michigan early in the process, it was seen as a big win. Reese stayed pledged to Michigan for a long time but ultimately spurned the Wolverines on National Signing Day to stay close to home and signed with the Georgia Bulldogs.
As a true freshman at Georgia, Reese played in 11 games and started against Auburn. He recorded 13 tackles on the year and looked poised to breakout as a sophomore. Instead, he played sparingly and only made three tackles this past season. He decided to transfer and is now at Ole Miss with Chris Partridge, who he grew close with during the recruiting process.
Friday was a four-star prospect at Ramsey (N.J.) Don Bosco Prep and felt like a Michigan lean for much of the recruiting cycle. The No. 93 player in the country ended up picking Ohio State instead of the Wolverines, instantly becoming an enemy rather than a fan favorite.
Like Reese, Friday also found his way onto the field as a true freshman. The 6-3, 265-pounder played in 10 games and recorded three tackles as a rookie. Last year, he played in 11 games and started four, despite Ohio State being loaded at defensive end. He only recorded eight tackles but did start in the Big Ten Championship game against Wisconsin and a sack against Clemson in the College Football Playoff. He's expected to see the field a lot in 2020.
My Pick
I would take Otis Reese.
I actually think the defensive line is going to be really good this year and don't see Aidan Hutchinson, Christopher Hinton or Kwity Paye coming off the field very much. Because of that, I don't see Friday as much of a need, especially considering he's listed at just 265 pounds. If he had come to Michigan, and bulked up to 295, maybe we'd be having a different discussion. But since he's at Ohio State and playing defensive end at 265, I'd stick with Hutchinson and Paye all day.
If Michigan can get any sort of production out of Mazi Smith, they'll have a very stout, athletic and likely productive starting front four, and a guy like Friday will not be missed.
At viper, we really have no idea what we're going to get. It feels like Michael Barrett's job to lose, but we haven't seen much of him. If Reese were on the roster, he'd certainly be a guy to watch at that position heading into fall camp.
