Freshmen Faces: Andre Seldon

Coming out of Belleville (Mich.) High, Andre Seldon was considered a four-star prospect, the No. 161 overall player nationally and the No. 11 cornerback in the country according to the 247 Sports Composite. Seldon is as competitive as they come and has never backed down from anyone despite being one of the smaller four-star cornerbacks in the nation. As a senior at Belleville, Seldon had 27 tackles, six interceptions, including one pick-six, three pass breakups, and also added four punt returns for touchdowns.

Recruitment

Seldon is the founding member of Michigan's 2020 class after committing to the Wolverines very early in the process on June 20, 2018. The sticky cornerback is definitely on the small side and committed early, so his offer list topped out at nine. By the time he pledged to the Wolverines, he had tenders from Central Michigan, Iowa State, Kentucky, Maryland, Syracuse, Toledo, West Virginia and Western Michigan.

Player Breakdown/Player Comparison

Seldon is generously listed at 5-8, 154 pounds on MGoBlue.com but has never let his size hold him back. Whether it was during games or on the camp circuit, Seldon brought a competitive edge that most players simply don't have. He backed that up with 4.4 speed, sticky coverage and a physical brand of football. He's also an extremely hard worker and it shows in the way he's developed over time. Despite being small, he's very well put together and should have no problem checking larger receivers in college.

Because of his build, speed and short space quickness, Seldon is the perfect nickel corner for today's brand of football. The nickel cornerback is becoming one of the more premium positions in football against spread offenses and Seldon definitely fills that need in the 2020 class. Because of his position, size and how he plays, he compares favorably to Nickell Robey-Coleman of the Philadelphia Eagles.

Robey-Coleman is viewed as one of the better nickel corners in the NFL despite being one of the smallest at 5-8, 181 pounds. Coming out of high school, Robey-Coleman was considered a four-star prospects and was just 165 pounds, very close to Seldon's listed 154 pounds.

Robey-Coleman signed with USC and was solid for the Trojans. Coming out of college, Coleman was billed as a very fluid athlete with very loose hips and an ability to turn and run at top speed in a hurry. Robey-Coleman also displays excellent balance and quickness, just like Seldon. Robey-Coleman actually doesn't have a great 40 time (4.53), but because he can turn and run so quickly, he's sticky in coverage. Seldon has the same turn-and-run ability, but possesses better straight-line speed. Robey-Coleman. was solid for the Trojans, but went undrafted in the 2013 NFL Draft. Now, he's in a one-year deal with Eagles for $1.3 million. Seldon has a chance to do better than that at Michigan but making the league is tough for smaller corners. If anyone can work hard and get to that level, it's Seldon.

2020 Outlook

Even though Seldon is small, he's fast, physical, skilled and extremely motivated. Because of that, and because Michigan has an opening at the nickel corner spot that was vacated by Daxton Hill, I think Seldon might get onto the field as a rookie. The speedy corner is definitely going to get a look at the specialized position and because of the skills he already has, Seldon should be able to step in and play if the coaches trust him.