Freshmen Faces: Osman Savage
Coming out of Baltimore St. Frances, Osman Savage was considered a four-star prospect, the No. 299 overall player nationally and the No. 18 outside linebacker in the country according to the 247 Sports Composite. Savage is a versatile prospect who was actually viewed as a running back by some schools earlier in the process. Over the course of his prep career, Savage scored four defensive touchdowns.
Recruitment
Savage committed to Michigan earlier than most in the class on Jan. 25, 2019 after being courted by the Wolverines for a long time. Savage earned his offer as a young prospect and always spoke highly of the Wolverines. For a time it didn't look like he was a take but ultimately, he committed to U-M and is now on campus as a freshman. The versatile linebacker reeled in around 10 offers over his high school career and had some very solid options to choose from. He had opportunities from schools like Florida, Georgia Tech, Michigan State, Virginia Tech and West Virginia among others.
Player Breakdown/Player Comparison
Savage is listed at 6-2, 225 pounds on MGoBlue.com and has a pretty powerful, compact build. He was considered an outside linebacker coming out of high school but actually has more of an inside linebacker build and mentality. He loves contact and really does a good job at the point of attack. He seems to have a knack for getting through the wash, likely due to his background as a running back.
Because of his build, experience at running back and overall upside and linebacker versatility, he reminds me a lot of Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Myles Jack.
Just like Savage, Jack was almost exclusively a running back early in his prep career. He finished his high school days as a four-star linebacker checking in at 6-2, 215 pounds, which is very similar to Savage's trajectory.
Jack ended up playing at UCLA and gaining praise as one of the more versatile players in the country. He played on both sides of the ball for the Bruins and, while I don't see that happening for Savage, he's got a skill set that probably would allow him to. Jack ended up being a second-round pick for the Jags even after injuring his knee at the end of his college career. I don't think we'll see Savage on offense, but he could end up being a linebacker like Jack.
2020 Outlook
I don't think we'll see much of Savage at all in 2020 as he figures out his best position, learns the system and shapes his body. Depending on where he plays will determine when he gets onto the field. In 2020, Josh Ross and Cameron McGrone should have U-M's traditional linebacker spots sewn up, while Michael Barrett and Anthony Solomon get it figured out at viper. There isn't much depth behind Ross and McGrone, so Savage could find himself on the two deep depending on how fall camp goes, but I envision a redshirt season for him. Eventually I think he'll settle in as an inside linebacker and will be a very productive player for the Wolverines
