Michigan Commit Film Study: T.J. Guy
As a high-ceiling player in Michigan’s 2021 class, Mansfield (Mass.) High three-star defensive end T.J. Guy is a natural athlete who, while already talented, has a lot of room to grow.
A prospect who is rated as the No. 31 defensive end in the nation by 247Sports.com, Guy is a two-sport athlete at his school that has only been playing on the gridiron for three years. Previously, Guy was subjected to weight restrictions and could not participate.
Along that line, Guy has made up for lost time and covered a lot of ground quickly. At 6-5 and 250 pounds, Guy lined up on the weak side along the defensive line, which highlights his quickness off the snap, speed around the edge and consistent drive to create pressure. Guy, who even plays with his hand up at times, has an arsenal of pass rushing that he uses to beat tackles on the outside. The Michigan commit’s explosivity and strong hands help make this happen.
But while Guy is continuing to develop his pass rushing game, the three-star prospect brushes off blockers fairly well and can shift laterally to plug holes on running plays. On film, Guy shucks off linemen regularly, so he’s adept at stopping both phases of offense.
However, the U-M pledge is still relatively lean and could be well served to gain a bit of size before he arrives at Michigan. According to Mansfield head coach Mike Redding, Guy plays basketball in the offseason and has had difficulty gaining weight as a result.
Still, Guy’s overall athleticism is a standout quality of the rising prospect. And once he does gain size and additional strength, Redding sees it as quite likely that Guy switches positions to strong-side defensive end.
“I think it’s going to happen,” Redding told Wolverine Digest. “He is about 250 in terms of weight, but he is very, very lean. I think he is going to end up playing 270 or a 280-pound kid that can run a little bit. I think he will be pretty versatile. He’s a strong kid. He plays basketball, so he loses some weight in the winter. Once he gets into football year-round, I think he will be a big, strong kid that can move around a little bit. For us, he’s playing weak-side rush end. He’s playing seven-technique on the tight end. We bump him inside a little bit as a three-tech, so he’s kind of played a number of positions so people can’t double team him all the time.”
That element of versatility will be a useful quality at the next level as Guy could play multiple roles for Michigan. From an objective standpoint, though, Redding spoke about where Guy can work on his game as he continues to develop.
“At the next level, I think he’s going to have to work on discipline, work on some good pass rush moves,” Redding said. “He’s a pretty good swim and rip guy, but once he matches up with guys his own size and strength, he will have to improve the technique and discipline. Once he gets full time coaching and plays on one side of the ball all the time, I think you will see those skills improve.”
Overall, Michigan snagged a talented defensive lineman that is only going to raise his skill level as he develops. During his recruitment, Guy was once a Boston College commit but reconsidered that choice once the Eagles went through a head coaching change. The Wolverines actually extended an offer to Guy, then the three-star tenured his decommitment 12 days later.
In any event, the persistent recruiting of U-M defensive coordinator Don Brown played a pivotal role in eventually convincing guy to join Michigan’s 2021 class.
With a few different options on the table in terms of position, where do you see T.J. Guy playing when he begins his Michigan career? Is he a player that can move around the defensive line consistently at U-M? Let us know!
