New Michigan Commit T.J. Guy Could Develop As Strong-Side Defensive End

Earlier in the day, Michigan picked up a commitment from Mansfield (Mass.) three-star defensive end T.J. Guy. Previously in the cycle, Guy had issued his verbal pledge to Boston College, but he eased off that decision once a coaching change occurred. Michigan offered in late January, then Guy eventually decommitted 12 days later.

In the meantime, Guy evaluated his options and worked to decide which school would be the best fit for him. U-M defensive coordinator Don Brown was instrumental in helping Guy make the decision to pick Michigan. Wolverine Digest spoke with Mansfield coach Mike Redding to find out more on Michigan’s latest 2021 commit.

“He is a smart kid,” Redding said. “That was a factor in trying to narrow it down to the best academic schools. He was offered from Syracuse and Virginia, and I think that plays a big part of it, to get a good education along with playing a high level of football. Obviously Michigan in the Big Ten, we are talking some great academic schools, but also the highest level of football you can play.”

Last year, Guy helped push Mansfield to an 11-1 record as the team picked up a state championship, but coincidentally enough the newest Wolverine commit nearly played at his future stadium last season.

“It’s kind of ironic,” Redding said. “We were actually supposed to play at the University of Michigan, their stadium. We ended up talking to St. Xavier and La Salle out of Cincinnati, and the price tag at Michigan was just a little too much for us to fly out, get hotels and pay for a rental of the stadium.”

This fall, Guy is looking to repeat as a state champion on the gridiron. Redding says the team returns 12 of its 22 starters and is expected to lean on Guy throughout the season. Schematically, Redding says weak-side defensive end is likely where the new U-M commit will spend most of his team, but his versatility ensures that he will be used in a variety of ways.

“I would say [weak-side] is probably his best position,” Redding said. “For us, he plays left tackle on offense and D-end. For us, we kind of move him around, but he lines up most at the rush end position.”

However, Redding forecasts a move to the strong-side for Guy at the next level.

“I think it’s going to happen,” Redding said. “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.”

Redding emphasized how athletic Guy truly is, indicating that his three-star ranking does not tell the multi-sport athlete’s entire story.

“You look at him as a football player, but a lot of team that are recruiting him, I shared his basketball film,” Redding said. “He’s out there shooting threes, handling the ball dunking on the break. He is not your typical 6-5, 250-pound offensive lineman. He’s a high level athlete. He was probably recruitable as a low-end Division I basketball kid. I think you take some of those athletic abilities and put it into a kid that is going to get bigger and stronger. He is young for his grade. He still has a lot of growing to do. He’s going to be a big kid that can run around and do a lot of things.”

With regards to Michigan, the Wolverines are recruiting Guy to play on the defensive line, but the new U-M pledge also had schools interested in his talent at offensive tackle, and Syracuse was the first school to offer him at the position. In fact, Syracuse said he could play in the NFL at offensive tackle after spending time in their system.

“His strength is definitely his athleticism and size and strength,” Redding said. “At our level in Massachusetts, he is going to be a mismatch against a lot of linemen. I think we have good football in the state, but the number of really good offensive lineman is pretty limited, so he’s able to rush pretty effectively. At the next level, I think he’s going to have to work on discipline, work on some good pass rush moves. 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. We are practicing 45 minutes of offense, 45 minutes of defense, so we need him to play both ways. I think once he gets to the college level where he can focus on one position, you will see a big improvement. He really only started playing football as a freshman. He only played, really, three years of football in his life.”

While Guy receives a ringing endorsement due to his on-field talent and tangible gifts athletically, the future Wolverine is also a well-rounded student athlete that approaches the game with a sense of driven and an unshakable work ethic.

“He works hard with us in-season,” Redding said. “In Massachusetts, we played in the state championship on Friday night, and he was playing in a basketball scrimmage on Sunday. The coached asked if he would take a week off, and he said nom that he just wants to get going and get in shape. He had a good winter season. In hoops, they lost in the state semi-finals. They had a good year, but when basketball ends in March, he’s right back in the weight room to try to get himself bigger and stronger. His teammates voted him captain, so there’s a lot of respect there with the teammates and coaches. Good work ethic, good leader, very personable, very mature for his age. I think he brings a lot to the table off the field as well.”

This coming season, Guy will have an opportunity to become a repeat state champion in football, and Redding says that he will work to reach the state title game in basketball as well— that is, if he does not wind up in Ann Arbor as an early enrollee. Simply put, Guy brings a lot to the table as Michigan’s newest verbal pledge for the 2021 class.

A former Boston College commit, T.J. Guy offers quite a bit from an athletic standpoint, and he could figure into the U-M defense in several ways. Redding sees his player as a future strong-side defensive end. Where would you play Guy? What scheme best fits his game? Let us know!