Michigan Target Film Study: Xavier Worthy

At 4 p.m. Eastern time, one of Michigan's top targets in the 2021 class is going to come off the board when Fresno (Calif.) Central East four-star wide receiver Xavier Worthy announces his college decision.

After picking up an offer from Michigan in February, Worthy became an instant priority for the Wolverines due to his top-tier athleticism. At Central East, Worthy is a track star that competes in the 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash and long jump, all disciplines that cater to the Michigan target's explosive speed. In the 100, Worthy has a personal record of 10.55 seconds and has logged a blistering 21.41 time in the 200 as well.

That speed translates directly to the football field, but Worthy is difficult to tackle for many more reasons than just his straight-line speed. At wide receiver, Worthy is a crisp route runner that is flat out difficult to cover. For short routes, Worthy can create separation quickly before turning into an even more dangerous player with the football in his hands. From the slot, Worthy was also called upon to run routes that carry deep downfield last year, and that clearly suits his raw foots peed. Running routes over the middle or possession-type routes such as digs or comebacks are not his forte, but his natural talent can be used better elsewhere.

At 6-1 and 164 pounds, Worthy is quite clearly slight of frame, but he has the length to make plays downfield and can climb the ladder to make catches on off-target pass attempts. After putting on a bit of muscle, though, Worthy could make an impact on the field rather early in his college career, especially given his effectiveness on special teams. With the kind of speed he has, Worthy is a game-breaking return man that is a threat to take any kickoff or punt return to the house. As a runner, Worthy has the quickness in small spaces to make would-be tacklers miss and is creative (and speedy) enough to reverse the field when need be.

As a receiver, Worthy could be well served to work on his run blocking and effectiveness in running routes over the middle in order to become a more complete receiver, but Worthy is an elite talent in the areas the he excels at. He has speed that cannot be taught, and in the right system his skills could really shine. Putting Worthy in a wide open offense that slings the football around could really allow his ability to shine, and that sounds roughly like what U-M offensive coordinator Josh Gattis would like to run. Just imagine the possibility of Joe Milton throwing a go route to Xavier Worthy on Saturdays.

From a recruiting standpoint, Worthy is set to commit to his school of choice later this afternoon. Previously, Worthy has announced a top group of Michigan, Oregon, Alabama, Auburn, LSU and Georgia. However, Worthy has not been able to visit any of these programs due to the recruiting dead period. Worthy was scheduled to commit once already towards the end of June, but the four-star prospect pushed his date back, a move that was quite positive for Michigan as he is expected to pick the Wolverines later today.

Click here for a link to Worthy's junior highlight tape.

What do you think of Xavier Worthy's skill set? How would you utilize that pure speed if you were running the Michigan offense? Let us know!