New Michigan Commit Elias Rudolph Looks Like $70,000,000 EDGE Rusher
Michigan added to its already solid 2024 class with the commitment of Deerfield Beach (Fla.) High four-star EDGE rusher Elias Rudolph earlier today and got a high upside, lanky athlete in the process. Rudolph picked the Wolverines over Cincinnati, Ohio State, Miami and Pittsburgh among others.
Rudolph checks in at 6-4, 205-pounds with a year of high school left, which means he'll be well north of 225 pounds before he hits the field in Ann Arbor. On tape, he's got good length, a long stride and some pretty solid, polished pass rush moves for a player considered to have a lot of upside left.
When watching Rudolph, he looks a lot like current Denver Bronco pass rusher Randy Gregory.
Once upon a time, Gregory was a modestly-rated, 6-6, 210-pound pass rusher out of Indiana. He initially committed to Purdue, before a stint at a community college and then a fruitful finish at Nebraska. He's had some ups and downs off the field but he's always been an athletic player, which got him drafted in the second round. He's now a 240-pound quarterback hunter, worth $70,000,000. On tape, Rudolph looks like he could be the same kind of player.
If Rudolph bulks up to around 240 pounds, and continues to hone his pass rushing skills, combined with his athleticism, he could be as effective as Gregory was while at Nebraska. During his two years in Lincoln, Gregory recorded 16.5 sacks. If Rudolph can rack up numbers like that during any length of time in Ann Arbor, people will be very happy about this pledge down the line.