The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/544673
COMMITMENT PROFILE ties, the stadium, and getting to talk to and know the coaches a little bit more, I knew it was the right place. "I wanted to see their personalities and how they coach, just who they are as people. I got to learn a little bit and interact with the coaches. I liked be- ing coached by Coach [Jay] Harbaugh. He's kind of laid-back, but he's also very informative and knows what he's talking about." Heading to Michigan should give McKeon the chance to do something he's rarely had opportunity to: catch the football. Harbaugh's offenses at Stanford averaged 45.8 tight end re- ceptions for 539.3 yards over four years. That's a little different from McKeon's run-heavy unit at Shepherd Hill. "Our year was good," he said of his 10-2 junior season. "My team made it to the state semifinals — but we lost. We did a pretty good job. I did very well [individually]. "My team isn't exactly a passing team; we run the ball a lot. When we did pass the ball, I got my hands on it, but my passing stats are low." Though McKeon didn't get many chances to catch the ball, he was able to show off his run-blocking abilities on his junior film, and he's had op- portunities — including in 7-on-7 play at the Michigan camp — to show that he's not a one-dimensional player. He can do it all — even contributing eight sacks as a defensive end during his ju- nior season — and that' just the sort of player Harbaugh and the Wolverines can use. — Tim Sullivan FILM EVALUATION Strengths: McKeon has a nice combination of size and athletic skill. He runs well and shows great balance after being hit. I really like his turn up field after he catches the ball. He uses his hands relatively well when blocking and has pretty good leg drive. The thing that stands out most is his great effort to get the extra yard or pursue the tackle from behind. Areas of Improvement: His stance is a bit out of balance, which causes a long step on his first move. In addition, he will need to learn to use a right- handed stance when he's on the right side of the line and a left-handed stance when he's on the left. Proper stance is critical to initial moves and power. He's also going to learn that he will not be able to run routes free through the middle of defenses. He's going to get jammed, hit, held, etc., as he runs routes between the hashes. He must learn to run cleaner routes with sharper turns and angles. Michigan Player Comparison: Mark Campbell (1995-98) was a steady and productive pro-style tight end that helped Michigan win the 1997 National Championship, and he also had a nice NFL career. McKeon looks to have similar skills and athleticism. — Analysis by former All-Big Ten offensive lineman Doug Skene