Raheem Anderson / submitted
Raheem Anderson On Verge Of Top 10 Ranking By SI All-American
As a soon-to-be four-year starter for Cass Tech, offensive lineman Raheem Anderson is one of the most important pieces in Michigan's 2021 recruiting class.
After former Michigan center Cesar Ruiz was selected in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft by the New Orleans Saints, Michigan is looking to replace that position heading into the fall. During a Zoom press conference held earlier this month, U-M head coach Jim Harbaugh covered which offensive linemen are in the discussion for a starting position this season, and Zach Carpenter was listed as a player who could contend for the center spot.
After redshirting during his true freshman season in 2019, Carpenter has all four years of eligibility ahead of him. It is important to note that through the recruiting process, Carpenter was viewed as a three-star offensive guard, but the Wolverines are giving him an opportunity to entrench his position at center. But looking past this season, Raheem Anderson may seize that spot.
According to the team at SI All-American, Anderson was one of several players who just missed out on an appearance into their top 10 rankings for interior offensive lineman. Overall, Anderson is commonly regarded as one of the top centers in the country, and many prospects in SI All-American's list play the guard position, so that could partially explain the disparity. For instance, Rivals.com has Anderson as the No. 2 center in the nation for the current class.
After drumming up a host of praise to this point, Anderson has the on-field ability to back up his lofty ranking. On film, Anderson shows a desire to finish plays through the whistle and can demonstrate an aggressive nature that has helped etch his starting position at Cass Tech in stone.
As a Technician by school affiliation, Anderson is also a technician based on how he plays the center position. His hand placement helps throw defensive linemen off balance, and he sinks down low enough to obtain a leverage advantage in almost all of his one-on-one matchups. On top of that, Anderson has studied his team's playbook inside and out to know where his responsibility comes from on any given play.
But while there are many positive aspects attached to Anderson's game, he does have a bit of work to do before factoring into the starting lineup at Michigan. From a physical standpoint, Anderson could reshape his body a little bit, which will certainly happen once he enters a college strength and conditioning program under Ben Herbert. From there, U-M offensive line coach Ed Warinner will take the reins in Anderson's development.
This offseason, Anderson told Wolverine Digest that he is focusing the most on flexibility and improving his lower body, so he's staying busy despite the COVID-19-altered offseason. Take a look at how Anderson was described in SI All-American's article about who is next in line for the interior lineman top 10:
Raheem Anderson II, Detroit (Mich.) Cass Technical
6-foot-2, 306 pounds
Committed to Michigan
With his solid snap quickness and toughness, Anderson begins to check some boxes of ideal traits for a center. He can execute a no-look gun snap consistently and without panic when having a man on his head. Anderson works well in zone-blocking concepts, showing an ability to win with proper angles, agility and leverage. His ability to factor and win on reach blocks will also serve him well when asked to help on inside zone. Anderson isn’t asked to protect often due to the run-first offensive structure at Cass Tech, yet his able movement skills project him to develop well in that area at Michigan.
Michigan commit Giovanni El-Hadi and U-M target Rocco Spindler were named as top 10 interior offensive linemen.
What are your thoughts on Michigan commit Raheem Anderson's exclusion from the top 10 list? Do you agree or disagree? Will he work his way onto the list after the 2020 season? Let us know!
