Patter Of Giant Feet

Hurray! Er, probably(!). Though couched in disclaimers like "barring a last minute change in plans" (coughJAIcough), The State.com declares that Adam Patterson has committed to Michigan:

We’ve got the papers for both (schools),’’ Richland Northeast coach Jay Frye said this afternoon. ``As it stands right now, it looks like Michigan.’’

... which is conclusive enough to post. Patterson is a DE with great athleticism who disappointed on the field last year--a great NIKE camp had him #41 in the country, but he fell to #91 when the final Rivals 100 was released. That's still pretty good, obviously. Informative update coming.

(Mostly un-) Informative Update: I got nothin'. Well, almost nothing. Here's a picture:

ESPN has him #84 on their top 150 list, rating him a 7.2. It sounds like he's more suited for DE than DT:

He is a strong pas rusher that can quickly get to the shoulder of blockers and get his hips flipped to turn the corner. He plays with a good motor, pursues well, and can move through the trash to make plays on the perimeter.

He's 260 though, so if he adds 20 pounds or so he could be a Branch-style penetrating DT, though not a space-eating NT like Watson (or, say, Jason Kates). Senior stats are okay:

Had 68 tackles, 12 tackles for losses and six sacks at defensive end.

Not great for a guy in the top 100 (McKenzie Matthews, for instance, had 27 sacks as a senior)... probably a redshirt coming; a Clemson poster on the Rivals Auburn board describes him as "very athletic but a project." Some sour grapes perhaps--Patterson never considered Clemson-- but it sounds like he's seen him play a few times.

Scout's profile has this:

Scouting Report: Great strength and size combination, comes off the ball well but has trouble if he gets too close to an offensive lineman. Sells his body to make a tackle, and has a motor that just keeps going.

Coach's Comments: “He is quite a physical specimen just to look at,” head coach Jay Frye said. “His arms are huge and he is put together. And he’s extremely quick off of the football. He is just a tremendous athlete, but he’s just now learning the game. When he really learns how to cut loose and play every play as hard as he can play, he’s going to be an unbelievable player. He’s got a great attitude and he’s a great kid.”

Scout gives him four stars but omits him from their top 100, so they're obviously wrong and should be shot.