Sony Michel, a running back from the American Heritage School in Plantation (Fla), is one of the top recruits at his position in the class of 2014, and he is showing interest in Notre Dame, Georgia, Miami, Alabama, and Florida State. He also has offers from Clemson, Florida, LSU, South Carolina and Penn State.
Sony Michel, 2014 RB recruit scouting report: The internet sensation returns
Michel is getting plenty of attention from major programs across the country.
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Michel stands 5’11 and weighs 205 pounds. He ran for 1,258 yards on just 127 carries in 2012 and scored 18 touchdowns on the ground.
Rivals, Scout and 247Sports all agree that Michel is a five-star prospect, and Rivals has him as the No. 5 overall prospect in the class according to their early rankings. Scout considers him the second-best running back in the class, while 247Sports has him third at running back and 18th overall.
Bud Elliott, SB Nation National Recruiting Analyst: Michel has been somewhat of an internet sensation since 2009. Then came the knee injury, forcing him to miss the 2011 season. But Michel bounced back quite well, proving that he is still to be considered one of the premier running backs in the country.
Michel looks all of 205 pounds, and clearly put his upper body to work while rehabbing his knee. As a result, his stiff-arm move is more powerful than ever. When Michel is running he does not appear to be going that fast. Do not be fooled. While he is quite smooth, he is rarely touched by some of the better high school competition in the country. Michel has excellent moves in the open field, and displays very good vision as well, getting the most out of each play, particularly when he hits the cutback lane. He is talented enough to take over games even at the highest level of college football. I would like to see more clips of Michel catching the football.
The only questions I have about Michel’s game, and this is not a criticism in any way, is whether he has or will develop the maturity to take what the play is designed to do. In other words, sometimes backs who are so successful in high school, have a tendency to try to hit a home run on every play, and as a result, sometimes eschew a gain of four yards for an attempt at something bigger, only to be tackled for a loss or no gain. Granted, that is something that is rarely included on a highlight tape, and is not a mark on Michel’s game.
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