Michael is a player I’ve been following since he was a varsity starter as a freshman. He was limited this past season with some injuries, but that is why he will have a big spring/summer as he gets back to full health. A thick build and well slapped together, Michael is a ILB who will hit you. He is quick to diagnose plays and get himself in position to make the play, has a nose for the ball. Will burst downhill to fill the gap and make the tackle. Michael also shows fluid hips and good footwork, allowing him to be effective in drop zone coverage and play in space. He will flip his hips in pursuit and shows mobility when getting through the mess. Michael is a hard working, high academic, physical thumping MLB who is starting to get on colleges radars and will continue to this spring.

Cooley now comes in as the #10 LB in this class. He picked up where he left off from his freshmen season, where he showed glimpses. This past season he had a lot more opportunities and took full advantage of them. He’s very versatile, he can play middle linebacker in between the tackles, shows the ability to line up with his hand in the dirt along the line and does a good job of beating the offense to the perimeter to make a play on the QB rollout. He shows some athleticism carrying the ball on offense, breaking off some chunk plays that show off his strength and good top in speed, and even had a few receptions out of the backfield. After the championship season Cooley landed his first offer from UNC-Charlotte as well.