From The Road: Thoughts on Michigan DL commit Ted Hammond
*** This past Friday, The Wolverine check out Cincinnati (Ohio) St. Xavier three-star defensive lineman and Michigan commit Ted Hammond for the second time in less than a month. Hammond squared off against fellow U-M pledge and close friend Jordan Marshall in Dayton. The former compiled three total tackles and one quarterback hurry in the 20-10 loss. Regularly facing double teams as the one technique pass rusher, Hammond’s outing sparked intrigue in how his talents will be developed properly under defensive line coach Mike Elston at the correct position.
*** Hammond won’t likely slide to nose tackle at Michigan unless he gains 20 pounds of healthy weight, which is possible. The coaching staff has brought up the idea to Hammond of eclipsing the 300-pound mark. Currently, he weighs 280 pounds and carries it well. But as the biggest player on the field, especially in Friday’s game, Hammond was used as a hole clogger to help force Marshall and Cincinnati (Ohio) Archbishop Moeller’s rushing attack to bounce outside at times. For a player like Hammond, who has good length, get off and technique, having more room on the line to work in pass rush moves by playing the three technique will elevate his game, which is where Michigan views him.
*** One of the best things about Hammond is his candid demeanor about taking on any challenge and coming away with success. On Friday, he did his job well to be that hoss against less flexible and durable offensive linemen. When The Wolverine first evaluated Hammond at Wayne State University in late August, there was a desire to see him use his hands more, which was seen three days ago. Hammond utilized the swim move, rip and pull, along with getting skinny to slide in-between the center and guard down blocking. When Hammond got double-teamed, it usually opened up a linebacker to come downhill because much of the focus had to be placed on the No. 36 defensive lineman nationally and No. 17 player in Ohio, per On3. There’s a lot of power in Hammond’s initial punch, too, which is placed well in the chest of an offensive lineman to get them off-balanced once the ball is snapped.
*** Hammond’s intensity in Dayton, which had high emotions Friday because it was a Cincinnati Greater Catholic League contest, matched his energy in Detroit a few weeks ago. He has a bulldog mentality that many other Michigan defensive line commits have, like Owen Wafle and Bobby Kanka. The type of player that Elston looks for embraces that blue-collar persona and Hammond suits the description perfectly. Ever since Hammond committed to the Wolverines in January, he’s gone in-depth numerous times about his trust in Elston’s philosophies, so there’s no doubt he’ll hit the ground running in the weight room and defensive line room once enrolled in June. Hammond also fits the culture that Michigan bestows of letting the work do the talking and will be well-received by fans off the field, too, because of his genuine compassion for others.
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