It's a good year nationally for defensive linemen but a tough year to pick the nation's No. 1 DL prospect. Among the candidates are Anttaj Hawthorne of Hamden, Conn., Marquise Hill of New Orleans, La., Tommie Harris of Killeen, Tex., Shaun Cody of Hacienda Heights, Calif., and one of the most athletic big guys in the nation -- Pat Massey of St. Ignatius High School in Cleveland, Ohio, who recently committed to Michigan.
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I first saw Massey on film in May. He's a superior athlete with unusual quickness, great body control and outstanding movement skills. As a junior he recorded 51 solo tackles, 13 QB sacks, 19 QB hurries and three interceptions, returning two of them for scores (75 and 55 yards). On the latter return, everyone who watched it had to be impressed by this 6-8, 240-pounder outrunning the entire offense.
He comes by his football talent naturally. His father, Jim, was an outstanding basketball and football player at Detroit Catholic Central High School in 1967 before becoming a defensive end at Notre Dame. He also played in the 1969 and 1970 Cotton Bowls against the Texas Longhorns. His grandfather played football for the University of Detroit and his brother Jim is a junior offensive tackle at Ohio State.
Over the years, whenever I've interviewed a player who told me he is 6-foot-8, usually he has been 6-4 or 6-5 when I met him in person. That's not the case with Pat; he looks every bit of 6-8 and also skinny at 240 pounds, and I'd imagine that when he's through growing he could weigh about 280 or 290 pound. If he can keep his quickness, there will be an All-American career waiting for this young man.
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ABOUT TOM LEMMING
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Tom Lemming is editor of Prep Football Report. For information on how to subscribe to Prep Football Report's three yearly magazines and five newsletters, fax your request to 847-842-1313 or write to P.O. Box 59113, Schaumburg, Ill. 60159. For year-round recruiting updates, call Tom Lemming's Prep Football Hotline at 900-860-9888. Calls are $1.79 per minute, and callers must be 18 years old or have parents' permission. |
On film, Massey reacts extremely well to the ball and shows great instincts, and he has been double-teamed on just about every play. As a freshman at St. Ignatius, he fought hard to play tight end. However, once the coaches got a look at his size he was quickly moved to offensive tackle, where he has been a fixture for the past three years. However, it's at defensive-end that Massey should make a name for himself in college ball.
He's an "offensive" defensive player who's always thinking about causing a turnover and doing something with the ball after he has secured it. He's a difference-maker who must be accounted for at all times. Every year there are only a handful of difference-maker players among high school seniors, and this year I would consider players such as DB Matt Ware, DB Ernest Shazor, DL Shaun Cody and DL Marquise Hill to be among them. There's no doubt that Pat Massey also belongs in that category, not only on the basis of physical skills but also because of his production.
Cleveland coaches were mentioning Massey to me a year ago as perhaps the most dominant defensive player in the area. This year he has gotten off to a great start and in his first four games has totaled seven QB sacks, with four coming against state power Cincinnati St. Xavier. His team, St. Ignatius, is ranked fifth in the nation and has a chance at winning the mythical national title. If they do, you can bet Massey will play a major role. And barring injury, I believe he'll eventually become one of the most talked-about defensive linemen in college football.
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