Tag: Deakon Tonielli

Top five true freshman tight ends in the Big Ten for 2023

Top five true freshman tight ends in the Big Ten for 2023 #GoBucks #B1G

It is always fun to look at recruiting rankings. The recruiting landscape receives more coverage every year and is a very important aspect of building a program. Still, it is important to remember these players and prospects are not defined by these rankings.

I was diving into the most recent class and trying to figure out which future Buckeye is going to shine brightest and fastest but noticed that the Big Ten as a whole was pretty interesting recruiting-wise this cycle, and we already discussed the quarterback position, running back position, and wide receiver group and now we are diving into the top prospects in the tight end group.

The following are the top five tight end recruits ranked by 247Sports heading to Big Ten schools this fall.

Early Signing Day: Deakon Tonielli signs with Michigan football

Could he be the next great #Michigan tight end? #GoBlue

Ratings

Stars Overall Position State
247Sports 4 – #19 TE #4
On3 4 – #17 TE #3
Rivals 3 – #46 TE #10
ESPN 3 – #13 TE #6
247Sports Composite 4 393 #20 TE #6
On3 Consensus 4 378 #22 TE #6

Vitals

Hometown Oswego (Ill.)
Projected Position Tight End
Height 6-foot-6
Weight 215-pounds

Notable offers

Readiness Level

Already has prototypical size and could make a splash despite an already loaded position group, thanks to the departures of Luke Schoonmaker and Erick All.

Early Enrollee?

No

Notes

Via MGoBlue.com:

Prep
• Attended Oswego High School (2023) coached by Brian Cooney
• The Panthers finished 3-6 in his senior season
• Helped Oswego go 6-4 with a playoff appearance his junior year
• During his sophomore year, the Panthers went 5-1 in a COVID-shortened season and won the district title
• Also lettered in basketball and track and field for the Panthers; a full-time varsity player in football and basketball as a sophomore

Key Statistics
• Caught 42 passes for 550 yards with five touchdowns during his senior campaign
• As a junior, caught 32 passes for 385 yards with two touchdowns, accounting for over 38 percent of the team’s receiving yards
• Made 25 catches for a team-high 440 yards and two touchdowns his sophomore year
• Also played defensive end, punted and snapped for Oswego; played safety early in his career and filled in as emergency quarterback during his junior year

Honors and Rankings
• Earned a 247Sports Composite ranking of four stars; the No. 390 overall player nationally, the No. 20 tight end and the No. 6 player in the state of Illinois
• Named a four-star prospect by 247Sports; the No. 19 tight end and the No. 4 player in the state of Illinois
• Rated as a four-star prospect by ESPN, the No. 33 player in the region, the No. 13 tight end nationally and the No. 6 player in the state of Illinois
• Rivals.com three-star prospect, the No. 46 tight end in the nation and the No. 10 player in Illinois
• On3.com four-star consensus prospect, the No. 378 player in the country, the No. 22 tight end in the nation and the No. 6 player in Illinois
• On3.com four-star prospect, the No. 17 tight end in the nation and the No. 3 player in Illinois
• Special Mention All-State by the Champaign News-Gazette (2022)
• All-Conference performer (2022)
• Beacon-News/Courier-News All-Area Team (2022)

Personal
• Deakon Tonielli was born Oct. 7, 2004
• Son of Saul Tonielli and Jill Bryska

Scouting report

Via 247Sports’ Allen Trieu:

Tall, longer prospect. Plays as an outside receiver as well as a slot in high school. Uses height, length and leaping ability well and shows a big catch radius. Good athlete with basketball and track and field in his background as well. Appears to have some top end speed, but can still improve burst and suddenness. Tracks the ball in the air well and can put himself in position to make plays on the ball without losing speed or balance. Will grow into a tight end in college but his experience being unattached offers a lot of possibilities. Shows some physicality but would need experience as an on the ball blocker if schools try to do that with him.

Film

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Michigan football gets first 2023 commitment since March

FINALLY! #GoBlue

With official visit season underway, it was only a matter of time before Michigan football cashed in.

The Wolverines have gotten stellar reviews from various elite players, and while the prevailing thought is that any number of recruits could drop for the maize and blue, Michigan went to the well, reeling in a player at a position that’s thrived in recent years.

Enter Deakon Tonielli, a 6-foot-6, 215-pound tight end from Oswego (Ill.), rated a four-star according to 247Sports’ proprietary rankings. He visited Ann Arbor for ‘Victors Weekend’ on June 17, and apparently he’s seen all he’s needed to see, pledging to the Wolverines over Illinois, Purdue, MSU, Tennessee and Wisconsin.

247Sports’ Allen Trieu sees Tonielli as an eventual starter for a Power Five program:

Tall, longer prospect. Plays as an outside receiver as well as a slot in high school. Uses height, length and leaping ability well and shows a big catch radius. Good athlete with basketball and track and field in his background as well. Appears to have some top end speed, but can still improve burst and suddenness. Tracks the ball in the air well and can put himself in position to make plays on the ball without losing speed or balance. Will grow into a tight end in college but his experience being unattached offers a lot of possibilities. Shows some physicality but would need experience as an on the ball blocker if schools try to do that with him.

With Tonielli in the fold, Michigan football now has seven commitments in the 2023 recruiting class.

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