Linebacker Michael Owusu commits to Vanderbilt on National Signing Day

Three-star linebacker Michael Owusu, who had been uncommitted up until National Signing Day, will play his college football at Vanderbilt. The 6’6 pass rusher signed with the Commodores on Wednesday.

Owusu comes from Los Angeles, CA, where his family quickly became known for producing elite student-athletes. Three of his brothers have gone on to play Division I football — two at Stanford and one at Harvard. He also has a sister who plays basketball at Columbia.

The rising star picked up steam late in the recruiting process, but ultimately chose Vandy over offers from USC, Boise State, Washington State, and Missouri.

Owusu is a long, lean athletic specimen who played wide receiver and defensive end in high school, but projects as a pass-rushing outside linebacker in Derek Mason’s 3-4 defense. He’s got great speed and tackles well after shedding blocks, but he’ll have to add some muscle to handle offensive linemen at the next level. He does a good job of wrapping up ballcarriers and using his leverage to drag them to the ground, but he’ll need to work on staying low and not letting his 6’6 frame allow blockers to pivot him away from the action.

While a year in the weight room may be in order while he bulks up, he has the skill to make an impact in 2017 under a coach who has never been shy to burn redshirts. However, he’ll have to outplay some fellow freshmen to get there; the Commodores added several strong defensive prospects this winter. Talented pass rushers like Dayo Odeyingbo, Colin Anderson, Stone Phillips, Jalen Pinkney, and Dimitri Moore all faxed in their letters of intent on National Signing Day.