Last week, Michigan Football landed the commitment of 2027 four-star edge rusher prospect Jayce Brewer. The Indianapolis native is listed at 6-foot-5 and 240 pounds.

Brewer plays tight end for Franklin Central, is young for his age and is a center for his school’s varsity basketball team, via MaxPreps. During his junior campaign on the gridiron last year, he recorded 31 total tackles, nine tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks and 13 quarterback hurries.

His primary recruiter defensive tackles coach Larry Black, as well as defensive coordinator Jay Hill and defensive ends coach Lewis Powell, should be excited about his potential as a pass rusher and room for growth as an overall defensive lineman. Now, let’s get into his film:

Brewer mostly lines up as a three-technique and five for Franklin Central; the latter is where he truly shines. His get-off is explosive and he uses these long, combative arms to fight tackles, shed blocks and wrap up ball carriers.

Those arms are also crucial for creating separation, where he can duck under tackles. When offensive linemen do get their hands on Brewer, he has encouragingly nuanced hand fighting to win one-on-one matchups.

Brewer’s speed and bend are more potent on the outside, though he can still line up inside and use that flexibility to split double teams. Once Brewer gets past his man/men, he uses excellent closing speed to harass quarterbacks and running backs.

When Brewer is stood up, he is athletic enough to use his vertical leap to knock down passes. You will also notice that vertical on field goal/PAT blocks and during jump balls on offense.

There is still plenty of time for more physical development, but Brewer should at least start as a pass rush specialist for Hill and Co.

Because Brewer is so lethal when creating separation, he can struggle with a lack of true power when offensive linemen latch onto him. The aforementioned vertical and double-team splits can help; however, he will need to bulk up to become a reliable, every-down lineman.

Improved footwork will help his game, too. Brewer tends to rely on his upper-body strength — which, works fine in high school — and does not always drive with his legs and hips.

I also would have liked to see more nastiness on film. He is by no means timid or lazy, but does not necessarily show the mean streak that some of head coach Kyle Whittingham’s recruits have lately.

Still, he moves well off the edge, does well to pursue the football, is clearly an excellent athlete and should be a fun project for the defensive staff.

Brewer is still a ways away from being the complete package on the defensive line. But, that Michigan Football weight training program, a more careful understanding of how to capitalize on his physical traits and what should become a fiery, Wolverine attitude, should give him a shot at rotational snaps early on.

If Brewer can set more physical edges in the run game and continue to blossom attacking quarterbacks, he will be another gem in Ann Arbor.