Bio Blast: Meet three-star Michigan offensive line signee Bear McWhorter

Michigan officially signed three-star Cartersville (Ga.) Cass High interior offensive lineman Bear McWhorter Wednesday. 

Here’s a complete breakdown of what you need to know about the mauling guard prospect on signing day. 

The Skinny 

Height:
6-3
Weight:
308 pounds
Industry Ranking: No. 604 overall, No. 58 interior offensive lineman, No. 67 in Georgia
Interesting Facts: Started the Brother Bear Foundation, raising money for foster and adaptive family services, Under Armour All-American

Recruitment

McWhorter emerged as a national recruit very early on in his recruitment, picking up offers from Texas, Miami, Penn State, Tennessee and many others. He committed to Arkansas at one point before reopening his recruitment. The longtime Power Four target did not see a need to prolong his recruiting process and dropped a Top 5 early February of this year with a commitment date set for later in the month. He’s named after Alabama legend Bear Bryant and grew up a fan of the Crimson Tide, so most wrote him off to the SEC school. Michigan offensive line coach Grant Newsome built a fantastic bond with the interior lineman behind the scenes and ended up securing his commitment Feb. 28 over Alabama, Florida, Georgia and others.

He Said It

“Everyone that reps that block M is very proud of it and it goes a long way,” McWhorter said. “Michigan is an amazing place. Seeing what the team looks like lifting together showed me a lot. I love how they work together and how they love each other. That made me want to be a part of that.”

They Said It

“I told Georgia, I told all the schools that Bear did not choose that Michigan out-recruited them. Coach Newsome did an incredible job. This time of year, I deal with anywhere from 2-10 coaches a day…I think I even tweeted it out after one of Newsome’s visits that that guy’s going to be the head coach of a Power 4 program before long.” — Cass High head coach Steve Gates.

Scouting Report

“Bear McWhorter is a physical, competitive offensive line prospect who has really shown encouraging improvement over the last couple of years. I actually had a chance to see him live over the years at regional camps. Particularly in the past year, he’s made some strides. He’s around 6-foot-3 ½ and has always been around 300 pounds. I think he’s moving the best that we’ve seen him move. When you turn on the film, he’s playing his best football to this point.

“He’s competitive, physical, works to finish blocks and just plays hard for four quarters. He’s not the longest prospect. He does offset that with his physicality and play style. He’s the son of a coach, so I think he’ll come in with a fairly high knowledge of X’s and O’s.” — Rivals director of scouting and rankings Charles Power.