The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/100794
������ prep profiles Tailback Bri���onte Dunn Likes U-M Despite OSU Commitment Penn State and Michigan stand a chance to gain from Ohio State���s loss in the 2012 recruiting class. Canton, Ohio, running back Bri���onte Dunn was among the first commitments to the Buckeyes��� class of 2012, but he ������ Bri���onte Dunn ��������������� GlenOak High School Canton, Ohio Position: Running Back Ht.: 6-2 ��� Wt.: 215 40-Yard Dash: 4.59 seconds Ranking: Rivals.com No. 10 running back in the country, No. 8 player in Ohio and No. 141 player nationally has wavered on his decision thanks to NCAA allegations against Ohio State and the persistence of other coaching staffs. Though he still considers himself a soft commitment to Ohio State, Dunn admits that it���s possible for the other teams to change his mind. ���I���ll make my decision when the time is right,��� said Dunn, a four-star recruit ranked the No. 141 player nationally and No. 8 prospect in the state of Ohio by Rivals.com. That he���s admitting a decision will be made in the future is progress for Michigan and Penn State. Previously, Dunn had been insistent that he would uphold his commitment to Ohio State, despite the visits to other schools. Dunn���s cousin, 2013 Michigan commitment Dymonte Thomas, thinks that he will ultimately change his mind and join the 2012 Michigan recruiting class. ���I talk to him all the time about it,��� Thomas said. ���I���m like ���Hey man, are you ready to go? It���s time to commit, let���s go.��� He���s getting closer and closer.��� Dunn initially softened his commitment to Ohio State when rumors of a bowl ban circled around Columbus, and he visited Michigan in early May. His commitment to the Buckeyes took another hit when Jim Tressel resigned on Memorial Day. He has already visited Penn State unofficially this fall, and he plans to take official visits to both State College and Ann Arbor. The 6-2, 215-pound prospect seems to be the top runner on the board for Penn State and Michigan, who are trying to pry him away from Ohio State. ���I like everything about Michigan,��� Dunn said. ���They���re a good team, they have a good staff, and I think they���re going to do very well this year.��� If Michigan successfully flips his commitment, Dunn will be the second ������ Bri���onte Dunn on U-M ���They���re a good team, they have a good staff, and I think they���re going to do very well this year.��� player in the 2012 class to swap allegiances from Ohio State. Lakewood St. Edward offensive lineman Kyle Kalis is a former OSU commitment. A commitment from Dunn would also increase the Wolverines��� profile in Ohio. Brady Hoke���s staff currently has 10 commitments from the Buckeye State, and Dunn would be one of the best prospects from Ohio to join Michigan. ��� Tim Sullivan New Jersey Four-Star Safety Elijah Shumate Has U-M In Top Six Don Bosco Prep is loaded with talent in the 2012 recruiting class. The Ironmen���s roster includes a Rivals. com five-star prospect in defensive end Darius Hamilton, three four- ������ Elijah Shumate ��������������� Don Bosco Prep Ramsey, N.J. Position: Safety Ht.: 6-1 ��� Wt.: 205 40-Yard Dash: 4.52 seconds Ranking: Rivals.com No. 7 safety in the country, No. 4 player in New Jersey and No. 129 player nationally star prospects, and three other players who have at least two stars. Two players in Don Bosco���s senior class are considering Michigan: defensive backs Yuri Wright and Elijah Shumate, both four-stars. Shumate is a 6-1, 205-pound safety prospect who has been timed at 4.52 seconds in the 40-yard dash. Despite that speed, he is more comfortable playing closer to the line of scrim- mage and could be a hybrid safety/ linebacker role in college. Regardless of Shumate���s future position, it���s clear the Ramsey, N.J., native is a coveted prospect in the 2012 class. He has fielded offers from schools all over the country, including Michigan, Nebraska, Miami and Wisconsin, and has narrowed his list of suitors to a top six. Michigan is still alive in Shumate���s recruitment, and is joined by Georgia, Georgia Tech, Notre Dame, Rutgers and South Carolina. ���Michigan is one of the greatest programs in America,��� Shumate said. ���Just to get them back on the rise would be a great thing. I talk to Coach [Curt] Mallory a lot, and he���s a great guy. I���d like to play with them.��� Shumate���s relationship with the Michigan defensive backs coach is an advantage for U-M. Another positive for the Wolverines is their ongoing recruitment of his teammate, Wright. Both players would be excellent additions to any college���s secondary, and their friendship could be a benefit to any school that is interested in re- cruiting both. Wright and Shumate aren���t set on being a package deal in the recruiting process,. However, if a school can lure one of the four-stars, it���s possible that they���ll have a leg up with the other one because of how well they play together ���It���s great. We have confidence in each other,��� Shumate said. ���We just work together and communicate, and it���s great out there.��� There is no rush to Shumate���s recruitment ��� the four-star, ranked the No. 129 player nationally and the No. 7 safety in the country by Rivals.com, plans to take all five of his official visits before coming to a decision, and he has yet to schedule any of those trips. Since Rutgers is close to home, he plans to visit the Scarlet Knights unofficially, but the other five suitors will receive official trips. Following his official visits, Shumate will announce his decision at the Army AllAmerican Bowl in January. ��� Tim Sullivan October 2011��� ������ the wolverine��� 73