The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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NOVEMBER 2018 THE WOLVERINE 67 FOOTBALL RECRUITING the 2020 class, is extremely solid to Michigan and loves being around the stadium for games. The 6-1, 197-pounder will likely return for the Penn State game and even said he wished he could be in East Lansing for U-M's game against the Spartans. Oakley (Calif.) Freedom 2019 three-star all-purpose back commit Giles Jackson Another future Wolverine, Jackson has been on campus before, even in an official capacity, but he said that his visit for the Wisconsin game sur- passed anything he'd experienced before in Ann Arbor. "I had an overall great visit. I would say it was better than my of- ficial," he said. "The thing that stood out for me was just being there for a game. It was incredible." The 5-9, 183-pounder got to put on a Michigan uniform again and participated in a photo shoot, met with the team nutritionist and spent a lot of time with his future coaches. All of that led to the nation's No. 7 all-purpose back feeling better about his commitment than ever. He would love to get back to Ann Arbor within the next couple of months, but a trip from California can be tough to swing. Loganville (Ga.) Grayson 2019 three- star offensive guard commit Trente Jones When it comes to personalities among Michigan's 2019 commits, Jones may pace the pack. The 6-5, 293-pounder is always good for a quote and his thoughts after the Wis- consin game didn't disappoint. "It was great," he said. "I had a blast. The fans gave me a chill down my spine. I'm pretty sure that wasn't because of the cold." Low temperatures won't be an is- sue for the No. 16 offensive guard in the country. Like most offensive linemen, Jones is a big boy and has a tendency to sweat in the Georgia heat during football season. The 6-5, 293-pounder has gone on record before about how he's looking forward to playing up north in col- lege, and he got a great feel for that during the game against the Badgers with temperatures dipping down into the low 40s. West Lafayette (Ind.) High 2021 out- side linebacker Yanni Karlaftis Many people assume that sopho- more linebacker Yanni Karlaftis is going to end up a Boilermaker — he's the younger brother of 2019 Pur- due commit George Karlaftis and a resident of West Lafayette. The 6-3, 205-pounder was in Ann Arbor for the big game, and even though he's giving Purdue a hard look, he defi- nitely sees a potential future in Ann Arbor after the experience he had. "It was really fun," Karlaftis said. "It was something very new to me. I got to see the facilities and the game, and got to talk to the coaches. The thing that stood out to me was the game and the atmosphere and just the unreal amount of people that were there." That kind of crowd is something he'll never see at Purdue. Ross-Ade There was at least one five- star prospect on campus for the Wisconsin game along with several other serious Michigan targets, but they all made it home without any real fireworks in the form of a commitment. Prairie Village (Kan.) Shaw- nee Mission East senior pro- style quarterback Andy Mad- dox, however, did pledge to the Wolverines as a preferred walk-on. The 6-4, 200-pounder might be from The Great Plains, but he grew up a big fan of the Maize and Blue. A previous night game seven years ago planted the seed with Maddox, and he knew then that he wanted to wear the winged helmet under the lights in Michigan Stadium. "It's always been a dream of mine to play Michigan football," Maddox said. "I remember watching the Michigan-Notre Dame game in 2011 when Michigan came back and won it and how crazy the atmosphere looked on TV. That night I said, 'I want to go there.'" Maddox's commitment won't move the needle much among the Michigan fan base but walk-ons really supple- ment a program — see junior run- ning back Tru Wilson. The senior signal-caller spoke to head coach Jim Harbaugh and passing game coordinator Pep Hamilton about what being a walk- on quarterback at Michigan means, and he was immediately sold. "I had some Ivy League schools looking at me, but nothing com- pares to Michigan football," Maddox explained. "All of the coaches made me feel at no disadvantage being a walk-on and said everything is fair. It seemed like a no-brainer to me." With a commitment in place, Maddox is beyond excited about his future. He doesn't have any full- ride options and even if he does reel one in, it likely won't change anything. "I'm pretty locked in," he said. "Mich- igan has been a dream of mine, and I'm pretty happy with where I am." Maddox is a traditional graduate, meaning he'll get to U-M next summer, and he's already thought about what that means. He can't wait to get on campus, get stronger and learn the offense. The quarterback room is obviously going to be loaded in the forseeable fu- ture, and Maddox is excited to be a part of it. — Brandon Brown Prairie Village (Kan.) Shawnee Mission East quarterback Andy Maddox committed to Michigan as a preferred walk- on after visiting for the Wisconsin game. PHOTO BY BRANDON BROWN Wisconsin Atmosphere Results In Preferred Walk-On Commitment