The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1051817
48 THE WOLVERINE DECEMBER 2018 BY BRANDON BROWN M ichigan's slate of home games presented two prime opportu- nities for bringing in recruits — the Wisconsin and Penn State contests. Both games ended up being domi- nating efforts by the Wolverines, re- sulting in perfect game-day atmo- spheres and glowing reviews from the visiting prospects. On Nov. 3, U-M absolutely manhan- dled Penn State on its way to a 42-7 victory. Nearly 100 recruits were in attendance for the blowout win, and obviously they all left very impressed. Visiting defensive prospects were basically drooling over what coor- dinator Don Brown was able to do against a talented Penn State team. Offensive players also got a chance to see an ever-evolving Michigan offense that included a very strong rushing performance enhanced by Shea Patterson making plays with his legs and chucking two touchdown passes, one to former five-star wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones and the other to tight end Zach Gentry. Five-star seniors and offered ju- niors, sophomores and freshmen were in attendance for the big win and all of them seemed to have a very positive experience in Ann Ar- bor. Some of the more noteworthy visitors spoke about their experience. (All rankings are from Rivals.com.) Charlotte (N.C.) Harding University five-star athlete Quavaris Crouch Crouch was definitely the head- liner for the Penn State game and with good reason. The 6-3, 222-pounder is considered the No. 2 athlete and No. 9 overall prospect na- tionally, and has developed into one of the more coveted players in the country. He spent the entire weekend in Ann Arbor and left feeling very comfortable with the Wolverines. Michigan seems to have some mo- mentum with Crouch, but the big athlete still has an official visit for Clemson scheduled. The Tigers have been the presumed favorite for much of his recruitment, but Harbaugh and — perhaps most notably — Charlotte native Pep Hamilton have given the senior much to think about. Home visits from both coaching staffs will be extremely instrumental in what Crouch ends up doing when he makes his decision. His plan is to secretly commit to a staff and sign during the December signing period and then announce his decision pub- licly at the All-American Bowl Jan. 5. Savannah (Ga.) Islands four-star out- side linebacker Kalen DeLoach DeLoach has been committed to Florida State since July 30, but with the Noles struggling on the field in 2018, the talented linebacker has de- cided to look around a bit. The No. 14 outside linebacker nationally was high on Michigan throughout his recruitment, so the re- newed interest isn't out of nowhere. His official visit in Ann Arbor gave him a chance to see what life would be like were he to flip his pledge from the Seminoles to the Wolverines. "It was a great visit," he said. "I got to get around some recruits, some players and the coaches. It was a great atmosphere. It was my first game at Michigan, and there were a lot of people there. It was nice to be inside that stadium on game day. "I was with Michigan commit Christopher Hinton all day Saturday. We hung out, we talked a lot and he was recruiting me a lot. He is a cool guy. The coaches showed me a lot of attention, but they were not pressur- ing me. They just made sure that I knew I would have everything I need if I chose Michigan. They just want me to keep my head straight, gradu- ate and have success on the field. "The coaches there are great guys, and they were great to be around. The coaching staff is really close, and I like that. They gave a great vibe." DeLoach said he was still solid to Florida State, but U-M — along with Auburn, Alabama and LSU to some extent — are all giving him something to think about. His plan is to sign in December, but that is not set in stone. Milton (Mass.) Academy four-star outside linebacker Kalel Mullings Michigan was the first program to offer Mullings before he started his freshman season, and that's always resonated with him. It also doesn't hurt that the junior hails from Don Brown's neck of the woods up in Massachusetts or that he plays line- backer, a position that thrives in Brown's scheme. Throw those things in with Mull- ings' experience for the Penn State game and you have Michigan sitting in a great spot with the 6-2, 210-pounder. "The visit was cool," Mullings said. "I flew in on the same flight as [com- mitment] Mike Sainristil. When we got to U-M, we ate lunch with other recruits and then made our way to the field. I hung out on the field for a while then made my way to our seats. "The atmosphere in The Big House was crazy. I was watching the defense closely. I was impressed with the speed of the defense, especially the lineback- ers. Overall it was a great visit." Mullings is considered the No. 4 outside linebacker and No. 82 over- all prospect nationally in the class of 2020, and would be a very nice weapon in Brown's repertoire. FOOTBALL RECRUITING A Loaded Visitors List Watched Michigan Blow Out Penn State Four-star Kalen DeLoach of Savannah (Ga.) Islands High, Rivals.com's No. 14 outside linebacker in the country and a Florida State commitment, officially visited Michigan for the Penn State game. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM