The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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50 THE WOLVERINE FEBRUARY 2019 BY BRANDON BROWN M ichigan has 27 commitments in the 2019 class and all but two signed their letters of intent on Dec. 19, the first day of the early signing period — kind of. Washington (D.C.) St. John's Col- lege High four-star safety Quinten Johnson was not officially announced by Michigan with the other 25 sign- ees, but it's clear that he actually did submit his signed letter of intent. The 6-0, 195-pounder participated in the Under Armour All-American Bowl in early January, and Michigan created a graphic wishing the partici- pants good luck — and Johnson was on that graphic. In order for U-M to publicly acknowledge him, he'd have to be signed. It's a minor detail, but it looks like Johnson is officially in the fold. He had a very solid senior season and impressed during Under Ar- mour practices. In its final rankings, Rivals listed Johnson as the No. 16 safety and No. 182 overall player na- tionally. However, Overland Park (Kan.) Blue Valley North three-star athlete Amauri Pesek-Hickson chose not to sign in December, and he kept it pretty simple when asked. "I don't really see the point in sign- ing early if I'm not enrolling early," the 6-2, 215-pounder said. "I really want to sign for real with my best friend in February. "I can assure you I'm not going anywhere, though. I love Michigan." Pesek-Hickson is listed as an ath- lete and will be handled that way once he gets to Michigan. He expects to get a look at both safety and run- ning back, and could also slide into the viper role. Michigan's other 25 commits signed their letters of intent and sent them in on the morning of Dec. 19. Head coach Jim Harbaugh had great things to say about each guy and seemed beyond content with how the class came together when speaking with Jon Jansen on the IMG Network's Inside Michigan Football radio show. ERICK ALL, 6-4, 225 Fairfield, Ohio (Fairfield) All looks like a big wide receiver, but has really developed well as a tight end over the course of his senior season. Har- baugh certainly seemed to notice All's growth. "[He's] a guy that was dominating as the year was going on," the coach said. "Great tight end prospect." All finished the recruiting cycle ranked as a four-star prospect and the No. 16 tight end in the country by Rivals. He's already on campus as an early enrollee. KARSEN BARNHART, 6-4, 277 Paw Paw, Mich. (Paw Paw) Harbaugh called Barnhart "a tremen- dous athlete" during the broadcast and couldn't say enough about the en- tire offensive line haul as a whole. Barnhart showed off that athleticism over the course of his senior season, lining up at tight end and fullback almost as much as he did at offensive tackle. Barnhart's athleticism, length and im- proved strength earned him four-star status and the No. 28 ranking among of- fensive tackles from Rivals. ZACH CARPENTER, 6-4, 316 Cincinnati (Archbishop Moeller) Carpenter's build, size and strength are perfect for the interior of an offensive line, and Harbaugh confirmed that during the early sign- ing period. "We're projecting him as a center right now," Har- baugh said. The big lineman is listed by Rivals as a three-star recruit and the No. 15 offensive guard in the nation, but his skill set translates perfectly to center as well. ZACH CHARBONNET, 6-1, 222 Camarillo, Calif. (Oaks Christian) One of the more exciting prospects in the class, Charbonnet is already in Ann Ar- bor working out and getting ready to po- tentially contribute next fall. He's got great size and speed for a freshman running back and will push for playing time im- mediately. Harbaugh called Charbonnet "a tremendous player on the offensive side" and noted U-M always recruited him as their top option at run- ning back. Charbonnet finished the recruiting cycle as the No. 4 running back and No. 60 overall player na- tionally according to Rivals. An injury kept him from playing in the Under Armour All-American Game. DAXTON HILL, 6-0, 190 Tulsa, Okla. (Booker T. Washington) Hill is one of two five-stars in the class, and brings length, range and speed to the deep part of the secondary that has been absent since Har- baugh took over at U-M. "He's a playmaker on the defensive side from the safety position," the coach said. The speedy defensive back certainly earned his reputation as a senior being named the Gatorade Player of the Year in the state of Oklahoma. He's viewed by Rivals as the No. 1 safety and No. 24 overall player in the country after a very impres- sive senior season. CHRISTOPHER HINTON, 6-4, 285 Johns Creek, Ga. (Greater Atlanta Christian) Harbaugh came right out of the gate and called Hinton "a five-star guy on the defensive line" and obviously likes what he'll bring to the interior. For much of the recruiting cycle Hinton was viewed as a five-star strongside de- fensive end, but in his se- nior year he was bumped down to four-star status. FOOTBALL RECRUITING Michigan Is Nearly Done With Its 2019 Class RIVALS ' 2019 TEAM RECRUITING RANKINGS As of Jan. 21 Rk. School Commits 1. Alabama 28 2. Georgia 23 3. Oklahoma 24 4. Texas A&M 26 5. LSU 21 6. Texas 23 7. Oregon 25 8. Clemson 27 9. Michigan 27 10. Penn State 20