The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1083898
BY BRANDON BROWN Akron (Ohio) Archbishop Hoban four-star offensive guard Nolan Rum- ler is a very solid prospect when you look at just his measurables and skills. He checks in at 6-3, 310 pounds, is as strong as an ox and has refined tech- niques from his interior position. Throw in the fact that he's a natural winner and leader, and understands what Michigan, the Big Ten and The Game are all about as a native Ohioan, and he's the type of kid a coach can build a team — and more specifically, an offensive line — around. Rivals.com Midwest recruiting ana- lyst Josh Helmholdt has been watch- ing Rumler play for four years and has always had a high opinion of the big lineman. Helmholdt knew that Rumler would be a Power Five kid early on and never wavered from his description of him as a player. "One of the things I look for first with interior offensive linemen is feet, and Rumler has excellent feet," Helmholdt said. "He can post up, re- set, pull and get to the second level under control. The second thing I look for is strength at the point of attack, and Rumler is very good there with a chance to be great. "He's a kid who developed very early in his career, and because of that he was close to his ceiling as a sopho- more. We knew what he was going to be very early on. He's probably not a huge upside kid, but he's very good at what he does. At the interior line po- sitions, you need reliability and con- sistency, and he's definitely going to provide that. You know what you're going to get from him on every play. "There are few positions more valu- Michigan Can Win With Players Like Four-Time State Champion Nolan Rumler HONORS • Earned first-team Division II All- Ohio honors from the AP as a senior and was a second-team pick as a ju- nior; he was a first-team Division III choice as a sophomore. • Named to the 2018 MaxPreps High School All-American second team. • Selected to the USA Today All-State first team as a senior and to the sec- ond team as a junior. • Was recognized as an Under Ar- mour All-American following his se- nior season, and started at right guard in the game. • Took home offensive line MVP honors at the Under Armour camp in Cleveland toward the end of his junior year. • Was named to the MaxPreps All- America first team for his class in both 2015 (freshmen) and 2016 (sopho- mores). RECRUITMENT • Pledged to U-M on July 29, 2017. • Was recruited by and committed to former offensive line coach Tim Drevno, but immediately bonded well with new offensive line coach Ed Warinner. • Chose Michigan over Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, Iowa, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, West Virginia and Wisconsin, among many others. NOLAN RUMLER OFFENSIVE GUARD 6-3 • 310 ARCHBISHOP HOBAN H.S. AKRON, OHIO RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 199 10 5 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 179 9 6 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 182 5 4 2019 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE 2019 Projection Michigan should have decent depth next fall when Rumler arrives, but he might still push for playing time. With his build, experience, winning pedigree and overall men- tality as an interior lineman, Rumler is exactly what line coach Ed Warin- ner will be looking for next fall. With rising-senior guard Ben Bredeson returning, Rumler will have a perfect upperclassman to turn to and will likely push Michael Onwenu at the other guard spot. It's not always good if a freshman offensive lineman has to play, but Rumler has everything you look for in a guard. Rumler started 58 games and won four state championships at Akron (Ohio) Archbishop Hoban, where he was a two-time team captain. PHOTO BY BRANDON BROWN 54 THE WOLVERINE MARCH 2019