The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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20 THE WOLVERINE MARCH 2019 ability to move away from the line and work as a receiver. "Erick All caught our eye split out as a wide receiver, and we kept see- ing him get stronger over the sum- mer and into the fall," Harbaugh said. Meanwhile, he sees no lack of re- ceivers on their way to Ann Arbor, with five of them supplementing the productive crew already on hand. One of those receivers could actu- ally play a little running back as well. Wherever he lands, Giles Jackson (5- 9, 179) out of Oakley (Calif.) Freedom High will be one of the fastest per- formers in the class. "Giles Jackson is a 4.3 type of guy in this class, along with Dax Hill," Harbaugh noted of his 40-yard dash time. "Giles could be a receiver or a running back, and is just a guy who needs to get the ball in his hands." Jackson got it in his hands plenty as a senior, piling up more than 1,400 yards from scrimmage and 17 total touchdowns. He could become an explosive presence, including on spe- cial teams. At the other end of the size spec- trum, Cornelius Johnson (6-3, 199) out of Brunswick School in Greenwich, Conn., will see eye to eye with Michi- gan's present crop of on-field wide- outs. Johnson could also become one who makes an early contribution. "Cornelius Johnson was a sign- ing day decision, and was one of the fireworks we had mentioned," Har- baugh noted in December. Johnson accrued 1,981 yards and 29 touchdowns on 117 catches over the course of his career. Meanwhile, George Johnson (6-0, 181) out of Martin County High in Stuart, Fla., might be the most ver- satile in the class of wideouts. He played four years of quarterback in Florida, throwing for more than 4,000 yards and accounting for an addi- tional 2,700-plus from scrimmage. "George Johnson is versatile and can play quarterback or in the sec- ondary — we need more playmakers and receivers, because we'll be down to five scholarship receivers once this season ends," Harbaugh explained. Quintel Kent (6-0, 173) from St. Ed- ward in Lakewood, Ohio, and Mike Sainristil (5-10, 179) out of Everett (Mass.) High round out the five-man wideout group. "Mike Sainristil is currently being argued about among the offensive and defensive coaches on our staff, because he's a play-making corner and a dynamic receiver — he's a guy we might play both ways," Har- baugh cautioned. "We saw Quintel Kent a lot in camps and liked him quite a bit, and we were impressed by his competitiveness. "He wasn't afraid to compete and work, and we're excited about him." DEFENSE Michigan's defensive line took a significant hit at the end of the sea- son, losing former five-star prospects Rashan Gary (NFL) and Aubrey Solo- mon (transfer). Moreover, Chase Win- ovich and Bryan Mone finished out their careers, taking three starters and a key depth figure out of the picture. Defensive coordinator Don Brown oversaw the development of others who will be stepping in, but there will still be room on the two-deep for newcomers. Michigan's defensive line class, ranked as the third best nation- ally by Rivals.com, allows for pre- cisely such a development. Christopher Hinton (6-4, 285) is the headliner here, a defensive tackle out of Johns Creek, Ga., and the Greater Atlanta Christian School. He's very 2019 Michigan Signees Player Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown (High School) Erick All* TE 6-4 225 Fairfield, Ohio (Fairfield) Karsen Barnhart OL 6-4 277 Paw Paw, Mich. (Paw Paw) Zach Carpenter OL 6-4 316 Cincinnati (Archbishop Moeller) Zach Charbonnet* RB 6-1 222 Camarillo, Calif. (Oaks Christian) Daxton Hill DB 6-0 190 Tulsa, Okla. (Booker T. Washington) Christopher Hinton DL 6-4 285 Johns Creek, Ga. (Greater Atlanta Christian School) Giles Jackson WR 5-9 179 Antioch, Calif. (Freedom) Cornelius Johnson WR 6-3 199 Greenwich, Conn. (Brunswick School) George Johnson WR 6-0 181 Stuart, Fla. (Martin County) Quinten Johnson DB 5-10 193 Silver Spring, Md. (St. John's College, Washington, D.C.) Trente Jones OL 6-4 302 Grayson, Ga. (Grayson) Trevor Keegan OL 6-6 301 Crystal Lake, Ill. (Crystal Lake) Quintel Kent WR 6-0 173 Lakewood, Ohio (St. Edward) Cade McNamara* QB 6-1 206 Reno, Nev. (Damonte Ranch) Mike Morris DL 6-6 258 Belle Glade, Fla. (American Heritage) Gabe Newburg* DL 6-5 237 Clayton, Ohio (Northmont) David Ojabo* DL 6-4 252 Aberdeen, Scotland (Blair Academy, Blairstown, N.J.) Jalen Perry* DB 6-1 185 Dacula, Ga. (Dacula) Nolan Rumler OL 6-3 310 Akron, Ohio (Archbishop Hoban) Mike Sainristil* WR 5-10 179 Everett, Mass. (Everett) Anthony Solomon LB 6-1 200 Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (St. Thomas Aquinas) Mazi Smith* DL 6-3 303 Grand Rapids, Mich. (East Kentwood) Jack Stewart OL 6-4 280 New Canaan, Conn. (New Canaan) Charles Thomas LB 5-11 224 Atlanta (St. Thomas More, Montville, Conn.) DJ Turner DB 6-0 173 Suwanee, Ga. (IMG Academy, Bradenton, Fla.) Joey Velazquez ATH 5-11 195 Columbus, Ohio (St. Francis DeSales) * Early enrollee