The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1083898
26 THE WOLVERINE MARCH 2019 Southeast/Florida recruiting ana- lyst Rob Cassidy "Florida continues to be a point of focus for Michigan's recruiting ef- forts, and it feels like the Wolverines are teetering on the verge of breaking through when it comes to the state's elite prospects. "Jim Harbaugh and company had great luck extracting second- and third-level players from the area, and can continue to get solid players as things stand now. "Still, it feels like they are one big season away from standing toe-to- toe with the Clemsons, Floridas and Alabamas of the world in the state. That said, the South Florida-based prospects in the 2019 class all have potential, even if linebacker Anthony Solomon and defensive lineman Mi- chael Morris could both benefit from a redshirt year for different reasons." Mid-Atlantic recruiting analyst Adam Friedman "Michigan has done a really good job amassing the talent to compete with the major programs in the coun- try right now — the Alabamas, the Clemsons, the Oklahomas and, of course, Ohio State. They continue to land a few five-star prospects, guys like Chris Hinton and Daxton Hill. "They also continue to recruit well nationally. They are bringing in guys from all over the country. They brought in five or six guys from my Mid-Atlantic region, guys that I re- ally like. They brought in guys who could be early contributors and guys who are developmental that can help down the line. "Guys like wide receiver Cornelius Johnson, defensive lineman David Ojabo and offensive lineman Jack Stewart can develop and be really, re- ally good in the future. They are going to be major prospects for Michigan. "I also like how well-rounded this class is as a whole. They got a lot of help on the offensive line in this class, and I really like what they did up front on the defensive line. They also added some really good talent and depth in the secondary. "This is a really good class for Michigan in both the short term and the long term. It's really strong top to bottom and in just about every way." Midwest recruiting analyst Josh Helmholdt "For the first time in more than a decade Michigan signs the Big Ten's best recruiting class, and that is big news. Ohio State has dominated Big Ten recruiting, winning the previous eight conference recruiting titles, but the Wolverines are No. 1 in 2019 with a class anchored by a pair of five-star defenders. "I saw both Chris Hinton and Dax Hill in San Antonio at the All-Amer- ican Bowl, and I've covered Hill throughout his recruitment being a guy in my region. These are pros- pects in the same tier as a Jabrill Pep- pers or Rashan Gary who have the elite skill set that can take defenses to the next level. "The position group, though, that benefits most from this class is of- fensive line. Four of the six new additions on the offensive line are four-stars, and a fifth — Zach Car- penter from Cincinnati — was right on the cusp of four-star status. This is a group that adds both talent and depth to the position, and should be the foundation of Michigan offensive lines for years to come." Southeast/Georgia recruiting ana- lyst Chad Simmons "After missing the top 20 with a No. 24-ranked class in 2018, Jim Har- baugh and Michigan bounced back in a big way in 2019. The Wolverines signed a class of 26 this cycle, and that landed them the No. 10-ranked class. It featured two five-stars and 13 four-stars. "What stood out to me from out- side my region was the recruitment of five-star safety Daxton Hill. Michi- gan got Hill committed in September, then he surprised many and flipped to Alabama early in December. Mich- igan got him back the first day of the Early Signing Period, and Hill is the headliner of this class. "I really like what Michigan did up front on the offensive line. They signed a total of six offensive line- men, and I saw Rivals100 offensive tackle Trente Jones up close the last three years. He really developed over the last year and a half and became one of the top offensive linemen in the end. "He re-shaped his body, really im- proved his technique and just be- came a much more consistent blocker his senior season. Jones is a lineman who can play tackle or guard. "Christopher Hinton is another Michigan signee from my region, and every coach wants to sign guys like him for multiple reasons. Not only is Hinton a five-star talent on the field, but he is a prospect who committed, chose not to visit any other schools and was solid from the day he gave Harbaugh his verbal pledge. Hinton will be a leader in Ann Arbor on and off the field. "Overall, this class is what I expect out of Michigan. It was somewhat of a down year in 2018, but a very strong group this cycle. They signed prospects out of several states, and they had success in the South. This was an impressive haul from the line of scrimmage to skill guys." — Brandon Brown 2019 Team Recruiting Rankings Rk. Rivals ESPN 247Sports 1. Georgia Alabama Alabama 2. Alabama Georgia Georgia 3. LSU Texas A&M Penn State 4. Texas Oklahoma LSU 5. Oklahoma Texas Texas A&M 6. Texas A&M Oregon Texas 7. Oregon LSU Michigan 8. Florida Michigan Oklahoma 9. Clemson Florida Tennessee 10. Michigan Clemson Oregon Rivals.com Midwest recruiting analyst Josh Helmholdt "I saw both Chris Hinton and Dax Hill in San Antonio at the All-American Bowl … these are prospects in the same tier as a Jabrill Peppers or Rashan Gary who have the elite skill set that can take defenses to the next level."