The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1083898
62 THE WOLVERINE MARCH 2019 BY AUSTIN FOX American Heritage High School four-star defensive end Michael Mor- ris has lived his whole life in Florida, and assumed his Sunshine State resi- dency would con- tinue during his col- legiate days when he pledged to Flor- ida State on Feb. 27, 2016. T h o s e p l a n s changed two and a half years later, however, when he flipped his commit- ment from the Semi- noles to the Wolver- ines during a Sept. 9, 2018, visit to Ann Arbor. "I didn't know a thing about Michi- gan growing up," Morris admitted. "I literally knew nothing about their school. My dad [Michael Morris Sr.] actually played with [U-M defen- sive analyst] Devin Bush Sr. in college at Florida State, and he [Bush Sr.] was the one who convinced my family to check out U-M. "By the time I had taken my sec- ond and third visits there, I had fallen in love with it." Having spent his entire life in the warm climate of Southeastern Flor- ida, Morris admitted that the cooler temperatures of Ann Arbor could take some getting used to. "The weather will definitely be an adjustment for me, but I know it's something I'll get over eventually," he said. "I actually think the biggest changes will be getting used to the ev- eryday grind of school, writing papers and early morning workouts." Despite the fact that Morris' father and Bush Sr. were teammates at FSU in the early 1990s, the younger Morris re- vealed that U-M defensive coordinator Don Brown and former defensive line coach Greg Mattison (who has since departed for Ohio State) were his main recruiters at Michigan. "Devin Bush Sr. is like an uncle to me, but I actually call Coach Brown U n c l e D o n n i e , " Morris joked. "I can't wait to play in a defense as aggres- sive as his, because the one we ran in high school is actu- ally pretty similar. "Coach Brown said he sees me solely as a defensive end, because I play with a dog mental- ity that opponents can't stop." Michigan will be incredibly inexpe- rienced on its de- fensive line in 2019, perhaps making it likely that a few of the incoming fresh- men could see early playing time. Morris has al- ready built a strong bond with two of his future defensive brethren in particu- lar, including one he may be playing shoulder to shoul- der with someday. "Of the incoming freshmen, I am the closest with [Nor- cross (Ga.) Greater Atlanta Christian five-star defensive tackle] Chris Hin- ton and [Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas three-star linebacker] Anthony Solomon," he revealed. "I'll probably room with Anthony, because us Florida boys have to stick together." The 6-6, 258-pounder went on to ex- plain that the entire 2019 class is close with one another due to a group chat all the signees communicate in via text. He also revealed a common goal amongst the group for next season. "Beat Ohio State," Morris said bluntly. "That is something we all have to get done next year." ❑ Devin Bush Sr. Helped Reel In Four-Star Floridian Michael Morris STATISTICS Year Tkl. TFL Sacks FF FR TD 2018 89 25 5 2 2 1* 2017 84 31 4 — — — 2015 55 — 13 — — — * Touchdown was on a punt he blocked HONORS • Named 2018 USA Today All-State sec- ond team. • As a junior, Morris was a first-team all- area pick despite playing with a torn la- brum, which limited his camp exposure. • First-team all-county and second- team Division 4A all-state as a freshman. RECRUITMENT • Committed to Florida State from Feb- ruary 2016 all the way until September 2018 before ultimately flipping to the Wolverines after a stellar official visit. He pledged to U-M on Sept. 9, 2018. • Former defensive line coach Greg Mattison led his recruitment, but defen- sive coordinator Don Brown helped too. DID YOU KNOW? • His father, Michael Morris Sr., played football at Florida State in the 1980s. THEY SAID IT • Rivals.com Florida recruiting an- alyst Rob Cassidy: "Morris has got a great build. He looks incredible getting off of the bus and he's got a giant ceil- ing because he has the traits you can't teach. He's got great size and is pretty athletic, but he needs to stay injury free; he's dealt with that in high school. • American Heritage head coach Keith Hindsley: "He's definitely got a huge ceiling with the way he works, and his character is phenomenal. He came to Heritage as a sophomore and has been a Heritage kid. His character is what makes him a man." MICHAEL MORRIS DEFENSIVE END 6-6 • 258 AMERICAN HERITAGE H.S. BELLE GLADE, FLA. RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ — 18* 42 ✪ ✪ ✪ 575 41^ 59 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ — 38# 52 * Ranked as a weakside defensive end; ^ ranked as a strongside defensive end; # ranked as a defensive end 2019 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE 2019 Projection It feels like Morris has several options once he gets to Michi- gan. His current size and growth potential give him a chance to play on the inside, but if he stays close to where he is now and gets faster, playing the anchor defen- sive end seems very realistic. Wherever he ends up, he'll have a chance to learn and get com- fortable with high-level football before he'll ever be truly needed. 62 THE WOLVERINE MARCH 2019 Morris originally committed to his father 's alma mater, Florida State, in February 2016 before ultimately deciding to join the Wolverines in September 2018. PHOTO BY BRANDON BROWN