The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1083898
MARCH 2019 THE WOLVERINE 75 MICHIGAN RECRUITING WIDE RECEIVER Scholarship Players In 2020: 12 Need: 1-2 Commits: 1 You can put a lot of receivers on the field at once so it's always a position to address, but Michigan signed 11 of them from 2017-19. If U-M's extremely talented trio of Donovan Peoples- Jones, Nico Collins and Tarik Black all blow up in 2019, they could realisti- cally look at going pro. If that happens, the position becomes much more of a need in 2020. Columbus (Ohio) Northland three-star wide receiver Kalil Branham is already committed. However, there are some new coaches involved in the passing game now so his commitment could be fluid. Michigan is in great shape with several talented pass catchers, including: Frankfort (Ill.) Lincoln Way East four- star all-purpose back AJ Henning Listed as an all-purpose back, Hen- ning has emerged as one of U-M's top wide receiver targets. He's a lot like Giles Jackson in the 2019 class in terms of his running back build and skill set. He's 5-10, 170 pounds and is exciting with the ball in his hands. Ohio State, Notre Dame and Stanford are U-M's main competitors for his services. Washington (D.C.) St. John's College High five-star wide receiver Rakim Jarrett Jarrett has a top six consisting of Ala- bama, Florida, LSU, Ohio State, Tennes- see and USC, but took to Twitter to let everyone know that Michigan wasn't out for him after hiring Josh Gattis. The 6-0, 195-pounder is the No. 1 wide re- ceiver and No. 13 overall prospect na- tionally. Gattis might keep U-M in the mix, but Jarrett's signature is going to be tough to get. Chicago Marist four-star wide re- ceiver Jadon Thompson Illinois, Kansas State, Michigan, Michi- gan State, Minnesota, Missouri and Pur- due make up Thompson's top group, giving U-M a legit chance to land him. At 6-2, 165 pounds, Thompson has good length and is considered the No. 34 wide receiver and No. 148 overall prospect nationally because of it. Detroit Martin Luther King four-star wide receiver Rashawn Williams It seems like only a matter of time be- fore Williams is part of U-M's class. The No. 7 wide receiver and No. 35 overall prospect nationally checks in at 6-0, 178 pounds, is fast, has great hands and is dynamite after the catch. TIGHT END Scholarship Players In 2020: 5 Need: 1-2 Commits: 1 With only five tight ends on the roster in the fall of 2020, it's more of a posi- tion of need than it has been in recent years. Jim Harbaugh loves using differ- ent kinds of tight ends, and the staff will probably look to pair a bigger, bulkier tight end with four-star commit Nick Patterson, who checks in at 6-3, 215 pounds and is more like an H-back. U-M would love to reel in a pair of talented tight ends by landing a player or two like: Windsor (Ontario) Holy Names three-star tight end Theo Johnson Johnson has become a big-time pros- pect over the past six months or so and is up to 17 offers. The 6-5, 235-pounder once looked like a Penn State lean, but U-M has made his recruitment very in- teresting in the early part of 2019. Geor- gia, Iowa, LSU, Miami and Michigan State have all offered as well and give the Canadian a lot of strong options. Dedham (Mass.) Noble and Gree- nough School two-star tight end Cam Large Don't let the rating fool you, Large is a player, and the more than 20 schools that have offered him agree. He's 6-5, 240 pounds and is absolutely jacked. LSU, Michigan State, Nebraska, Ohio State and Wisconsin, among others, would love to land him. Newport Beach (Calif.) Corona Del Mar four-star tight end Mark Redman The 6-6, 245-pounder is probably Michigan's top target on the board. The No. 7 tight end in the country got an evaluation period visit from tight ends coach Sherrone Moore, letting him know that he's wanted in Ann Arbor. He's been to Alabama and is also being recruited pretty hard by everyone in the Pac-12 so competition for him is stiff. OFFENSIVE LINE Scholarship Players In 2020: 14 Need: 4-5 Commits: 0 Michigan inked a very strong group of six offensive linemen in 2019, which should really help with depth in the future. Offensive line coach Ed Warin- ner would love to land a true tackle or two in 2020, and that's been made clear the by tracking the offers that have gone out. Inking trench players is always a prior- ity even if there's not a ton of room in a small class. Versatile linemen are always Washington (D.C.) St. John's College High five-star wide receiver Rakim Jarrett — the No. 1 wide receiver and No. 13 overall prospect nationally per Rivals.com — expressed interest in U-M following the hiring of offensive coordinator Josh Gattis. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM