The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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56 THE WOLVERINE AUGUST 2019 BY BRANDON BROWN M ichigan was represented by three commits in Atlanta for the Ri- vals Five-Star Challenge in late June: La Grange Park (Ill.) Nazareth Acad- emy 2021 four-star pro-style quarter- back JJ McCarthy, Port Huron (Mich.) Northern 2020 four-star strongside defensive end Braiden McGregor and Belleville (Mich.) High 2020 four-star cornerback Andre Seldon. Rivals Midwest recruiting analyst Josh Helmholdt had a chance to get another close look at three guys he has had a vested interest in for sev- eral years. With McCarthy, it was about how he looked physically versus how he actually performed. At 6-2, 180 pounds and with a babyface, McCar- thy definitely looked more youthful than the other 2020 and 2021 signal- callers. However, Helmholdt doesn't see that as a negative and thinks Mc- Carthy acquitted himself very well against every QB in Atlanta. "I had no concerns about JJ and my opinion didn't change in Atlanta," Helmholdt explained. "He was the youngest-looking kid there, but that's not a bad thing. He has a lot of physical growth and development ahead of him, and yet his velocity was as good as anybody there. "He wasn't quite as accurate as he was in Cincinnati a couple of weeks earlier, but he was still pretty good. All in all, I think he had a very solid performance." As the No. 3 pro-style quarterback and No. 11 overall prospect in the rising junior class, McCarthy was expected to be good, and he was. Despite performing well, he was un- able to lead his team to a victory dur- ing the seven-on-seven portion of the camp, and the Rivals analysts took note of that right away. "After the tournament he was mad — just scowling," Helmholdt explained. "I asked him, 'Did you have fun? Why do you look so up- set?' He said, 'I had fun, but I don't like to lose.' "We're talking about a seven-on- seven tourney at an all-star camp. He was very upset about losing that game, so that tells you about his com- petitive nature as well." Coaches love seeing that mental- ity from their quarterback, and Mc- Carthy seems to have it. He's young but realizes how good he can be and seems to really grasp the importance of those leadership characteristics be- cause of his position. McGregor 's physical appearance was also a topic of discussion — but at the opposite end of the spec- trum. He turned heads as soon as he walked into the media room be- cause he's long and lean at 6-6 and 250 pounds. He was named to the All-Lobby Team for his impressive physique, but then had some trouble backing it up on the field. "It was good to see McGregor show up and physically be one of the most impressive looking kids at an event as loaded at the Five-Star Challenge," Helmholdt said. "His on-field play, however, was not up to that level. He's got a ways to go to be what some people think he can be. He faces issues that are more than just development related. He's not a quick-twitch kind of a guy. MICHIGAN RECRUITING Commits Compete At Rivals Five-Star Challenge Michigan 2021 commitment JJ McCarthy, the nation's No. 3 pro-style quarterback and No. 11 overall prospect, performed well at the Rivals Five-Star Challenge in Atlanta in late June. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM 2020 Michigan Commitment List Player Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown (High School) Reece Atteberry OT 6-5 290 Centennial, Colo. (Eaglecrest) Blake Corum RB 5-9 180 Baltimore (St. Frances) Eamonn Dennis WR 5-10 173 Shrewsbury, Mass. (St. John's) AJ Henning APB 5-10 183 Frankfort, Ill. (Lincoln Way East) Matt Hibner TE 6-4 228 Burke, Va. (Lake Braddock) Nikhai Hill-Green LB 6-2 225 Baltimore (St. Frances) Kris Jenkins Jr. DE 6-3 235 Olney, Md. (Good Counsel) JD Johnson QB 6-4 187 Phoenix (Pinnacle) Aaron Lewis DE 6-5 240 Williamstown, N.J. (Williamstown) Micah Mazzccua OT 6-5 330 Baltimore (St. Frances) Braiden McGregor DE 6-6 250 Port Huron, Mich. (Northern) William Mohan LB 6-1 190 Brooklyn, N.Y. (Erasmus Hall) Jordan Morant S 6-0 190 Oradell, N.J. (Bergen Catholic) Kalel Mullings LB 6-2 220 Milton, Mass. (Milton Academy) Nick Patterson TE 6-3 215 San Antonio (San Antonio Christian) Jeffrey Persi OT 6-7 265 San Juan Capistrano, Calif. (JSerra Catholic) Osman Savage LB 6-2 220 Baltimore (St. Frances) Andre Seldon DB 5-9 154 Belleville, Mich. (Belleville) Cornell Wheeler LB 6-0 229 West Bloomfield, Mich. (West Bloomfield) Roman Wilson WR 6-0 170 Honolulu (St. Louis) Zak Zinter OT 6-6 300 Cambridge, Mass. (Buckingham Browne & Nichols) 2021 Michigan Commitment List Player Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown (High School) Giovanni El-Hadi OT 6-6 285 Sterling Heights, Mich. (Stevenson) J.J. McCarthy QB 6-2 180 La Grange Park, Ill. (Nazareth Academy)