The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1147681
16 THE WOLVERINE AUGUST 2019 INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS BY ANDREW HUSSEY When former Wolverines Jordan Poole and Ig- nas Brazdeikis were selected in the NBA Draft in June, Michigan added to its impressive 2018-19 professional draft haul. Including three incom- ing hockey players, Michigan had 20 players selected in the most recent professional drafts. U-M had no players drafted into the WNBA, the National Women's Soccer League or the Women's Professional Lacrosse League. Former linebacker Devin Bush Jr. was the highest- selected Wolverine in a professional draft this school year, going No. 10 overall to the Pittsburgh Steelers. PHOTO COURTESY PITTSBURGH STEELERS/REBECCA MEHLING Wolverines In 2018-19 Professional Drafts AJ Henning Is The Big Coup By Brandon Brown Frankfort (Ill.) Lincoln Way East four-star all-purpose back AJ Henning is the easiest and most obvious answer. As the No. 84 player in the entire country, Henning is U-M's highest- ranked commit. Despite being listed as the No. 3 all-purpose back in the countr y by R ivals.com, the 5-10, 183-pounder is going to play in the slot for the Wolverines, and that 's why he's the most impor tant grab for U-M. Josh Gattis' new #SpeedInSpace of- fense is tailor made for players like Henning, which is why he was priori- tized by the staff. Henning was arguably Michigan's top target on the offensive side of the ball so landing him was a huge win for the Maize and Blue. Top programs like Alabama, Georgia, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State and Stanford all wanted Henning, but the Wolverines won out. He should be a great fit at Michi- gan, both on and off the field, and he's the kind of person and prospect that will attract other talented players to Ann Arbor. There are a lot of boxes to check when evalu- ating recruits and Henning seems to check them all. RB Blake Corum Was U-M's Biggest Get By Chris Balas It's been a long time since Michigan was "Running Back U," churning out talents such as Tyrone Wheatley, Tshimanga Biakabutuka, Chris Perry and Mike Hart. There was a time in the early 1990s that the Wolverines were four deep with rushers who might have started for most Big Ten teams. This year's stable is light, and while there are high hopes for redshirt fresh- man Christian Turner and true frosh Zach Charbonnet, there's plenty of room for more competition. Enter Baltimore St. Frances' 5-9, 180-pound Blake Corum. Rivals.com's No. 135 rising senior nation- ally isn't overly big, but he can flat out play, and was offered by heavyweights such as Georgia and LSU. That he chose the Wolverines over Ohio State at the end made it even sweeter. The four-star prospect will excel in new offensive coordinator Josh Gattis' offense with his speed and ability to shed tack- lers. He has good vision, will get the ball in space, and helps strengthen a position that really needs bodies and competi- tion going forward. He adds to a growing group of future U-M players from talent-rich Maryland and will compete for playing time immediately. POINT ❙ COUNTERPOINT WHO IS THE BEST FOOTBALL RECRUITING GET SINCE THE START OF JUNE? Michigan was the hottest team in the country on the recruiting trail in June. The Wolverines landed 10 prospects over the course of the month, and a total of 11 since the June 21-23 blowout official visit weekend (two pledged in early August). Of the newest additions, who was the biggest get for Jim Harbaugh and his staff? That's the million-dollar question … AJ HENNING BLAKE CORUM Here's a look at each Michigan player drafted, when they were selected and who they were selected by: Player League Pick Round Team Jordan Poole NBA 28 1 Golden State Warriors Ignas Brazdeikis NBA 47 2 Traded to New York Knicks Tommy Henry MLB 74 CBB* Arizona Diamondbacks Karl Kauffmann MLB 77 CBB* Colorado Rockies Jordan Brewer MLB 106 3 Houston Astros Jack Weisenburger MLB 614 20 Oakland Athletics Jimmy Kerr MLB 982 33 Detroit Tigers Cam York^ NHL 14 1 Philadelphia Flyers Johnny Beecher^ NHL 30 1 Boston Bruins Eric Ciccolini^ NHL 205 7 New York Rangers Devin Bush Jr. NFL 10 1 Pittsburgh Steelers Rashan Gary NFL 12 1 Green Bay Packers Chase Winovich NFL 77 3 New England Patriots David Long NFL 79 3 Los Angeles Rams Zach Gentry NFL 141 5 Pittsburgh Steelers Marcello Borges MLS 28 2 Colorado Rapids Robbie Mertz MLS 76 4 Colorado Rapids Nick DeCaprio MLL 21 3 Boston Cannons Brent Noseworthy MLL 30 4 Boston Cannons Decker Curran MLL 57 6 New York Lizards * Competitive Balance B pick between rounds two and three ^ Incoming freshman when selected