The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1147681
AUGUST 2019 THE WOLVERINE 57 MICHIGAN RECRUITING "At the defensive end position, you need someone who can be ex- plosive and change direction fluidly and quickly, and he struggled with that in Atlanta. That's the concern we've always had with him." He picked up his fourth star just before arriving in Atlanta but did not crack the Rivals250. He's not in danger of losing his recently gained star, but he's also not on the short list of players expected to jump into the Rivals250. He is considered the No. 23 strongside defensive end in the country and will really have to show some improvements in the fall to rise much further. Seldon loves to compete, plays with a massive chip on his shoulder and usually wins more reps than he loses in camp settings. He definitely came out on top more often than not when facing some of the best wide receivers in the country. Helmholdt has always been bull- ish on the 5-9, 154-pound Seldon and was not at all worried about him heading into the event. "I had no worries about Andre competing well in that setting," Helmholdt said. "Yes, he's small, but his competitiveness is very big. I knew he would step up and deliver one of his best performances among that type of talent. "There was one play against Anto- nio Johnson [a top-100 prospect who is listed at 6-3] where there was a jump ball in the corner of the end zone and Johnson elevated over the top of him. That's going to be the issue with An- dre, but how many times does that particular play really happen? "More common is the wide re- ceiver burning a defensive back who doesn't flip his hips or have the speed to run with him. Andre can flip his hips and run with any wide receiver in the country." Seldon is currently ranked as the No. 31 cornerback in the country, but he is also not in the Rivals250 and likely won't be just because of who's ahead of him on that list. ❑ As has become somewhat of a tradi- tion, Michigan will host a bunch of prospects for this year's installment of the BBQ At The Big House July 27. Ev- ery year since Rich Rodriguez was run- ning the show, prospects from around the country converge on Ann Arbor in late July for some fellowship, football and food. This year's list was still coming to- gether as of July 23, but several big- time prospects had already confirmed that they'll be in attendance in addi- tion to several committed recruits. One important name to keep an eye from the 2020 class is RJ Moten. The three-star athlete from Delran (N.J.) High likes Michigan a lot and could be on commit watch during the visit. At 6-0 and 201 pounds, Moten does a lot on both sides of the ball in high school, but Michigan likes him at safety. For the 2021 class, the list is much longer. Cincinnati Roger Bacon three- star running back Corey Kiner will be in Ann Arbor, and he likes Michigan quite a bit. The problem is that he probably likes Ohio State a little more and has an offer from the Buckeyes. The 5-9, 209-pounder is the No. 19 running back in the country. Michigan is likely going to have a really good shot with Boston Noble and Greenough School four-star offensive guard Drew Kendall. The Wolverines have almost been able to cherry pick who they want from that region of the country and will aggressively recruit the 6-4, 255-pounder who is listed as the No. 1 guard and No. 60 overall prospect in the country. Michigan also appears to be in great shape with Damascus (Md.) High four-star offensive center Ryan Linthicum. At 6-4 and 278 pounds, he is considered the No. 1 center and No. 42 overall player in the country. Getting both Kendall and Linthicum on campus together could be a great move in the long run. Throw in Katy (Texas) Taylor four-star offensive tackle Hayden Conner and you have a trio of rising junior linemen that Michigan can build around. Con- ner, the No. 13 offensive tackle in the country, might not be quite as high on Michigan as the other two, but he's a high academic kid and is going to give the Wolverines a very hard look. At 6-6 and 305 pounds, he would be a great complement to Linthicum and Kendall if the Wolverines can indeed land those two interior prospects. Clarkston (Mich.) High four-star Rocco Spindler is also labeled as an offensive guard, but he might end up playing defensive tackle like his father, Marc Spindler, because of his build at 6-5 and 290 pounds. Wherever he ends up, he's a priority for U-M and listed as the No. 76 overall player in the country. Michigan will also have at least a couple of 2022 prospects on campus for the BBQ. Belleville (Mich.) High cornerback Myles Rowser and Essexville (Mich.) Garber defensive tackle Alex VanSumeren are definitely worth keeping an eye on because of their existing connections to U-M. Rowser is the younger brother of 2020 commit Andre Seldon. At 5-11 and 170 pounds, he already has a more impressive frame than Seldon, and he seems to be getting bigger and longer by the day. He's up to 15 offers and really likes the recruiting process as a rising sophomore. He'll be in play for U-M throughout. VanSumeren is the younger brother of Michigan running back Ben VanSumeren. At 6-2 and 260 pounds, he's built quite a bit differently than his brother — but his affinity for Michigan is strong. — Brandon Brown Previewing Michigan's Annual BBQ At The Big House Three-star rising senior athlete RJ Moten from Delran (N.J.) High likes Michigan a lot and planned to attend the BBQ At The Big House July 27. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM