The Wolverine

August 2019

The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports

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62 THE WOLVERINE AUGUST 2019   FOOTBALL RECRUITING ting ready to play. He is going to need time to bulk up and learn the system, and Warinner is the guy he wants to learn from. Jenkins was the last of the group to commit to Michigan, on July 3, but it wasn't because he was waffling. He was blown away during his visit, but wanted to take some time to let it settle before going public with his decision. The 6-4, 250-pounder knew that the weekend was going to be a big deal, but even he was shocked by how well everything went. "I expected big things but the visit far exceeded my expectations," Jen- kins said. "It's a whole different ex- perience when you're exposed to the environment. The coaches and play- ers were very charismatic, which re- ally made me feel at home. "Being able to be on campus with the other visitors and commits re- ally encouraged me to choose Michi- gan. Since these would be my future teammates, I knew there would be no better place to be than Ann Arbor rocking the maize and blue." Jenkins is listed by Rivals as the No. 48 strongside defensive end in the country and is the son of former NFL standout Kris Jenkins Sr. Papa Jenkins played in the league for 10 years and went to four Pro Bowls, giving his son a lot of natural bloodlines to rely on. Most believe the younger Jenkins' best football is ahead of him, so the sky could be the limit in Ann Arbor. ❑ After the huge recruiting weekend in late June and an early July pledge from defensive end Kris Jenkins Jr. of Olney (Md.) Good Counsel, the Wolverines were sitting at 21 commitments as of July 23. That technically puts U-M four over the scholar- ship limit for the fall of 2020, but several prospects are still considering the Wolverines. Michigan has two running backs committed in Eamonn Dennis of Shrewsbury (Mass.) St. John's and Blake Corum of Baltimore St. Frances, but is still targeting Largo (Fla.) Pinel- las Park three-star Lawrance Toafili. The 6-0, 174-pounder would fit in well with the other two and has been to U-M in an unofficial capacity. He is rated as the No. 23 running back in the country by Rivals, and is also considering Florida State, Florida and other programs a little closer to home. Gattis and company have landed two top targets at wide receiver in Hawaiian speedster Roman Wilson of Honolulu St. Louis and four- star AJ Henning of Frankfort (Ill.) Lincoln Way East, but they would love to add Chan- dler (Ariz.) Hamilton four- star Brenden Rice. The 6-3, 208-pounder looks a lot like Donovan Peoples-Jones, Tarik Black and Nico Collins in terms of his size, yet he is still con- sidered a burner with 10.75 speed in the 100-meter dash. The No. 48 wide receiver in the country seems to be looking hard at Michigan and Oregon. With two tight ends already in the fold it's not necessarily a position of need, but three-star Nick Patterson of San Antonio Christian may be on his way out. That could open the door for Windsor (Ontario) Holy Names four-star Theo Johnson. The 6-5, 235-pounder is considered the No. 6 tight end and No. 199 overall prospect nationally by Rivals. He has been Sherrone Moore's top target at the position for a while and seems to be pretty torn between U-M, Georgia, Penn State and Iowa. Littleton (Colo.) Columbine four-star offensive tackle An- drew Gentry was one of the 18 uncommitted prospects who officially visited from June 21-23, but he decided to hold off on a decision for now. Michigan is in a great spot with the 6-8, 305-pounder, but as his Mormon mission approaches BYU also feels good about its chances. Gentry is considered the No. 8 offensive tackle and No. 54 overall prospect na- tionally by Rivals. He would be an outstanding addition an already solid O-line haul. Michigan has one cornerback committed in 5-9, 154-pound four-star Andre Seldon, but would love to add a couple of bigger guys to that group. Both Harbor City (Calif.) Narbonne four-star Darion Green-Warren and Miami Central four-star Henry Gray are in play, but could be tough pulls from ar- eas that don't lose kids to out- of-region programs very often. Green-Warren checks in as Rivals' No. 20 cornerback and No. 221 overall prospect na- tionally at 6-0, 173 pounds, while Gray is tabbed as the No. 18 cornerback and No. 207 overall prospect in the coun- try at 6-1, 180 pounds. At safety, Michigan might be leading for all three of its top targets. West Bloomfield (Mich.) High four-star Makari Paige, Highland Springs (Va.) High four-star Malcolm Greene and Delran (N.J.) High three- star athlete RJ Moten are all extremely high on the Wolverines. Paige has great size at 6-3, 185 pounds and is the No. 18 safety in the nation. Greene is a little smaller at 5-10, 177 pounds and is considered the No. 23 safety in the land. Moten, the bulkiest of the group, weighs 201 pounds at 6-0, and has a lot of position versatility. Some teams like him on offense at both wide receiver and running back, but Michi- gan sees a higher upside with him in the secondary. — Brandon Brown Windsor (Ontario) Holy Names four-star Theo Johnson — Rivals' No. 6 tight end and No. 199 overall player in the country — is among Michigan's top remaining targets. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM What's Left To Do In The 2020 Class?

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