The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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74 THE WOLVERINE AUGUST 2019 COMMITMENT PROFILE M ichigan doesn't recruit the Ha- waiian Islands very much, but when Honolulu St. Louis three-star wide receiver laid down a 4.37 40-yard dash time at The Opening in Califor- nia, he started getting plenty of atten- tion from the Wolverines and others. First-year U-M offensive coor- dinator Josh Gattis prioritized the 6-0, 170-pounder after offering him in mid-May, and by July 2 he was a member of U-M's 2020 class. "It had to do with them bringing in Coach Gattis," Wilson explained when asked about why Michigan. "He's one of the coaches who knows how to take things to the next level. His big thing is 'speed in space' and trying to get fast players in the open field. "He wants to put me in the slot and get the ball in my hands, and do what- ever he can to gain positive yards." Wilson, who is rated as the No. 3 player in Hawai'i and the No. 76 wide- out nationally by Rivals, certainly has what it takes to gain positive yards. Ri- vals national recruiting analyst Adam Gorney has watched Wilson eat up the turf in person and sees a bright future for him at Michigan. "The things that stand out most are his speed and suddenness," Gorney said. "He's a guy who can really run by anybody. I've seen it happen a bunch of times, and I think it will only continue. "He's a guy who is not only fast in a straight line, but even through his routes. He's a very fast kid." Gorney seemed almost excited to see what a guy like Wilson can do in Gattis' new offense. "He's just a big-time playmaker and I think it speaks to what Michi- gan is kind of looking for," Gorney explained. "He is a guy who can get the ball in his hands and really run by people, stretch the field and put pres- sure on defenses. That's who he is." To Michigan's advantage, Wilson also gave U-M a hard look because has ties to the Great Lakes State. That's rare for a Hawaiian kid, but it worked out in Michigan's favor dur- ing the 2020 recruiting cycle. "Committing was also about the fact that my family is from Michi- gan, and that they'd be able to come watch me at my games," Wilson said. "I have a lot of family members I don't even know who I'll be able to grow closer to and bond with. "The fact that my whole family is from Michigan just made me realize U-M was the best place for me." Now that he's committed and part of Rivals' No. 6 class in the country as of July 22, Wilson is excited about what he and his future teammates can achieve. "I'd love to get a national title there," the wideout noted. "I've always been real with my expectations, so going to a 'natty' [national championship game] and getting as many yards as I possibly can are a few goals of mine." Wilson finished his junior season with 32 catches for 803 yards and seven touchdowns. He has elite speed as evidenced by his 10.6 time in the 100-meter dash and his blazing 40 time at The Opening regional in California. Wilson also had a vertical leap of 39 inches and posted a 3.96 in the shuttle. All of those numbers were good for a 124.59 Football+ Rating (a measure of overall athletic ability), which was the best score at the event. — Brandon Brown U-M Lands Speedy Hawaiian Receiver Roman Wilson Wilson, who ran a 4.37 40-yard dash at The Opening in California this spring, notched 32 receptions for 803 yards and seven scores as a junior at St. Louis High in Honolulu. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM FILM EVALUATION Strengths: Roman Wilson's strength is his elite speed. He can turn short passes into long touchdowns and has the ability to take the top off of a defense on deep routes. He is very quick and agile in tight spaces, and is smooth in and out of his breaks, which makes him really difficult to defend with any type of cornerback. Areas Of Improvement: Wilson will need to bulk up and get stronger, but that's not as much of an issue for a wide receiver as it is for other positions (see Ronnie Bell). Wilson would certainly be even more effective with added size and strength, but it's not a cause for concern. Michigan Player Comparison: Wilson is much faster than Grant Perry, but body wise and skill wise the two are similar as high school prospects. Perry was 6-0, 195 pounds when he finished at U-M and Wilson heads into his senior season at 6-0, 170. Perry was billed as a great route runner with terrific hands and Wilson does a solid job in those areas as well, but also has that elite, top-end speed. Perry finished his Michigan career with 72 catches for 765 yards and three scores. Wilson has the speed to top those numbers. — Analysis from TheWolverine.com