The Wolverine

September 2019

The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports

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SEPTEMBER 2019 THE WOLVERINE 53   COMMITMENT PROFILE W est Bloomfield (Mich.) High four-star safety Makari Paige had been high on Michigan's board for a long time, and after he spent the day in Ann Arbor for the BBQ at The Big House he knew that he wanted to be a Wolverine. "I pretty much had my mind made up before the BBQ," Paige said. "We did a lot of activities. We played some games, and I bonded really well with a lot of the players, recruits and coaches. We went over some plays. "It's a big deal representing my state. A big part of it was my family being able to come and watch me and tailgate and stuff like that." Paige never says much, but he did share his thoughts on being commit- ted heading into his senior season. "It feels really good to be done with the process," Paige said. "Schools kept switching in my head almost every week, but then for a long time it was just Michigan. "That's why they were my choice. I'm just ready to enjoy my senior sea- son and my teammates." His head coach at West Bloomfield, former Michigan wide receiver Ron Bellamy, definitely doesn't push his players toward Ann Arbor, but he's excited that he'll be able to see Paige, along with four-star inside linebacker and fellow Laker Cornell Wheeler, pursue their dreams at his alma mater. "I get a lot of grief from Michigan fans for not sending kids to U-M. I don't tell kids where to go," Bellamy said with a laugh. "We just try to get them exposure everywhere. Now that I have two kids committed to Michigan, I get college coaches say- ing I made a pipeline there. I'm like, 'I've been here 10 years, and these are the first two kids going to Michigan.' "We're super excited about it. I just love Cornell and Makari because they're high-character kids. They love people, they're great people and they're great teammates." Paige is now focusing on his last campaign at West Bloomfield, and he's also thinking about pursuing others a little bit too. "I'll be recruiting [West Bloomfield (Mich.) High four-star running back] Donovan [Edwards]. The best play- ers in Michigan go to Michigan," he said with a smile. "I'll be up there a lot, but I don't know when exactly. "I just want to win a state cham- pionship. That's my main thought right now." Rivals.com ranks Paige as the No. 6 player in Michigan and the No. 18 safety in the country. Last year, he recorded 105 tackles from his second- ary position while intercepting two passes and recovering two fumbles. He was a major part of West Bloomfield's defense and helped his team reach the regional champion- ship game. Because of his impressive numbers, Paige was named Detroit News first-team All-State for Divi- sions 1 and 2. — Brandon Brown Wolverines Land Four-Star In-State Safety Makari Paige Rivals.com rates Paige as the No. 6 prospect in Michigan and the No. 18 safety in the nation. PHOTO BY BRANDON BROWN FILM EVALUATION Strengths: Makari Paige has phenomenal size, length and speed at 6-3, 185 pounds. That height allows him to cover almost the entire back end of the field on passing plays. His size and speed also allow him to be extremely supportive in the run game. He's pretty complete as a player and also approaches the game in a very professional manner. People around him expect him to excel at Michigan because of his skills and work ethic. Areas Of Improvement: Even though he has great size for a prospect, Paige needs to continue to add strength throughout his core while maintaining the speed and range that makes him so effective. There's no doubt that he will work to achieve those goals, but 185-190 pounds is pretty thin for someone as tall as Paige. It shouldn't be an issue, however, and playing north of 205 is likely in his future. Michigan Player Comparison: Paige compares pretty favorably to former Wolverine safety Jarrod Wilson. Coming out of high school, Wilson was listed at 6-2, 190 pounds, which is right around where Paige is as he heads into his senior season. Both were viewed as four-star safeties outside of the Rivals250 as well. Wilson used his length to his advantage while at Michigan and finished his career with four interceptions and 11 passes defended. He also recorded 169 tackles while at U-M. Paige has a similar build and skill set, and could end up being at least that productive in Ann Arbor. — Analysis from TheWolverine.com Paige on pledging to U-M "It's a big deal representing my state."

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