The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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SEPTEMBER 2019 THE WOLVERINE 57 FOOTBALL RECRUITING and easily one of the best I've ever seen during my trips to other colleges. "We did a pre-workout session in it, and then did some drills with run- ning backs coach [Jay Harbaugh] out on the field. Finally, we were given a full tour of the press box." The 5-9, 209-pounder ended up leaving Ann Arbor calling the Wol- verines his leader. Louisville, Pur- due, Cincinnati and Ohio State are also involved, but U-M definitely set the bar high with the BBQ. Beverly Hills (Mich.) Country Day offensive tackle Caleb Tiernan cer- tainly looks the part at 6-8 and 260 pounds, and that's why the rising junior has an offer and why he was invited to the BBQ. "Something that stood out was how much the coaches care about skill and development," he said. "In just the short time we were doing drills, I was able to learn a lot from the coaches." Boston Noble and Greenough School four-star offensive guard Drew Kendall also took in U-M's big BBQ on that beautiful Saturday. Kendall, who ranks as the nation's No. 1 guard and No. 60 overall prospect according to Rivals, landed an offer from the Wol- verines in January and was excited to be in Ann Arbor for the weekend visit. "That was awesome. It was a lot of fun," Kendall said. "Because of my broken hand, I wasn't able to do the drills or anything. Just standing there and watching [offensive line] Coach [Ed] Warinner and his staff and how they teach was really good for me to learn from them." Michigan appears to be in a good spot with Kendall and, while he's not close to a decision in early August, he did say that he won't hesitate to commit if he gets the right feeling or if spots start to fill up. Brentwood (Tenn.) Academy three- star offensive guard Noah Josey's stop in Ann Arbor was his first and it couldn't have gone better. "The Michigan visit was great," Jo- sey said. "It exceeded my expectations. The facilities were amazing, and it is obvious how much the coaches want you to be the best version of you." Josey is Rivals' No. 8 offensive guard in the country and claims offers from more than 15 schools, including Michigan, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Penn State and Virginia Tech. He is not close to making up his mind, but U-M acquitted itself well during the visit. As Rivals' No. 2 offensive guard and No. 76 overall prospect in the country who happens to live less than an hour from Ann Arbor, Clarkston (Mich.) High four-star Rocco Spindler is already viewed as one of U-M's top targets in the 2021 class. The 6-5, 290-pounder gushed about his time at the BBQ. "I thought it went amazing. I loved every second of it," Spindler said. "Michigan treats me so well, and they always roll out the red carpet when I come out there. The coaches and how hands on they are really stood out. "They teach the correct, small de- tails that are going to make a huge difference in a game." Spindler is viewed as a potential Michigan lean, but Notre Dame, Ohio State and Penn State are also actively involved with the big junior. A couple of other big-time targets in the 2021 class, like West Bloomfield (Mich.) High four-star running back Donovan Edwards, Blairstown (N.J.) Blair Academy four-star strongside defensive end Aaron Armitage, East Lansing (Mich.) High three-star wide receiver Andrel Anthony, Needham (Mass.) St. Sebastians Country Day four-star tight end Louis Hansen (who picked up his offer at the BBQ), Damascus (Md.) High four-star cen- ter Ryan Linthicum and Hopewell (Va.) High four-star athlete TreVeyon Henderson, were also at the BBQ. All in all, the event was a massive success on several levels. ❏ Four-star rising junior Rocco Spindler from Clarkson (Mich.) High, the No. 2 offensive guard and No. 76 overall prospect in the 2021 class per Rivals.com, was one of the more than 50 players who were present for the BBQ at The Big House. PHOTO BY BRANDON BROWN On The Web For regular reports on Michigan football recruiting plus videos of U-M commitments and targets visit TheWolverine.com. Rising Sophomores With Offers Check Out Michigan The rising sophomore visitors for the BBQ at The Big House included the following: Baltimore St. Frances pro-style quarterback John Griffith The 6-1, 205-pound Griffith has five offers, including from LSU and Tennessee. Grosse Pointe (Mich.) South cornerback William Johnson At 6-1 and 165 pounds, Johnson has great length for the cornerback position. He is a U-M legacy, but does have offers from Michigan State, Penn State and five others to consider. Aurora (Colo.) Regis Jesuit pro-style quarterback Nicco Marchiol He checks in at 6-2 and 205 pounds, and has seven other others to go along with his Michigan tender. Fort Worth (Texas) Nolan Catholic running back Emeka Megwa At 6-0 and 213 pounds, Megwa looks like a stud already, and that's why he was offered while in Ann Arbor. The sophomore back already has 22 offers. Belleville (Mich.) High cornerback Myles Rowser The younger brother of Michigan commit Andre Seldon, Rowser already has a better frame than big bro at 5-11 and 170 pounds. He has 11 offers from schools such as Florida State, Kentucky, Maryland, Nebraska, Penn State and West Virginia. Essexville (Mich.) Garber defensive tackle Alex VanSumeren As the younger brother of current Wolverine Ben VanSumeren, Alex is a player to watch at 6-2 and 260 pounds. He has a U-M offer to go along with tenders from Central Michigan and Kentucky. — Brandon Brown