The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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NOVEMBER 2019 THE WOLVERINE 59 FOOTBALL RECRUITING help me adjust. It's the little things that help." To win a big recruitment like that one, winning over the family is im- portant. Mullings' father, Dale, im- mediately built a connection with Brown, which helped long term. "Coach Brown was there day one," Dale said. "He came in and spoke to me when he offered Kalel. He said, 'I'm not like any other coach. I'm not going to call you every day. You know you have a Michigan offer, and we're here.' And he's been there. If I pick up the phone at midnight, he'll answer or text me to call him back an hour later. "He's always been there. He's never wavered. He's never really pressured Kalel. He makes things comfortable, and he's a good dude." Dale added that Brown's ties and the job he is doing with Massachu- setts kids will only help Michigan moving forward. "He has a great relationship with all the Massachusetts coaches," Dale said. "It helps Michigan a lot. We've got the bus started. We're coming out there with everybody from here. They trust him. We know that if you can play, you'll get an opportunity at Michigan. That was a reason why Michigan was my favorite as a dad." Michigan is off to a terrific start in 2021 with Hansen. Brown spent extended time with Louis at The Big House BBQ in the summer and keeps in frequent contact with his father. Brown even put together a person- alized power-point presentation for the Hansen family, detailing tight end usage at Michigan versus other schools on their list as well as the advantages of the business school. Needless to say, Brown has made a big impression on Louis. "Don Brown is a Boston guy," Louis said. "I got to see him at some games around here prior to my re- cruitment. I talked to him over the summer and got to know him. "He's a funny New England guy. I'm interested in business, and Don Brown told me that they have a top- five business school in the country. That's definitely something that I'm considering." Drew Kendall, the nation's No. 2 ranked offensive guard and No. 70 overall player nationally per Rivals, also praised Brown and noted that his trust in him will go a long way in his recruitment. "Coach Brown is a really good re- cruiter," Kendall said. "He's a really good guy. I really like him. Every time I've seen him, he's been nothing but good to me. It's really cool that he's a Massachusetts guy." Martin might be Brown's biggest target in the 2022 class. And Brown is a big reason why the Martin fam- ily has visited Michigan more than any other school at this point in his recruitment. "Coach Brown is a really genuine dude," Martin said. "In a way, he's like a second father figure because of the way he carries himself and the way he cares for his players. He coaches them like a father would if he were coaching the team. It's definitely a help that he's a New England guy. "We connect over vacations on the Cape, where he vacations as well. There are just a lot of things there that make our connection really strong." Like with Hansen and Mullings, Brown is also putting in work re- cruiting Martin's father, Mark. "We do feel very, very comfortable with him," Mark said. "Coach Brown is a Massachusetts guy. He has a summer house right down by ours. Tyler talks to him like he's a grand- father or father figure. Coach [Jim] Harbaugh is up here all the time, too. We feel very comfortable with them." As long as Brown is at Michigan, the Wolverines will continue to land big-time talent from Massachusetts, which is producing Power Five re- cruits at an exponential rate, and New England as whole. Michigan commit Dennis, the country's No. 75 wide receiver, might have put it best when asked why Brown rules such a talent dense region. "Coach Brown is a really good guy," Dennis said. "We have a great relationship. He's actually best friends with our athletic direc- tor, so I saw him my freshman year in the hallways. It really helps that he's from Massachusetts because he hooks up his guys from here. "I know he's going to be there for his guys when we get to Michigan." ❏ During the 2019 recruiting cycle, Brown secured a commitment from Kalel Mullings — a four- star talent, and the No. 10 outside linebacker and No. 108 overall player nationally per Rivals — pulling him away from Stanford. 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.