The Wolverine

March 2020 Issue

The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports

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MARCH 2020 THE WOLVERINE 21 2020 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE N.J.; and Braiden McGregor (6-5, 248) out of nearby Port Huron, Mich. McGregor suffered a season-ending knee injury in mid-October for Port Huron Northern, undergoing surgery to repair a medial collateral ligament, a posterior cruciate ligament and me- niscus, but one of the top-rated prep defensive ends in the nation is hope- ful of participating in spring practice. Harbaugh has praised the four- some for its talent and energy, calling Lewis "ex- tremely athletic," Harrell "always engaged" and not- ing he played in the NFL with Jenkins' dad. "The son looks like a chip off the old block," Har- baugh said on his podcast. T h e Wo l v e r i n e s a l s o beefed up their linebacker depth, bringing in Kalel Mullings (6-1, 220) from We s t R o x b u r y, M a s s . , Nikhai Hill-Green (6-1, 230) and Osman Savage (6-2, 225), both out of St. Fran- ces Academy, and Cornell Wheeler (6-1, 220) from nearby West Bloomfield, Mich. Harbaugh appreciates the way his backers line up, especially with the returning talent on hand. "We've seen all the linebackers live and in camps," Harbaugh said. "It's going to be a position of need for depth this season, with [redshirt freshman] Cam McGrone and [ju- nior] Josh Ross projected to be start- ers at inside [linebacker]." Harbaugh noted Savage and Mull- ings featured the athleticism to play running back at their respective schools, while the head coach praised the fierce competitiveness of Hill- Green and Wheeler. The Wolverines shored up the back end of the defense by pulling in no fewer than six potential corners and safeties. They are Darion Green- Warren (6-0, 183) from Torrance, Ca- lif.; William Mohan (6-1, 195) out of Brooklyn, N.Y.; Jordan Morant (5- 11, 212) from Parsippany, N.J.; R.J. Moten (6-0, 200) from Delran, N.J.; Makari Paige (6-3, 192) out of West Bloomfield, Mich.; and Andre Seldon (5-8, 154) from Belleville, Mich. Harbaugh identified Paige and Morant as the "true safeties" of the group, while noting Mohan "is ath- letic enough to be a corner or safety or an edge rusher, like a viper. There are a lot of ways he can contribute." Like Dennis on the other side of the ball, Mohan was technically listed by U-M as an athlete when his signing was announced. "Makari Paige tracks the ball and makes plays on it as well, and Mo- rant is the same way," Harbaugh said on his podcast. "Jordan Morant re- minds me of [Hall of Fame safety] Troy Polamalu. He has instincts and can line up anywhere on the defense. "William is a long, really athletic player that can cover. His ability to blitz off the edge is special, and he can track down ball carriers. I mean, he loves to hit. … We'll see exactly what position. When it says athlete, that's just really saying this guy has the ability to play corner, safety, viper — and that's a good thing." He added that Moten is "strong and powerful," and that Seldon "is a true cor- ner and very competitive — that's what stuck out to me. He not just out there to cover people — he wants to go tackle." Overall, Harbaugh in- sisted, "This is an exciting group of defensive backs." He could, and does, say the same for the group as a whole. Skipping the drama and lighting up the fire- works early appears Michi- gan's plan in the near fu- ture, and Harbaugh is fine with it. ❏ 2020 Team Recruiting Rankings Rk. Rivals ESPN 247Sports 1. Georgia Clemson Alabama 2. Clemson Georgia Clemson 3. Alabama Alabama Georgia 4. LSU LSU Ohio State 5. Ohio State Ohio State LSU 6. Texas A&M Texas A&M Texas A&M 7. Tennessee Auburn Florida 8. Florida Florida Auburn 9. Oregon Texas Tennessee 10. Auburn Oklahoma Texas 11. Michigan Michigan Oklahoma 12. Miami Penn State Penn State 13. Texas Oregon South Carolina 14. Penn State Notre Dame Washington 15. Oklahoma Washington Michigan Signees Jordan Morant (left) and Kalel Mullings (right) were both Rivals.com four-star pros- pects selected for the All-American Bowl, but Morant missed the game due to injury. PHOTO BY EJ HOLLAND

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