The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1212135
2020 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE 64 THE WOLVERINE MARCH 2020 BY EJ HOLLAND Michigan experienced a bit of a staff shuffle after the 2019 season. The Wolverines lost safeties coach Chris Partridge in early January after he departed for Ole Miss. Meanwhile, linebackers coach Anthony Campanile left the program later in the month for a to-be-deter- mined position. Both Partridge and Campanile have strong ties in the Northeast and worked hard to lure four-star O r a d e l l ( N . J . ) Bergen Catholic safety Jordan Mo- rant to Michigan. While Partridge and Campanile are out, Michi- g a n d e f e n s i v e coordinator Don Brown was also instrumental in Morant's recruit- ment. And the elite-level defen- sive back can't wait to play for him in Ann Ar- bor. "I love Uncle D o n , " M o r a n t said with a laugh. "That's what we call him. He's a great coach. I feel like I've already learned a lot from him. He's great at what he does, so I'm glad to be a part of his defense." The versatile prospect can play cor- nerback or safety at the next level, but he best projects at the latter. Morant originally committed to Michigan in June, but there were question marks about his verbal pledge leading up to the early sign- ing period. After all, he made official visits to both Texas A&M and USC, and also flirted with Penn State. He admitted that USC made his decision difficult, but he ultimately felt more at home at Michigan. "Signing early relieved all the pressure," Morant said. "USC was a dream school. I always wanted to go there. I like the California weather and the vibe out there, but Michigan felt like home. I really think it's the place to be, and it's a great choice." The Wolverines finally sealed the deal on a late-No- vember visit. " W h e n m y mom came out with me," Mo- r a n t a d m i t t e d . "My whole fam- ily liked Michi- gan. That's when I was like, 'Yeah, this is the place to be.' I love the culture out there, and it feels like a family." Wi t h a l l t h e d r a m a b e h i n d him, Morant is glad to be a Mich- igan Man and is ready to focus on the road to re- covery after he missed most of his senior season due to a broken foot. But he's healing quickly. Morant is no longer on crutches or in a walking boot and could be ready to compete by the time fall camp rolls around. "I'll be back in a couple of more months," he said. "I'll start fully re- habbing in March then I should be good right after that. I'm enrolling in June, so I'm hoping to be back then." Unfortunately, the injury kept Mo- rant out of the All-American Bowl in San Antonio. But he did get a chance to bond with future teammates Kalel Mullings, R.J. Moten, Darion Green- Warren and A.J. Henning. "We got to hang out," Morant said. "We always talk about the future and what we have planned. It's a great time being around them and build- ing our relationship together." ❑ Jordan Morant Stays Solid Despite Staff Shake-Up Morant was recruited heavily by former U-M assistants Chris Partridge and Anthony Campanile, but stuck with the Wolverines after both departed the staff. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM 2020 Projection Morant will be behind sophomore Daxton Hill and senior Brad Hawkins at the safety spot in 2020. He is a true safety, but will have the versatility to play nickel, which bodes well for get- ting on the field sooner rather than later in his career. JORDAN MORANT DEFENSIVE BACK 5-11 • 212 BERGEN CATHOLIC H.S. PARSIPPANY, N.J. RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ — 23* 7 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 122 9* 2 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 190 9* 6 * Ranked as a safety STATISTICS Year Tackles Int. PBU 2019 12 0 1 2018 60 4 7 2017 36 0 3 HONORS • Was named second-team All-State by NJ.com as a junior and sophomore. • Participated in the All-American Bowl and Polynesian Bowl festivities, but did not play due to an injury. RECRUITMENT • Committed on June 23, 2019. • Also had offers from Alabama, Clem- son, LSU, Notre Dame, Ohio State and USC, among others. • Recruited by then-safeties coach Chris Partridge and then-linebackers coach Anthony Campanile. DID YOU KNOW? • Was coached in high school by Vito Campanile, brother of the former U-M linebackers coach. • Clocked a 4.69-second 40-yard dash, ran the shuttle run in 4.22 seconds and posted a vertical jump of 35.0 inches at Nike's The Opening Regional. • Suffered a broken foot in the third game of his senior year, forcing him to miss the remainder of the season. THEY SAID IT • Seton Hall Prep head coach Bill Fitzgerald, who coached against Morant: "He's a heck of a high school football player who is going to go on to become a heck of a college football player." • Bergen Catholic head coach Vito Campanile: "The number one thing is his explosion is just off the charts. Obvi- ously his tackling is tremendous. He's really a five-tool guy. He can cover, he can tackle, he can fly, he's got incred- ible size and his mental capacity is off the charts. He can really pick it up and learn it and be like a coach on the field."