The Wolverine

April 2020

The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports

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APRIL 2020 THE WOLVERINE 57   PREP PROFILES Michigan is looking to lure more talent from the state of California. U-M head coach Jim Harbaugh re- cently made a swing through Los Angeles, which resulted in an offer for a super-intriguing prospect in three-star Gardena (Calif.) Junipero Serra athlete Devin Kirkwood. At 6-4, 185 pounds, Kirkwood best projects as a defensive back at the next level, but his build, athleti- cism and upside should allow him to move around depending on scheme. "Colleges see me as a hybrid safety that can play corner and also nickel," Kirkwood said. "I see myself doing all of that in college. Michigan sees me kind of like Jabrill Peppers as a viper. Whatever they need me to play, I'm happy with it." Kirkwood is high on Michigan early on and is keeping in regular contact with the coaching staff. "I love Michigan," Kirkwood said. "I've loved Michigan for a long time. I've been watching them since Jabrill Peppers played. It's an amazing offer. "They are always checking in on me, and asking how I'm doing and my mom is doing." Kirkwood also has a special connec- tion to the program. He grew up with 2020 Michigan cornerback signee and fellow California native Darion Green-Warren. The two played on the same seven-on-seven team, Ground Zero, and have a strong bond. Green- Warren, of course, is recruiting Kirk- wood to U-M. "I talk to Darion every Monday," Kirkwood said. "He always tells me that it's a great program. He said that he really loved his visit. I want to make my visit and see how ev- erything is. Darion is my homie. It would be great to play with him." As mentioned, Kirkwood is look- ing to make a trip to Ann Arbor. In fact, he wants to use one of his five allotted official visits on Michigan and is targeting a spring date. "I want to visit in the next month or two," Kirkwood said. "I want it to be an official visit. I want to see how the players interact with one another. I want to see the weight room. "I also want to see how the family atmosphere is on campus. I also want to get to know the coaches more." Along with Michigan, Kirkwood holds offers from Arizona State, BYU, Notre Dame, UCLA, USC, Utah and a handful of other major programs. Kirkwood is planning on making his final decision around the middle of his senior season. — EJ Holland Domani Jackson is one of the top safeties in the country's 2022 recruiting class. The elite-level recruit was a star on the back end for national power- house Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei last season and holds more than 30 offers. However, Jackson has also spent a lot of time playing cornerback on the seven-on-seven circuit this offseason and believes that's where he'll play at the next level. "Corner is my main position," Jackson said. "I'm a corner. I don't really like safety. If I have to play it in college then I'll play it. But I feel like I can play wherever I want to play. And I feel like I'm a corner." Regardless of position, Jackson is obviously a wanted man. A poten- tial five-star prospect, Jackson has his pick of the litter and is in the process of planning out more unofficial visits. "I'm definitely going up to Mich- igan," Jackson said. "I'm going to go to a lot of other Big Ten schools. I'm also going to go to Georgia and Clemson. I want to go to Arizona State as well." Jackson, who is fresh off a trip to USC, is originally from the Midwest. That's where he spent some of his early childhood, plus he still has a lot of family in Ohio. His father even grew up a Michigan fan. So it's no surprise that U-M is one of the schools he's eager to see. "My family is from Ohio, and fam- ily is number one," Jackson said. "My whole family is still in the Mid- west except for us. That does make Michigan and some of the Big Ten schools appealing." While early contact with the Michi- gan staff has been minimal, Jackson made it clear that his interest level in the Wolverines is high. Jackson also has a friendship with 2020 Michigan cornerback signee Darion Green-Warren — the two played club seven-on-seven together with Los Angeles-based Ground Zero. "The Big House is crazy," Jackson said. "They put a lot of defensive backs in the league. Darion is my boy. He told me that Michigan is the best thing he's ever seen. "We're going to link up when I go there. I have a lot of interest in them, and I can't wait to see Michigan." At 6-1, 180 pounds, Jackson re- corded 48 tackles, nine pass deflec- tions and one interception as a soph- omore and was named an Under Armour All-American. — EJ Holland California Athlete Has A Special Connection To U-M Elite West Coast Defensive Back Has Ties To The Midwest Kirkwood on his friend, 2020 U-M signee Darion Green-Warren "I talk to Darion every Monday. He always tells me that it's a great program. … Darion is my homie. It would be great to play with him." Jackson "My family is from Ohio, and family is number one. My whole family is still in the Midwest except for us. That does make Michigan and some of the Big Ten schools appealing." ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ Junipero Serra H.S. Gardena, Calif. Class: 2021 Position: Athlete Ht.: 6-4 • Wt.: 185 Rivals.com Rankings: Not rated Devin Kirkwood No star rating yet Mater Dei H.S. Santa Ana, Calif. Class: 2022 Position: Safety Ht.: 6-1 • Wt.: 180 Rivals.com Rankings: Currently un- rated Domani Jackson

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