The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1265378
• Regarded by Rivals as a four-star talent, and the No. 16 outside linebacker and No. 195 overall prospect in the nation. Year GP/GS Tkls. TFL Sacks INT 2019 13/10 66 9.5 4.0 0 JOSH ROSS • LB R-Jr. • Southfield, Mich. Ht.: 6-2 • Wt.: 232 • Started the first three games of the 2019 season before go- ing down with an injury against Wisconsin. • Recovered and was able to play in the VRBO Cit- rus Bowl against Alabama, but only appearing in four games meant he was able to redshirt. • Finished with 18 tackles. • Played in every game in 2018, and recorded 61 tackles, five stops for loss, one sack and two passes defended. • Got the start at middle linebacker against Florida in the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl and totaled a ca- reer-high 11 tackles. • All-Big Ten honorable mention in 2018. • Appeared in every game during his true freshman season, contributing primarily on special teams. • Notched 142 tackles, 20 tackles for loss, 12.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and one interception as a senior at St. Mary's. • Named the USA Today Defensive Player of the Year for Michigan and first-team All-State in 2016. • Ranked as a four-star prospect, the No. 3 player in Michigan, and the No. 15 outside linebacker and No. 222 overall recruit in the nation by Rivals. Year GP/GS Tkls. TFL Sacks INT 2019 4/3 18 0 0 0 2018 13/1 61 5.0 1.0 0 2017 13/0 4 0 0 0 Totals 30/4 83 5.0 1.0 0 ANTHONY SOLOMON • LB So. • Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Ht.: 6-1 • Wt.: 205 • Played in 11 games on special teams and made one tackle in 2019. • Finished his senior season at St. Thomas Aquinas with 63 stops, seven tackles for loss, three sacks and three fumble recoveries. • Named to the 2018 USA Today All-State first team. • Competed in the 2018 Under Armour All-Ameri- can Game and recorded two tackles. • Regarded by Rivals as a three-star talent, the No. 62 player in Florida and the No. 25 inside line- backer in the land. CHARLES THOMAS • LB R-Fr. • Atlanta Ht.: 6-0 • Wt.: 233 • Appeared in two games on spe- cial teams during his freshman campaign. • Compiled 335 total tackles, 33 stops for loss, five sacks and two interceptions over his two-year career at St. Thomas More School in Oakdale, Conn. • Named a MaxPreps Sophomore All-American in 2016. • Totaled more than 100 tackles in both his fresh- man and sophomore seasons at Langston Hughes before transferring to St. Thomas More School. • Ranked by Rivals as a three-star talent, the No. 7 player in Connecticut and the No. 35 inside line- backer in the country. BEN VANSUMEREN • LB R-So. • Essexville, Mich. Ht.: 6-2 • Wt.: 244 • Made the transition from run- ning back to linebacker this offseason. • Appeared in five contests and rushed five times for 20 yards with a touchdown in 2019. • Played in four games during the 2018 season. • Notched a state regular-season record with 85 receptions, totaling 1,259 yards and 13 touch- downs, during his senior year at Buford High. • Was selected as a first-team All-State wide receiver by USA Today following his final prep season. • Regarded by Rivals as a three-star talent, the No. 15 recruit in Michigan and the No. 34 athlete in his class. JOEY VELAZQUEZ • LB R-Fr. • Columbus, Ohio Ht.: 6-0 • Wt.: 213 • Appeared in one game (Michi- gan State) on special teams dur- ing his freshman season. • Filled the stat sheet in his se- nior season at St. Francis DeSales, tallying 76 tackles, 21 stop for loss and six forced fumbles on defense, while adding over 1,000 yards and 13 touchdowns on offense. • Three-time Division II first-team All-State selec- tion in baseball. • Named the Ohio Player of the Year in 2018 after breaking a school record with his .545 batting average. • Also plays in the outfield for the U-M baseball team, starting two of his seven appearances be- fore the season was canceled. • Ranked by Rivals as a three-star talent. NEWCOMERS NIKHAI HILL-GREEN • LB Fr. • Baltimore Ht.: 6-1 • Wt.: 230 • Enrolled early in January 2020. • Finalist for the 2019 High School Butkus Award, which is given to the nation's top prep linebacker. • Rated as a three-star prospect, the No. 19 player in Maryland and the No. 21 inside linebacker in the country by Rivals. WILLIAM MOHAN • LB Fr. • Brooklyn, N.Y. Ht.: 6-1 • Wt.: 195 • In his junior and senior seasons, he was named to the New York City Coaches' All-City Team and was also an all-conference selection by the NYCC. • Racked up 157 tackles and 29 sacks during his sophomore, junior and senior campaigns. • Rivals tabbed him as a four-star recruit, and the No. 1 player in New York and the No. 18 outside linebacker nationally. KALEL MULLINGS • LB Fr. • West Roxbury, Mass. Ht.: 6-1 • Wt.: 220 • Selected as the Gatorade Player of the Year in Massachusetts for 2019, and participated in the 2020 All-American Bowl and the Polynesian Bowl. • Received a nod for Massachusetts High School Football Coaches Association All-State team as a senior. • Listed as a four-star talent, and the No. 8 outside linebacker and No. 92 overall player in the nation by Rivals. OSMAN SAVAGE • LB Fr. • Baltimore Ht.: 6-2 • Wt.: 225 • Named All-Metro in Baltimore for his junior and senior seasons. • Was a nominee for the 2019 High School Butkus Award, given to the nation's top linebacker. • Regarded by Rivals as a four-star recruit, and the No. 12 outside linebacker and No. 158 overall player in the country. CORNELL WHEELER • LB Fr. • West Bloomfield, Mich. Ht.: 6-1 • Wt.: 220 • Honored as the MLive 2019 Defensive Player of the Year in Detroit. • Tabbed as an Associated Press Division 1-2 first- team All-State selection as both a junior and a senior. • Touted as a four-star prospect, and the No. 16 inside linebacker and No. 245 player nationally by Rivals. Linebacker Kalel Mullings was the Wolver- ines' top-rated recruit in the 2020 class, with Rivals.com listing him No. 92 overall in the country. PHOTO BY EJ HOLLAND THE WOLVERINE 2020 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 103 LINEBACKERS