The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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SEPTEMBER 2020 THE WOLVERINE 13 INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS MICHIGAN'S TOP PERFORMERS Men's basketball 2021 preferred walk-on Ian Burns: The Winnetka (Ill.) New Trier guard committed to head coach Juwan How- ard Aug. 5 as a preferred walk-on, mak- ing his pledge on Instagram. He will not take up a scholarship at Michigan, with the Maize and Blue already hav- ing three Rivals150 commits in their 2021 recruiting class in Grand Rapids (Mich.) Christian four-star shooting guard Kobe Bufkin, Chicago Simeon four-star shooting guard Isaiah Barnes and Stewartville (Minn.) High three- star power forward Will Tschetter. Burns is a wing player who stands 6-6, and helped lead his New Trier squad to a 19-11 record last year. Michigan football senior wide receiver Nico Collins: He was pegged to go No. 18 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft by ESPN expert Todd McShay Aug. 12. The Birming- ham, Ala., native was the sixth Big Ten player to come off the board in the mock draft. The Maize and Blue have not had a wideout go in the NFL Draft's first round since Braylon Edwards went No. 3 overall to the Cleveland Browns in 2005. "While Collins had just 37 catches last season, he turned that into 729 yards and seven scores with medio- cre QB play," McShay noted. "He's a physical beast, with a 6-foot-4 frame and plenty of vertical speed." Women's gymnastics junior Lauren Farley: The Wom- en's Collegiate Gymnastics Association (WGCA) named her an Academic All-American Aug. 11, with honorees needing a grade point average of 3.50 or better to qualify. An organizational studies major, 2020 marked the third consecutive year Farley earned the accolade from the WGCA. The Dallas native helped lead Michigan to a 12-1 record before com- petition was canceled in March, with the highlight of her campaign occurring when she tallied a season-high 9.900 on beam in the March 6 showdown at No. 1 Oklahoma. Men's basketball freshman guard Jace Howard: A Wolverine has not worn No. 25, head coach Juwan How- ard's collegiate number, on the hard- wood since the 2006-07 season. That will change whenever U-M takes the court again, after Howard's son, Jace, asked his father if he could wear the digit. Following the official announce- ment in mid-August, Jace noted via a school release: "Wearing No. 25 has been something I have wanted for a long time. Getting my dad's blessing made it truly an amazing moment for both of us and our family. He made No. 25 an iconic number at Michigan and I will wear it with pride every day." — Austin Fox U-M'S 2021 RECRUITING CLASS RANKS NO. 7 NATIONALLY, NO. 2 IN THE BIG TEN Fall football in the Big Ten has been can- celed, but recruiting — often referred to as "the lifeblood of col- lege football" — lives on. Following the de- cisions by several conferences to post- pone the season, the NCAA has extended the dead period for recruiting until Sept. 30, meaning coaches and players are not allowed to have any in-person contact. De- spite the continued recruiting lockdown, 2021 classes across the country are beginning to fill up. B i g Te n s c h o o l s owned eight of the top 30 spots in the Rivals. com national recruit- ing rankings as of mid-August, highlighted by Ohio State's No. 1-ranked class and Michigan's haul that is tabbed No. 7 in the land. The Maize and Blue's batch of rising prep senior pledges is headlined by a slew of four-star, top-100 prospects in Braden- ton (Fla.) IMG Academy quarterback J.J. McCarthy (the No. 33 player in the country), Sterling Heights (Mich.) Stevenson offensive lineman Giovanni El-Hadi (No. 51), Needham (Mass.) St. Sebastian's Country Day tight end Louis Hansen (No. 68) and Brentwood (Tenn.) Ravenwood linebacker Ju- nior Colson (No. 83). Here is a look at each Big Ten program's national rank, and what caliber of players make up their classes. All numbers and ranks are as of Aug. 17. — Clayton Sayfie Team National Total 5-Stars 4-Stars 3-Stars Rank Commits Ohio State 1 18 2 13 2 Michigan 7 21 0 9 11 Wisconsin 17 16 0 5 11 Iowa 19 17 0 3 13 Maryland 20 20 0 3 14 Rutgers 24 21 0 0 16 Penn State 31 13 0 7 6 Minnesota 32 15 0 2 13 Nebraska 38 14 0 2 12 Northwestern 46 14 0 3 9 Indiana 50 13 0 3 9 Illinois 54 16 0 0 11 Michigan State 68 11 0 1 10 Purdue 77 10 0 0 10 Four-star U-M quarterback commit J.J. McCarthy is the highest-rated recruit by Rivals.com in the Wolverines' 2021 class, checking in at No. 33 nationally. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM