The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/130469
commitment profile commitment," he said. "I just felt like I was at a place that was already familiar to me and I was around people I knew. They have great coaches there. They are great guys. [Offensive line coach Darrell] Funk is a great guy. I'm really fond of the way he coaches." Securing Bushell-Beatty boosted Michigan's offensive line recruiting. The U‑M coaches can be very selective after a four-man class in 2012 and a six-man offensive line group in 2013, and Bushell-Beatty joins Tarpon Springs (Fla.) East Lake fourstar Mason Cole in the 2014 group. Funk and the rest of the Michigan coaches will be especially particular in filling the remaining spot at the position group. Just as important as his boost to the offensive line could be the benefit he provides Michigan in the recruitment of his teammate, defensive back Jabrill Peppers. Bushell-Beatty said he'll do his part to convince the nation's No. 2 prospect to follow him to Ann Arbor. "I'm going to try my best to get Jabrill to come along, but at the end of the day it's his decision," he said. "I'll keep doing my best to let him know how I felt about it, and I'll get some feedback from him. One thing that I think would be the greatest thing is playing at the next level with a player that I played in high school with." The contrast between Michigan and Ohio State — which BushellBeatty and Peppers visited together, along with Paramus Catholic head coach Chris Partridge — was a feather in U‑M's cap when it came to making his final decision. Although both have their positives and negatives, the completely different styles drew into relief what "JBB" was looking for. "Ohio State doesn't compare to Michigan. They're two different programs," Partridge said. "They do it two different ways. It's crazy because they're such big rivals, but it's night and day in terms of the differences between the places. It's actually awesome for these guys to see that, because they can kind of determine which route to go and which kind of place they want." Now that he's made his decision, Bushell-Beatty is hard at work to improve his game not only for the college level, but to help boost the team's chances to repeat as state champions. He's a relative newcomer to the game, with just a few years of play under his belt. His size is an obvious asset to his ability to play at the college level, but so too is Michigan's depth ahead of him — and the opportunity to take his time learning the nuances of the position. Bushell-Beatty and Peppers aren't the only Division I prospects coming out of Paramus Catholic, either. Fellow 2014 prospect Tyrone Washington, a wide receiver/defensive back hybrid, and 2015 wideout Najee Clayton have attracted plenty of college interest. Michigan may have started an important pipeline with one of the school's best prospects. — Tim Sullivan