The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/130469
football recruiting Reaching For The Stars I By Tim Sullivan n the 2013 recruiting cycle, Michigan got off to a strong start and spent the entire summer and much of the fall No. 1 in Rivals.com's rankings, before fading near the home stretch. Despite adding the class' top commit, Richmond (Va.) Hermitage five-star running back Derrick Green, shortly before National Signing Day, the Wolverines were caught and eventually passed by a number of schools, finishing with the No. 5 recruiting class in the country, behind Alabama, Ohio State, Notre Dame and Florida. Once again in 2014, Michigan is off to a fast start. The Wolverines have nine commitments and boasted the No. 7 class nationally through midMay according to Rivals.com. The Wolverines are continuing to build toward landing their top targets, but with only 16 spots in the 2014 class U-M will not have the numbers to contend for the top spot in the rankings. The Current Commits Michigan is off to a solid start — if an unspectacular one (it is yet to add its first five-star prospect) — with its nine-man class. Grand Rapids (Mich.) Christian wide receive Drake Harris and St. Clairsville (Ohio) linebacker Michael Ferns are both top-100 prospects nationally, coming in at No. 56 and No. 84, respectively. That pair headlines the group. Woodbridge (Va.) High defensive end Da'Shawn Hand, Rivals.com's top-ranked prospect in the nation, has U-M in his top five, along with Florida, Alabama, Virginia Tech and South Carolina. photo courtesy rivals.com Behind them, Tarpon Springs (Fla.) East Lake offensive lineman Mason Cole and Salt Lake City Highland defensive tackle Bryan Mone are also four-star prospects, ranking No. 107 and No. 152, respectively, in the country. That is a solid base of high-level talent upon which the U-M coaching staff can build. Although the remainder of Michigan's commitments includes just three-star prospects, there is upward mobility among them, as well. Hinsdale (Ill.) Central tight end Ian Bunting has received rave reviews — and dozens of scholarship offers — since the rankings were last updated. Beverly Hills (Mich.) Detroit Country Day wide receiver Maurice Ways is relatively new to football and should see rapid growth, including a potential