The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1340560
2021 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY CLAYTON SAYFIE Fresno (Calif.) Central East wide receiver Xavier Worthy was recruited by some of the top football programs in the country, including Alabama, Georgia, Oregon and Penn State, in addition to Michigan. But early on in the process, and even when he pledged to the Wolverines in July 2020, he was rated a low three-star prospect by Rivals.com and other re- cruiting services. "Early on, I was probably wrongly conservative about his ranking," Ri- vals.com national recruiting analyst Adam Gorney admitted. "Through- out his recruitment, really through his junior year, he wasn't a national name, he wasn't a kid in the Ri- vals100. "He weighed 150 pounds, and there were all those concerns of, is this just a really fast high school football player, or is this someone that could play at the national level?" After an impressive summer full of private workouts in which Wor- thy showed off his elite-level skills, he shot up the rankings and is now tabbed as not only a consensus four- star prospect, but all three major re- cruiting services list him among the top 100 recruits in the land. Worthy's speed jumps off the page, with the 6-1, 160-pounder having posted a 10.55-second 100-meter dash and 21.41-second 200-meter dash as a prep sophomore, the last year he was able to participate in track, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But he's not just a track star. His ball skills and route running also stand out, which is why he's seen as the 11th-best wideout in his class by Rivals. "He is incredibly dynamic and quick-twitched, can run by anybody and has great hands," Gorney said. "All of those things are what the 21st- century receiver is all about. "It used to be that if you were 6-4 and a big, bulky kid on the outside, you could beat cornerbacks. But now, Elite Receiver Xavier Worthy Draws Lofty Comparisons Worthy is rated as a consensus top-100 prospect nationally by all three major recruiting services. PHOTO BY EJ HOLLAND 50 THE WOLVERINE MARCH 2021 XAVIER WORTHY WIDE RECEIVER 6-1 • 160 CENTRAL EAST H.S. FRESNO, CALIF. RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 66 11 4 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 99 13 8 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 62 8 7 STATISTICS Year Catches Yards TD 2020 Canceled 2019 55 992 16 2018 10 259 3 HONORS • Landed at No. 66 on Sports Illustrated's 2021 list of the 99 prospects in the 2021 class projected to have the best colle- giate careers. • Placed at No. 13 on the Orange County Register's 2021 Fab 15 list of the best high school seniors in the Western U.S. • Named to The News Tribune's 2021 list of the 100 best high school players in the Western United States. • Chosen to participate in the 2021 All- American Bowl, though the game never occurred. • Pegged as an All-California second- teamer by MaxPreps heading into the 2020 season. RECRUITMENT • Pledged to U-M July 10, 2020, over other notable offers from Alabama, Au- burn, Georgia, Penn State, Tennessee, Texas A&M and USC, among others. • Cited family ties to U-M and the fact that his uncle has been a Michigan fan since 1998 as two of the primary reasons he committed. • Considered flipping to Alabama prior to the early signing period in December, but ultimately stuck with the Maize and Blue. DID YOU KNOW? • Led Central East to its first CIF (Cali- fornia Interscholastic Federation) Divi- sion 1-AA state championship with a 15-0 record in 2019. • Also stood out in track and field during his prep days. • Averaged 39 yards on eight kick returns as a junior, returning two to the house. • Took an unofficial recruiting visit to Alabama for its 2020 showdown against Auburn.