The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1340560
MARCH 2021 THE WOLVERINE 61 2021 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE STATISTICS Year Tackles INT FF FR 2020 Postponed to spring 2019 92 1 4 2 HONORS • Selected as one of the 250 best players in the Great Lakes Region and top 50 prospects in Illinois by Max- Preps prior to the 2020 campaign. • Named all-area and all-conference as a junior. RECRUITMENT • Committed May 9, 2020, following a trip to Ann Arbor. • Cited U-M's computer science pro- gram as one of the main reasons for his pledge. • Co-offensive coordinator and of- fensive line coach Sherrone Moore was his primary recruiter. DID YOU KNOW? • Led Bolingbrook to the quarterfi- nals of the Class 8A playoffs as a junior. • Played at Montini Catholic in Lom- bard, Ill., prior to his time at Boling- brook, and helped guide them to a state runner-up finish in 2018. • Participated in basketball and track and field during his prep days. THEY SAID IT • Bolingbrook head coach John Ivlow: "He's always in the right spot. He's got that length and those long arms, so even when he's not in the right spot, his arms usually are — he'll knock the ball down or tip it. " Tyler has a great football IQ — probably in the top two that I've seen in the last 20 years. This kid can go up to the board and draw up everything." • Lockport head coach George Czart, who coached against McLau- rin: "He has the physical makeup to play outside linebacker in college, or believe it or not, even safety at the next level due to his body type." BY CHRIS BALAS U-M found a gem in Carlo Kemp five years ago, landing a player who would go on to see action at linebacker, defensive end and defensive tackle for the Wolverines. Though he's not quite as heavy as Kemp, Bolingbrook (Ill.) High's Tyler McLaurin is a compara- bly versatile player who could follow a somewhat similar path at Michigan. McLaurin, a consensus three-star prospect, isn't likely to end up as an interior lineman, but he could provide value at a number of positions. He's simply a playmaker, and Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh was enam- ored the first time he saw him. "I remember going to recruit him and ran into one of my old Chicago Bears teammates … the next thing I see is a long, athletic type of linebacker," Harbaugh recalled. "I think he still has got some growing to do, too. "He's got one of those GPAs over 4.0. I asked him where he got his brains from and his grandma told me it's a family of geniuses. He was ranked the No. 1 kindergartener in the USA." He helped lead Bolingbrook to an 8-4 record as a junior and the quarterfi- nals of the Class 8A playoffs, notching 92 tackles and four forced fumbles for a defense that held opponents to 14 points or less eight times and allowed more than 20 only twice in 2019. McLaurin did so after transferring from Chicago's Montini Catholic, where he helped lead his team to a state runner-up finish. He'll begin his delayed senior season in late February, and folks in Chicago are excited to see what he can do. "I love the kid as a player," Rivals. com Chicago-area recruiting analyst Tim O'Halloran said. "Academically he's very strong, has a really good personality and he's just such a hard worker. "Tyler is everything you look for in a high-level athlete. He's a big kid now, and everyone is still trying to figure out what he's going to be when he gets to the college level. I don't know from a speed standpoint how much line- backer is in play for him, but I know he's worked hard to improve that as- pect of his game." Harbaugh envisions McLaurin as a Sam (strongside) linebacker, a key position in new defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald's defense, noting he was also a basketball standout and is a "very athletic, smart, tough guy." O'Halloran watched McLaurin work out recently, and believes the Wolver- ines are getting a great one. "He keeps getting better every time I see him," O'Halloran said. "His speed has improved, for sure, and he's been working on his drops and pass cover- age skills. "He's just a really well-rounded overall player and athlete, but he also has the frame and build to where if they get the idea of making him a rush end, I think he could pull it off." ❑ Versatile Tyler McLaurin Is Still Improving McLaurin helped lead Bolingbrook (Ill.) High to an 8-4 record as a junior and the quarter- finals of the Class 8A playoffs, notching 92 tackles and four forced fumbles. PHOTO BY EJ HOLLAND 2021 Projection McLaurin is the least heralded of the three linebackers Michigan signed. Playing time could poten- tially be available in Michigan's line- backing unit in 2021 following red- shirt sophomore Cameron McGrone's early departure to the NFL, though it's difficult to imagine McLaurin emerging ahead of his touted class- mates on the depth chart. Expect a redshirt season in 2021. TYLER MCLAURIN LINEBACKER 6-2 • 220 BOLINGBROOK H.S. BOLINGBROOK, ILL. RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE ✪ ✪ ✪ — 39* 12 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 37* 13 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 51* 15 * Ranked at outside linebacker