The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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MAY 2021 THE WOLVERINE 55 PREP PROFILES Jeremy Patton may play at tiny Te- naha (Texas) High in East Texas, but there is no doubt he's a major talent. The three-star linebacker should see his ranking go up soon as several college coaches across the country have become enamored with his skill set. Patton is now a wanted man and holds close to 20 offers. "Recruiting is going pretty good," Patton said. "You can get unlimited calls all the time (laughs). I'm starting to narrow things down a little bit. Some of the schools standing out right now are Baylor, Tennessee, Michigan, Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, TCU and SMU." B i g 1 2 p o w e r s Oklahoma and Texas also jumped in the mix recently and will start to make their push soon, but Patton is far from a lock to stay close to home. A high academic kid that wants to broaden his horizons, Patton has no is- sue exploring options in Big Ten coun- try. And he was thrilled when U-M extended a scholarship in February. "I was shocked when it came around," Patton said. "Michigan is without a doubt a big deal. I did my research on who's coming in and out of the program. I looked at the history. It speaks for itself. It's Michigan." Patton wants to focus on a career in physical therapy and would also like to minor in business. Michigan, of course, offers a top-notch educa- tion, and the Wolver- ines' academic sup- port staff made sure to show him that on a Zoom call earlier this month. "I had an academic Zoom with them, and it was really fun," Pat- ton said. "They kept a smile on my face and my mom's face. I'm learning a lot, doing research on them and seeing the pros and cons. But I love them. "They have a great education, and I want to get out there." On the football side, Patton — who recorded 120 tackles as a junior — is building a strong relationship with new Michigan linebackers coach George Helow. "He's a straight up person," Pat- ton said. "He's a real guy. He doesn't feed you what you want to hear. He asks you personal questions like how school is going and things like that. He sees me as a linebacker — inside or outside. … I think I can be maxi- mized as an outside linebacker. "I like to go out and cover. Going side to side is my game. I play physi- cal and pass rush." Patton has yet to schedule any of- ficial visits, but Michigan is in the running to receive one this summer. — EJ Holland Joseph Adedire is gearing up for some summer official visits. With the dead period finally opening up, the three-star defensive end out of Man- sfield (Texas) Summit is looking to narrow his offer list soon and has some schools in mind that he wants to check out. "I've just been taking recruiting as it comes," Adedire said. "I've been on a few virtual visits. Right now, I'm not really sure which schools are standing out. I'm going to have to cut my list, but I know I want to see Indiana, Georgia Tech, Michigan, Northwestern, Iowa, Boston College, Baylor and SMU." The 6-2, 245-pound Adedire, the No. 74 player in the Lone Star State and the No. 39 strongside defensive end in the country per Rivals.com, had a strong close to his junior sea- son and finished with 53 tackles and 12 sacks. His play helped lead Man- sfield Summit on a surprising run to the state semifinals — its first ap- pearance in school history. His post- season play helped him gain some serious steam on the recruiting trail. Michigan jumped in the mix for Adedire in late February and im- mediately made a big impression on him. "I was really excited when Michi- gan offered," Adedire said. "They have a great program. I did a virtual tour with them, and their facilities are really nice. Their coaching staff is very welcoming. They have a win- ning culture. I'm just excited to learn more." Adedire will have an opportunity to do just that. He is set to make an official visit to Michigan on June 18 and is ready to get an in-person feel of the program. "I'm just looking forward to seeing it with my own eyes," Adedire said. "On the virtual visit, the coaches all showed me around and introduced themselves to me and my mom. We looked at the weight room, The Big House, the indoor practice facility and things like that. "We also talked about academics. Now, it's just about seeing it in per- son. I can't wait to actually see how big The Big House is." Adedire is coming off a group Zoom call with the entire Michigan coaching staff earlier this month. However, most of his conversations have been with defensive line coach Shaun Nua and new defensive ana- lyst Ryan Osborn. "Coach Nua is a really cool coach," Adedire said. "He doesn't say much, but I can feel a connection. Coach Osborn has actually been in contact with me the most. "He's talked to me about what he likes about me and what my role would be. He's a great dude, man. He has an electric personality." Adedire also has an official visit to Georgia Tech scheduled for June 11. He has no decision timeline at this point in the process. — EJ Holland Texas Athlete Interested In Visiting Michigan U-M Makes Big Impression On Texas Pass Rusher ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ Tenaha H.S. Tenaha, Texas Class: 2022 Position: Athlete Ht.: 6-2 • Wt.: 205 Rivals Rankings: Not ranked Jeremy Patton ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ Mansfield Summit H.S. Arlington, Texas Class: 2022 Position: Defensive End Ht.: 6-2 • Wt.: 245 Rivals Rankings: No. 74 prospect in Texas and No. 39 strongside defensive end nationally Joseph Adedire Patton "Michigan is without a doubt a big deal. I did my research on who's coming in and out of the program. I looked at the history. It speaks for itself. It's Michigan."