The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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AUGUST 2021 THE WOLVERINE 61 COMMITMENT PROFILE M ichigan scored one of its impor- tant lands of the cycle in July. The Wolverines made four-star Brentwood (Tenn.) Ravenwood cor- nerback Myles Pollard a top overall priority and earned his commitment after a heated battle with fellow final- ists Auburn and Oklahoma. "I chose Michigan because the whole coaching staff was on me dur- ing the entire process," Pollard said. "I really believe they have something special coming to Ann Arbor. The life after football is great. The con- nections they have is like no other school. It's just a great place. I can see myself there without football." Pollard was considered a Michigan lean for a few months, but wanted to make sure he was making the best decision. Along with official visits to all three of his finalists, Pollard made unofficial visits to both Alabama and Florida. However, it was the U-M official visit that stood out the most and ultimately sealed the deal for the Wolverines. "The official visit made it click for me," Pollard said. "It was just about going in The Big House, seeing ev- erything in person and really feeling the vibe. I got to hang out with the players, Coach [Jim] Harbaugh and the rest of the coaching staff. That's when it really clicked for me. I knew I wanted to be there." Relationships also played a big role for Pollard. New Michigan corner- backs coach Steve Clinkscale was the first coach to offer the prospect back when he was at Kentucky. The two never lost contact, and their relation- ship only grew once Clinkscale made the move to Ann Arbor. "I've known him for a while, and we have a great relationship," Pol- lard said. "He's a great leader on the field and off the field. I think he's the guy that's going to make me into a better person and a better player for the next three or four years." Another big factor for Rivals.com's No. 11 prospect in Tennessee and No. 34 cornerback nationally was the op- portunity to play alongside five-star Michigan cornerback commit Will Johnson. Pollard and Johnson had a couple of joint Zoom calls with the staff during the process and visited U-M together on June 11. "Will Johnson was a big part of it," Pollard said. "Playing alongside him is going to be great. I'm really excited. He's a great player. I think Will and I are going to be a problem on that back end. He's a great person, too. I'm already really good friends with him. He's really easy to connect with." Both Johnson and Pollard — who stands 6-2, 180 pounds — are tall, rangy corners that can play on is- lands. Pollard said he's excited about new defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald and his 3-4 scheme, which will allow him to play a lot press-man [coverage]. "They see me playing the outside corner spot and really locking it down," Pollard said. "I really like the defensive scheme because it's similar to what we run now in high school. I feel like I fit well. Coach Macdonald came from the Ravens, and I know their defensive backs are always fly- ing around and having fun." While Michigan is coming off a poor season and had plenty of coaching turnover this offseason, the Wolverines have built up a strong recruiting class nationally and have reason for optimism. Pollard is a full believer in the future of the Michigan program and can't wait to do his part to turn things around in Ann Arbor. "I think the future is going to be great," Pollard said. "We have some great players coming in. We have a top-10 class right now. I think it's go- ing to keep going up from here." — EJ Holland U-M Beats Out Auburn And Oklahoma For Top Cornerback Target Myles Pollard PLAYER EVALUATION Strengths: Myles Pollard is a tall, rangy corner who uses his height and length to his advantage, and does a terrific job of pressing opposing wide receivers at the line of scrimmage while playing with a ton of physicality. He can lock down one side of the field or follow an opposing team's best pass catcher. He has gone from a raw, intriguing prospect to one that has above-average technique and patience. He can also play the run as he is a willing tackler. Areas Of Improvement: Pollard played his junior season at about 168 pounds. He has since added 10 pounds but needs to keep working on his frame. Right now, the recruit still has skinny arms and legs. With the right development, he will only get stronger, which will al- low him to be even more physical on the field. He doesn't have the ideal speed that schools look for in a corner as he instead relies on his physicality, patience and technique. Michigan Player Comparison: Pol- lard is very similar to Michigan cor- nerback Gemon Green. At the high school level, Green was a tall, rangy corner that played a ton of man. Like Pollard, Green was knocked for his frame and lack of high-end speed. However, Green is developing well at Michigan, and Pollard may be better from a technical standpoint at this point in his timeline. — EJ Holland Pollard was a high school teammate of fresh- man linebacker Junior Colson and also noted that teaming up with five-star U-M pledge Will Johnson was a big reason for his decision. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM Pollard "I really believe they have something special coming to Ann Arbor. The life after football is great. The connections they have is like no other school. It's just a great place. I can see myself there without football."