The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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SEPTEMBER 2021 THE WOLVERINE 47 FOOTBALL RECRUITING Equally as important as Walker is Merrillville (Ind.) High defensive tackle Kenneth Grant. "The Monster on Broadway" (Broadway is a popular street in Merrillville) is, well, a mon- ster prospect at 6-5, 340 pounds. Grant uses his power, hands and size to over- whelm offensive linemen and wreak havoc in the backfield. While he's only a three-star prospect, Grant is much better than his ranking suggests, only recently blowing up with offers. However, Nua and Mac- donald identified Grant early in his process and have made him a top over- all priority. That means a lot to Grant and is a big reason he made it to U-M for two summer unofficial visits. Grant was most recently on cam- pus for the BBQ at The Big House, an annual summer recruiting event for elite prospects, and enjoyed his time on campus. "They showed me a lot of hospital- ity," Grant said. "It was a really good visit. My mom really liked it, too. She liked the academics a lot. She was also impressed with the area and the peo- ple. "I saw pretty much everything. I like everything as a whole at Michigan." Grant also had a chance to work with Nua, who made his pitch clear. "I picked up some good defensive line tips from Coach Nua," Grant said. "We had a little training session where we walked through some things. "He told me some things to help me better myself. He always tells me that he needs me. He said that I can be the centerpiece of their new defensive scheme." Ohio State and Wisconsin are the two other finalists in the recruitment of Grant. Facing rival Ohio State on the recruiting trail isn't ideal, but Michigan has done enough to put itself in a posi- tion to beat the Buckeyes. While Grant and Walker are at the top of the board, Michigan is also working on a couple of other names. One is three-star Tampa (Fla.) Gaither prospect Tawfiq Thomas, a teammate of the aforementioned Eugenio. At 6-3, 359 pounds, Thomas is a beefy gap plugger with upside. He was set to make a visit to Michigan this summer before plans ultimately fell through. However, he just named U-M in his final four along with Arkansas, Kansas and South Florida. With scheme being a great fit, his Eugenio tie and a lack of traditional competition, everything is lined up for Michigan to add Thomas before the end of the cycle. "Michigan is a top school," Thomas said. "I feel like they have a great plan with their scheme. I really think I can fit into Michigan's defense. Coach Nua said he's trying to bring in big dogs with a motor like me. He wants to have dogs at Michigan, so they can beat Ohio State. "He would love for me to go up there and play for them. He thinks I'm a perfect fit at nose. He's taught me some stunts and how they run their defense. He's showed me how I can fit in. I love that." Michigan is also after former LSU commit Shone Washington. Like Thomas, Washington was slated to visit U-M this summer but is now looking at a fall trip. The three-star prospect from New Orleans Warren Easton has U-M in his top group along with Florida, Georgia and LSU. "Michigan is one of my top schools right now," Washington said. "They have been in contact with me a lot. I just need to learn more because I don't know too much about them. That's why I want to visit and see if it's a fit." U-M has a secret weapon in the re- cruitment of the 6-5, 306-pound Wash- ington. New safeties coach Ron Bel- lamy is a fellow New Orleans native and has been heavily involved. "Coach Bellamy said he's really in- terested in me and wants to get me out there," Washington said. "It's cool that he's from Louisiana, too. I like him a lot." Then there is a hidden gem in South Carolina. Greenwood (S.C.) Emerald's Robby Harrison is off the beaten path and hasn't received many looks from national recruiting services, hence his three-star ranking. But the 6-3, 290-pounder will easily play above 300 pounds at the next level and has an extremely athletic profile. Both Michigan and Georgia offered this summer and are at the top of his list. The Wolverines will look to hit a home run with him on his official visit this fall before he makes his commit- ment on Sept. 27. "Michigan is right up there," Har- rison said. "I'm really looking forward to going out to campus and getting to know the staff. I want to see everything at Michigan. "But I have a great relationship with Coach Nua and love what they are do- ing with their new defensive scheme. I think Michigan would be a really good fit for me. It's just about getting a feel for the environment out there." Finally, Michigan is pursuing five- star Powell (Tenn.) High defensive tackle Walter Nolen, Rivals.com's No. 2 overall prospect nationally. Nolen made an official visit to Michigan this summer and has family in Detroit. "[Nua, Bellamy and Macdonald] have basically told me to keep work- ing and that I'll be able to come in and help the team right away," Nolen said. "I like them. They are cool people. "At Michigan, I can come in and play early. You can't go to too many places, and there isn't Michigan stuff laying around. You have to build your brand before you get there, so it's a big factor." Still, landing Nolen will be a bit of an uphill battle. He recently moved to the Knoxville area from Memphis and is high on Tennessee. Meanwhile, Texas A&M has surged in the race, and Florida remains a constant. Signing Nolen would be a pleasant surprise, but there are plenty of real- istic mammoths on the board. Michi- gan just needs one or two to give the defense and the nose tackle position some new life. ❏ The Wolverines are hoping to make Kenneth Grant — a 6-5, 340-pound defensive tackle from Merrillville (Ind.) High — "the center- piece of their new defensive scheme." PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM