The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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52 THE WOLVERINE SEPTEMBER 2021 MICHIGAN RECRUITING Arbor. The 5-10, 188-pound Stokes has a muscular, compact build with verified 4.41 speed in the 40-yard dash and should be a nice complement to 2021 running back signee Donovan Edwards. Michigan often uses a running back- by-committee approach, which is something that appealed to Stokes. "One of the main things they told me is that they don't just give one back the bulk of the carries," he said. "If you pay attention to the NFL, the best running backs weren't workhorses on their college team. It's good that Michi- gan uses a three-back system. I want to play in the NFL, and I don't want to have a shorter career because I got beat up in college." Michigan is looking to add another running back to pair with Stokes this cycle. DAVONTE MILES LEAVES CLASS Michigan had a big summer as it added several important commit- ments. However, the Wolverines also lost a piece to the puzzle. Davonte Miles, a three-star defen- sive tackle from River Rouge (Mich.) High, announced in late July that he was backing out of his verbal pledge to the Wolverines. Miles originally committed to former Michigan defensive coordinator Don Brown in December of last year. With Michigan switching over to a new de- fensive scheme, both parties felt like it would be best to go their separate ways. "First and foremost, I'm so thankful for the situation that I am in," Miles posted on his social media accounts. "I play for one of the top programs in the state of Michigan at River Rouge, and I'm one of the best defensive linemen in the state of Michigan. "I'm privileged to have the opportu- nity to start on both sides of the foot- ball this season at offensive tackle and defensive tackle, and that's a rare op- portunity at my school. I'm also blessed with the opportunity to continue to play basketball this winter for one of the top coaches in our state in Coach Josh Baker. "So with that being said, me and my family have decided that it's best for me to decommit from the University of Michigan and finish high school in May and not enroll early so I have the chance to lead my football team and basketball team to the state champion- ship. "I would like to thank [Michigan de- fensive line] Coach Nua, [head coach] Jim Harbaugh and the Michigan staff for recruiting me the past three years. I wish them the very best. My recruit- ment is officially back open!" The 6-5, 265-pound Miles — the No. 28 prospect in Michigan per Rivals. com — holds more than 15 scholarship offers, including from Indiana, Iowa State, Kentucky, Michigan State, Min- nesota and others. Michigan holds 15 commitments this recruiting cycle. With Miles off the board, the Wolverines are once again searching for their first pure defensive line commit. KEVONTE HENRY TO PLAY IN POLYNESIAN BOWL Michigan edge rusher commit Kev- onte Henry has been selected to play in the 2022 Polynesian Bowl in Hawaii this coming January. The game coincides with the Polyne- sian Football Hall of Fame and features some of the best recruits nationally on an annual basis. The game's organizers invite top players of all nationalities, with a focus on Polynesian prospects. Henry is half Samoan and extremely excited to be selected for the game. "It means a lot to go out there and represent for my culture," he said. "I'm excited to compete against the best." The three-star recruit committed to Michigan over offers from Arizona, Ar- izona State, Oregon, USC, Utah, Wash- ington State and others after making an unofficial visit in June. For Henry, the decision to side with the Wolverines came down to comfort. "It was just a great feeling [to commit to Michigan]," he said. "I felt comfort- able. The coaches always told me what was going on. When it came time to make a decision, it was about where I felt the most comfortable, and my first thought was Michigan." Henry will join J.J. McCarthy, Roman Wilson, Jordan Morant and A.J. Hen- ning as Michigan players who have participated in the Polynesian Bowl. The game will take place on Jan. 22, 2022, and will be televised by CBS Sports. ❏ Stokes, a three-star running back out of Columbia (S.C.) Hammond, was once a heavy Missouri lean but quickly changed his mind and pledged to U-M after visiting Ann Arbor. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM Henry will join J.J. McCarthy, Roman Wilson, Jordan Morant and A.J. Henning as Michigan players who have participated in the Polynesian Bowl. PHOTO BY EJ HOLLAND 2022 Michigan Commitment List Player Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown (High School) Aaron Alexander LB 6-1 204 Belleville, Mich. (Belleville) Jayden Denegal QB 6-4 215 Apple Valley, Calif. (Apple Valley) Mario Eugenio DE 6-3 240 Tampa, Fla. (Gaither) Kevonte Henry DE 6-4 208 Lawndale, Calif. (Leuzinger) Will Johnson DB 6-2 182 Grosse Pointe, Mich. (Grosse Pointe South) Connor Jones OL 6-7 285 Monument, Colo. (Palmer Ridge) Kody Jones DB 6-0 180 Germantown, Tenn. (Germantown) Marlin Klein TE 6-6 215 Rabun Gap, Ga. (Nacoochee) Alessandro Lorenzetti OL 6-6 275 Windsor, Conn. (Loomis Chaffee School) Colston Loveland TE 6-5 230 Gooding, Idaho (Gooding) Tyler Morris WR 6-0 175 La Grange, Ill. (Nazareth Academy) Micah Pollard LB 6-3 200 Jacksonville, Fla. (Bartram Trail) Myles Pollard DB 6-2 180 Brentwood, Tenn. (Ravenwood) CJ Stokes RB 5-10 188 Columbia, S.C. (Hammond School) Tay'Shawn Trent WR 6-4 205 Eastpointe, Mich. (Eastpointe)