The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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52 THE WOLVERINE JANUARY 2022 MICHIGAN RECRUITING Linebacker — C+ On The Roster: Sixth-year senior Josh Ross*, fifth-year senior Michael Barrett, junior Anthony Solomon, redshirt sophomore Joey Velazquez, third-year sophomore Nikhai Hill- Green, third-year sophomore Kalel Mullings, sophomore Junior Colson, redshirt freshman Tyler McLaurin, redshirt freshman Jaydon Hood Signees: Four-star Jimmy Rolder, three-star Deuce Spurlock Breakdown: Michigan stole Rolder from top contender Ohio State and fended off SEC schools for Spurlock, despite concern about linebacker re- cruiting throughout the cycle. The Wolverines are thin, though, with Ross likely leaving, so it would've been nice to load up on some num- bers here. Colson and Hill-Green have both started games this season, but depth is going to be a concern going forward. Defensive Backs — A+ On The Roster: Fifth-year senior Vincent Gray, fifth-year senior Ge- mon Green, fifth-year senior Ger- man Green, junior Daxton Hill*, red- shirt sophomore DJ Turner, redshirt sophomore Quinten Johnson, red- shirt sophomore Jalen Perry, redshirt sophomore George Johnson, third- year sophomore R.J. Moten, third-year sophomore Makari Paige, third-year sophomore Darion Green-Warren, third-year sophomore Andre Seldon, third-year sophomore Eamonn Den- nis, third-year sophomore Jordan Mo- rant, sophomore Rod Moore, sopho- more Ja'Den McBurrows Signees: Five -star Will Johnson, four-star Keon Sabb, four-star Zeke Berry, four-star Kody Jones, three-star Myles Pollard, three-star Damani Dent Michigan may have brought in the nation's top defensive back class, headlined by players who could have significant roles right away in John- son and Sabb, a former Clemson com- mit. That's the case despite the Wol- verines potentially returning three of their four starters. The Wolverines have a lot of num- bers in the defensive backfield but will go into 2022 with the majority of their upperclassman players not hav- ing played many snaps. That made it paramount that Michigan score big in this class, and it did just that. — Clayton Sayfie FIVE 2022 SIGNEES THAT ARE UNDERRATED Michigan put together an impressive 2022 class thanks to some late momentum on the trail. With potential up and down Michigan's newcomers, here are five un- derrated signees whose college careers could outweigh their ranking. LB Deuce Spurlock, Madison (Ala.) Academy A stat sheet stuffer, three-star linebacker signee Deuce Spurlock posted 186 tack- les, 27 tackles for loss, eight sacks, two pass breakups and a forced fumble as a senior. Spurlock is listed as the No. 1,049 player in the nation by the On3 Consen- sus, but his production and potential far outweigh his ranking. Auburn, Florida and even Clemson showed late attention to Spurlock, but the underrated linebacker remained locked in with the Wolverines, and is signed and ready to enroll in the summer. DL Mason Graham, Anaheim (Calif.) Servite On3 has Graham ranked as just a three- star recruit, but few defensive linemen in the country had a more productive senior year. Playing against some of the top competition in the state of Califor- nia in the Trinity League, he garnered 60 tackles, 22 tackles for loss and 14 sacks as a senior. Graham likely won't be asked to contribute early in his career, but the 6-3, 292-pounder is polished enough to do so if needed. S Damani Dent, Jacksonville (Fla.) Terry Parker It's hard to watch Damani Dent's film and not see the similarities the Florida na- tive has to Michigan freshman safety Rod Moore, who tied for 11th on the team with 31 tackles through the first 13 games. During his senior year, Dent led his team in tackles from the safety position with 63, along with eight passes defended and four interceptions, totaling 119 inter- ception return yards with two returned for touchdowns. A testament to Dent's talent, Miami and Florida both made late runs at keeping the underrated three-star defensive back in state. DB Myles Pollard, Brentwood (Tenn.) Ravenwood Michigan put together a defensive back class that's talented from top to bottom. Will Johnson, Keon Sabb and Zeke Berry will get a lot of hype, but don't forget about three-star cornerback Myles Pollard. The Ravenwood cornerback is long (6-2) and twitchy with great instincts. Pollard also isn't afraid to lower his shoulder and make plays against the run. RB CJ Stokes, Columbia (S.C.) Hammond There's a lot to like with three-star Michigan running back signee CJ Stokes. He's a hard worker, with a lot of physical similarities to star rusher Hassan Haskins. Stokes was high on Mike Hart's board when he joined the staff, and he quickly landed in the class and has been dialed in with the running back room and coaching staff for months. Stokes has helped lead his high school team to three straight state champion- ships, rushing for over 1,000 yards in each of those campaigns. Michigan is looking for a running back in the transfer portal but don't be surprised if the underrated South Carolina native works his way up the depth chart and onto the field as a freshman. — Tim Verghese U-M signee Deuce Spurlock is listed as the No. 1,049 player in the nation by the On3 Consensus, but he logged an incredible 186 tackles, 27 tackles for loss, eight sacks and a forced fumble as a senior. PHOTO BY EJ HOLLAND