The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/144506
commitment profile "It's no secret that they were my fa‑ vorite team since I was a young kid," he said. "Just watching the greats play in The Big House, it was always my dream to play for Michigan. "Once I went out there to Ann Ar‑ bor, it just completely blew me away. It was just inevitable. It was just bound to happen. I love the coaching staff, I love the players. Ann Arbor's a great place to be, and I just can't wait." Although the Wolverines had al‑ ready reeled in his teammate, offen‑ sive lineman Juwann Bushell-Beatty, there was plenty of suspense when Peppers finally announced his choice. By the time he donned a winged hel‑ met on national TV, Wolverine Nation breathed a collective sigh of relief. The five-star prospect has excep‑ tional size for a cornerback. Even in the NFL, 6-1, 210-pound cornerbacks are very rare. A player with that size before his senior year of high school is practically unheard of. More im‑ portantly, Peppers' athleticism has al‑ lowed him to remain at corner instead of outgrowing the position. His rankings aren't based just on potential, either. He starred on both sides of the ball for Paramus Catholic as a junior and also contributed heav‑ ily on special teams. He rushed 172 times for 1,552 yards (9.0 yards per carry) and 18 touchdowns, while also catching five TD passes. On defense, he held the edge, recording 70 tack‑ les, intercepting three passes and not allowing the players he covered to make a reception all season. Peppers was also a standout in track, setting Group Non Public A Schools state meet records in the 100 meters (10.51) and 200 meters (21.22) in early June and then winning both events at the New Jersey Meet of Champions, which matched up the state meet placers from each group. His fastest 100-meter time for the year (10.51) tied for 16th nationally and tied for fourth-best among junior sprinters, while his top 200-meter clocking (21.13) was tied for 20th-best in the country and tied for fifth-best by a junior. Paramus Catholic coach Chris Par‑ tridge can't speak highly enough of his young superstar. "Jabrill's an easy one," Partridge said. "He's an honor roll student. He's all Bs and As — high Bs and As. He's right around a 3.4 GPA. His test scores are off the charts. He's a very, very smart kid. His work ethic is just tre‑ mendous. He runs track, he lifts after track, and he's a natural leader for our kids. He's the total package." Peppers' commitment is big in its own right, helping Michigan estab‑ lish itself as a big-time national re‑ cruiter and boosting the Wolverines' profile with other top prospects. It also provides connections with one of New Jersey's rising programs. In ad‑ dition to Bushell-Beatty and Peppers, Paramus Catholic is home to 2014 ath‑ lete Tyrone Washington, 2015 wide receiver Najee Clayton, and several other BCS-caliber recruits. That's just a bonus to reeling in the highest-ranked recruit Michigan has ever landed. — Tim Sullivan