The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1451622
MARCH 2022 THE WOLVERINE 27 FOOTBALL RECRUITING senior," Harbaugh said of Loveland, adding that he watched one of his work- outs first hand during an in-home visit. "He's going to be a midyear, and he's going to come right in and look like he belongs, like the juniors on the team and the seniors. "Marlin Klein is from Germany, been over here in the U.S. playing some foot- ball. Long, tall and fast — Marlin and Colston [have] everything you're look- ing for in tight ends." Trio Of Wideouts Bring Plenty To The Table U-M inked three wide receivers — four-stars Darrius Clemons of Portland Westview and Tyler Morris of Boling- brook (Ill.) Plainview East, and three- star Amorion Walker of Ponchatoula (La.) High, with Clemons and Walker being late additions to the class. They all have incredible skill sets, according to their new head coach. "These guys are so, so good," Har- baugh said. "Darrius Clemons, think [former U-M wideout] Nico Collins. He's tall; physical; great, big catch ra- dius; runs all the routes well. He's going to do it all. "Tyler Morris is very [sophomore] Roman Wilson-like. Very fast, elusive, shifty. A playmaker. "Amorion Walker is even taller — probably close to right around there with Darrius Clemons, and a 3.9 GPA. It's going to be one of the smartest re- ceiver groups you've ever seen." Offensive Backfield Gets A Boost Three-star Columbia (S.C.) Ham- mond running back C.J. Stokes is a big, physical back who's extremely mature. "He's really well-trained, really ge- netically gifted. He looks great," Har- baugh explained. "He has muscles ev- erywhere, but he's also very fast. He's going to be a physical type back." The Wolverines brought in two quar- terbacks who could develop into play- makers, too. Sachse (Texas) High four- star athlete Alex Orji has positional flexibility, whereas Apple Valley (Ca- lif.) High three-star Jayden Denegal is known for his big arm. "It's like watching Herschel Walker playing quarterback who can really throw the ball," Harbaugh said of Orji, who flipped from Virginia Tech on sign- ing day. "We're super excited about him. [Denegal] has great stature as a quarter- back and throws the ball extremely well. He's pretty darn athletic." Size And Speed Define Defensive Line Crop The No. 37 overall player in the class according to the On3 Consensus, Bal- timore St. Frances four-star Derrick Moore headlines the group of defensive linemen. An edge defender, Moore was the Under Armour All-American Game MVP after racking up two sacks. "Great physical gifts, also a 3.0 stu- dent. A heck of a good kid," Harbaugh said. "We were fortunate. That was a great get that we got right there at the end. Couldn't be happier." Merrillville (Ind.) High four-star Kenneth Grant is a prototypical nose guard at 6-4, 335, while Anaheim (Ca- lif.) Servite four-star Mason Graham should fit nicely as a three-technique. "There's nobody I like more than Kenneth Grant," Harbaugh said. "You talk about a position of need — 6-4, over 300 pounds. A real nose tackle, and a guy that could play the three-tech- nique or the one-technique. He could be a pass rusher, could be someone who pushes the pocket. "[Graham is] really a heck of a great defensive end. He's so athletic and stout in there." A Trio Of Talented Backers U-M nabbed Chicago Marist four- star Jimmy Rolder, a former Illinois baseball commit who chose the Maize and Blue over Ohio State and others, to highlight its trio of backers. Madison (Ala.) Academy three-star Deuce Spur- lock is another who's likely to play on the inside. "Jimmy's really athletic," Harbaugh said, comparing him to All-American Wisconsin linebacker Leo Chanel. "So, he's that tough, Big Ten middle line- backer that is going to be really good for us. "Deuce is exactly the same way. They're darn near carbon copies of each other. Deuce Spurlock and Jimmy — two for sure Mike, Will [linebackers] — they'll probably be in there next to each other." Jacksonville (Fla.) Bartram Trail three-star Micah Pollard is an outside linebacker with flexibility. He could end up on the line of scrimmage or off, but regardless, Harbaugh is excited about adding the nephew of former U-M wide receiver Braylon Edwards. "Marcus Pollard, Micah's dad, and I played together in Indianapolis [with the Colts]," the coach explained. "Mar- cus Pollard is one of the all-time great guys, great teammates. "Whether he's going to be an edge linebacker for us or an inside-the-box Mike, Will, remains to be seen. He's got a real pass-rush ability, but he also has a nose for the football, which makes you think he could be a Mike 'backer — and he'd be a stout one." Michigan Fills Big Need In Secondary The defensive backfield is where the Wolverines best filled a position of need, Harbaugh pointed out. Grosse Pointe (Mich.) South five-star Harbaugh said of Sachse (Texas) High four- star athlete Alex Orji: "It's like watching Herschel Walker playing quarterback who can really throw the ball." PHOTO BY EJ HOLLAND