The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1451622
2022 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE 54 THE WOLVERINE MARCH 2022 BY EJ HOLLAND Jimmy Rolder went from a complete unknown in September to one of the hottest recruits in the country by Oc- tober and signing with college football blue-blood Michigan in mid-December. It's not often that a prospect experi- ences such a rapid rise on the recruit- ing trail, but the inside linebacker from Marist High School in Chicago put out extremely impressive senior tape through the first few weeks of the sea- son and caught the attention of the Il- linois, where he was actually committed to play baseball. Illinois offered him a spot on the foot- ball team on Oct. 9. Less than 24 hours later, Minnesota jumped in the mix. Three days later, Rolder received a call from an unknown number. On the other side of the connection was Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh, who made an offer of his own. Scholarships continued to pour in from schools like Florida, LSU and Ohio State. Rolder eventually committed to Michigan in November and officially became part of the program during the early signing period. "I still think it's surreal," Rolder said. "I'm so happy that all my hard work paid off. I never thought I would be in this position where I am now. I'm thanking God for the opportunity." So how did Rolder fly so under-the- radar at such a prominent program in the third-largest city in America? The answer to that question is a bit complicated, but Marist head coach Ron Dawczak summed it up best. "The fact that we did not play foot- ball last fall [due to the COVID-19 pan- demic] delayed things," Dawczak said. "Coaches weren't able to come out to the school and see him in person. There are only so many camps. He just didn't get the exposure that most people across the country got. It's a testament to him that he just put his nose down and continued to work hard. When he got his opportunity this fall, he shined. "He's always been a tremendously talented athlete. He's one of the best baseball players in the state of Illinois. He has great size and athleticism. When he was younger, he played tight end and was dominant there. He played middle linebacker for the first time in the spring when we had a shortened season. He re- ally took to it and learned the position." Rolder's recruitment ended just as fast as it began. It only took him around two months to realize Michigan was the best fit on and off the field. The Wol- verines did a fantastic job of recruiting Rolder in such a short time period and met every requirement on his shortlist. "Michigan checked all the boxes for me," Rolder said. "The academic piece is great. Obviously, the football piece is great as was proved last year. Even before I committed, Michigan was doing Hard Work Paid Off For Late Riser Jimmy Rolder Rolder went from an under-the-radar football recruit to the No. 60 overall player in On3's final national rankings after a breakout campaign. PHOTO BY EJ HOLLAND