The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1473191
THE WOLVERINE 2022 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 101 [ L I N E B A C K E R S ] school linebacker. • Selected to participate in the 2020 All-American Bowl. • Checked in as a four-star prospect, and the No. 12 linebacker and No. 92 overall player in the nation on the On3 Consensus. Year GP/GS Tkls. TFL Sacks INT 2021 14/7 61 0.5 0.5 0 JAYLEN HARRELL • LB Jr. • Tampa, Fla. Ht.: 6-4 • Wt.: 242 • Saw time in all 14 games with four starts during his second year in 2021, posting 15 tack- les, 2.5 stops for loss and 1 quarterback hurry. • Was listed as a defensive lineman in 2020 but switched to outside linebacker in 2021. • Appeared in four games on special teams in 2020 and contributed 4 tackles. • Was a candidate for the 2019 High School But- kus Award, given to the nation's top high school linebacker. • Tabbed by the On3 Consensus as a four-star recruit, the No. 49 player in Florida and the No. 19 edge rusher in the nation. Year GP/GS Tkls. TFL Sacks INT 2020 4/0 4 0 0 0 2021 14/4 15 2.5 0 0 Totals 18/4 19 2.5 0 0 NIKHAI HILL-GREEN • LB Jr. • Baltimore Ht.: 6-1 • Wt.: 220 • Appeared in all 14 games in 2021 with six starts, playing linebacker and special teams. Tallied 50 tackles, including 2 for loss, and had 1 pass breakup. • Appeared in three games on special teams dur- ing his freshman season in 2020. • Enrolled early at U-M in January 2020. • Finalist for the 2019 High School Butkus Award, which is given to the nation's top prep line- backer. • Rated as a four-star prospect, the No. 14 player in Maryland and the No. 36 linebacker in the country by the On3 Consensus. Year GP/GS Tkls. TFL Sacks INT 2020 3/0 1 0 0 0 2021 14/6 50 2 0 0 Totals 17/6 51 2 0 0 JAYDON HOOD • LB So. • Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Ht.: 6-1 • Wt.: 212 • Appeared in one game at linebacker in 2021, versus Northern Illinois, retaining his redshirt year. Recorded 1 tackle. • Landed on MaxPreps' All-Florida second-team defense as a senior and earned an invite to the 2021 Under Armour All-American Game. • Ranked by the On3 Consensus as a four-star recruit, and the No. 34 linebacker and No. 308 overall player in the class of 2021. TYLER MCLAURIN • LB So. • Bolingbrook, Ill. Ht.: 6-3 • Wt.: 237 • Saw action in two outings at linebacker in 2021, keeping his redshirt season. • Selected to the first-team Illinois High School Football Coaches Associa- tion Class 8 All-State team for the spring 2021 season. • Regarded by the On3 Consensus as a three- star prospect and the No. 52 linebacker in the country. KALEL MULLINGS • LB Jr. • West Roxbury, Mass. Ht.: 6-1 • Wt.: 236 • Played in 13 games on spe- cial teams and 10 at line- backer, recording 11 tackles during the 2021 campaign. • Added running back duties to his plate during spring 2022 and is expected to play both ways this fall. • Saw action in all six games in 2020, playing special teams in each and linebacker in four, and made 1 tackle and broke up 1 pass. • Selected as the Gatorade Player of the Year in Massachusetts for 2019 and participated in the 2020 All-American Bowl and the Poly- nesian Bowl. • Received a nod for the Massachusetts High School Football Coaches Association All-State team as a senior. • Listed as a four-star talent, and the No. 18 linebacker and No. 131 overall player in the nation by the On3 Consensus. Year GP/GS Tkls. TFL Sacks INT 2020 6/0 1 0 0 0 2021 13/0 11 0 0 0 Totals 19/0 12 0 0 0 JOEY VELAZQUEZ • LB Sr. • Columbus, Ohio Ht.: 6-0 • Wt.: 228 • Played in eight tilts on special teams and two on defense during the 2021 season, re- cording 2 tackles and 1 fum- ble recovery. • As a starting outfielder on the U-M baseball team, he helped the Wolverines win the Big Ten Tournament title this past spring — his second conference championship during the 2021-22 school year. • Did not see game action during the 2020 cam- paign. • Appeared in one game on special teams his freshman year of 2019. • Filled the stat sheet in his senior season at St. Francis DeSales, tallying 76 tackles, 21 stops for loss and 6 forced fumbles on defense, while adding more than 1,000 yards and 13 touchdowns on offense. • Three-time Division II first-team all-state selec- tion in baseball. • Named the Ohio Player of the Year in 2018 after breaking a school record with his .545 batting average. • Ranked by the On3 Consensus as a four-star talent. NEWCOMERS MICAH POLLARD • LB Fr. • Jacksonville, Fla. Ht.: 6-3 • Wt.: 200 • Racked up 70 tackles, 16 stops for loss and 7 sacks during his prep senior sea- son, leading Bartram Trail to a 9-3 record and an 8A, Region 1 division title. • Registered 55 tackles, including 22 for loss, 11 sacks and 2 forced fumbles as a junior in 2020. • Rated as a three-star prospect and the No. 68 linebacker in the country per the On3 Con- sensus. JIMMY ROLDER • LB Fr. • Orland Park, Ill. Ht.: 6-2 • Wt.: 220 • Named a semifinalist for the Dick Butkus Award, which is presented to the nation's top high school linebacker. • Selected to the Class 8A All-State team by the Illinois Coaches Association in 2021. • Tallied 115 tackles, 13 stops for loss, 4 inter- ceptions and 2 forced fumbles as a senior. • Tabbed as a four-star recruit, and the No. 176 player and 15th-best linebacker in the country by the On3 Consensus. DEUCE SPURLOCK • LB Fr. • Madison, Ala. Ht.: 6-2 • Wt.: 200 • Earned an Alabama Sports Writers Association All-State selection as a junior and se- nior. • Named Class 4A, Region 7 Defensive Player of the Year as a senior. • Ranked as a three-star prospect, the 45th-best athlete in the country and the No. 40 player in Alabama by the On3 Consensus.