The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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JANUARY 2023 THE WOLVERINE 53 MICHIGAN RECRUITING NOTEBOOK interior offensive lineman and No. 227 overall player in the country. He was a third-team All-Ohio Divi- sion II selection as a sophomore and a first-team pick as a junior. DL MANUEL BEIGEL Beigel — who hails from Frankfurt, Germany — played his first season of high school football at Choate Rose- mary Hall in Wallingford, Conn., this fall. The solidly built athlete (6-5, 282) came to the attention of U-M defensive line coach Mike Elston through Bran- don Collier and his PPI Recruits program that brings international players to sum- mer showcase camps at U.S. colleges. Beigel had an impressive showing at the Michigan camp, received an offer from Elston and quickly committed in mid-July. He was recruited as — and projects to be — a defensive lineman in college, but played offensive line this past season based on his team's needs. "He's super humble," Choate head coach LJ Spinato told The Wolverine in September. "He wants to excel. He asks for extra film. He wants to learn both sides of the ball. … There is a maturity there that is beyond his years. "He's a Clydesdale, and he's learning how to use all his gifts. Once he puts it all together, it's going to be pretty exciting." PPI provides exposure for those as- piring college student-athletes, and Collier previously helped graduate edge rusher Julius Welschof land at Michigan in the 2018 class. Beigel learned how to play football in Germany after watching Netflix and YouTube. He is now rated as a three-star pros- pect, the No. 6 player in Connecticut and the No. 40 interior lineman nation- ally by On3. LB MASON CURTIS Curtis, the No. 13 linebacker in the country per On3, became the first verbal commitment for Michigan in the 2024 cycle. He was offered in the early spring of 2022 and committed shortly after un- officially visiting in July. At 6-4, 190, Curtis is a standout for Nashville (Tenn.) Ensworth High. He is also part of the renowned year-round training center, National Players Acad- emy, which is based in Nashville. Cur- tis built a solid relationship with Steve Clinkscale because of the latter having significant recruiting ties in Tennessee from his prior coaching tenures. With the versatility to play multiple positions in the box, including outside linebacker and edge, Curtis knows that his standing as the first commitment means holding a leadership role in re- cruiting others to the class, including his close friends who are also members of NPA and others rising juniors at the linebacker position. "I think I can play everywhere and do what I do for my high school team," Curtis told The Wolverine. "Michigan tells me the same thing. They think I can be a versatile outside linebacker. They know I can do different things in the defense." On3 also rates Curtis as the No. 3 ju- nior in Tennessee and the No. 143 over- all prospect nationally. ❏ Originally from Frankfurt, Germany, the 6-5, 282-pound Manuel Beigel played offensive line at Choate Rosemary Hall in Connecticut this past season. PHOTO BY EJ HOLLAND Mason Curtis — a 6-4, 190-pounder from Nashville (Tenn.) Ensworth High — was the first commit in the U-M class of 2024 last summer. He is rated as the No. 13 line- backer in the country by On3. PHOTO BY EJ HOLLAND 2024 Michigan Commitments Player Pos. Rating* Ht. Wt. Hometown (High School) Manuel Beigel DL HHH 6-5 282 Frankfurt, Germany (Choate Rosemary Hall [Conn.]) Mason Curtis LB HHHH 6-4 190 Nashville, Tenn. (Ensworth) Luke Hamilton OL HHHH 6-4½ 290 Avon, Ohio (Avon) Hogan Hansen TE HHH 6-5 200 Bellevue, Wash. (Bellevue) * On3 ratings as of Dec. 20