The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1493247
MARCH 2023 THE WOLVERINE 23 one of these 17-year-olds you just say, if they're 17 compared to 18 or 19, they've got another year of man growth … he's going to get better than that, and it's going to happen fast. "Deakon is a really good basketball player. A multiyear starter and basketball player. Hard working and, as I like to say, a blue collar guy. Loves Michigan … loved it from the day he stepped on campus." The defensive side of the ball features some exciting additions as well. First-year Michigan defensive line coach Mike Elston added a trio of in- triguing three-star prospects up front in Chicago (Ill.) Brother Rice's Trey Pierce, Wilmette (Ill.) Loyola Academy's Brooks Bahr and Chatsworth (Calif.) Sierra Can- yon's Cameron Brandt. The edge class is equally fascinating thanks to international prospect Aymeric Koumba (Bordeaux, France) and Cincin- nati Princeton's Breeon Ishmail, who is listed as an athlete and may be a hidden gem. But the highest rated of the bunch is Colleyville (Texas) Covenant Christian's Enow Etta, who is ranked as the top over- all player in Michigan's class, per the On3 Consensus. "Enow Etta is a very bright, smart young man," Harbaugh said. "He wants to be an engineer. He's a three-sport athlete — football, basketball, track. He had almost 100 tackles, 34 TFLs and 20 sacks. I think he had over 60 sacks in his four years in high school. He's athletic and really strong and super bright … a great combination." Michigan also landed three highly productive linebackers. While Philadel- phia Imhotep's Semaj Bridgeman and three-star Aurora (Colo.) Regis Jesuit's Hayden Moore both received praise from Harbaugh, he seemed especially fired up about Youngstown (Ohio) Chaney's Jason Hewlett, who flipped from Cincinnati to U-M late in the cycle. "Jason is one of the best overall ath- letes in the state of Ohio, a multi-sport player," Harbaugh said. "He missed his entire junior year but came back with a very productive senior season. He'll only continue to get better." Michigan took a smaller secondary class this cycle but landed a true big fish in On3 No. 104 Kankakee (Ill.) High pros- pect Jyaire Hill, who is an early enrollee and will have a chance to win the start- ing cornerback job opposite Will Johnson this season. Two Buckeye state players, three-star Cincinnati Winton Woods cornerback Cameron Calhoun and three- star Youngstown (Ohio) Chaney athlete D'Juan Waller, could end up being steals on the back end. The Wolverines certainly didn't forget about special teams. They signed one of the best kickers in the country in Ann Ar- bor (Mich.) Huron's Adam Samaha. Michigan's class may not have lived up to all expectations, but it's clear Harbaugh and company found a mix of prospects that can play early and includes some hidden gems. Most importantly, Michi- gan signed a group that fits its culture — something that goes beyond just stars. ❏ Oswego (Ill.) High's Deakon Tonielli is another strong addition to Michigan's tradition of out- standing tight ends. PHOTO BY EJ HOLLAND 2023 Michigan Signees Player Pos. Rating* Ht. Wt. Hometown (High School) Brooks Bahr DL HHH 6-6 280 Lake Forest, Ill. (Loyola Academy) Kendrick Bell QB HHH 6-3 180 Kansas City, Mo. (Park Hill) Cameron Brandt DL HHH 6-4 260 Chatsworth, Calif. (Sierra Canyon) Semaj Bridgeman LB HHHH 6-2 225 Philadelphia (Imhotep Institute Charter) Cole Cabana^ RB HHHH 6-0 190 Dexter, Mich. (Dexter) Cameron Calhoun^ CB HHH 6-0 175 Cincinnati (Winton Woods) Nathan Efobi OL HHHH 6-4 295 Cumming, Ga. (South Forsyth) Karmello English WR HHHH 6-0 186 Phenix City, Ala. (Central) Enow Etta DL HHHH 6-5 270 Keller, Texas (Covenant Christian Academy) Benjamin Hall^ RB HHH 5-11 235 Acworth, Ga. (North Cobb) Amir Herring^ IOL HHH 6-4 295 Southfield, Mich. (West Bloomfield) Jason Hewlett LB HHHH 6-3 215 Youngstown, Ohio (Chaney) Jyaire Hill^ CB HHHH 6-2 170 Kankakee, Ill. (Kankakee) Breeon Ishmail EDGE HHH 6-4 225 Hamilton, Ohio (Princeton) Aymeric Koumba EDGE HHH 6-6 230 Bordeaux, France (Lycée Alfred Kastler) Evan Link OL HHHH 6-6 305 Burke, Va. (Gonzaga College [Washington, D.C.]) Zack Marshall^ TE HHH 6-4 230 Solana Beach, Calif. (Carlsbad) Fredrick Moore^ WR HHH 6-1 175 St. Louis (Cardinal Ritter College Prep) Hayden Moore LB HHH 6-3 205 Parker, Colo. (Regis Jesuit) Semaj Morgan^ WR HHH 5-11 180 West Bloomfield, Mich. (West Bloomfield) Roderick (Trey) Pierce III DL HHH 6-2 290 Evergreen Park, Ill. (Brother Rice) Adam Samaha K HHH 5-11 170 Ypsilanti, Mich. (Huron) Deakon Tonielli TE HHHH 6-5 230 Oswego, Ill. (Oswego) D'Juan (DJ) Waller Jr. DB HHH 6-3 195 Struthers, Ohio (Chaney) * On3 rating as of Feb. 20, ^ Early enrollees at U-M