The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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MARCH 2023 THE WOLVERINE 25 first, and I really liked him a lot. I also liked Fredrick Moore, a wideout from St. Louis, over the last couple of years. St. Louis has some really good wide receiver prospects. Semaj Morgan, a pass catcher from West Bloomfield in Michigan, could contribute, too. One or two of those guys should play right away. Cameron Calhoun has the ath- letic ability to possibly start because he had a really good senior year. Power: Enow Etta. He's going to have a little bit of an adjustment period, given the massive jump in competition for him after coming from the private school leagues in Texas. But just in terms of physi- cally and the effort level and motor that he shows, I think it projects pretty well. He's a guy who has high energy and pops off the screen when you watch him. He's been extremely productive, even with that level of competition. Given the rotational aspect of Michigan's defensive line, I can see Etta getting in there if he takes to the speed of the game well early during fall camp. Holland: Hill and Cabana will make their impacts felt as true freshmen. But the guy who could earn a starting job right away is Adam Samaha with Jake Moody departing for the NFL. It looks like the kicking job is wide open. Tommy Doman was a combo guy coming out of high school but is a bet- ter punter than a kicker. I think the door is open there for Samaha to start as a true freshman. Samaha could be an elite kicker down the line and be a serviceable starter as a freshman. Which U-M signee has the most upside potential? Lemming: Jyaire Hill could be outstand- ing as a corner. I was impressed with his coverage and length. One guy who I think will definitely start in his career is Cole Ca- bana. His stats are through the roof every year. He'd be a great follow-up to Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards. Power: Nathan Efobi is a guy who On3 is much higher on than everyone else. I think some of that is due to his lack of exposure to the recruiting industry. He wasn't a guy who went to a ton of camps. But based on what I've seen from him on film, I think his athleticism, length, core strength, and explosive strength give him the baseline tools to be one of the top offensive linemen in this cycle. When you pair him with Michigan's track record of player development, he's a guy who we'll look back on and say 'Even though we were higher on him, he might have still been underrated.' Holland: Nathan Efobi. His ranking var- ies from site to site. On3 has him as a top- 150 prospect, while the other three major recruiting services have him ranked as a three-star. At 6-foot-4 and 295 pounds, I think Efobi can play everything from either guard spot to center, even right tackle. He has tremendous length for an interior offen- sive lineman and is super athletic. He's very raw from a technical stand- point with some schools liking him even more as a defensive lineman. But I do love the upside and his physicality. He's a great fit for Michigan's offensive line culture. Which is the deepest position group in this U-M recruiting class? Lemming: I thought Michigan landed some great wide receivers and offensive linemen. With the running backs, I know Cabana is the feature guy, but I really liked Benjamin Hall. He's a really solid, power type of back. Power: Linebacker. Jason Hewlett brings a lot to the table. Semaj Bridge- man is a good complement. He's a very reliable inside linebacker and tackling machine. He's a guy who had a lot of posi- tive feedback from the schools who were recruiting him. That's based on his play style, physicality and how he moves. He's your traditional Mike backer. When you pair him with Hewlett, they complement each other very well, with Hewlett projected more as a space line- backer. Then, pairing them with Hayden Moore, who Michigan evaluated all the way through the process. He was very productive, sound, a great tackler and in the right spots most of the time. That's a strong group. Holland: Even though there were only three offensive linemen taken this cycle, I really like the group as a whole. All three are very impressive prospects. You have a really high upside recruit in Efobi. Then you have Evan Link, who is my second-highest rated recruit in the class. He's the total package as a tackle pros- pect. I think he's more of a right than left. But he's excellent from a technique stand- point in pass protection and in the run game. He's a physical blocker. He's a guy who likes to get nasty and knows how to finish blocks. He's very well coached at a powerhouse program at Washington (D.C.) Gonzaga College. Of course, there's a lot to like about Amir Herring as well. He was an Under Armour All-American. He might not necessarily have the NFL measurables, but he is go- ing to be one hell of a college player. He's a super-nasty interior lineman who will play guard or center. He loves to serve pancakes and had a terrific senior year. Who's your personal favorite? Power: I would throw Jyaire Hill, Cole Cabana and Evan Link in that group. It's kind of a funky cornerback class nation- ally, so I wouldn't be shocked if Hill is one of the better ones in a couple of years with his range, athleticism, playmaking ability and size. Link is one of the more refined, techni- cal, high-floor and battle-tested tackles in the class. He has legit size. He's a guy who has played a bunch of top competition in the Washington, D.C., area. On3 really loved what we saw on film from Link. With Cabana, I think he's just a modern running back. He is one of the two best pass-catching backs in the cycle nation- ally. He opens up another dimension for Michigan's offense. He's a guy who can do everything. Holland: Semaj Morgan. The in-state kid is that "dawg" that everyone looks for. He plays with a ton of swagger, has a huge heart and can play either in the slot or out wide. He might even be the next Mike Sainristil and play the nickel. Offensively, Morgan doesn't have the best track times and isn't the biggest kid, but the guy is just a consistent playmaker and racks up a ton of yards. Morgan was one of the true leaders for this cycle. He bleeds maize and blue. He's a future team captain and will give every- thing that he has to the program. ■ Running back Cole Cabana was extremely productive at Dexter (Mich.) High, totaling 2,434 all-purpose yards and 36 touchdowns as a senior. PHOTO BY EJ HOLLAND