The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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MARCH 2023 THE WOLVERINE 37 P L AY E R BIOS BY ZACH LIBBY The verbal commitment of Youngstown (Ohio) Chaney defensive athlete Jason Hewlett took place less than 48 hours after Michigan's win over Ohio State in Colum- bus last November. Hewlett became the fourth Ohio native and third in the 2023 class to pledge to the Wolverines in a span of four days. Hewlett, the No. 12-ranked recruit in Ohio, per On3, visited the Big House for Michigan's final home game of the season against Illinois. The 6-foot-3, 215-pounder was still committed to Cincinnati at the time. He arrived with C h a n ey co r n e rba c k teammate DJ Waller Jr. and U-M 2024 edge tar- get Brian Robinson. "I just fell in love with Michigan as soon as I got there," Hewlett said. "I wasn't even planning on going up there at first. I told the coaches that I was fully locked into Cincinnati, but going up there was the best thing that ever happened to me. "Coach Clink [co- defensive coordinator Steve Clinkscale] and all of the coaches kept it real. After that, I just knew I wanted to be there and felt like there wasn't a point to wait any longer to announce my commitment." Hewlett watched the game-winning field goal by kicker Jake Moody that pro- pelled U-M to what would be an unde- feated 2022 regular season. "The Illinois game was a big one," Hewlett said. "We were sitting behind the Michigan sideline, and we kept seeing the defense get together and talk to each other. They were not yelling at each other. Every- body continued to get amped up." Hewlett officially picked up an offer from Michigan a few weeks before the Il- linois game, around the same period as Waller going public with his offer. The pair returned to campus on the final weekend leading up to National Signing Day for official visits, with Waller still un- committed. But the opportunity for them to remain teammates was enough for both to sign their letters of intent. "I'm very excited," Hewlett said. "Com- peting with DJ every day at practice made me a lot better, and it's very exciting that we're going to continue playing together." Clinkscale was the primary contact for Hewlett and Waller. "Coach Clink and I have a great relation- ship," said Hewlett. "He's just family. He's everything you want in a coach. "I'm very excited to work with Coach [Jim] Harbaugh too. He's one of the best head coaches of all time. I got to see him and talk to him. He's not big-headed. It's never him first. It's always team first. I re- ally enjoy that." Hewl e t t i s l o o k- ing forward to begin- ning workouts with the strength and conditioning staff this June to help determine his best fit. "I think I'll make a big impact because I can play so many different positions," Hewlett said. "I can do a lot so that'll be exciting to see." ❑ 2023 Projection Hewlett could fill multiple spots on the defense, whether it's at box safety, line- backer or edge. It all depends on how he fills out while working with Michigan's strength and conditioning staff. Initially, he may see the field on special teams. On3 rates Hewlett as the No. 31 line- backer nationally and the No. 12 player in Ohio. PHOTO COURTESY JASON HEWLETT STATISTICS Year Tackles TFL Sacks INT FF 2022 59 9 2 3 3 2021 — injured — HONORS • First-team Division III all-state as a senior. • Named to the WKBN Big 22 Class of 2022 in Youngstown. • First-team All-Northeast Inland District as a senior. • Helped Chaney post a 10-2 record his senior year in 2022, including a playoff appearance. It was the school's first 10- win season in more than 20 years. RECRUITMENT • Committed to Michigan Nov. 28, 2022, after receiving an offer less than one week earlier on Nov. 22. • Picked U-M over Kentucky after decom- mitting from Cincinnati on Thanksgiving Day. • Recruited by U-M co-defensive coordi- nator and defensive backs coach Steve Clinkscale. DID YOU KNOW? • A two-way player who also caught 14 passes for 317 yards with 3 touchdowns as a senior. • Also scored 2 touchdowns on defense and special teams with a kickoff returned for a score. • In the first game of his junior season, suffered an injury that caused him to miss the rest of the year. • Son of Jason Hewlett Sr. and Shalimar Jackson. • Brother, Jaylen, played linebacker at Youngstown State. • High school teammate of Wolverine defensive back signee DJ Waller. JASON HEWLETT LINEBACKER 6-3 • 215 CHANEY HIGH YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE ✪ ✪ ✪ 547 57 15 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ — 31 12 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ — 21 12 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 34 14 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 34 24 consensus Ohio All-State Defender Jason Hewlett Joins Michigan's Class THEY SAID IT Youngstown Chaney head coach Seth Antram: "Jason is a great person and comes from a great family. It's a football family. His brother played and graduated from Youngstown State. His dad and uncle played at the high school level. "He's just a great kid on and off the field. He's a leader in the classroom and on the field. Just a really likable kid. His teachers love him, and our administrators love him. "He's a hard worker and a great athlete on both sides of the ball. He made such a huge impact for us. I'm definitely happy to see him succeed."