The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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JANUARY 2024 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 49 ❱ MICHIGAN RECRUITING NOTEBOOK with some of the players, they told him what to do once he returned to Avon (Ohio) High, but the senior was way ahead of them. "I was hoping we were going to rush the field, and it was one of the high- lights of the visit," Hamilton told The Wolverine. "I ran down with all of the commits, recruits, coaches and meshed with the student body. "When we finally got back up the tunnel — it took like an hour just to get through everyone — J.J. [McCarthy] dapped me up. "Most of the players know that I'm from Ohio, AJ [Barner], Colston [Love- land], Donovan [Edwards]. They came up to me and said, 'Now you go home and talk your stuff to your Ohio boys.' I was like, 'That's the first thing I'm do- ing.' The whole month or so, it's been all talk about that game. People were telling me that Ohio was going to win by 20, so when I got home, I was talking a little bit." In the locker room, Hamilton found offensive coordinator/line coach Sher- rone Moore, who served as the acting head coach against the Buckeyes. They issued greetings pregame but waited to reunite more in-depth once the game was over. Moore's fiery spirit that stemmed from the win reflected what he told Hamilton. "After the game, I said congrats," Hamilton remembered. "He told me, 'This is how it's going to be for the next four years.' "He's done a great job. The games he won were tough. Penn State and Ohio State, not having your head coach, and having to fill those shoes. It's a pres- sure-filled job, but he did a great job. Winning those games was big." Hamilton visited Ann Arbor a total of 12 times, including three game-day trips this season. Hamilton's reaction to Zak Zinter going down to injury was exactly how everyone else felt at The Big House. When Blake Corum scored on the ensuing play, Hamilton celebrated accordingly, just like the other 110,000- plus Michigan fans. "When Zak went down, I was holding my breath," Hamilton said. "He came back for one more year to be with his brothers and finish it out. To see him go down and most likely not return this season is hard. "Right after that, Corum broke one and threw up the 65 [hand sign]. They took off from there. The energy from the crowd was raised, and the team started playing faster." Three other offensive line commits in Michigan's 2024 recruiting class were on campus for The Game. Hamilton was joined by four-star tackle Andrew Sprague, three-star tackle Ben Roebuck and three-star center Jake Guarnera. They all made it a point to give re- cruiting pitches to the 2025 offensive linemen who were in attendance. "It took us a while to get to the Junge Center because of how crowded it was down there," Hamilton said. "But, once we got there, I saw all of the recruits, and I went straight up to them with Ben, Andrew and Jake. We were all sitting in a circle, pretty much talking to them about Michigan and why it's the best place to be. "I know a lot of people in that 2025 class who really like Michigan now. I've had people slide up on my Instagram stories saying, 'That might be the place for me.' I think we're going to have a couple of 2025 guys coming soon." Hamilton's message to the Michigan targets was concise and crystal clear. "We kept telling the 2025 guys that we're up for the Joe Moore Award again," Hamilton said. "That's hard to do, espe- cially with winning it two years in a row and then being up for it a third time. That's not normal. I don't even know if it's been done before. "Seeing that and seeing the O-line coach and offensive coordinator being the head coach is big." Hamilton led Avon to a 14-1 record this season and an appearance in the Ohio Division II playoff semifinals. "My fondest memories are just the practices with the guys," Hamilton said. "We had a really good group, and we've had that all four years. I think this is the closest group across all classes, from the seniors to the freshmen. "This year, we all just meshed really well. Our bond is a big reason why we ended up being so good. "This year was the most fun I've ever had playing football. Beating our rival, Avon Lake, 45-0, the first time we've ever shut them out. So, that was pretty special. Then, beating Glenville, the [Ohio] Division IV champ that beat us last year. Losing in the semifinals was a heartbreaker. We shouldn't have lost that game. I think we were the better team, but we just couldn't close it out. It was a tough loss." Hamilton is set to enroll in June. At 6-foot-4, 290 pounds, he's listed as the No. 36 interior offensive lineman in the country, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that uti- lizes all four primary recruiting media services. He's also the No. 15 player in Ohio. — Zach Libby Early Signing Day Update The early National Letter of Intent signing day falls on Wed., Dec. 20 this year. We will cover this event in the February 2024 issue of The Wolverine magazine that mails in mid-January. However, all magazine subscribers who have their email address on file with us will receive a sign- ing day update newsletter with links to complimentary articles on TheWolverine.com. To receive this update, please send your email address to staff@thewolverine.com or log in to your account at TheWolverineOnDemand.com to update your contact information. The Wolverine's annual football recruiting issue will be mailed in late February. Luke Hamilton, a 6-4, 290-pound offensive line commit from Avon, Ohio, called rushing the field for Michigan's 30-24 victory against Ohio State "one of the highlights of the visit." PHOTO BY ZACH LIBBY