The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ MARCH 2024 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 33 A three-star recruit, Wafle is one of the most underrated signees in the class and has a chance to be the next Mason Gra- ham in Ann Arbor. BIGGEST SURPRISE Lemming: Andrew Sprague, because I thought he was going to Missouri or Nebraska. I went to see him the last two years, and Michigan's name never popped up. But they did a really good job with him. Sherrone Moore did a really good job. The kid is a monster, too. I saw him 10 months ago when he was 280 pounds. He's going to be 330 or 340 and is going to be one of those great tackles, either left or right. Power: I think Micah Ka'apana would fall in that category because he didn't have the gaudiest stats and played behind a really good offensive line at Bishop Gor- man. But when you watch the film, it's easy to see why he's coveted. Very physi- cal and explosive running back. When we were really going through the rankings early senior year, he was a very pleasant surprise. Holland: All signs pointed to Notre Dame winning over On300 linebacker Cole Sullivan early in the process. Sullivan is an Irish kid that goes to a Catholic high school and seemed destined for South Bend. However, the Michigan staff did a fantastic job of selling him on scheme fit and development. Sullivan has a huge ceiling and was one of the biggest risers in the rankings this fall. Michigan can definitely maximize his potential. Still, the fact that he spurned Notre Dame for Michigan remains surprising. MOST LIKELY INSTANT IMPACT L e m m i n g : J o ' Z i a h E d m o n d . Cornerbacks and wide receivers are usually the guys they throw in right away. Jordan Marshall, too. He's had a great year. Player of the Year in Ohio. Power: I like Jo'Ziah Edmond because he's versatile on defense. I could see him being a guy who gets on the field in some capacity because he can do a lot of differ- ent things in the secondary. Michigan is going to have some turnover in the sec- ondary with guys moving on, so I can see him cracking the lineup. Holland: I'm going with Jordan Mar- shall. It's too bad he's not an early en- rollee, but the opportunity will be there for Marshall to come in and get significant carries as a true freshman. Kalel Mull- ings is a good power back, but there isn't much depth behind him. Ben Hall had a strong spring game performance, but the sample size is small. Cole Cabana is still an unknown. CJ Stokes is out, and Tavi- erre Dunlap doesn't look like he belongs. The Marshall era could start early in Ann Arbor. MOST POTENTIAL Lemming: One of the tight ends. Brady Prieskorn or Hogan Hansen. I've seen them both. I really like Hogan. He has a really powerful frame. They have great potential. Both are four stars but have the potential to be better than that. Especially now, where everyone gears toward tight ends, I think they can be big-time guys. I also really like [edge] Mason Curtis. He has a lot of growth potential. He looks skinny, but he can hit and can run. He plays at one of the better programs in Nashville. Power: I would go with Lugard Edokpayi. His potential and upside would be the highest in Michigan's class if he develops and reaches his ceiling. He has a ways to go to hit his ceiling because he needs to continue filling out. He wasn't a football-first athlete for such a long time. But his gifts are so notable that his ceiling is the highest in this group. Holland: Lugard Edokpayi was a true late senior riser and not just some Plan C type of guy. The On300 prospect notched his first Power Five offer in October and steadily rose up the rankings over the past couple of months. At 6-foot-6, 225 pounds, Edokpayi has supreme length and is also a twitchy athlete. He's raw from a technical standpoint, but he has the frame to carry plenty of weight and offers an ex- citing ceiling. Michigan has a strong re- cord of developing pass rushers and can get the most out of Edokpayi. DEEPEST POSITION GROUP Lemming: Defensive line with Ted Hammond, Dominic Nichols, Owen Wafle and those guys. They're all really good. Michigan got the guys they really wanted. Devon Baxter is another. Besides quarterback, the defensive line is the most important position group. Holland: The offensive line has some really quality pieces. Andrew Sprague has the makings of a cornerstone left tackle. Blake Frazier was the best signee I saw on the road this year and brings plenty of athleticism as a right tackle. He also happens to be a U-M legacy and a culture builder. Jake Guarnera has the makings of Michigan's future center. Ben Roebuck and Luke Hamilton may not have the best feet, but both are maulers from Ohio with big chips on their shoulders. PERSONAL FAVORITE Lemming: Jadyn Davis. I think he's a five-star player and is a leader. The other kids gravitate towards him. I had the top 70 underclassmen meet me in Raleigh this past February. What I noticed was they were all juniors or seniors, but they gravi- tated toward Jadyn and hung around him. He has a quiet confidence about himself and is someone who everyone follows, which I thought was really impressive. I always take notes on kids that really stand out, and he was one of them. Power: Andrew Sprague is rock solid and I like him a great deal. Cole Sullivan is an extremely fun player. From the film, he's certainly one I like to watch. Lugard Edokpayi is a personal favorite. We're very high on him relative to others, and I'm extremely bullish on his upside. Holland: Devon Baxter, the signee that lives the closest to me and the guy I've seen the most over the last year. I was also high on Baxter when he was an un- ranked prospect that the fan base didn't seem to care about at all. I've been driv- ing the Baxter bandwagon for quite some time and believe in the potential and abil- ity. At 6-foot-6, 235 pounds, Baxter is an impressive physical specimen and has the potential to be the next great Michigan pass rusher. He's also an honor student and just a really great kid. ❏ ❱ On3 director of scouting and rankings Charles Power "I'll go with Cole Sullivan [as the biggest steal in the class]. … He's super instinctive and is one who I think has a lot of positive indicators. He's just a really good football player."