The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1516256
2024 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ 38 THE WOLVERINE ❱ MARCH 2024 BY EJ HOLLAND Durell Baxter recalls his son, Devon, going over to an area where high school quarterbacks were going through drills. At the time, Devon was playing offen- sive tackle for his youth football team and had no experience as a passer. The quarterbacks all failed to throw a football into a bucket. Devon, on the other hand, did it twice. At that point, it was clear Devon was simply a gifted football player. He con- tinued to play quarterback all the way up until the end of his senior season at Brandywine (Md.) Gwynn Park. He also lined up at tight end and wide receiver and was one of the best small-school offensive players in the DMV (District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia) over the last couple of seasons. "He was a good quarterback," Durell said. "He played it for so long. One day, he said 'Dad, I don't want to play quar- terback anymore.' He said he wanted to play tight end. I couldn't argue against that because he had good hands. He wound up pretty good at it. "But at Gwynn Park, you're going to play two positions. His natural posi- tion was edge. He made it his own and started to enjoy it. Once he enjoyed it, they couldn't stop him." Devon was a good offensive player and a great athlete. But he was an even better pass rusher. After cutting some fat and adding muscle going into his sophomore season, Devon blossomed into a legitimate edge prospect. Baxter did fly under the radar for most of his recruiting process, but by the time the offseason going into his senior year rolled around, Devon shot up the rankings and earned a number of major offers. Michigan, however, always stood out. From the moment he received an of- fer from U-M, Baxter fell in love with the program. From Aidan Hutchinson to David Ojabo, Michigan has estab- lished itself as "Edge U" over the last few years. Baxter saw the opportunity to be the next man up. But aside from that, he also saw Michigan as a culture fit and a true home away from home. "When I went up there, I felt like it was home," he said. "I talked to my fam- ily, and they got the same vibe. After my family gave me the OK, I committed. I'm one of those people that once you commit, you stick with it all the way through. There was no changing for me. If I say I'm going there, I'm going. … "When I first got that Michigan offer, I ran out of the house a couple of times yelling 'Go Blue.' The neighbors came out, and I had to tell them what happened." At 6-foot-6, 235 pounds, Baxter has the size, length and twitch to be Michi- High-Motor Pass-Rusher Devon Baxter Is All Revved Up To Join U-M's Tradition At Edge Rated the No. 242 overall prospect nationally, Baxter is the type of player that Michigan loves to develop on the edge — elite athleticism packed in a long frame. PHOTO BY EJ HOLLAND 2024 Projection Baxter was ini ally expected to enroll early but will now arrive at Michigan in June. That means he will likely need a redshirt year before making an impact. While Baxter is a special athlete with terrific length and an impressive frame, he is s ll a bit raw a er spending his high school career playing mul- ple posi ons. It shouldn't take long for Baxter to develop in the strength and condi oning program, but he will need extra coaching. He may also need to get adjusted to the speed of the game a er playing at a small school in a league that featured run-heavy offenses.