The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1516256
2024 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ 54 THE WOLVERINE ❱ MARCH 2024 BY CLAYTON SAYFIE Playing right tackle in a 49-7 Avon (Ohio) High win over Brunswick to open the 2023 season, Luke Hamilton drove the defensive back he was assigned to block 20 yards downfield and finished by plac- ing him on his back as the whistle blew. Hamilton was actually told by the officials not to finish blocks. He didn't oblige. "It was probably one of the best plays I had all season," Hamilton said in reflec- tion. It also is a perfect example of his style as an offensive lineman, as is the fact that he ran out of the tunnel with a baseball bat in hand as part of the team's entrance. The 6-foot-5, 290-pounder thrives on aggression. "I'm just a hard-nosed guy," Hamilton said. "I like to maul people. I can pass pro, I can run block, and I proved it this year. I'm coming in with something to prove at Michigan. I've got people that tell me I can't play at that high of a level, so I'm going to prove a couple people wrong." One of Hamilton's goals, he said, is to play early at Michigan, something that head coach Sherrone Moore said is a pos- sibility for him and the four other offen- sive linemen in the 2024 signing class. Moore, who was the Wolverines' offen- sive line coach the last three seasons and throughout Hamilton's recruitment, also told his future lineman that he won't be reprimanded if he's going 100 percent and knocks somebody on the ground. "He's not going to yell at you if you kick that dude's butt — I'll say it the nice way," Hamilton said with a smile. "I think I fit in, in that way. I don't like losing. If you're standing after the play is over, I'm not very happy with myself, because I think I have the ability to put you on the ground. If I don't do that, I think I un- derperformed. I just hold myself to that standard, and that's the same way they hold themselves at Michigan." Hamilton had a standout senior sea- son, earning Co-Offensive Player of the Year accolades for Division II from the Ohio High School Athletic Association. When one of his coaches texted him in early December to let him know that he had earned the honor, Hamilton thought it might've been a mistake. "I didn't expect it," he explained. "You don't see lineman get that kind of recog- nition. "I had to go check it just to make sure they didn't mess it up or text the wrong dude, because we had a great running back [three-star Cincinnati signee Jako- rion Caffey]." It wasn't a mistake — Hamilton was that dominant, leading his team to a 14-1 season that ended with a three-point loss to Akron (Ohio) Archbishop Hoban in the state semifinals. "It was just surreal being able to win that award my senior year," Hamilton continued. "But I don't get that with- out my teammates. All year, they got me ready for games, got me ready to play. My coaches have always, for four years, coached me the right way, gotten me to the level I'm playing at." Hamilton was on a recruiting trip in Columbus but called Moore to commit right after the Wolverines beat Ohio State, 45-23, in Columbus in 2022. He had grown up a Buckeyes fan and said he never could have imagined switching sides, until the recruiting process took shape. Now, he couldn't imagine heading anywhere else to continue his football and academic careers. ❑ 'Hard-Nosed' Luke Hamilton Plays With Aggression Hamilton, a 6-5, 290-pound mauler from Avon, Ohio, was rated as the No. 467 player nation- ally and the No. 38 interior offensive lineman in the On3 Industry Ranking. PHOTO BY ZACH LIBBY HONORS • Named the Division II Co-Offensive Player of the Year in 2023 by the Ohio High School Athle c Associa on. • Earned first-team all-state honors as both a junior and senior (2022-23). • Tabbed as the Southwestern Conference Line- man of the Year and a first-team all-league honoree as a senior. • 2023 Lombard Award winner as Lorain County's best offensive lineman. • PrepStar All-Midwest Region. • Helped his high school team post a combined record of 48-7 over his four seasons on varsity, including a 14-1 mark in 2023, se ng the school's record for most wins in a campaign. RECRUITMENT • Pledged to the Maize and Blue Nov. 27, 2022. • Picked Michigan over offers from Boston Col- lege, Iowa State, Kentucky, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Penn State, Tennessee, Wisconsin and others. • Sherrone Moore, then the offensive line coach and now the head man, was Hamilton's primary recruiter. DID YOU KNOW? • Slated to enroll at U-M this summer. • Also competed in track and field, par cipa ng in discus and shot put, and qualifying for the state meet in both events in 2023. • Born May 18, 2005. THEY SAID IT Avon High School head coach Mike Elder: "Luke has a tremendous work ethic and is constantly working on his cra . He's blessed with a lot of physical skills that are needed to be a Power Five offensive lineman, especially at a place at Michigan. He always plays with a chip on his shoulder and always has something to prove, which is what I love about him." LUKE HAMILTON OFFENSIVE LINEMAN 6-5 • 290 AVON HIGH AVON, OHIO RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE ✪ ✪ ✪ 467 38 17 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 95 53 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ — 25 14 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ — 29 15 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ — 24 11 INDUSTRY 2024 Projection Hamilton played right tackle in high school but is be er suited for guard in college. It will likely take some me to increase his physical a ributes within the U-M strength and condi- oning program, too, meaning a redshirt for 2024 is projected.