The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1516256
PLAYER BIOS ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ MARCH 2024 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 55 STATISTICS Year Tackles TFL Sacks 2023 78 34 14 2022 64 24 10 2021 47 5 1 HONORS • Two- me Mid-Atlan c Prep League Defen- sive Player of the Year (2022-23). • Two- me New Jersey Prep-A Defensive Player of the Year (2022-23). • Mercer County 12th Man Club Lineman of the Year (2023). • PrepStar All-Eastern Region (2023). RECRUITMENT • Pledged to Michigan on June 11, 2023, a er receiving offer in May 2023. • Picked U-M over notable offers from Notre Dame, Michigan State and Oklahoma. • Flipped to Michigan a er ini ally commi ng to the Figh ng Irish. • Recruited by former U-M defensive line coach Mike Elston. DID YOU KNOW? • Also started at fullback for The Hun School. • Son of David and Jennifer Wafle. • Father played football at Duke. • Younger brother, Luke, is a 2026 recruit with a Michigan offer. • Born Feb. 9, 2006. THEY SAID IT On3 director of scou ng and rankings Charles Power: "Owen Wafle is a bulldog, a guy who can take on blocks and be physical at the point of a ack. He's at his best as a run defender and plays at a high effort level. He probably projects best inside but we'll see where he gets from a weight perspec ve. But he understands leverage and plays with a high-level physicality." OWEN WAFLE DEFENSIVE LINEMAN 6-2 • 280 THE HUN SCHOOL MIDDLETOWN, N.J. RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE ✪ ✪ ✪ 469 45 7 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 72 13 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 52 6 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ — 41 7 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ — 21 4 INDUSTRY BY EJ HOLLAND Princeton (N.J.) Hun School defensive lineman Owen Wafle thought he found the right school when he committed to Notre Dame in May 2022. Wafle stayed true to his verbal pledge to the Irish for more than a year. However, Michigan made an aggressive push and gave him a lot to think about heading into summer official visits. "I committed to Notre Dame early because it was a school I always loved," Wafle said. "I thought it was going to be my best offer. I kept turning coaches away, but Michigan finally wore me down. Just talking to [former defensive line coach Mike] Elston and [offensive line coach] Grant Newsome, who recruits my area, and making my official visit, I just loved it. That's when I decided to decom- mit from Notre Dame." Wafle made an official visit to Michi- gan just a few weeks later and gave the Wolverines a commitment before leaving Ann Arbor. Michigan lost its entire defensive staff this offseason, but Wafle's flip from Notre Dame to U-M went beyond just his rela- tionships with the coaches. "I've always wanted to go against the best," Wafle said. "Michigan has the best offensive line. Just watching practice and those guys play and also seeing the de- velopment, it just felt like the place to be. That secured it for me because I want to be the best defensive tackle I can be." Wafle was one of the most intimidating players in the Northeast this past season and developed a reputation as an aggres- sive defensive lineman who dominated in the trenches. He is excited to now bring that mean streak to Ann Arbor. "It's not that I want to be feared," Wafle said with a laugh. "But you get these guys like Lawrence Taylor and Reggie White, and everybody was scared to play them. That's who I look up to. I want coaches to say, 'You have to look out for that guy.' That's how I want people to see. I play with an extra chip on my shoulder." Wafle, the No. 45 defensive lineman and No. 469 overall prospect nationally, is projected to play in the same role as cur- rent Michigan star Mason Graham, who was also underrated as a recruit. Wafle has heard the Graham comparisons and is certainly excited. But he also wants to make his own name in Ann Arbor. "He is a great player," Wafle said. "Get- ting compared to him is a great honor. There are certain things he does that I do. But also, I want to focus on being the best player I can be at Michigan. That's how I see it. But it really is an honor to be com- pared to such a great football player." ❑ New Jersey's Owen Wafle Will Bring Mean Streak To U-M Defensive Line Wafle, the No. 45 defensive lineman and No. 469 overall prospect nationally, originally committed to Notre Dame, but ultimately chose the Wolverines. PHOTO BY EJ HOLLAND 2024 Projection Wafle has a high floor and is already technically advanced in the interior of the defensive line. That means he should be able to get in the rota on as soon as the 2024 season. Wafle will spend a lot of me under the wing of Mason Graham, but it wouldn't be surprising to see him get meaningful snaps.