The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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PLAYER BIOS ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ MARCH 2024 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 57 STATISTICS Year Rush Yds. TD Rec. Yds. TD 2023 56 732 9 15 172 1 2022 70 1,001 15 11 192 4 2021 20 269 6 2 32 — HONORS • Nevada Preps All-Southern Nevada first-team offense in 2022 and 2023. • Played in the 2024 Under Armour All-America Game in Orlando. • Played in the 2024 Polynesian Bowl in Hawai'i. RECRUITMENT • Pledged to Michigan on June 17, 2023, a er receiving offer in April 2023. • Picked U-M over notable offers from Okla- homa State, Hawaii, and Washington State. • Recruited by running backs coach Mike Hart. DID YOU KNOW? • Ka'apana will enroll in June. • Son of George and Marie Ka'apana. • Born on Jan. 7, 2006. THEY SAID IT On3 director of scou ng and rankings Charles Power: "From what we saw in his film, I think Micah will be a good complementary run- ning back. He plays at a na onal powerhouse. From a polish and development standpoint, you know what you're ge ng from him. Jordan Marshall is certainly going to be the future cow- bell running back at Michigan, but Ka'apana's downhill style and physicality are what Michi- gan really likes. Also, he's highly produc ve on a per-carry basis, which you love to see. He's also tested well. His explosion and his good build are all really posi ve." BY ZACH LIBBY When Michigan was searching for a second running back in the 2024 re- cruiting class after landing a commit- ment from Jordan Marshall, running backs coach Mike Hart found his guy in Micah Ka'apana. Two months after Hart's visit to Las Vegas powerhouse Bishop Gor- man during the spring evaluation pe- riod, Ka'apana took an early June official visit to Ann Arbor and pledged a week later. "It feels great to have that environ- ment and those peo- ple around me, like the players, who in- vited me with open arms," Ka'apana told The Wolverine. "It's a great opportunity to have. "When I got the offer, it really was a shocker to me. When I got up there in June, I got to see everything for the first time. It really led to me mak- ing this decision. It was a great feeling." Hart's aura as a U-M player and his history as a coach who develops domi- nant college tailbacks initially piqued Ka'apana's interest. Now, the Hawai'i native is headed to Ann Arbor to help U-M defend its national championship following on the heels of Bishop Gor- man being named the 2023 MaxPreps national champion. Once Ka'apana was locked in, he took subsequent visits to Ann Arbor for the annual July BBQ at The Big House and for the win over Ohio State Nov. 25. On that latter trip, he got to observe first- hand Hart's teaching style, which has led to the blossoming careers of Hassan Haskins, Blake Corum and Donovan Ed- wards, among others. "Coach Hart is a great guy," Ka'apana said. "He's nothing but a ball of ex- citement. He can see things that other people can't see. He's a great guy to be around, and he was a great football player. He's been through this and knows the ins and outs. Learning from him will be a great opportunity for the future." Ka'apana is excited about carving out a role for himself in Michigan's run-ori- ented system that relies on more than one back to get the job done. "It works out because at Bishop Gor- man, we were a split-back program," Ka'apana said. "At Michigan, they're also a split-back program with Blake and Donovan. I'll say that I can take advantage of my opportunity every time I get the ball." K a ' a p a n a f i r s t bonded with fellow running back Mar- shall at the BBQ at the Big House, and he plans on room- ing with the reign- ing Ohio Mr. Football award winner. "Jordan is a great kid," Ka'apana said. " He 's n o t h i n g b u t s m i l e s a l l a ro u n d and a talented foot- ball player. I'm really looking forward to us working together. We have a combination that works together. We can really be a dual-threat for Mich- igan." Ka'apana is the first Nevada high school player to sign with Michigan since quar- terback Cade McNamara in 2019. He's looking to establish more of a pipeline through peer recruiting of his own at Bishop Gorman, where the Wolverines have offered three of the school's offen- sive linemen in the 2025 cycle: four-stars SJ Alofaituli and Douglas Utu, and three- star Alai Kalaniuvalu. "I've been telling them every day, 'Go Blue,'" Ka'apana said. "I'm encouraging them to make the right decision. Michi- gan has the best O-line in the nation." ❑ Dual-Threat Back Micah Ka'apana Is Drawn To U-M's Running Game Over the past two seasons, Ka'apana rushed for 1,733 yards and 24 TDs in a split backfield at powerhouse Las Vegas Bishop Gorman, which was crowned as the 2023 high school football national champion by MaxPreps. PHOTO BY ZACH LIBBY 2024 Projection Ka'apana is viewed as the perfect complementary piece to Marshall because of his versa lity as a physical ball carrier and ability in the open field as a receiver. He played both roles well for Bishop Gorman and will come into Michigan looking to prove that he can be an every-down running back for the defending na onal champions. The running back room is deep, and Ka'apana's first year will likely be all about development. MICAH KA'APANA RUNNING BACK 5-11 • 190 BISHOP GORMAN (LAS VEGAS) WALANAE, HAWAI'I RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE ✪ ✪ ✪ 508 39 2 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 37 1 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 35 2 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 80 7 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 27 — INDUSTRY