The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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AUGUST 2024 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 41 ❱ COMMIT PROFILE BY EJ HOLLAND V ictors Weekend, the biggest official visit event of the summer, produced multiple commitments for Michigan, including four-star wide receiver Jacob Washington. The New Orleans Archbishop Shaw prospect picked U-M over fellow finalists Georgia Tech and Missouri. "Michigan checked all my boxes," Washington said. "It was a perfect fit for me academically as well as athletically. I loved the family-oriented culture and the brotherhood of the program." Washington made an unofficial visit to Michigan in the spring to get a closer look at the program. However, his official visit really allowed him to immerse himself in the special culture found in Ann Arbor. The Michigan staff and players did a tremendous job of making Washington, On3's No. 34 wide receiver and No. 246 overall prospect nationally, and the No. 9 player in Louisiana, and his family feel right at home. "It was a fantastic visit," Washington said. "My favorite parts of it were the one- on-one meetings with Coach [Ron] Bel- lamy, Coach [Kirk] Campbell and Coach [Sherrone] Moore. I also enjoyed inter- acting with the other recruits and cur- rent players during the paintball event. … The players gave me a great idea of what it means to be a Michigan Man. Winning is embedded in the culture there and that resonates with me because I am a winner." Both Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore and wide receivers coach Ron Bel- lamy, a fellow Louisiana native, made re- ally strong impressions during Washing- ton's stay on campus. "My meeting with Coach Moore went great," Washington said. "He outlined his vision for me in the program and talked about how I would be a perfect fit for their offense. He also talked about how I could use my length, height and speed to stretch the field. I like his energy, attention to de- tail and his interaction with his players and staff. "My meeting with Coach Bellamy was extremely productive as he discussed the offensive scheme and my role in the of- fense. Coach Bellamy is relatable, and we have a great connection. I know that he will play a huge role in my development on and off the field." Bellamy is a Louisiana native who also attended Archbishop Shaw and was ar- guably the biggest reason the Wolverines were able to win over Washington. "Every conversation I've ever had with Coach Bellamy was a great one," Wash- ington said. "We attended the same high school and played under the same head coach. We already had that connection. Coach Bellamy is a phenomenal coach and person as well. I liked how he ap- proached coaching. He was always in- volved with his players at practice. He told me something that stuck with me. He said, 'I coach them hard but love them harder.' That stood out to me." Washington (6-3, 180) is the first wide receiver over 6-foot-2 to commit to Michigan since Amorion Walker in the 2022 recruiting cycle. His size should al- low him to excel in U-M's scheme. "The offense is definitely a power- house," Washington said. "I can defi- nitely see myself fitting into Michigan's offense. They put up huge points every week. A lot of the routes and the concepts are down field. I like to consider myself a deep threat that can take the top off a defense. I can see myself catching touch- downs week-by-week in The Big House." Washington was the second of three Louisiana prospects to commit to Michi- gan this cycle, joining four-star running back Jasper Parker and later joined by fel- low wide receiver Phillip Wright III. Washington and Parker are good friends and teammates at the high school level and can't wait to don the winged helmet together in Ann Arbor. "Jasper and I have been friends for many years, and we have both worked extremely hard to be in this position," Washington said. "Obviously, playing with him at the next level is going to be special. We will both be bringing our New Orleans talents to Ann Arbor, and it's go- ing to be a movie." ❑ Four-Star Wideout Jacob Washington Has The Size To Excel At U-M Washington (6-3, 180) is the first wide receiver over 6-foot-2 to commit to Michigan since the 2022 recruiting cycle when the Wolverines landed Amorion Walker. PHOTO COURTESY ON3.COM PLAYER EVALUATION STRENGTHS: Jacob Washington fills a mas- sive need for Michigan as a bigger-bodied out- side receiver. After U-M failed to land a similar type of player in the last two cycles, Washing- ton could be a candidate to play early. He uses his frame to his advantage in the red zone at the high school level and is a dependable weapon in the middle of the field. He also has field-stretching speed, clocking a 4.5-second electronic 40-yard-dash time this offseason. AREAS OF IMPROVEMENT: Washington started his high school career playing quarter- back before making the move to wide receiver when he transferred to Archbishop Shaw last season. While he has an impressive combina- tion of size and speed, he is still very raw as a route runner and can improve on the intrica- cies of playing the position as a whole. MICHIGAN PLAYER COMPARISON: Michigan doesn't have a receiver like Washington on its roster, but he does share some traits with Amorion Walker. While Washington is more filled out from a frame standpoint, he has similar athleticism and speed as well as an im- pressive catch radius. Like Walker, Washington isn't refined as a pure receiver. — EJ Holland