The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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50 THE WOLVERINE ❱ SEPTEMBER 2024 ❱ COMMIT PROFILE PLAYER EVALUATION STRENGTHS: Jayden Sanders is a smooth corner. I think he has good size and good ball skills. He's a two-way player, productive in coverage. I think the ball skills transfer over really well to corner. He made some fantastic catches and interceptions as a junior. He's younger for the class. I think he's a guy whose best football is certainly ahead of him. He's a 6-foot high jumper in track. So, there are a lot of positive indicators about Jayden. He's one who is just scratching the surface of his potential. AREAS OF IMPROVEMENT: It would be nice to see him against a top receiver on their schedule. That would, I think, maybe help us get a better feel for his pure cover skills. Right now, he's just an athlete who we're projecting as a corner, and he is certainly being recruited as a corner to Michigan. So, I think just getting a better picture for the pure cover skills. MICHIGAN PLAYER COMPARISON: He reminds me a little bit of Jo'Ziah Edmond. These are two guys with similar size, two-way players. Seeing Jo'Ziah in person at the All-American Bowl, he's a really good athlete, who was making the full-time transition to corner. Competitive, plus ball skills, good size. I think the biggest thing with Edmond is to continue to hone in and add polish to his coverage skills. That's how we view Jayden right now, too. — On3 director of scouting and ranking Charles Power BY EJ HOLLAND M ichigan had a big need for a true cornerback this recruiting cycle and filled it by landing On300 Kilgore (Texas) High prospect Jayden Sanders. Sanders, who is ranked as the No. 21 cornerback and No. 203 overall recruit na- tionally by On3, committed to U-M in mid-August over offers from Baylor, Michigan State, Oklahoma State, SMU, Texas Tech and others. "The things that made them right for me are the develop- ment of players at my posi- tion, the program's history and the school itself," Sanders said. "The players show that everyone has bought into the vision of competing for a top spot. Michigan has a top three business school in the coun- try and with the pros not be- ing a guarantee, a degree from the Ross School of Business is priceless." First-year Michigan assistant JB Brown made his way to the Lone Star State during the spring evaluation pe- riod in May and watched Sanders go through practice. Brown immediately got his film in front of LaMar Morgan, U-M's new secondary coach. Morgan offered Sanders and was able to get him on campus for an unofficial visit just a few weeks later. That visit made Michigan a strong contender in his recruitment. "It went well," Sanders said. "I got to see the facilities, tour around campus and talk to more staff members. I came in not knowing what to expect, but they definitely passed my standards. I defi- nitely liked the weight room. I didn't know it was that big. I liked building relationships with the staff." Sanders returned to Ann Arbor for the annual BBQ at The Big House in late July along with his family. It was there that the Wolverines really took control of his recruitment. "Coach [Sherrone] Moore flat out said, 'You are the priority, and you fit here,'" said Sanders' mother, Whit- ney Clark. "It was definitely a message of 'You, your family and your educa- tion background fit what we want in a Michigan player.' That was definitely expressed by all the coaches, especially Coach Moore. He repeated that a few times. He said, 'You fit with your per- sonality and aggressiveness on the field. You fit the Michigan mold.'" Brown, Morgan and Moore all played instrumental roles in sealing the deal and keeping Sanders away from schools closer to home. "My relationship with Coach Morgan and the other coaches is also a reason I committed," Sand- ers said. "They have worked overtime to grow a relationship with me since I got the offer." Clark shared similar senti- ments. "We have grown a good re- lationship with Coach Mor- gan," Clark said. "We were able to meet his wife and his children. We got some more background. He's reserved, but he's super friendly — like Jayden in some ways. "Once he gets comfortable and out of his shell, he's talk- ing. It was good. We've had multiple conversations with him and Coach Brown over the phone. We've continuously built that relationship." Sanders is now part of a three-man secondary class that also includes On300 nickel Kainoa Winston and On300 safety Ivan Taylor. At 6-foot-2, 175 pounds, Sanders is a tall, long prospect that projects as a cornerback at the next level. Sanders fits what Michigan usually looks for at the position and sees himself as a fit in U-M's defensive scheme. "Michigan keeps developing NFL corners with their defensive scheme and even with the coaching and staff changes, I fit the athletic profile of their corners," Sanders said. "They've proven their defensive back development works." ❑ On300 Cornerback Jayden Sanders Picks U-M Over Texas Schools On3 ranks Sanders as a four-star talent, the No. 32 player in Texas, and the No. 21 cornerback and No. 203 overall prospect in the country. PHOTO BY ZACH LIBBY