The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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JANUARY 2025 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 51 ❱ FOOTBALL RECRUITING Michigan and had some Division I offers on the offensive side of the ball as well. Young also is a standout on Monroe's basketball team, averaging 14.5 points per game last season. He also stars on the track, finishing in the top five at the North Carolina 2A state meet in both the triple jump (fourth, 45 feet, 0.25 inches) and the long jump (fifth, 21 feet, 6.25 inches). Most Physical Turn on the tape for five-star Over- land Park (Kan.) Blue Valley Northwest offensive lineman Andrew Babalola, and you'll see non-stop pancakes. Ranked by On3 as the No. 3 offensive tackle and No. 14 overall prospect nationally, Ba- balola takes pride in finishing blocks and putting defenders in the dirt. He uses his 6-foot-6, 300-pound frame to his advantage and has plenty of brute strength. The scary thing is Ba- balola still has a ton of upside. A former AAU basketball standout, Babalola is an athletic tackle who has only been focused on football for a few years. In fact, he didn't start on varsity until his junior season. Babalola has the potential to be a dominant force at Michigan early on in his career. Most Versatile No player was more fun to watch live this season than top-100 safety Kainoa Winston of Washington (D.C.) Gon- zaga. The Gatorade Player of the Year in the District of Columbia, Winston recorded 71 tackles, 2 interceptions, 2 forced fumbles and 2 blocked kicks as a senior. He also rushed for 225 yards and scored 5 total touchdowns on offense. Winston, the No. 5 safety and No. 67 overall recruit nationally per On3, played a traditional safety role, lined up in the box as a de facto linebacker and even rushed the passer. He also played running back and quarterback, and was a special teams menace. Michi- gan recruited Winston as a safety, but it wouldn't be surprising to see him play multiple roles in Ann Arbor. Best Comeback Story Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy run- ning back Donovan Johnson was pro- jected as a top-100 recruit after a sen- sational freshman season at Savannah (Ga.) Calvary Day. However, Johnson transferred to IMG Academy and split carries as a sophomore and missed his entire junior season with a torn ACL. Johnson saw his recruitment dip after the injury, but Michigan running backs coach Tony Alford, who originally re- cruited him while at Ohio State, never lost faith. Alford took Johnson's commitment this summer, and the three-star back had a breakout game early in the sea- son against Florida power Cocoa (Fla.) High, rushing for more than 100 yards and a touchdown. Johnson, the No. 39 running back and No. 495 overall pros- pect in the On3 Industry Ranking, could be a steal if he returns to full form. Best Recruiter Not much was known about new sec- ondary coach LaMar Morgan when he was hired at Michigan this offseason. Morgan had limited Power Four confer- ence experience, and many questioned what he would bring as a recruiter. However, Morgan was a star on the trail this cycle, landing three Top 100 recruits in Earls, Young and Winston as well as two more four-star prospects in Jayden Sanders and Elijah Dotson. Morgan exceeded expectations in his first year with the program and appears to have a bright future. ❏ On3 top-100 cornerback Shamari Earls of Chester (Va.) Thomas Dale is a freak athlete and should play right away at Michigan. PHOTO BY EJ HOLLAND Overland Park (Kan.) Blue Valley Northwest offensive tackle Andrew Babalola is one of two five-star recruits in Michigan's 2025 class, joining QB Bryce Underwood in that distinc- tion. Babalola is ranked by On3 as the No. 3 offensive tackle and No. 14 overall prospect nationally. PHOTO COURTESY ON3 Washington (D.C.) Gonzaga safety Kainoa Winston was named the Gatorade Player of the Year in the District of Columbia. On3 ranks him as the No. 5 safety and No. 67 overall recruit nationally. PHOTO BY EJ HOLLAND