The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1535358
52 THE WOLVERINE ❱ JUNE/JULY 2025 BY ANTHONY BROOME P layers born in the states of Michi- gan or Ohio come out of the womb thrown into one of the great rivalries in all of sports. Former U-M safety and team captain Tyree Kinnel knows all about that and the destiny that comes along with it. Kinnel grew up in Huber Heights, Ohio, just outside Dayton and between Cincinnati and Columbus. However, the Wayne High School alum always had his sights on Ann Arbor and playing for the Wolverines. He was a four-star recruit on 247, ESPN and Rivals, and in or near the top- 10 players in the state of Ohio and was the third player to pledge himself to the 2015 recruiting class. Kinnel committed in August 2013 un- der then-head coach Brady Hoke, but the bottom would fall out on the Hoke era during the 2014 season, leading to the coaching change that eventually brought Jim Harbaugh to Michigan. Harbaugh and his staff honored the offer, and Kinnel became a foundational piece in the head coach's first freshman class in Ann Arbor. " I grew up a Michigan fan, so once I received an offer, I knew [I wanted to be at Michigan] whether there was go- ing to be a coaching change or not with Brady Hoke," Kinnel said. "And then the transition happened. Jim Harbaugh still wanted me to come there, and I wanted to be there." Kinnel was part of a 14-player class in 2015 that was mixed between Hoke's and Harbaugh's staffs and included fu- ture fixtures in tight end Zach Gentry, offensive tackle (and now offensive line coach) Grant Newsome, running back Karan Higdon, wide receiver Grant Perry and offensive lineman Jon Runyan Jr. The tight-knit group came to the fa- cility every day and went through the fight together, Kinnel recalled. "I think for the most part, the core guys in that class just stuck to the grind and committed to it, and tried to work on it every single day and do the right thing on the field," Kinnel said. "I think that brought us together, chemistry- wise, as we got a little older. Our motto was doing everything right and working hard." ❱ WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Former U-M Captain Tyree Kinnel Transitions To Coaching Kinnel, a four-star recruit from Ohio, always had his sights on playing for the Wolverines. In 2015, he was a key part of Jim Harbaugh's first freshman class at Michigan. PHOTO COURTESY U-M ATHLETICS ❱ Kinnel "I feel like I was always one of the leaders on the field. … I just tried to get into teaching and coaching younger kids that I felt like could use that extra help. … And I felt like that could be my purpose. I just kind of fell in love with it."