The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1543210
MARCH 2026 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 35 2026 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY ETHAN MCDOWELL Michigan pulled off a last-minute flip with Jamarion Vincent in the week leading up to December's early signing day. Sherrone Moore's subsequent dis- missal threw U-M's entire football pro- gram into limbo, including Vincent's commitment. However, former Waco (Texas) Connally High head coach, now the athletic director, Terry Gerik said at the time that the consensus four-star athlete still planned on enrolling early with the Wolverines despite the coach- ing change, and he did. "He is excited about Michigan," Gerik said. Gerik has raved about Vincent, who played cornerback, safety, outside line- backer, receiver, running back and quar- terback during his time at Connally. "He's done it all," Gerik said. "He un- derstands our scheme, and that's really one of the things I like about him — he's a multi-athlete. He can play different positions for us, and that was huge. He can handle that. He's a very bright kid." Vincent was the team's starting quar- terback for two years but switched to defensive back and receiver this fall. He finished his high school career with 88 total tackles (6 for loss), 6 interceptions, 2 forced fumbles and 20 defended pass- es over three years. The nation's No. 161 recruit also threw for 1,713 yards, ran for 2,066 and caught 56 passes for 893 yards, accounting for a whopping 42 touch- downs from his sophomore through his senior seasons. "You can tell when these kids are big D1 players when they're basically in ju- nior high," Gerik said. "I've just seen him mature — and I'm not talking phys- ically — with how to handle the game, the speed of the game. He's one of those guys at our level that the speed of the game is very slow for him. That matu- rity part is what I'm talking about. It's been pretty awesome to watch." Gerik is confident that success will carry over to the college level because of how the 6-foot-2, 170-pound cor- nerback approaches the game. Vincent does not care who's lined up against him or whether it's practice or a game. He will go all-out to win every rep. Vincent also handled the recruiting process well, his coach explained. He wanted to wrap up the process quickly, and he originally pledged to his home- town school, Baylor. But when Michi- gan entered the mix, that changed things. "More than anything, I think he just wants to see if he can develop and get to the next level aer college," Gerik said. "And he thought Michigan could help him do that." ❑ Multipurpose Jamarion Vincent Wants To Contribute Early JAMARION VINCENT CORNERBACK 6-2 • 170 CONNALLY HIGH WACO, TEXAS RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE Industry ✪✪✪✪ 150 19 22 ✪✪✪✪ 161 22 25 ✪✪✪✪ 169 17 22 ✪✪✪✪ 186 24 25 STATISTICS Year Tackles INT PBU FR 2025 34 2 11 1 (TD) 2024 34 1 9 1 2023 20 3 6 1 HONORS • Rated a PrepStar Top 300 All-American. • Unanimous All-District 12-4A selection as a senior in 2025. • District 12-4A DII Utility Player of the Year and All-District honoree (2024). • 2024 All-Smoaky Central Texas team honoree: first-team athlete; honorable mention, safety. RECRUITMENT • Pledged to Michigan Nov. 30, 2025. • Picked U-M over notable offers from Texas, Bay- lor, Texas Tech and Minnesota. DID YOU KNOW? • A two-way contributor who played quarterback for two seasons before moving to wide receiver as a senior. • Caught 54 passes for 839 yards with 12 touch- downs in 2025. • As a QB, completed 117 of 218 pass attempts for 1,709 yards and 18 touchdowns combined in 2023 and '24 seasons. • Rushed 278 times for 2,039 yards with 26 touch- downs in his career. • Also lettered in basketball and track and field (sprints); all-region honoree on the court. • Son of Brittany Vincent. • Born Sept. 5, 2007. THEY SAID IT Former Connally Head Coach Terry Gerik (Now Athletic Director): "There's going to be people in front of him, and he's going to try to get on scout team and try to go maul somebody or show them up because he loves to compete. He'll be one of those kids that says, 'Coach put me on kickoff. I'll do kickoff. Coach, I'll be on punt.' More than the athletic ability, he's a pretty humble guy, but he's a competitor." 2026 PROJECTION Vincent is an extremely versatile defensive back who played a little bit of everything at the prep level. He needs to add weight to his frame as he begins to lock in on the cornerback position. His ceiling seems super high, but he will probably need a redshirt year. Vincent moved from quarterback to wide receiver for his senior season and caught 54 passes for 839 yards and 12 touchdowns. PHOTO BY ETHAN MCDOWELL