The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/230001
michigan recruiting ich started at quarterback and linebacker, and that versatility was one factor allowing him to earn a spot on The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's "Fab 22" All-Divisions Dream Team. The greatest honor bestowed upon a future Wolverine, however, came for a player who won't be on the defensive side of the ball when he gets to Ann Arbor — and he won't arrive until 2015. Berea (Ky.) Madison Southern running back Damien Harris was named the Gatorade Player of the Year in Kentucky after leading his team to a berth in the state semifinals with 2,621 rushing yards on 220 carries (11.9 yards per carry). Brady Pallante's Grayshirt Burned College football fans are used to one type of figurative "shirt" being burned when it comes to player eligibility: the redshirt. While that's typically considered a bad thing except in the case of players who are major contributors as freshmen, another type of eligibility change is an unquestionably good thing. When he committed to Michigan in April, Naples (Fla.) Barron Collier defensive tackle Brady Pallante did so as a grayshirt. He would graduate from high school with the rest of the class of 2014, but delay his enrollment at Michigan until January 2015 to preserve a year of eligibility and effectively be a member of Michigan's 2015 class. That changed Nov. 26, when he received good news from U-M headman Brady Hoke: he would be able to join Pallante, a defensive tackle from Naples (Fla.) Barron Collier, originally planned to delay his enrollment at U-M until January 2015, but was told Nov. 26 there would be room for him in the class of 2014 after all. photo courtesy rivals.com the 2014 class as a full member and enroll in the summer with the rest of "Team 135." "I talked to Coach Hoke, and I'm no longer a grayshirt," Pallante said. "It will be good to come in with the rest of my classmates and just get to work." The 6-1, 265-pound two-star tackle became commitment No. 16 for a Michigan class that currently projects to 18 total members. Although he's the lowest-rated member, Pallante has shown the ability to make a big impact on the high school level, and he is noted for his work ethic and personality — two things that could make him a favorite of coaches and fans alike by the time he graduates.