The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/230001
FOOTBALL RECRUITING in the country should be able to see the field. He will, however, have a bit of recovering to do: he suffered an AC joint sprain in his left shoulder during his senior year and is still recovering. If Ferns gets plenty of credit for Michigan's strong 2014 class — ranked No. 18 in the country by Rivals.com, despite only 16 commitments — so too should Richmond (Va.) Collegiate School quarterback Wilton Speight. As much or more than his future teammate, he beat the trail trying to convince some of the country's best players to join "Team 135," the self-appointed nickname for the class. While Speight's opportunity to get immediate playing time may be a bit less likely than Ferns', the three-star and No. 17 pro-style quarterback in the country is ready to compete for whatever he can. He's ready to do that in a positive team environment where everyone is trying to meet the same goal: championships. "I think it's just being with 60 or 70 other guys, however many are on the team, that really care and have the same goals as I do," he said. "That's yet to happen on an athletic team for me. There's always one or two guys or a group of guys who may pull the team down a little bit, something like that. Being able to compete and have fun with guys that have the same drive I do, it's going to be neat." Devin Gardner will be a returning starter in his final go-round as a Wolverine, and this year's backup, Shane Morris, was just a freshman. Still, Speight is conceding nothing when it comes to the depth chart and will enter this spring expecting to work his way up it. Two fellow early enrollees could help Speight achieve that goal. Good wide receivers are a quarterback's best friend, and a pair of four-stars will both make the move to Ann Arbor in January. Grand Rapids (Mich.) Christian standout Drake Harris is the No. 106 overall player and No. 15 wide receiver in the nation. The 6-4, 180-pounder missed his entire senior year, but enrolling in the spring will help him make up for some of that development time he lost. He already has plans with Speight, his roommate. "It was pretty cool hanging out with guys who will be teammates soon [on the group's official visit to campus Dec. 13]," Speight said. "We talked a lot about that. Drake and I did some shopping for the dorm room." Not to be forgotten is Elkton (Md.) Eastern Christian Academy wideout Freddy Canteen. The No. 45 receiver in the country stands 6-3 and 170 pounds, and is a route technician with solid hands. Speight plans to test just that, getting together with Canteen as soon as they move to campus to get reps together. "Freddy and I talked about just getting into Schembechler in early January so we can run some routes and build some chemistry," Speight said. "It's not really a hope and a dream anymore. It's our reality, and it's right around the corner. It's pretty