The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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the ranks of the five-stars, where Michigan has already offered the nation's best pro-style passer, Bell- flower (Calif.) St. John Bosco five- star Josh Rosen. The 6-4, 205-pound Rosen is the No. 2 player in the entire country and a strong fit for a system where he'll be asked to pass the ball downfield to the open man. Should Michigan choose to go with a more spread-style quarterback, Ste- phenville (Texas) High four-star Jar- rett Stidham is the first choice. Like Rosen, the 6-2, 188-pounder already holds a Michigan offer. Unlike Rosen, he's more than capable of making his legs a focal point of his game. He is the top dual-threat quarterback and No. 47 overall prospect in the country. Running Back 2014 Scholarship Players: 7 (2 full- backs) 2015 Needs: 1-2 Michigan returns plenty of players at the running back positions this fall, with sophomore Derrick Green likely to step up as the starter and classmate De'Veon Smith at No. 2 on the depth chart. There are also some versatile players like juniors Justice Hayes and Dennis Norfleet, who could play either tailback or in the slot. Redshirt sophomore Drake Johnson is coming off an ACL tear he suffered in fall camp, but should be fully healthy by the time the class of 2015 steps onto campus. Michigan also has two scholarship fullbacks in junior Sione Houma and redshirt freshman Wyatt Shallman. Nobody will depart the roster due to gradu- ation following the 2014 season, but adding one player at the position is a must and two would be a luxury. The U-M coaching staff initially had its man at this position in the country's top runner, Berea (Ky.) Madison Southern five-star Damien Harris. The No. 5 player in the coun- try pledged to the Wolverines last summer, but rescinded his verbal commitment in January. He still names Michigan his top school, and the Wolverines will be in the hunt un- til the end for the 5-11, 210-pounder. Another physical specimen hold- ing a Michigan offer is Orlando (Fla.) Timber Creek four-star Jacques Pat- rick. The 6-2, 225-pounder has a tall build for the position, but his agility and speed are not in question. He has family in southeast Michigan (in- cluding a cousin who coaches at De- troit King High School), so there are connections to the Maize and Blue that could help land the country's No. 39 player, despite his offers from more than 50 Division I programs. Detroit Cass Tech has been kind to Michigan in past seasons, and the Technicians boast a top running back in the 2015 class. Mike Weber is a 5-11, 210-pound four-star with offers from Ohio State, Michigan State and Tennessee, among others. He grew up a Michigan fan, but the Wolver- ines seemed to cool on him when Harris was committed. Things are likely to ramp up between U-M and the No. 108 player in the nation for 2015. One prospect is on the Michigan coaches' heavy radar, despite not boasting the same recruiting acco-