The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/279958
PREP PROFILES When Michigan was heavily pursu- ing the No. 1 prospect nationally in 2014, the U-M coaching staff likely didn't think they'd miss on Woodbridge, Va., d e f e n s i v e e n d Da'Shawn Hand. They did, however, when he elected to pick Alabama over the Wolverines. It's equally un - likely Brady Hoke and his assistants realized that al- though they didn't get Hand in 2014, he may open the door for one of the best defensive line- men in the 2015 class. Manassas (Va.) Stonewall Jackson High defensive tackle Tim Settle is a friend and training partner of Hand's, and the 6-2, 307-pounder has rounded into a top-flight prospect in his own right. Although he visited Ann Arbor with Hand for the Wolverines' 41-30 victory over Notre Dame in the fall, he didn't pick up a U-M scholarship of - fer — or become a major target — until after Hand had picked the Tide. Things changed quickly, however. "Virginia and Virginia Tech have stay- ing power with Settle," Rivals.com ana- lyst Adam Friedman said. "Ohio State, Alabama and Michigan are viewed as the out-of-staters in strongest conten- tion." Even when the Wolverines viewed him more as a companion to Hand than a primetime target, Settle enjoyed what he saw at Michigan. "I don't have any top schools, but this visit puts Michigan in the conversa - tion," he said after the trip to Ann Ar- bor. "It was noth- ing like what I ex- pected it to be. The school was great." Settle's relation- ship with his pri- mary area recruiter at U-M, corner- backs coach Roy Manning, has con- tinued to blossom. The former Michigan linebacker helped land 2014 quarter- back Wilton Speight out of Virginia and is the lead recruiter for a number of 2015 targets in the region. When it comes to eventually picking a school, Settle has criteria that are wide- ranging and positive for Michigan fans. "The relationships with coaches are important, and the academics, the school in general, and I want to have a great official visit," Settle said. "It's going to mostly be based on my official visits and how everything goes. I want to have a great time." Settle was an all-state defensive tackle selection as a junior in 2013 (while also contributing at offensive guard), and schools from coast to coast have noticed, offering him scholar ships. — Tim Sullivan Connections Could Help U-M With Top Tackle ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ Stonewall Jackson H.S. Manassas, Va. Class: 2015 Position: Defensive tackle Ht.: 6-2 • Wt.: 307 Rivals.com Rankings: No. 2 player in Virginia, No. 8 defensive tackle nation- ally and No. 56 player in the country Tim Settle