The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/279958
PREP PROFILES Michigan's coaches have brought in some outstanding receiver talent in the last few years, but they're still on the hunt for more. One — Randle- man (N.C.) High standout Juval Mol- lette — is among the latest to receive a U-M offer, with the Wolverines join several other top programs in helping make him a national recruit. H e a d c o a c h Brady Hoke and cornerbacks coach R o y M a n n i n g were in Mollette's school in February after they extended the offer Jan. 8. In the time since, they've made an impression, though they still have work to do to move into the talented receiver's top group. "It was nice meeting them, and Coach Manning has stayed in contact a lot," Mollette said after the visit. "I know they have a great tradition and are used to winning. They just have a good program, facility and fans. "I saw them on television and thought they played pretty good, but had a tough year. They are pretty young and have some people coming in. I want to go somewhere where it is a football town." U-M qualifies, but two programs closer to home — North Carolina and Clemson — have emerged as favor- ites. Tennessee, Ohio State and Michi- gan round out his top five, but the Tigers and Tar Heels are "right there at the top, neck and neck," and have the edge entering spring. "Carolina is basically the same thing as Clemson — both offenses take deep shots," said Mol- lette, who will play in the 2015 Under Armour A l l - A m e r i c a n Game. "Both have great coaching staffs and have built great play- ers, and both are programs on the rise. They're hard to tell apart from my perspective." He did, however, grow up a North Carolina basketball fan and has vis- ited the school plenty of times for games. He also traveled to Clemson recently, his first extended visit after seeing games there in 2012 and 2013. He hopes to visit more schools this spring, go to some camps over the summer and narrow his list. Mollette notched 56 catches for 661 yards and nine touchdowns as a ju- nior, after posting 63 catches for 1,031 yards and 11 scores as a sophomore. He knows he still has plenty to work on before he gets to the next level, but he's already begun. "I have to work on my routes and get faster," Mollette said. "I need to be more physical and move my feet." — Chris Balas East Coast Receiver Hopes To Visit Wolverines ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ Randleman High School Randleman, N.C. Class: 2015 Position: Wide Receiver Ht.: 6-4 • Wt.: 186 Rivals.com Ranking: No. 23 wide re- ceiver nationally and No. 190 overall prospect in the country Juval Mollette