The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/299859
FOOTBALL RECRUITING in recruiting at the wide receiver posi- tion, as well. The 2012 class saw four- star Amara Darboh and three-star Jehu Chesson pick Michigan, and three- stars Da'Mario Jones, Csont'e York and Jaron Dukes followed in the 2013 class. Peppers is the jewel of Michigan's defensive back recruiting under Hoke thus far, and U-M landed two of its best three wide receivers to date in his class. Grand Rapids (Mich.) Christian four-star Drake Harris is the No. 115 overall player and No. 14 wide receiver nationally, and Elkton (Md.) Eastern Christian Academy's Freddy Canteen is a four-star prospect just outside the Rivals250. Both are already on campus after enrolling in January, and they will be joined in June by 6-4, 210-pound three-star recruit Maurice Ways, a local product from Beverly Hills (Mich.) De- troit Country Day whose best football is ahead of him (he's played just three years of high school football after pre- viously seeing himself as a Division I basketball prospect). That level of competition across the practice field will help Peppers and the rest of Michigan's high-level defensive back recruits take their game to the next level. "We were lucky to have competi- tion at both our own position and with wide receivers," Jackson said of his time at Michigan. "You didn't want to get shown up. Every rep in one-on- ones, it was a dogfight, and if you were not fully dialed in and focused, you would get embarrassed." The Maize and Blue also have the coaching required to let that talent blossom to its fullest potential. Defen- sive backs coach Curt Mallory has nar- rowed his focus to the safeties, while former outside linebackers coach Roy Manning will shift to the cornerbacks. That is another piece of the puzzle to helping Michigan's talent reach its full potential. "Coach Mallory's great in the meet- ing room," Kovacs said. "He's great at communicating what each and every- one's responsibility was. He did that for me over the last couple years. We just had a great relationship. He helped me take my game to the next level. It was a combination of Coach Mal and Coach Matty's [defensive coordinator Greg Mattison] new system. I was in a fortunate situation, and things just really worked out." In the future, the expectation is that they will continue to work out for Michigan and turn Schembechler Hall into an NFL Draft factory at the position. The well hasn't begun to dry up, either. It might have been easy for Hoke, Mallory and Manning (along with the rest of Michigan's coaches) to rest on their laurels after landing Peppers, who is regarded as one of the best cornerback prospects of the past decade. They jumped right back into recruiting at the position, though, further fortifying the future of the sec- ondary in Ann Arbor. The latest addition to Michigan's tal- ent pool is Richmond (Va.) St. Christo- pher's School four-star Garrett Taylor. The 6-1, 188-pounder is ranked the No. 41 overall player and No. 6 corner- back in the country, and Virginia's top player. He joined Lakewood (Ohio) St. Edward four-star Shaun Crawford, the