The Wolverine

May 2014 Issue

The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports

Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/299859

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 100 of 153

  COMMITMENT PROFILE Michigan's long commitment drought — the Wolverines' last new commitment in any class was 2016 offensive lineman Erik Swenson Nov. 25 — ended in a big way March 24. The Wolverines picked up a pledge from Rich- mond (Va.) St. Chris- topher 's cornerback Garrett Taylor, snap- ping a streak of 118 days without a pledge. Taylor wasn't just any prospect, either. Rivals.com ranks him as the No. 41 overall prospect and No. 6 cornerback in the 2015 class, and the Com- monwealth of Virginia's top player. He became Michigan's fifth pledge and third four-star defensive back, joining Ohioans Shaun Crawford and Tyree Kinnel, in the 2015 class. Most impor- tantly, he's the right fit for Michigan. "Because Garrett is accustomed to working so hard in the classroom and athletically, I think he's a guy who's going to take well to the grind of be- ing a Division I college student-ath- lete," St. Christopher 's head coach Michael Turner said. "Especially at a place like Michigan, where the aca- demics aren't just a wink and a nod, you're actually a stu- dent-athlete. "Some young men will wilt under that, and Garrett, I think, will thrive in that en- vironment." In fact, the academ- ics were a big part of Taylor 's interest in Michigan. " M i c h i g a n i s a great school as well as a great football program," the 6-1, 188-pound prospect said. "We saw all the academic facilities and all the academic sup- port they have. They definitely have a good plan for you to stay on track for all four years and to graduate. Their law school and business school are top programs year in and year out." Taylor adds intelligence and star power to the Michigan secondary. Most importantly, he's a good fit for the type of defense Michigan wants to run. The Wolverines' coaches have emphasized adding tall, physical cor- nerbacks to the roster in recent classes, and he's right in line with that mold. Even with that size, he has the type of athleticism and flexibility to play against excellent wideouts on the edges. He's also physical enough to Garrett Taylor Adds Top-50 Talent To U-M Defense Rivals.com ranks Taylor, a 6-1, 188- pound defensive back, as the No. 41 overall player and No. 6 corner- back in the class of 2015. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM

Articles in this issue

Links on this page

Archives of this issue

view archives of The Wolverine - May 2014 Issue