The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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COMMITMENT PROFILE made him feel right at home. "My uncle actually played with Mike McCray Sr. in high school," Kirkland said. "They have been friends ever since, and my uncle in- troduced me to Mike [McCray Jr.] as he was being recruited, and we've been friends ever since. "I stayed the night with Mike McCray and just really had a great time with the guys. They were re- ally good guys and were telling me I was wanted here. I asked him why he chose here, because we had some similar offers. He said there is no other place where you can go and feel like home." Kirkland's other offers included some of the nation's best programs, including Oregon, Texas, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Wisconsin. How- ever, the Wolverines seemed to have an inside track with Kirkland since the time they offered in the spring. Although he had initially planned to wait until the end of the summer to make his commitment, the time was right for Kirkland. "Actually, when I called Coach Hoke he was in church," Kirk- land said. "Coach [Greg] Mattison, Coach [Chris] Singletary and Coach [Curt] Mallory gave me a big hug, and we had a nice little celebration in the locker room and on the field." — Tim Sullivan FILM EVALUATION Strengths: Darrin Kirkland Jr. is a thickly built linebacker with the mass to play the run and to blitz the quarterback at the next level. Despite that, he is not bulky or slow footed, and can turn and run in coverage with backs and tight ends. He has a physical mentality to come forward and make plays, and the instincts that allow him to read and react quickly to the play as it unfolds in front of him. Areas Of Improvement: Although Kirkland's 6-1 height is not ideal, there's not much he can do to improve that. Instead, he has to constantly stay on top of his conditioning and knowledge of the game to get every bit of effectiveness he can out of the size of his frame. Like most high school linebackers, he has physical developing to do, and he will tone up his body and add mass by the time he hits the field in Ann Arbor. While he's strong at taking on blockers and making his way through traffic, Kirkland will be more effective when he masters hand technique to get past blockers and make plays in the backfield. Michigan Player Comparison: David Harris was a little-known three-star prospect when he committed to Michigan, but from 2002-06 he developed into a first-team all-conference selection and second-round NFL Draft pick. Kirkland has similar physical tools, and mastering the mental game could allow him to reach those heights. — Analysis from TheWolverine.com