The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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COMMITMENT PROFILE that he's the kind of quarterback you build a team around. "He's not a big talker — he wants to prove himself with his actions. I think that's what the Michigan coaches saw in Messiah because that's what I see every day." DeWeaver 's dream offer came through June 18, and a commitment followed later that afternoon. He be- came the second pledge in Michi- gan's class of 2016, joining Downers Grove (Ill.) South offensive lineman Erik Swenson. The 6-3, 198-pounder picked Mich- igan over other offers including Ken- tucky, Louisville, and several Mid- American Conference programs, plus strong interest from Texas, Michigan State and others. " Coach Hoke, me and my dad, we had a meeting. He said he wanted to start recruiting for the class. I told him, 'Coach you've got another com- mitment.' Then he was like, 'So you're saying you committed?' I said. 'Yes sir, I'm committing to the University of Michigan,'" recalled DeWeaver. "He was just happy and gave me a hug. Then he was like, 'Now you know what you've got to do. You've got to build this class. You're a leader, and that's one of the reasons we wanted you.' We talked about what I can accomplish and stuff like that, and I said I've been thinking about bringing in a national championship. He was happy." DeWeaver, who has two more years of high school football left, has completed 196 of 355 passes (55.2 percent) for 3,096 yards (8.7 yards per attempt) with 34 touchdowns and 13 interceptions halfway through his prep career. Now he will be able to concentrate on improving his game, rather than earning scholarship of- fers. "Having the process over with, that's big," he explained. "Now I'm focusing on getting better. I'm just blessed because a lot of kids have got a lot more to worry about than just getting better. I'm really blessed for the opportunity. It's big for me to just be able to work on my game. "In all aspects of my game, I want to get better. It's hard to pinpoint one thing, but I just think reading, watch- ing more film, working on the mental game. That's a big part of football. I need to watch more film and I need to get more strength." With talented quarterbacks in the three classes preceding him (Shane Morris in 2013, Wilton Speight in 2014 and Alex Malzone in 2015), De- Weaver should be able to continue working on his game in Ann Arbor before he needs to take the reins of the U-M offense. — Tim Sullivan Trotwood-Madison coach Jeff Graham on DeWeaver "He wants to be the top quarterback in the state and the country, and he wants to show that he's the kind of quarterback you build a team around."