The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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COMMITMENT PROFILE in the country, the No. 7 athlete na- tionally and the second-best player in Michigan. When he committed to Michigan July 26, a defined plan for just how he'd be used in college was a big part of what made him comfortable enough to pull the trigger for the Maize and Blue. "They put together such a good plan for him, and we really liked that," said his father, Brian Cole Sr. "They want to use him in the slot — I know they motion a lot of players in there, but they don't have a lot of depth among the true slots — and he will have an opportunity to play early in his career. They really had a four-year plan for using him, and we liked that." Even Cole's high school team hasn't always made up its mind about how he should be used. Cole lined up at quarterback, wide re- ceiver, running back, safety, corner- back and return specialist during his junior season — yet another testa- ment to his versatility. His main uses were tailback, where he ran for 1,200 yards and 16 touchdowns, and safety, where he made 47 tackles and inter- cepted five passes. At Michigan, the wide receiver po- sition should allow him to best make use of his frame to be a downfield threat. The skills he's developed as a high school running back can also help him make plays after the catch. "I think what makes Brian spe- cial is that he had a combination of great size — he's built like a guy who could grow into a linebacker