The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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COMMITMENT PROFILE — but he has the speed and athleti- cism of a top-end wide receiver," Rivals.com Midwest recruiting ana- lyst Josh Helmholdt said. "With his run-after-the-catch ability, he'll be a threat with the football once he has it in his hands. "They'll use bubble screens and quick outs to get him the football. That lets him use his size, speed and agility to pick up yardage after the catch." Cole pulled the trigger at the con- clusion of a visit to Ann Arbor. The taciturn youngster hadn't given much away in his recruitment, and even his parents were a little sur- prised that the time was right to be- come a Wolverine. "His mom and I had talked it over; we weren't planning to veto any school, but we decided between ourselves that we would give Michi- gan our full blessing if that's what he wanted to do," Brian Sr. said. "He was talking to [Michigan director of player personnel] Chris Singletary, and came up to us and said, 'Mom, Dad, I think I'm ready.' "He went up to Coach Hoke and let him know. Coach Hoke picked him up and gave him a big kiss on the head, and the rest is history." Cole's commitment may also help Michigan make history in another way. Whether he or Mike Weber (ranked just three spots apart in the Rivals250) ends up the top in-state player in 2015, the Wolverines will have the top home-turf player in the class. The last time that happened was 2009, when defensive tackle Wil- liam Campbell out of Detroit Cass Tech ended up in the winged helmet. — Tim Sullivan FILM EVALUATION Strengths: Cole is an exceptional athlete. While his track times (7.43 seconds in the 60-meter dash and 11.39 seconds in the 100-meter run as a sophomore) are not elite, every bit of that speed translates to the field. He has ability to get on top of defenders and also to run by them once he has the ball in his hands. He's also made big strides as a pass catcher — something he hasn't had to do a whole lot of as a high schooler. He high-points the ball, and while shorter passes sometimes get into his body, he always secures them. Areas of Improvement: Cole doesn't have to run many complex routes in high school, playing primarily running back. When he is split out, pure athleti- cism allows him to get by. He'll have to become a student of the position to develop the knowledge of wide receiver he'll need to succeed in college. Michigan Player Comparison: Steve Breaston had the same type of ability with the ball in his hands that Cole possesses, and made an impact at wide receiver and return man from 2002-06. Like Cole, he played another position (quarterback) in high school, and needed to adjust to full-time wideout in col- lege. — Analysis from TheWolverine.com