The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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FOOTBALL RECRUITING other schools have stayed away from the legacy prospect. He's been a solid three-star prospect during the entirety of the 2015 Rivals rankings. Runyan's team had outstanding success in 2013, running out a 13-3 record and a state title in AAAA, Pennsylvania's largest division. The Hawks have a loaded squad — fellow rising senior John Reid is a four-star cornerback, and 2017 running back D'Andre Swift is among the nation's best in his own class — and Runyan is another piece of it. He returned to Michigan's camp this summer, showing off a bigger physique and the same nastiness and athleticism that helped him earn a Michigan offer. What has held his ranking back thus far is size: he's ath- letic for a future guard, but doesn't yet have the same type of strong base and power that he'll need to develop to be successful at the next level. Fortunately for Runyan, he's put in the work to gain weight this summer. He's now tip- ping the scales at more than 270 pounds (after playing last season around 250 pounds) and should be able to translate it to the field. He has the bloodlines — dad was listed at 6-8 in college — to get taller, as well, potentially giving him a larger frame on which to pack some mass. One of just two commits not already ranked as a four-star prospect by Rivals.com, he has room to move upward in the rankings. LB DARRIN KIRKLAND JR. 6-1, 233 • Indianapolis Lawrence Central Four-star recruit, No. 1 player in Indiana, and No. 6 inside linebacker and No. 167 overall prospect nationally Kirkland is slightly undersized for linebacker from a height perspective, which has at times held back both his rankings and his early offers. However, he's come along very nicely over time, earning distinction as his state's top player and one of the Midwest's highest-rated prospects. Virginia Tech, Penn State and Oklahoma are among the programs he turned down to commit to Michigan. Lawrence Central struggled last season, finishing just 3-7 in Kirkland's first year at the school (he previously played at Indianapolis Park Tudor). He wasn't responsible for many of the struggles, though, recording 110 tackles and eight sacks for his team while also intercepting a pass. This summer, he has participated in the Rivals Camp Se-