The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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PREP PROFILES Wolverines Are Picking Up Interest In Louisiana Receiver Destrehan, La., receiver Kirk Mer- ritt was already a hot commodity when he traveled to Portland, Ore., for The Opening, a camp reserved for the nation's finest prep players. When he left July 11, he earned of- f e r s f ro m j u s t about everyone, having notched a SPARQ score of 147.60 to lead all campers. S PA R Q m e a - sures a player 's performance in s e v e r a l a r e a s , from 40-yard dash to vertical jump, and isn't always indicative of a play- er 's prowess on the field. Merritt, though, had already proven himself as a football player at Destrehan — he's built like a running back but with great hands that give him wide receiver potential. Michigan is one of the latest to offer. "I talked to the receivers coach [Jeff Hecklinski] and the offensive coordi- nator [Doug Nussmeier]. They said they want me as a receiver," Mer- ritt said. "They were talking about how they have the biggest college stadium, and it's in the Big Ten. The academics there are great. I could get nearly an Ivy League education — that's a big deal for me. They also put receivers in the NFL. I didn't know much before I talked to them, but I'm going to look into them right now. They really want me to visit during the season, and I'm hoping I can do that." Like Michigan, most are now re- cruiting Merritt as a wide receiver. He's narrowed his list to a tenta- tive handful and expects to visit each of them be- fore deciding. "It's not per- manent yet, but I was looking at — right now with Michigan in the picture — visiting Michigan, Oregon, Texas A&M, LSU, Alabama and Auburn," he said. "Be- fore I visit, just building the relation- ship with the coaches is a big factor for me. I want to know just how it is out there." Much of his focus, though, is on a Destrehan Wildcats team that made it to Louisiana's 5A semifinals last year. They've got higher goals this season, and Merritt's season will go a long way toward reaching them. As such, he's in no hurry to decide on a school. "If I feel great out there, I'll just make a decision after talking to my family," he said. "I have some col- lege favorites, but I probably want to make a decision next year, in January if I get invited to the Under Armour All-America Game." — Chris Balas ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ Destrehan High School Destrehan, La. Class: 2015 Position: Wide Receiver Ht.: 5-11 • Wt.: 203 Rivals.com Rankings: No. 8 player in Louisiana, and No. 19 wide receiver and No. 161 overall player in the country Kirk Merritt