The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/432566
FOOTBALL RECRUITING The Florida-heavy recruiting focus favored by Rodriguez helped him lure Barnum away from the Gators. The four-star recruit and No. 5 center nationally would go on to suffer a number of injuries during his U-M career, and although he started every game at left guard as a senior in 2012 he did not catch on in the NFL. Delray Beach (Fla.) American Heri- tage athlete Justin Feagin was tabbed by Rodriguez to be the quarterback and triggerman of the offense after the Wolverines failed to convince eventual Ohio State signee Terrelle Pryor (the top player in the nation) to come to Ann Arbor. Feagin, a three- star player and the No. 41 athlete nationally, ran into legal trouble dur- ing his redshirt year at Michigan and was dismissed from the program. Linebacker Taylor Hill didn't fit the mold of many of Rodriguez's late pursuits. From the heart of Big Ten country in Youngstown, Ohio, he was a defensive prospect and the only fit- ting that category added by the staff. The 6-2, 205-pounder was a four-star prospect, the No. 245 overall player in the land, the No. 21 outside line- backer nationally, and the No. 16 re- cruit in Ohio. He did not enroll at Michigan, and instead took a year off before playing at Youngstown State. Wide receiver Martavious Odoms was the embodiment of Michigan's shift in offensive philosophy. The 5-8, 164-pounder was a three-star recruit and the No. 71 wideout nationally out of Pahokee (Fla.) High, and had planned on attending the University of Miami on a track scholarship be- fore the opportunity in Ann Arbor opened up. His size wouldn't have turned any heads on the previous Michigan coaching staff, but was the perfect fit in the slot for Rodriguez's offense. He lettered four years, and ranks No. 23 on Michigan's all-time receptions list with 94 and No. 30 in receiving yards with 1,087. Patrick Omameh from Columbus, Ohio, was a late riser in the recruiting process, adding offers from Michigan and heavy interest from other Big Ten programs in the days leading up to National Signing Day. The 6-4, 236-pounder was an unranked two- star defensive end, but Michigan's plan to turn him into an offensive lineman worked wonders. He was an honorable mention All-Big Ten selec- tion as a senior and is in his second year with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Terrence Robinson, like Odoms, was a miniature wide receiver that wouldn't have received much at- tention from the Carr staff. The 5-9, 170-pounder was a four-star and the No. 9 all-purpose back nationally, and picked Michigan just days before signing his letter of intent. He red- shirted as a freshman, then contrib- uted in 2009 and 2010 before ending his football career. Trotwood (Ohio) Madison High is familiar to Michigan fans now — five Wolverines have attended the school — but that might not be the case if not for wide receiver Roy Roundtree and running back Michael Shaw. Both were late pursuits by Rodriguez after being committed to Big Ten ri-