The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/465847
2015 RECRUITING ISSUE refused to even visit Ann Arbor. "I actually told Coach Harbaugh no," he said with a laugh. "I told him I wasn't coming and that we could just talk about it over the phone. He kept contacting, my mom and par- ents got involved, and they thought it was best for me to at least go check it out. That way I'd know when I make my decision it's what I want to do." By the time he made it to Ann Ar- bor, the 5-10, 190-pounder realized that he'd made the right choice in taking the trip. Although the snow during his official visit Jan. 30 wasn't very familiar to the Florida native, it wasn't enough to turn him off from picking Michigan. The presence of former Wolverine standout (and recent NFL coach) Ty- rone Wheatley as the running backs coach was the tipping point. "I really didn't get to see much because it was such a short time," he said. "I only had a few hours. I saw the football facilities. I saw the academic buildings. I briefly saw the city. Mainly, it was just me spend- ing time with the coaches trying to at least get a feel for them in a short amount of time and see what they have to offer. "I actually got a real good chance to meet Coach Wheatley. We spent a while chopping it up, and it got to the point where it was on a personal level. It was a strong connection that was easy to relate to. He has a very similar background to me growing up. He's been to the next level, he's coached at the next level — he's done