The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/465847
2015 RECRUITING ISSUE his hometown program. Michigan won battles against head coach Jim L. Mora as well, with U-M legacy Tyrone Wheatley Jr., a four-star tight end, picking the Wolverines over UCLA on Signing Day. In future years, with Harbaugh looking to the state where he saw success with the Univer- sity of San Diego, Stanford and the San Francisco 49ers, more Bruin battles are likely to take place (Michigan has 14 active offers in California for the 2016 class). A less likely rivalry has sprouted up with the University of Georgia. De- fensive coordinator D.J. Durkin's four years of experience at Florida saw him develop contacts in the Southeast, and U-M looks to exploit them. Offensive lineman Pat Allen doesn't quite fit into that mold, though the Maryland native was a longtime U-M target who opted to stick with the Bull- dogs come Signing Day. Michigan's only win against Georgia in 2015 was another Mid-Atlantic prospect (rather than one from the Southeast) in New Jersey offensive lineman Grant New- some, but the rivalry, like the others, is sure to continue on. Michigan has offered six Peach State natives in the 2016 class. Twists and turns in Michigan's re- cruiting going forward are sure to change the complexion of the pro- gram's roster, and also the teams with whom they are battling to build it up. PREFERRED OPTION Michigan's coaching staffs in recent years have benefitted greatly from the preferred walk-on program — and even student body walk-ons. Safety Jordan Kovacs tried out for the team as a freshman in Ann Arbor (and was turned away the first time due to a knee injury that still hadn't healed), went on to All-Big Ten honors as a junior and senior (honorable mention and second-team, respectively), and was named team MVP in his final season. Brothers Graham and Ryan Glasgow both walked on in Ann Arbor, and started the majority of last season at offensive guard and defensive tackle, respectively. While the lifeblood of a team will always be through recruited student- athletes, U-M can receive a boost from those who earn their way onto the team without any guarantees. Two such players are known in the 2015 class (though more will be join- ing them by the time fall camp be- gins). Saline (Mich.) High kicker Ryan Tice actually graduated from high school in spring 2014, but was unable to gain admission to the University of Michigan, his dream school, right away. He spent the summer and fall working both in the classroom and on the football field, and has enrolled for the winter 2015 semester. "I am about to be a preferred walk- on at Michigan starting in January," Tice said. "I'm extremely thankful for the opportunity they are giving me, and can't wait to join the team and get to work. "I took this fall off, just working out, kicking," he continued. "There- fore I am really enrolling late in Janu- ary, not early."