The Wolverine

2015 Football Preview

The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports

Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/526188

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 158 of 163

THE WOLVERINE 2015 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 157 MIDWEST TOP 30 24. Matt Falcon, RB Southfield (Mich.) High School Falcon is a big, powerful, fast high school running back that has been limited by injuries in his high school ca- reer. He missed his entire sophomore season with a torn ACL, and ankle and shoulder injuries slowed him down during his junior campaign. When healthy, he's able to make defenders miss, and his 6-1, 210-pound size allows him to also be very physical. He is rated as a four-star player and the No. 7 prospect in Michigan by Rivals.com. Falcon committed to Michigan April 8 over offers from Arizona State, North Carolina, Ohio State, Tennessee and many others. 25. Prince Sammons, DE Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy Sammons, who played football for the first time as a junior after growing up in Nigeria (and sitting out his sopho- more year), is a naturally gifted player with 6-6, 260-pound size. His most exciting characteristic is his upside. Rivals.com ranks him as a four-star talent and the No. 9 recruit in Ohio. Sammons does not hold a Michigan offer, but Alabama, LSU, Ohio State, Oregon and Wisconsin are among those in pursuit. 26. Jonathon Cooper, DE Gahanna (Ohio) Lincoln High School Cooper is a lean but explosive defensive end, who uses his burst off the edge to beat offen- sive tackles and get to the quarterback. The pass-rush specialist could also be a pass-rushing outside line- backer at the next level, but he has the frame to grow into a true defensive end. His star is rising after competing against some of the best players in the nation — and excelling — during camp season. He is rated as a four-star recruit, the No. 10 player in Ohio and the No. 148 overall prospect in the land by Rivals.com. Cooper committed to Ohio State in Novem- ber over offers from Michigan State, Notre Dame, Tennessee and others. 27. Naquan Jones, DT Evanston (Ill.) High School Jones is a 6-4, 286-pounder who has the size of a defensive tackle, but the skill set of a defensive end. That makes him a pass-rushing threat from the interior of the line. Rivals.com ranks him as a four-star prospect and the No. 5 talent in Illinois. Jones has eliminated Michigan from his list of contenders, and plans to pick between Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State and South Carolina in June. 28. Kierre Hawkins, TE Maple Heights (Ohio) High School Hawkins is a naturally athletic player with 6-4, 225-pound size. He plays both defensive end and tight end in high school, but is expected to be a pass catcher in col- lege. His raw tools for the position are strong, but he needs more experience and coaching. He is listed as a four-star player and the No. 11 prospect in Ohio by Rivals.com. Ohio State was the first program to offer, and he committed to the Buckeyes in October over lower-tier offers. 29. Tuf Borland, LB Bolingbrook (Ill.) High School Borland is a an undersized (6-1, 215 pounds) but tough run stuffer at inside line- backer. He has the attitude to make plays in the box and the game knowledge to be a captain of the de- fense. He's rarely caught out of position, and there- fore makes the most of his physical tools. Borland, who is ranked as a four-star recruit and the No. 6 player in Il- linois by Rivals.com, committed to Ohio State over several Big Ten programs in April. He visited U-M multiple times, but did not pick up an offer. 30. Ethan Tucky, LB Delaware (Ohio) Rutherford B. Hayes High School Tucky is able to use his 6-2, 213-pound frame to make a strong impact at the point of at- tack, where he's known as a heavy hitter. He has good straight-line athleticism and he has the speed to get where he needs to be. The four-star prospect and No. 12 player in the Buckeye State holds offers from Boston Col- lege, Iowa, Kentucky, Northwestern, Wiscon- sin and several middle-tier programs. ❏ Tracking The Best In The Class Of 2015 The top 30 in the Midwest stayed primarily in the region, but a few ventured to national programs. Tennessee and Kentucky, in particular, made their presence felt in the Midwest. Numbers reflect final Rivals.com rankings in the Midwest. Rk. Player Pos. High School College 1. Damien Harris RB Berea (Ky.) Madison Southern Alabama 2. Terry Beckner DT East St. Louis (Ill.) High Missouri 3. Jerome Baker LB Cleveland Benedictine Ohio State 4. Justin Hilliard LB Cincinnati St. Xavier Ohio State 5. Larry Scott RB Hubbard (Ohio) High Michigan State 6. Mike Weber RB Detroit Cass Tech Ohio State 7. Shaun Crawford CB Lakewood (Ohio) St. Edward Notre Dame 8. Neville Gallimore DT St. Catharines (Ont.) Canada Prep Oklahoma 9. Brian Cole WR Saginaw (Mich.) Heritage Michigan 10. Jashon Cornell DE St. Paul (Minn.) Cretin-Derham Ohio State 11. Nick Conner LB Dublin (Ohio) Scioto Ohio State 12. Eric Glover-Williams ATH Canton (Ohio) McKinley Ohio State 13. Raequan Williams DE Chicago DePaul Prep Michigan State 14. Miles Boykin WR New Lenox (Ill.) Providence Notre Dame 15. Darrin Kirkland Jr. LB Indianapolis Lawrence Central Tennessee 16. Dre'Mont Jones DE Cincinnati Moeller Ohio State 17. Josh Barajas LB Merrillville (Ind.) Andrean Notre Dame 18. Darrin Hall RB Austintown (Ohio) Fitch Pittsburgh 19. George Brown OL Cincinnati Winton Woods LSU 20. Tyree Kinnel S Huber Heights (Ohio) Wayne Michigan 21. Natereace Strong RB East St. Louis (Ill.) High Missouri 22. Gabe Megginson OL Jacksonville (Ill.) High Illinois 23. Mykelti Williams CB Indianapolis Warren Central Notre Dame 24. Asmar Bilal LB Indianapolis Ben Davis Notre Dame 25. Alex Malzone QB Birmingham (Mich.) Brother Rice Michigan 26. Kyonta Stallworth OL Detroit King Michigan State 27. Dior Johnson S Southfield (Mich.) High Minnesota 28. C.J. Conrad TE La Grange (Ohio) Keystone Kentucky 29. Andrew Dowell ATH Lakewood (Ohio) St. Edward Michigan State 30. David Dowell S Lakewood (Ohio) St. Edward Michigan State

Articles in this issue

Links on this page

Archives of this issue

view archives of The Wolverine - 2015 Football Preview