The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/629217
FOOTBALL RECRUITING fensive backs, and Long is one. He has the physical abili‑ ties — speed, agility and strength — to excel, and the technique to imple‑ ment those abilities. He is an excellent fit for the type of defense Michi‑ gan intends to run. Long visited Michigan officially in October (for the Michigan State game) even when he was committed to Stan‑ ford, indicating strong interest. Only Washington — where he took an of‑ ficial visit Jan. 15 — and Michigan remain in the mix. A Jan. 21 decision date should go the Wolverines' way. CB LAVERT HILL 5-10, 171 • Detroit King No. 6 player in Michigan, and No. 14 cornerback and No. 176 overall prospect in the na- tion Hill has high poten‑ tial at the cornerback position. He's a pure, smooth athlete and a natural in man cover‑ age. Continuing to develop under col‑ lege coaching should see him become outstanding down the road. Hill was a longtime commitment to Penn State, but even a January official visit to Happy Valley doesn't look like it will keep the Nittany Lions in the mix. Michigan (where older brother Delano plays) and Michigan State (which will boast his friends and former teammates Donnie Cor‑ ley of King and Demetric Vance at Hill's former high school, Detroit Cass Tech, in the 2016 class) are the primary contenders. TE CHASE ALLEN 6-7, 255 • Nixa (Mo.) R2 No. 11 prospect in Missouri and No. 38 tight end in the land Allen is a big, athletic pass catcher who has more blocking oomph than the average player who is a late convert from the hardwood to the gridiron. His com‑ bination of skills (particularly his up‑ side as an in‑line blocker) makes for a nice complementary style to early enrollee Sean McKeon. Minnesota, Nebraska and Okla‑ homa State are among the other schools he's considering. However, a Jan. 15 official visit to Ann Arbor has created some separa‑ tion from the field. Michigan is one of the top contenders for Allen, and sell‑ ing him on the fit could yield positive results for the Maize and Blue. LB JONATHAN JONES 6-0, 207 • Orlando (Fla.) Oak Ridge No. 61 player in Florida and No. 19 in- side linebacker nationally Linebacker is a ma‑ jor key for Michigan in this class, and Jones is a good one. While he's undersized, he has out‑ standing athleticism and a hard‑nosed men‑ tality at the position. That's a good fit for what Michigan wants to do under new coordinator Don Brown.