The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/653976
MICHIGAN RECRUITING Rice tight end Carter Dunaway and Montreal (Quebec) Vieux cornerback Benjamin St-Juste remain on the low range of three-star prospects and are not ranked nationally at their positions. All have an opportunity, through summer camps and their respective senior seasons, to continue improving their standing through National Signing Day next February. It was the group of U-M targets, not the current pledges, that saw some of the most exciting change. While he only moved up seven spots to No. 13 nationally, Detroit Cass Tech wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones's climb was enough to take him to five-star status. The lo- cal product is one of the Wolverines' most crucial targets in the class. Also earning five-star status were Sebas- tian (Fla.) River defensive end Jarez Parks, the new No. 17 player over- all, and Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco offensive lineman Wyatt Davis at No. 19. The offensive line group was heavy with players who didn't im- prove to five-star status, but made huge climbs in the rankings none- theless. Cypress (Texas) Cy-Fair of- fensive tackle Austin Deculus will announce his college commitment May 20 between Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Michigan and Texas A&M, and moved up from No. 110 to No. 24 overall nationally. Plantation (Fla.) American Heritage offensive tackle Tedarrell Slaton has named U-M his top school in the past — though he's backed off and no longer has a favor- ite — and jumped nearly 100 places, from No. 143 to No. 47 in the country. Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy linemates Robert Hainsey (up 182 spots to No. 56 overall) and Cesar Ruiz (70 spots to No. 106 overall) were among the big winners in the re-ranking, and are two players with whom Michigan should have a very good shot. Rancho Santa Margar- ita (Calif.) Santa Margarita Catho- lic guard Brett Neilon climbed 130 spots, going from No. 243 to his new ranking of No. 113. No U-M targets made a substan- tive drop in the rankings. UNDERCLASSMAN OFFERS While Michigan's coaching staff has shifted its primary focus from the class of 2016 to the class of 2017, it has managed to spread their atten- tion to the younger groups as well. Already at least 41 class of 2018 play- ers and 12 in the class of 2019 (those who have just played one year of high school ball — some of them 2017 Michigan Commitment List Player Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown (High School) Carter Dunaway TE 6-6 232 Bloomfield Hills, Mich. (Brother Rice) Ja'Raymond Hall OL 6-5 255 Oak Park, Mich. (Oak Park) Dylan McCaffrey QB 6-4 185 Highlands Ranch, Colo. (Valor Christian) Benjamin St-Juste CB 6-3 185 Montreal, Quebec (Vieux-Montreal) Kurt Taylor RB 5-9 201 Covington, Ga. (Newton)