The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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FOOTBALL RECRUITING linebacker Jack Dunaway. Oak Park (Mich.) High offensive lineman Ja'Raymond Hall was also in town. Hall is listed by Rivals.com as a three-star talent and the No. 52 offensive tackle nationally, but as he continues to fill out his 6-5 frame — he's up to 282 pounds in the spring of his junior year of high school — he should move up the charts in part due to his athleticism. The headliner of Michigan's class to date — Highlands Ranch (Colo.) Valor Christian quarterback Dylan McCaf- frey — was also in Ann Arbor. The top dual-threat quarterback and No. 39 overall player nationally is not only U-M's top-ranked commit, but may have an even higher ceiling than the current rankings project. The son of former NFL wide receiver Ed McCaf- frey and the younger brother of Stan- ford running back (and 2015 Heisman trophy runner-up) Christian McCaf- frey has the athleticism and skill to be the quarterback of the future. Orchard Lake (Mich.) St. Mary's linebacker Joshua Ross made his first return to Michigan since giving his commitment to head coach Jim Har- baugh. He has been a consistent pres- ence in The Big House over the past few years, taking in his older brother James' games in the winged helmet (while getting a recruiting pitch from the Michigan coaches himself). The 6-1, 219-pounder is the No. 9 outside linebacker and No. 189 overall pros- pect nationally. Perhaps the biggest spokesman — or pied piper — of Michigan's 2017 class thus far has been Covington (Ga.) Newton 2017 running back Kurt Taylor. The 5-9, 201-pounder wore his recruiting cap during his return to Ann Arbor, trying to convince un- committed recruits to join him in the class. Rivals.com lists him as a three- star prospect and the No. 26 running back nationally. Florence (Ala.) High safety J'Marick Woods could be one of the most un- dervalued players in Michigan's 2017 class, and when he arrived on cam- pus he was the most recent commit (though by the time he left, four more future teammates had been added to the fold). The 6-3, 198-pounder is rated as a three-star recruit and the No. 31 safety nationally, but a strong senior campaign could help him climb the charts. Michigan's first 2018 pledge, Springfield (Ohio) High linebacker Antwuan Johnson, committed just more than a week before the spring game, and made it back for the first time as a future Wolverine. The 6-1, 210-pounder is as yet unranked, but is regarded as one of the top players in the Midwest in his class. THE NEWLY COMMITTED The experience went so well — with so many top visitors — that the Maize and Blue added four new pledges during the course of the weekend. Three members of the class of 2017 and one from 2018 pulled the trigger while in town for the action. Jacksonville (Fla.) Trinity Christian 2017 fullback Chase Lasater got things rolling on the eve of the game. The 6-2, 238-pounder headed to town with