The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/666058
FOOTBALL RECRUITING his parents, picked up a U-M offer Thursday afternoon and committed on the spot. The second addition to the 2018 class was next to drop. Springfield (Ohio) High jumbo athlete Leonard Taylor took in the action on the Michigan Stadium turf Friday night, and before even heading back to Harbaugh's of- fice he was a Wolverine along with his classmate Johnson. The action didn't stop the evening of the game. The Wolverines invited many of the game's visitors to a ju- nior day the next afternoon (April 2), and commitment fireworks continued. Berrien Springs (Mich.) High 2017 de- fensive tackle Phillip Paea visited for three games in the fall — and again for a basketball game in February — and decided that he had finally seen enough to pull the trigger. Los Lunas (N.M.) High 2017 running back O'Maury Samuels was one of the players who traveled the farthest to see the Michigan spring game. He stayed for the junior day as well, and upon re- turning home Sunday he also gave the word to the Maize and Blue. The 5-10, 190-pounder became the third tailback to join Michigan's class, preceded by Taylor in October and four-star AJ Dil- lon earlier in the week. A commitment each day for four days surrounding the spring game has to be considered a successful weekend indeed. FUTURE COMMITS? Those who gave their pledges to Michigan while attending the spring game (or still in Ann Arbor follow- ing it) are unlikely to be the last from the visit list to end up in Maize and Blue. Timing, rather than opinion of the program, played a role in a few more of the visitors remaining on the open market, rather than committing to the Wolverines. Paramus (N.J.) Catholic 2017 team- mates Corey Bolds, the nation's No. 25 defensive tackle, and Drew Singleton, the No. 2 outside linebacker in the country, have been high on Michigan for a long time, and understandably so. Their former high school coach, Chris Partridge, is the linebackers coach in Ann Arbor, and former Paramus standouts such as Jabrill Peppers and defensive tackle Rashan Gary (five- stars from the 2014 and 2016 classes, respectively) have signed with U-M. "It went great," the 6-3, 280-pound Bolds said. "My mom and dad got a chance to go with me this time. They really enjoyed the visit, and it was ev- erything I expected. I got there Thurs- day and we relaxed a little bit. "I had my visit on Friday. On Satur- day we went back and got to sit down with Coach [Greg] Mattison and talk about how they would use me. We talked about the academics and differ- ent areas at Michigan. I was up there with my teammate Drew Singleton, and Rashan was there as well." Both Bolds and Singleton hold Mich- igan offers, and are among the Wol- verines' top targets. Clemson — over whom Gary picked Michigan — is the primary competition for each. A pair of Florida teammates also made the trip to U-M, though neither is a native of the Sunshine State. Of-