The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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MICHIGAN RECRUITING prospect — is the headliner. The 6-1, 188-pounder showed his elite physi- cal ability by winning the 2015 Nike Football Rating (a measure of overall athleticism) national championship and also has impressed on the field. While he has an eye for warm- weather programs, his proximity to Ann Arbor can only help Michi- gan, especially given that much of his family and support group is pro-Wolverines. Peoples-Jones may come from a Michigan feeder program, but an- other of the Wol- verines' top tar- gets hails from a state where the Maize and Blue are working hard to gain a foothold. Nico Collins is a 6-5, 190-pounder out of Pinson (Ala.) Clay-Chalkville, and although he comes from the Crimson Tide's backyard his father is a Michi- gan native, so the No. 7 wide receiver and No. 35 overall prospect in the country grew up with a soft spot for the Wolverines. He visited the first weekend of May, giving U-M an early chance to impress and remain on his list. Cheshire (Conn.) Academy will host a Michigan satellite camp this summer, and the Cats boast a top wide receiver already in possession of a Michigan offer. Tarik Black is a 6-3, 201-pounder who is ranked as the No. 17 wideout and No. 125 overall prospect nationally. While he doesn't have a ranking quite as high as the other two top targets, he would be a big land himself. Jim Harbaugh and his assistants — namely pass- ing game coordi- nator and QB/WR coach Jedd Fisch — have offered many of the coun- try's other top re- ceiver prospects, and could im- prove their stand- ing with some of them enough to become a serious factor. The country's top wide receiver and No. 3 over- all player is Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aqui- nas five-star Trevon Grimes. While Grimes originally hails from the Mid- west, that gave him a childhood affin- ity for Ohio State, not the Buckeyes' top rival. He does plan to give U-M a chance, including a summer visit, but there's ground to make up. Los Angeles Augustus Hawkins five-star Joseph Lewis visited campus in April (along with his fellow five- star wideout teammate, 2018 prospect Jalen Hall), but Michigan is looking up at the West Coast programs for him. ❏ Rivals.com rates Nico Collins — a 6-5, 190- pound prospect out of Pinson (Ala.) Clay- Chalkville — as the No. 7 wide receiver and No. 35 overall player nationally. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM