The Wolverine

April 2012

The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports

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PREP PROFILES on Michigan's roster in 2011 was 6-3 Jeremy Jackson, and a height upgrade seems to be in the cards for the Wolver- ines' class of 2013. The coaching staff has filled one wide receiver slot with a 6-5 prospect in Columbus (Ohio) Mar- ion-Franklin's Jaron Dukes and could look to add another bookend with simi- lar height —Wylie (Texas) East wide re- ceiver Marcell Ateman. The four-star receiver, who is ranked The tallest scholarship wide receiver as the No. 140 overall prospect in the nation by Rivals.com, stands 6-4, 190 pounds and is already part of a tall pass- catching duo — Wylie East teammate and wideout Quan Jones is also 6-4. "It's a mismatch for sure, "Teams don't know how to cover both of us. Having us on the field at the same time is deadly. " Ateman said. matches to catch 67 passes for 1,047 yards (15.6 yards per reception) and 10 touchdowns as a junior. Such a tall combination could find its way to Ann Arbor with Dukes already in the fold and Ateman considering Michigan for a visit. Ateman took advantage of those mis- " ble, having already committed to Lou- isville. Wide receiver James Quick, a 6-1, 180-pounder speedster, has only shown limited interest in Michigan's offer. The player that the Wolverines have the best chance with is defensive end Jason Hatcher. Fortunately, he may also be the most talented. football season ranked by RivalsHigh as the top high school team in the nation, so it's no surprise that a number of tal- ented players on the Shamrocks' roster have picked up college interest. Three of them in the class of 2013 have already earned Michigan offers. Cornerback Ryan White is off the ta- Louisville (Ky.) Trinity finished the 2011 Tall Texas Wideout Is Intrigued By Michigan Marcell Ateman ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ Wylie, Texas East High School Position: Wide Receiver Ht.: 6-4 • Wt.: 189 Ranking: Rivals.com's No. 140 player nationally his speed, but his size and 27.5-inch ver- tical makes him a threat on jump balls, signal-callers, including 2013 commit- ment Shane Morris, is an area of focus for Brady Hoke's coaching staff. A well- rounded prospect like Ateman could Adding targets for Michigan's talented " Having two jump-ball specialists could be nearly unstoppable in Michigan's of- fense. Denard Robinson had plenty of success throwing jump balls to Junior Hemingway for Michigan in 2011, and Ateman brings a similar dimension at wideout. "He won't ever stretch the field with Rivals.com recruiting analysts Chris Nee and Keith Niebuhr noted. "He does a good job of rewarding his quarterbacks for throwing it his way. " be just the man they're looking for. The Wolverines offered in early January, and he's looking to return their interest with a trip up North. "I'm supposed to go take a lot of my visits," he said. "Not my official visits, but a lot of my unofficial visits. I'm going to try to go to Michigan. I'll try to get up there sometime this summer. " Marcell Ateman "I'm supposed to go take a lot of my visits. … I'm going to try to go to Michigan. I'll try to get up there sometime this summer." nessee are some of the more notable programs that have let Ateman know that he will have a place in their 2013 signing class if he so chooses. If he can make the trek to Ann Arbor this sum- mer, Michigan's chances of beating out those programs for his signature will improve. Arkansas, Oklahoma State and Ten- — Tim Sullivan Kentucky Defensive End Is Interested In Ann Arbor Visit Jason Hatcher ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ Louisville, Ky. Trinity High School Position: Defensive End Ht.: 6-2 • Wt.: 238 Ranking: Rivals.com's No. 221 player nationally cial. He has the ability to put his hand in the ground, then he also has the ability to get back in a hurry and play with a linebacker mentality. of blitz packages with defensive linemen dropping into zones during his first year in Ann Arbor, so Hatcher could be an excel- Trinity head coach Bob Beatty "He's what you want in a defensive lineman. His strength is a plus, and his mobility and athletic ability make him special. He has the ability to put his hand in the ground, then he also has the ability to get back in a hurry and play with a line- backer mentality." "He's what you want in a defensive lineman," Trinity head coach Bob Beatty said. "His strength is a plus, and his mo- bility and athletic ability make him spe- lent fit in his defensive scheme. Michigan's coaching staff has let Rivals.com's No. 221 prospect in the nation know that they're interested in his skill set. Michigan's Greg Mattison showed plenty " the right fit at the college level in order to continue racking up numbers — he made 44 total tackles, with 12 for loss and five sacks as a junior — and Michi- gan's scheme sounds like it could be just that. To do further research, he'll take a trip to Ann Arbor later this spring. That, however, doesn't mean he has an early decision on tap. "I know I'm going to ride the whole The 6-2, 238-pounder is looking for " thing out. I'm not going to make a com- mitment any time soon. I'm going to wait until after my senior season to com- mit. By the time my senior rolls around, I'm going to have a list of favorites. Continuing to build a relationship " with Michigan's coaches is his focus for now. Once he gets on campus, Hatcher will have a better picture of where the Wolverines fit into his overall recruiting picture. "They're telling me that I could re- ally have a chance," he said. "They said I make big plays, and I would like that position they want me to play. "They want me to play both the end and the outside linebacker, a type of hybrid. — Tim Sullivan APRIL 2012 THE WOLVERINE 75

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