The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/703389
FOOTBALL RECRUITING BY BRANDON BROWN N ine of Michigan's first 18 commit- ments in the 2017 recruiting class play on the line of scrimmage. Four linemen and a tight end play on the of- fensive side with four defensive line- men rounding out the trench pledges. T h e d e f e n d e r s are the more touted group, according to Rivals.com. The gem of the defensive line- men is Leesburg (Ga.) Lee County defensive tackle Aubrey Solo- mon. The four-star big man is the No. 4 defensive tackle and No. 91 overall player in the country. At 6-4, 287 pounds, he's a scary blend of athleticism, quick- n e s s , p o w e r a n d strength. Nabbing him from the heart of SEC country with of- fers from schools like in-state Georgia, Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Ole Miss and Ohio State is a huge coup for defen- sive line coach Greg Mattison and head coach Jim Harbaugh. Alexandria (Va.) Episcopal weakside defensive end Luiji Vilain checks in at No. 180 in the nation. The four-star is long and lean at 6-4, 240 pounds, and he uses his length and leverage to ter- rorize offensive tackles first, and then quarterbacks. The No. 10 weakside defensive end in the nation pledged to the Wolverines over USC and Virginia Tech, and gives Michigan a true pass rusher in the class. P l a y i n g o p p o - site Vilain will be strongside defensive end Corey Malone- Hatcher out of Saint Joseph (Mich.) High. The four-star prospect stands 6-3 and tips the scales at 246 pounds. He is stockier than Vilain and boasts a powerful base. It was important for the Michigan staff to keep the No. 14 strongside defensive end in the nation in state after he gave close looks to schools like Alabama, Notre Dame and Wisconsin. Even though Ri- vals.com lists him as the No. 16 offen- sive guard in country, Berrien Springs (Mich.) High three-star Phillip Paea is included among the defensive line- men. However, he committed to Matti- son, defensive coordinator Don Brown and director of player personnel Tony Tuioti as a defensive tackle. The 6-4, 277-pounder has been dubbed "Little FOOTBALL RECRUITING Building From The Inside Out In The 2017 Class Four-star tackle Aubrey Solomon leads Michigan's defensive line recruits in the Rivals.com's rank- ings, checking in as the nation's No. 91 overall prospect regardless of position. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM