The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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COMMITMENT PROFILE Maurice Hurst Jr. Fired Up For Michigan Xaverian Brothers defensive tackle Maurice Hurst Jr.'s of- fer from Michigan, he made it very clear that the Wolverines would be a serious contender for his services. Although Michigan State and Ohio State (among others) had already offered him, Hurst held a spe- cial place in his heart for the Wolverines. "An offer would be great," Prior to Westwood (Mass.) including Novi (Mich.) Detroit Catholic Central running back Wyatt Shallman. The tag-team approach netted Michigan commitment No. 19 before the day was out. "I just told Coach Mattison he said April 25. "It would kind of be like a dream come true if that school offered me. I know they obviously have pretty good academics and good football. It's a great mix of both. I really like that, and that's what I'm looking for in a school." When the Wolverines fol- lowed through with an offer to Hurst in mid-May, the 6-2, 290-pounder could barely con- tain his excitement. Accord- ing to Westwood (Mass.) Xaverian Brothers head football coach Charlie Stevenson, Hurst had a creative way of showing that he was pumped up. "He was really excited about it," Hurst, a three-star recruit and the nation's No. 30 defensive tackle according to Rivals.com, notched 57 tackles and five sacks as a junior. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM become a Michigan Wolverine was worth every second of the 10-hour drive from the Boston area to Ann Hurst on picking U-M Stevenson said. "An offer from Mich- igan is a great thing for any high school football player. He wrote 'Go Blue!' on my board in my office and left it for me. I'm sure he's pretty ex- cited about it." An unofficial visit to Ann Arbor June 2 led to Hurst's commitment to Michigan. The opportunity to "I really didn't see myself playing anywhere else." Arbor with his mother. He had the opportunity to sit down with Mich- igan's head coach, defensive coor- dinator and defensive line coach to hear what they had to say about Michigan. He also got to speak to a small group of U-M commitments, great first-step burst. He doesn't always seem to take advantage of this ability. He seems too comfortable using the quick swipe technique that is very similar to a swim move. Hurst will need to continue to develop this strong hand placement and use his leverage to control and shed blockers. Michigan Player Comparison: Terrance Taylor was a consistent presence in the middle of the Michigan defense from 2005-08. Taylor developed into a fourth- round draft choice by the Colts. Hurst has a similar physical stature with more athletic potential. before the snap of what move he wants to use. This is evidence of football matu- rity that usually does not develop until players get into their senior year of high school at the earliest. Areas of Improvement: Hurst will have to develop more consistency with his play he is seen using his hands to control his opponent, quickly dismissing a block, or maintaining leverage while pursuing the ball carrier. Good balance is critical for interior line play, and Hurst shows that with impressive body control. He demonstrates consistent technique, which indicates that he is thinking Strengths: Hurst uses his hands extremely well for a young player. On each FILM EVALUATION and power to rack up 57 tackles, five sacks and two forced fumbles as a ju- nior. He also rushed 27 times for 440 yards (16.3 yards per carry) and three touchdowns. During his senior year, he will use that versatility to improve upon Xaverian's 6-5 record in 2011. Once Hurst gets to the next level, plosive with his first step. He gets into his blocker very quickly, and he brings good power with that first step and first contact. I think that he would be a very good fit for the Michigan defensive line." Hurst used his combination of size vals.com as just a three-star prospect and the No. 30 defen- sive tackle nationally, Hurst uses his athleticism to line up at a number of positions in high school. "He plays defensive tackle that I wanted to go there and I thought it'd be a really great fit for me," Hurst said. "I really didn't see myself playing any- where else. He was just really excited. He told all the recruits — the guys who were there, the committed players. It was just a really great experience." Although he's ranked by Ri- a 285-pound tailback in the ballgame. He's a good athlete for a big man. He's got a great first step, a very ex- for us, and he also runs the ball a bit," said Stevenson. "There's nothing like putting his days as a running back are likely over. That, however, won't stop him from pouring every ounce of en- ergy into continuing to improve as a player. "I'm just going to try and be some- one who is relentless on the field, and in practice try to give it my all 100 percent of the time," he said. "I just want to try to do my best to become the best player possible." — Tim Sullivan AUGUST 2012 THE WOLVERINE 69