The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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PREP PROFILES Mathis seemed to have Michigan a solid No. 1 on his list when he visited in April, noting he got chills down his back when he walked down the Michigan Stadium tunnel. Weeks later, however, he vaulted Nebraska to the top, and then Washing- ton — to whom he'd previous commit- ted — was back in the picture. Mathis has since slowed things down Upland (Calif.) High defensive end Joe Four-Star Defensive End Planning Another U-M Visit Joe Mathis and now plans to take official visits be- fore deciding. Arizona State, Michigan, Nebraska and possibly Texas A&M are on his agenda, and while the Wolver- ines, Cornhuskers and Huskies are at the top, Alabama, USC, UCLA, Texas A&M, Arizona State, Tennessee and Hawaii are all still in the mix. "I've been busy with school and stuff, but I'm going to start getting back in touch with college coaches, "Everybody that's offered is still in play, but a few schools have been in it the longest so they're probably going to get the most love … they have been there the whole time, and they showed me the most love. That's all I'm looking for. I'm not looking for the No. 1 school in the rankings and all that. " Mathis said. " ing followers have considered Crete (Ill.) Monee four-star Laquon Treadwell as the receiver most likely to join U-M's 2013 class. Other pass catchers have been vis- iting, however, and another — Phoenix speedster Devon Allen — is planning on making it to Ann Arbor at the end of July. Though he admittedly grew up an Ohio For months, many Michigan recruit- State fan and plans to visit Columbus July 27, Allen is keeping his options open. He'll also see Notre Dame on his trip east before visiting an aunt in Chicago. His father hails from the Buckeye State. "I am making these trips so that I can start getting an idea," Allen said. "These Devon Allen "Speed is part of my game, but I think I run pretty good routes. That can always get better though. I'm also physical and block well. That's something I take pride in." schools are ones I need to see before I can really know. I have about 15 schools that I am still very interested in. I want to be able to decide by the end of my senior season. Arizona State, Oregon, Texas, Arkan- " said I could do both. It will probably af- fect my decision if a school says I can't do track. I probably wouldn't end up going there. Allen notched more than 1,500 all- purpose yards with 17 receiving touch- " ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ Upland High School Upland, Calif. Position: Strongside Defensive End Ht.: 6-4 • Wt.: 254 Bench Max: 415 pounds Ranking: Rivals.com's No. 6 strongside end and No. 71 overall player nationally end nationally, enjoyed a solid perfor- mance at Rivals' Five-Star Challenge in June and continues to rise in the rank- ings. He's made it a point to lose weight this summer before adding a few pounds of muscle, helping his speed and agility. He reported in early July that Michigan is still looking at using him as a rush linebacker like defensive coordinator Greg Mattison used Terrell Suggs with the Baltimore Ravens. Others see him as a stand-up defen- Mathis, Rivals.com's No. 6 strongside this summer. He lives in the weight room, and boasts a 415-pound bench and a 605-pound squat, Upland assis- tant coach Mike Esquivel reported after the season. "The first thing you notice when you Mathis has continued to add strength " look at him is his size and physique. … If you can't find Joe, he's in the weight room, hard work in, and college coaches are going to get a kid who is very down to earth and is coachable. Off the edge as a defensive end, you have to double- team him. "In our league there is no one who can " Esquivel said. "He has put a lot of dropped too much weight, I'm not go- ing to be playing that five-technique, he said. "They want me at that outside linebacker spot. " block him one-on-one. He's a guy the opposition has to account for on every down. "Teams that try to run his way have sive end. "I'm hearing rush linebacker for the schools that are running a 4-3. For the schools that run a 3-4, because I sas, Ohio State, Michigan, Notre Dame, California, Washington, Oklahoma State, Nebraska, LSU, Southern Califor- nia, Stanford and UCLA are the schools in contention. Speed is Allen's greatest asset. He re- no success … he's coming at you full strength. He's very, very aggressive. Mathis notched 79 tackles and six sacks in his junior season. " — Chris Balas Wolverines Eyeing Arizona Receiver Devon Allen cently competed at the U.S. Junior Na- tionals near Indianapolis, and finished third in the 110-meter high hurdles with a time of 13.66 seconds and fourth in the 200 meters at 21.04. Not surprisingly, he'd like to run track and play football in college. "For the most part, coaches said I could do it," he said. "I don't really know how it's going to work out, but all the coaches ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ Brophy Prep High School Phoenix Position: Wide Receiver Ht.: 6-1 • Wt.: 190 40-Yard Dash: 4.4 sec- onds Ranking: Rivals.com's No. 15 wide re- ceiver and No. 129 overall player in the country downs and four special teams scores as a junior, notching 44 receptions for 844 yards (19.2 yards per catch). Michigan first offered Allen in January, and his ability to run fast would be a ben- efit for the Wolverines. "Speed is part of my game, but I think I run pretty good routes. That can al- ways get better though, is listed as the country's No. 15 wide receiver and No. 129 overall player by Rivals.com. "I'm also physical and block well. That's something I take pride in. "I pretty much want to improve on ev- " said Allen, who erything — my blocking, route running, reading the DBs and reading defenses. — Chris Balas " AUGUST 2012 THE WOLVERINE 77