The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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50 THE WOLVERINE DECEMBER 2016 COMMITMENT PROFILE Detroit Cass Tech three- star safety Jaylen Kelly- Powell ended a long pro- cess without much drama by choosing Michigan over Oregon, Virginia Tech, UCLA, Nebraska, Wiscon- sin and Ohio State. The 6-0, 180-pounder also held offers from Alabama, Auburn, Mi- ami, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Oklahoma and Ten- nessee, among many oth- ers, but U-M always felt like home to the versatile safety. He tweeted out a video on the morning of Nov. 15 and narrated a message for his announcement. "It's time to make a deci- sion for my future," Kelly- Powell said. "I spent my whole life working toward this moment. Detroit has been my home my whole life, and this next chapter has to feel like home. I need somewhere to continue my legacy and complete my vision on and off the field." When Kelly-Powell put on the Block M hat and flashed the maize-and-blue Jordan brand gloves, he did what many people thought he would do in picking Michigan. Even though his re- cruitment seemed predictable to many outsiders, Kelly-Powell admits that it wasn't as clear-cut as it appeared. "My decision became harder throughout the process," he said. "All of the coaches that I was able to visit were awesome and gave me a lot to think about. "I had to go back to my principles that I started off with. Education, football fit, social fit, compete for rings and life after football. My final schools all checked those boxes, but Michigan stood out for football fit. "I love playing the nickel position, and the Viper position at Michigan allows me to do what I do best. That was the deciding factor. My relation- ship with current players and re- cruits played a big role also." His role on the field in Ann Arbor will be similar to what star redshirt sophomore Jabrill Peppers does for U-M now. There aren't a lot of play- ers walking around that can do what Peppers does, but Kelly-Powell's skill set translates nicely. Rivals.com Midwest regional analyst Josh Helm- holdt has followed Kelly-Powell's recruitment for several years and thinks the Detroit native will fit in nicely at U-M. "Kelly-Powell is a solid all-around defensive back who is adept in both coverage and run support," Helm- holdt said. "He possesses few weak- nesses and is a player who should be able to contribute early in his career if called upon." It had looked like Kelly-Powell, the nation's No. 31 safety and the No. 8 prospect in the state accord- ing to Rivals.com, would eventu- ally end up at Michigan, but earlier in the process he said he'd like to wait until after his season was over, hopefully with a Division I state championship trophy in hand. As of Nov. 15, Cass Tech was still alive in the playoffs and preparing for a semifinal matchup with Utica Eisenhower. After a visit to Blacksburg, Va., though, Kelly-Powell de- cided that he was ready to end his recruitment. "I was going to wait until after the season, but it felt right to do it now," Kelly-Powell said. "After I saw Virginia Tech this past weekend, I felt comfortable in picking Michigan. They were the last school I felt I needed to see before I made a decision." Kelly-Powell's commit- ment not only helps at a position of need within Michigan's class, and as the cousin of Detroit Martin Lu- ther King four-star Ambry Thomas, the nation's No. 17 cornerback and No. 178 player, and the teammate of five-star Donovan Peoples-Jones, the country's No. 2 wide receiver and No. 13 overall prospect, he could start a roll with the talented Detroit trio. All three prospects intend to enroll early, so mid-November to mid-De- cember could be a very eventful and productive stretch of time in Detroit for the Maize and Blue. — Brandon Brown FILM EVALUATION Strengths: Jaylen Kelly-Powell is extremely intelligent which allows him to be in the right place at the right time on nearly every play. He's also physical, fast and very strong. Despite not being a big safety, he's solid both against the run and in coverage. Areas Of Improvement: It's tough to identify an actual weakness in Kelly-Pow- ell's game, but his size at safety is a little less than ideal. He's not a small player at a built 6-0, 180 pounds, but he's not long and rangy. His speed, quickness and football IQ allow him to play bigger, but a couple inches of length would make him that much better. Michigan Player Comparison: Kelly-Powell had already been compared to former Wolverine and Cass Tech safety Thomas Gordon. Both are very muscu- lar — Gordon more so — and played multiple positions in high school, giving them a deep knowledge of the game from all angles. Kelly-Powell weighs a little less and has more quick-twitch speed and ability, but the comparison is close in terms of on-field intelligence and physicality. — Analysis from TheWolverine.com Kelly-Powell, the No. 31 safety in the nation, picked the Wolverines over Oregon, Virginia Tech, UCLA, Nebraska, Wisconsin and Ohio State. PHOTO BY BRANDON BROWN In-State Safety Jaylen Kelly-Powell Chooses To Stay Home