The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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JANUARY 2017 THE WOLVERINE 55 FOOTBALL RECRUITING claimed U-M as his leader but it's been perceived for a while. Anthony is making a decision of Dec. 22. Ellis Brooks, 6-2, 240, Richmond, Va. (Benedictine School) Rivals.com's No. 9 inside linebacker and No. 235 overall prospect nationally doesn't have any official visits set, and isn't sure when he will announce a commitment. The feeling is that if Michigan really pushed for him he might end up in maize and blue, but if not Maryland might be his future team. Willie Gay, 6-1, 203, Starkville, Miss. (Starkville) Was in Ann Arbor for the Illinois game and loved his visit. He actu- ally called Michigan his No. 1 school a few days before arriving in Ann Arbor while still committed to Mississippi. He decommitted after checking out Ann Arbor and that could bode very well for U-M. Ben Mason, 6-3, 230, Sandy Hook, Conn. (Newtown) Mason took a visit to U-M, received the offer during the trip and committed shortly after. He's got good size and can play multiple positions including tight end and fullback. He'll be in Ann Arbor in early January. Joshua Ross, 6-0, 219, Orchard Lake, Mich. (St. Mary's Prep) The Michigan legacy has one of the firmest commitments in this class. The No. 13 outside linebacker and No. 220 overall prospect in the country is a phenomenal ambassador for U-M. Drew Singleton, 6-2, 218, Paramus, N.J. (Paramus Catholic) For months it was Michigan versus Clemson for Singleton, but the Wolverines seem to have taken over the top spot. The No. 4 outside linebacker and No. 51 prospect nationally tore his ACL at the beginning of his senior season, but is still a top target for many programs including Michigan. Cornerback Darnay Holmes, 5-11, 185, Newbury Park, Calif. (Newbury Park) Is not planning to announce his commitment until the U.S. Army All-American Bowl Jan. 7. The five-star corner was planning to visit Michigan Dec. 10, but it didn't happen because of his team's playoff schedule. UCLA, USC and Nebraska are all still in the mix for the No. 3 cornerback and No. 15 overall player nationally. Benjamin St-Juste, 6-3, 180, Montreal, Quebec (Vieux-Mon- treal) St-Juste held an offer from Virginia Tech and checked out Blacks- burg Nov. 26 when the Hokies hosted Virginia. He returned and reaffirmed his commitment to Michigan. He'll be on campus in Ann Arbor in early January. Ambry Thomas, 5-11, 165, Detroit (Martin Luther King) The four-star was hesitant to name any favorites throughout his process, but ultimately chose U-M over everyone else. It looked like it might be Michigan State for the No. 17 cornerback and No. 178 overall prospect nationally, but he went Blue instead. Safety Jaylen Kelly-Powell, 6-0, 180, Detroit (Cass Tech) The No. 8 player in Michigan is an early graduate and will be in Ann Arbor by early January. J'Marick Woods, 6-3, 198, Florence, Ala. (Florence) Is solid to U-M despite taking a couple visits as a Michigan com- mit. The long, three-star safety plans to enroll at U-M in January. Athlete Juliano Falaniko, 6-4, 200, Pago Pago, American Samoa (Leone) The four-star athlete and USC commit plans to official at both USC and Michigan before signing a letter of intent. While other visits could take place, those two will likely be the most impor- tant. USC was his dream school growing up, but blazing a unique trail at Michigan has him intrigued. Isaiah Pola-Mao, 6-3, 190, Phoenix (Mountain Pointe) Is starting to focus on the schools recruiting him the hardest and many of them reside in the Pac-12. The four-star athlete and No. 89 overall prospect nationally — who could play safety, linebacker or receiver in college — has already taken an official visit to Washington. Arizona State, Michigan, Notre Dame, USC and Cal are the other stops he wants to make before reaching a decision. Brandon Sebastian, 6-1, 172, Cheshire, Conn. (Cheshire Academy) Michigan offered the three-star Boston College commit, and it immediately got his attention. Official visits to Boston College and Michigan are the only ones he has in mind. The Wolverine staff already flipped defensive end Kwity Paye from Boston Col- lege and Paye has been in Sebastian's ear. Commitments in bold italics Master List Notes Committed To Michigan: WR Tarik Black and CB Ambry Thomas. Decommitted From Michigan: RB AJ Dillion (committed to Boston College). Removed From The List: RB Cam Akers, OT Jedrick Wills (committed to Alabama), DT Corey Bolds, DT Emmanuel McNeil, LB Baron Browning (committed to Ohio State), LB Shanon Reid (committed to Tennessee), CB Elijah Gates, S Bubba Bolden, ATH Dalton Keene and ATH Sione Lund. Added To The List: TE Tre McKitty. For regular reports on Michigan football recruiting plus videos of U-M commitments and targets visit TheWolverine.com. MOBILE APPS AVALABLE FOR IPHONE AND ANDROID!