The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/787035
MARCH 2017 THE WOLVERINE 29 FOOTBALL RECRUITING HARDEST HITTER Before tearing his ACL after just one game into the 2016 season, Paramus (N.J.) Catholic's Drew Singleton was a heat-seeking missile of an outside linebacker, known for chasing down plays from sideline to sideline. Com- bining that speed with his 213-pound frame allowed him to arrive at ball carriers with bad intentions. Before the injury, Singleton was chasing a fifth star and according to various Rivals analysts would've picked it up had he not gotten hurt. Despite missing a ton of action he still finished the cycle as the No. 4 outside linebacker and No. 52 overall player nationally; he is also listed as the top recruit from The Garden State. His knee has healed up nicely, and if he can return to his original form by this fall, he'll push for playing time among the young, unproven linebackers at U-M. BIGGEST STEAL Detroit Martin Luther King four- star cornerback Ambry Thomas was billed as a Michigan State lean throughout much of his prep career, but U-M's staff built the relationships necessary to procure his commitment in December. With positions in the secondary up for grabs at U-M, Thomas, the No. 15 cornerback and No. 146 overall prospect in the country, has a chance to see the field in the fall making his addition even more valuable. At 6-0, 170 pounds, Thomas is a bit thin but should still compete for playing time right away. ROOKIE STAR It's rare to find 305-pounders with the combination of explosiveness, strength and agility that Leesburg (Ga.) Lee County defensive tackle Aubrey Solomon has — and that's why he's a five-star prospect and considered the No. 2 defensive tackle and No. 31 overall player nationally. It'll likely be impossible to keep him off of the field in 2017, and despite not being quite as highly ranked as 2016's top prospect Rashan Gary, the two have similar skill sets and could be a dangerous combo as young defensive linemen for Michigan in the fall. BEST RECRUITER No one was as visible, persistent or active in recruiting other players to Michigan as Saint Joseph (Mich.) High four-star strongside defensive end Corey Malone-Hatcher. Whether he was pinning tweets persuading Detroit Cass Tech three-star safety Jaylen Kelly-Powell to come to Mich- igan, dropping recruiting videos of U-M's top targets, or creating and pushing hashtags like #DPJtoAA, Malone-Hatcher was putting in work to bring other blue chippers to Ann Arbor with him. His efforts paid off frequently and made him extremely popular among the Michigan fan base. The 6-3, 245-pound Malone-Hatcher finished the 2017 cycle as the No. 12 strong- side defensive end in the country and is already enrolled at Michigan. FASTEST PLAYER There's a reason Peoples-Jones is Michigan's top-ranked commit in Michigan's 2017 class — he's a freak athlete. His 4.42 electronically timed 40-yard dash from almost two years ago remains the fastest verified 40 time by any of the members of his class. Los Lunas (N.M.) High four-star running back O'maury Samuels and Ambry Thomas would both give DPJ a run for his money in a race, but — for now, at least — the crown belongs to the receiver from Detroit. BEST INTERVIEW When Darien (Conn.) High three- star offensive tackle Andrew Stueber committed to Michigan in June of 2016 he agreed, without hesitation, to doing a FaceTime interview with TheWolverine.com and nailed it. In November, he went in front of a cam- era for more than eight minutes and took his question-answering skills to another level. There's no doubt that he's an intelligent young man, and he fields questions about his future at Michigan, other recruits and much more during interviews with ease. Stueber is also one of the unpolished gems of the class at 6-7, 290 pounds (he's also the tallest). He's modestly rated as the No. 74 offensive tackle in the country but appears to have the intelligence and genetics to develop into a solid O-lineman at U-M. BEST HAIR Several Michigan commits were considered for this award, but it has to go to the young man with a mane of flowing, Polynesian locks. Berrien Springs (Mich.) High three-star line- man Phillip Paea has a glorious head of Tongan salad and shows no signs of stopping the growth. His hair and size at 6-4, 280 pounds, Securing the pledge of consensus four-star cornerback Ambry Thomas — long thought to be a Michigan State lean — could turn out to be the Wolverines' biggest steal in the 2017 class. PHOTO BY BRANDON BROWN Michigan In The Rivals.com Team Rankings Class Signees Rank 5-Stars 4-Stars 3-Stars 2017 30 No. 4 3 16 9 2016 29 No. 4 1 15 12 2015 14 No. 50 0 6 6 2014 16 No. 31 1 6 8 2013 27 No. 5 1 16 9 2012 25 No. 7 2 10 13 2011 20 No. 21 0 6 13 2010 27 No. 20 0 6 20 2009 22 No. 8 1 13 6 2008 24 No. 10 0 17 6 2007 20 No. 12 2 5 12 2006 19 No. 13 2 9 7 2005 23 No. 6 1 10 11 2004 22 No. 5 1 12 8 2003 17 No. 17 2 11 3 2002 22 No. 16 1 11 9