The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/787035
MARCH 2017 THE WOLVERINE 43 2017 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE MEASURABLES • At Nike's The Opening, Black ran a 4.08-second 20-yard shuttle. He also recorded a 36.4-inch vertical jump and a 36.0-foot power throw. STATISTICS • Had 40 catches for 703 yards and 11 touchdowns as a senior. Also had one touchdown and 150 yards rush- ing. • Totaled 30 catches for 610 yards and eight scores as a junior. • Had 57 catches for 926 yards and 12 touchdowns as a sophomore. • Recorded 40 catches for 745 yards and nine touchdowns as a freshman. HONORS • Named to the New England Prepa- ratory School Athletic Council Class A All-New England football team all four years of high school. • Named team MVP during his senior season. • Selected to USA Today's All-USA Connecticut as a first- team wide receiver after his junior and senior seasons. • Named a second-team athlete on MaxPreps' 2014 Sopho- more All-American Team. Was a second-team wide receiver on MaxPreps' Freshman All-American Team in 2013. ALL-STAR GAMES AND CAMPS • Attended the Rivals Camp Series New Jersey in 2014, 2015 and 2016. • Was invited to the Rivals250 Underclassmen Challenge in Jacksonville, Fla., in 2014. • Competed at Nike's The Opening regional camp in New Jersey in 2016. • Was invited to the Rivals Five-Star Challenge in Atlanta in 2016. • Participated in the U-M satellite camp in Cheshire June 4, 2016. • Participated in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl on Jan. 7, 2017 and caught one pass for 11 yards. RECRUITMENT • Committed Dec. 13, 2016. • Took official visits to Michigan (Sept. 3), Auburn (Sept. 9) and Alabama (Nov. 12). • Held additional offers from the likes of Georgia, Miami, Michigan State, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Stanford, Tennes- see, Texas A&M, UCLA, West Virginia and Wisconsin, among many others. • Former Michigan passing coordinator Jedd Fisch and defensive coordinator Don Brown were heavily involved in Black's recruitment, along with head coach Jim Harbaugh. • Is already enrolled at Michigan as a freshman. NOTABLE • Born Feb. 10, 1998. • Black and fellow early enrollee Donovan Peoples-Jones are roommates at Michigan. • Black is one of four incoming recruits from Connecticut schools (wide receiver Brad Hawkins, linebacker Ben Mason and offensive lineman Andrew Stueber are the others), the most from any one state outside of Michigan in this class. 2017 PROJECTION With Black's size and ability to get open, coupled with va- cancies at wide receiver left by the departures of Jehu Ches- son and Amara Darboh, he'll have a chance to see the field as a freshman. His catch radius, hands and run-after-the- reception ability will make him a favorite target for Michigan quarterbacks down the road, and it may just kick off during his rookie campaign. THEY SAID IT Rivals.com Mid-Atlantic Recruiting Analyst Adam Fried- man: "Black has hovered around the bottom of the Ri- vals100 since he was first rated back in March of 2015 but got some big bumps throughout his senior year. His length, consistent hands and crisp route running led to impressive performances at elite camps and propelled him back into the Rivals100, all the way up to No. 76 overall." Offensive Coordinator/Line Coach Tim Drevno: "We love big guys like Tarik. When you have a player of his size and stature, one advantage is that the quarterback is able to see that big target down the middle of the field. Tarik runs really good routes, has really good hands and plucks the ball out of the air well, so he has great ball skills, too. He really fights to grab the ball out of the air and we just love his competi- tiveness. We're excited to see what he brings to the team." TARIK BLACK WIDE RECEIVER 6-4 • 206 CHESHIRE ACADEMY HAMDEN, CONN. RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 76 11 1 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 90 16 1 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 194 28 1 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 225 33 1 Black has already enrolled at Michigan and is rooming with fellow rookie wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones. PHOTO BY BRANDON BROWN RIVALS.COM MID-ATLANTIC RECRUITING ANALYST ADAM FRIEDMAN "His length, consistent hands and crisp route running led to impres- sive performances at elite camps and propelled him back into the Rivals100, all the way up to No. 76 overall."