The Wolverine

March 2017 Recruiting Issue

The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports

Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/787035

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 45 of 115

46 THE WOLVERINE MARCH 2017 2017 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY JOHN BORTON Jim Harbaugh appreciates mam- moth human beings. So do all manip- ulators of the mammoth chess pieces it takes to win at college football's highest levels. Chuck Filiaga, come on down. The high school senior out of Aledo, Texas, dents the scales at 6-6, 340 pounds, automatically making him valuable to a program that experi- enced a stampede of seniors heading out the door. "We love these big guys," Har- baugh underscored at the Signing of the Stars. "You win in the trenches." Former U-M captain Jon Jansen — who knows a thing or two about road grading — insists he loves the video of Michigan's incoming blockers. "They're downfield, they can block guys in space, but once they lock on a guy, they don't stop until the whistle blows," Jansen said. "And some- times, you don't hear that whistle. You just keep going, and that's what I love to see — some guys on their backs and our guys on top of them. That's all that matters." Steve Wood, Filiaga's coach at Aledo High School, insists his senior can definitely become one of those guys for Michigan. He's demon- strated the potential to dominate with strength and aggression that will in- crease and be refined in the weeks, months and years to come. "They have reason to be excited," Wood said. "He's going to be a hand- ful. He's a very hard-playing, athletic, gigantic human being. He's got a lot of upside. "He's still raw in a lot of ways, but he's eager to be a great player. They'll like him — they'll like the way he works, the way he takes coaching and his attitude in general. "He's just so powerful. When he gets up there and plays at that level, there are going to be a lot of big, pow- erful guys around. But he's just re- ally strong with his hands. When he gets his hands on somebody, they're done." Filiaga said he's been told he could get his hands on the left tackle posi- tion for the Wolverines. Everything is earned, but rising senior center Ma- son Cole played there as a true fresh- man, and Filiaga isn't ruling anything out. "I've talked to Coach [Tim] Drevno and Coach [Jim] Harbaugh and they said the spot could be mine," Filiaga explained. "I'm going in planning to compete and I'm going to give it my all. Those guys I'll be competing against have been there. "They have the strength, physical- ity and mentality so as a freshman, I'm going to work my butt off. I don't know if I'll be physically ready, but I'm going to try to get there as fast as possible." Wood acknowledged that as strong and powerful as Filiaga is right now, he'll grow substantially in those ar- eas at Michigan. He noted: "When they fine-tune his technique, he's go- ing to be a difference maker." Filiaga, proud of his Polynesian heritage, moved from California to Texas during high school due to the work situation of his mother and stepfather. That made Wood's job easier, and the coach quickly discov- ered what Filiaga is all about. "The very first game of the year, it's 100 percent humidity," Wood re- called. "We go out there for pregame with just shoulder pads on, and he told me he was sweating more than he ever had in his life. Coming from California to Texas in late August, it was unbelievable. "He comes to the sideline and told me he was cramping. I said, 'Where?' and he said, 'My whole body.' He goes back out and we run a screen pass where he has to go downfield. "He goes and blocks an outside linebacker. He gets on him about five yards down and blocks him another 20 yards. The defender ends up on the back of his head, and we go for a touchdown, right behind him. "During a playoff game, we got him and a Division I offensive line- man lined up right outside of him. They blocked down on a fourth- down play, and they moved the whole line of scrimmage five yards, and our running back just goes un- touched into the end zone. He's a road grader." Off the field, Wood assured, the largest of the new Wolverines packs a Texas-sized grin. "He's always got a smile on his face," Wood said. "He's always happy. Just as easygoing a guy, fun loving — always in a good mood. It doesn't matter if it's six in the morn- ing, before a two-a-day workout, he's just always got a great attitude." Filiaga certainly carries an upbeat view of his immediate future. "I think there are definitely na- tional championships in the future at Michigan," Filiaga said. "With the great recruits coming in this year, it's a special group. We're going to go far — I really believe that." ❏ Chuck Filiaga Brings Brawn To The Big House The 6-6, 340-pound Filiaga is ranked as a four-star talent, the No. 23 recruit in Texas, and the nation's No. 16 offensive tackle and No. 175 overall player. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM

Articles in this issue

Links on this page

Archives of this issue

view archives of The Wolverine - March 2017 Recruiting Issue