The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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70 THE WOLVERINE MARCH 2017 2017 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY JOHN BORTON There's nothing better than getting a ringing endorsement from the new boss. Incoming Michigan defensive end Kwity Paye finds himself all set in that department. The 6-4, 234-pounder out of Provi- dence, R.I., will be laboring for Don Brown. The U-M defensive coordina- tor recently delivered a glowing as- sessment on Michigan's website. "Kwity is an unbelievable athlete," Brown said. "He plays tailback as well as defensive end. He could play up and down on defense, which is an- other sign of his athleticism. "I have worked with him person- ally. He is an outstanding pass rusher, and his size potential is off the charts. I anticipate him being an open-side defensive end along with the poten- tial to play in packages with his pass- rush ability." While Brown has been watching Paye, the incoming Wolverine caught the Michigan defense enough on TV and in person to be thoroughly stoked for the challenge. Paye managed 4.5 sacks among a dozen tackles for loss as a senior at Bishop Hendricken, and projects himself mentally into the U-M defensive style. "Every time I'd watch a game, I'd watch Taco Charlton and Chase Win- ovich — those pass rushers," Paye said. "They want me to come in and be that pass rusher type. Coach Brown said they might stand me up for certain plays. "He's a great defensive coordina- tor. From him to offer me at BC, then come to Michigan and offer me again just shows me how much trust he has in my play. I want to play for a coach like that. It was a big factor." Paye loomed as a big factor for his school, which steamrolled to a state championship in 2016. The Rhode Is- land Lineman of the Year, Paye might have saved his best for last. He led his team in a 48-28 smack- down of La Salle Academy in the title contest, keeping alive a long-standing tradition of winning. "We were able to win our seventh straight championship," Paye said. "It was a great moment for me and my team. "I had 14 tackles that game and four touchdowns, so I was able to show how versatile I am on both sides of the ball. I showed my speed, my strength and the unique qualities I have." Paye originally committed to Bos- ton College, but the combination of Brown and The Big House proved too tough to resist in the end. If the East Coast native harbored any doubts, they dissolved in a visit to Ann Ar- bor for this year's Michigan win over Wisconsin. "My stepdad and I went there and just had the time of my life at the game," Paye said. "The whole sta- dium was rocking. The intensity was high, at a level I'd never seen. "The coaches were all loving, and they're supposed to be like that, but I felt the connection with them. It just felt right." Brown likes Paye's growth poten- tial, but Michigan coaches have al- ready cautioned him about not im- mediately over-doing it in that area. Paye committed to working out, eat- ing right and learning the defensive playbook to be able to get in the mix early. Michigan defensive line coach Greg Mattison insisted all of the above count for more than bulking up un- necessarily at this point. "When he came to visit my school, he said he didn't want me to go out there and put on a lot of weight," Paye recalled. "They want me, on the pass rush, to still have my speed. He said he'll give me a playbook and wants me to be buried in that playbook and know it, so once I get there I can hit the ground running." Meanwhile, he noted, head coach Jim Harbaugh made certain to keep him comfortable throughout the pro- cess. "Jim Harbaugh is a great guy," Paye assured. "He calls me once every week and a half or so, just to catch up, see how I'm doing. I had a home visit with him [in January], and he was here with my family. "He helped my brother with his math homework, and he was playing with my other brother, and it was a pretty good time." Paye doesn't expect to redshirt, having gone through the mental pro- jections about running onto the Michi- gan Stadium turf, leaping to touch the banner and playing big games before 110,000 fans. Count him among those not antici- pating a Michigan step backward. "The team will be young next year," he acknowledged. "A lot of people will not be expecting us to be good. I'm excited to come in there, work hard and show some of those other teams that although we're young, we can still ball with the rest of the talent in the country." ❏ Kwity Paye Will Be Seeking QBs To Conquer Paye recorded 12 sacks over the past three years while helping lead Providence (R.I.) Bishop Hendricken to state championships in each of those seasons. PHOTO BY BRANDON BROWN