The Wolverine

March 2017 Recruiting Issue

The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports

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84 THE WOLVERINE MARCH 2017 2017 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY BRANDON BROWN The Michigan coaching staff went north of the border to land four-star cornerback Benjamin St-Juste out of Rosemere, Quebec, and in doing so may have found a diamond in the rough with the skills to play in the NFL someday. The 6-3, 188-pounder participated in the Exposure U camp on Michi- gan's campus in June 2015 and was being watched closely by head coach Jim Harbaugh on multiple occa- sions. Despite his lengthy frame and overall height, St-Juste showed great mobility, fluid hips and quick feet during DB drills and one-on-ones against some of the more talented wide receivers in attendance. The Michigan staff liked what they saw, offered the long corner and re- ceived a commitment from him al- most on the spot. Even though it was St-Juste's first offer, he jumped at the opportunity. "Throughout the camp, many coaches took my information and talked with me, but we never talked about me getting a scholarship," he explained. "It was only at day three [the final day of the camp], that I went to Coach Harbaugh's office and he explained to me that they were offering me a scholarship. I was ex- tremely excited about my first schol- arship ever. "After the Exposure U camp I was supposed to go to other camps, like Penn State and Syracuse, but I made my decision fast because I re- ally liked my experience at Michi- gan with the coaches and the area. I wanted to spend my four years in Michigan." Former Michigan cornerback Todd Howard made some big plays while in the winged helmet and has coached high school football for over 10 years, so he knows good defensive back play. He was one of the posi- tion coaches during the Exposure U camp and couldn't believe some of St-Juste's abilities. "I'm 5-9½, and this guy is towering over me," Howard said of St-Juste. "He's a good looking kid, and then you start talking to him and hear the French accent, hear he's from Can- ada … people say, 'They don't play football up in Canada,' but he was a football player — aggressive, really confident, really good technique for a high school kid. I've been coaching high school for a while and you just don't see that many kids that play with that type of pad level, footwork and competitiveness to go out and compete. "He caught the ball like a wide re- ceiver, and he could just fly. He was all over, and you could tell it mat- tered to him. He was diving around, selling out, and if he did get beat he was getting right back in line for another rep. That's what you want to see as a coach. He's got the ability to play on Sundays." During Exposure U, St-Juste was an unknown, but by the time he ar- rived in Piscataway, N.J., for the Ri- vals Camp Series in May 2016 he had made a bit of a name for himself. Alvin Reynolds coached 19 years in the NFL, spending time with the Broncos, Ravens, Panthers, Jaguars and Falcons, and saw a lot to like out of St-Juste while coaching him up in Jersey. "At first, I didn't even realize he was Canadian," Reynolds said. "I was coaching him hard — like I coached the NFL guys. We always do that at the camps, but for a kid who hasn't had the same coaching as the rest of them, he adapted really well and kept listening closely and getting better. "He could be a safety, but he has the quickness to stay at corner. It just depends on scheme and how they want to use him [at Michigan]." Because of his early commitment, not many other schools got involved with St-Juste, but Virginia Tech did extend a scholarship in the fall of 2016 and that grabbed his attention. The rangy corner decided to take an of- ficial visit to Blacksburg in mid-No- vember, but it wasn't enough to over- turn his decision. Upon returning he posted a video on Twitter solidifying his commitment to Michigan. "I'm really excited and honored to be in the position I'm in right now," he said on the video. "Especially be- ing from Canada we have to work hard for the dream of college, Divi- sion I football. The time has come — this is my final decision. Go Blue." St-Juste graduated in December and arrived in Ann Arbor in early January. Rivals.com considered St- Juste the No. 20 cornerback and No. 229 overall prospect in the U.S. de- spite being from Canada. As an early enrollee, St-Juste will have the oppor- tunity to turn all of that potential into playing time with two open corner- back spots available after the gradu- ations of starters Jourdan Lewis and Channing Stribling. ❏ Michigan Heads North To Land Canadian Gem Benjamin St-Juste CanadaFootballChat.com tabbed St-Juste as a Division I All-Star at cornerback and the No. 7 overall player in Canada. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM

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