The Wolverine

September 2012

The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports

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COMMITMENT PROFILE Ohio Linebacker Michael Ferns Opens 2014 Michigan Class nearly complete — the Wolverines already had 23 prospects committed as of Aug. 14, with a projected class size of 25 players — and the coaching staff is already working on the class of 2014. They started the group with a bang Aug. 9, reeling in St. Clairs- ville (Ohio) High linebacker Michael Ferns, who is ranked as the No. 2 ju- nior in the state by OhioPreps.com. "It just seems like it's everything I Michigan's 2013 recruiting class is was looking for," Ferns said of Michi- gan. "It's highly ranked academically, Ann Arbor's great and the staff just sealed it for me. Talking to the Michi- gan coaches — and finally getting to meet the other recruits, and see the guys that I'd be playing with — made the decision easy." Ferns' visit for Michigan's Barbe- cue at The Big House recruiting event July 29 was the final piece of making his decision, and he went public with his choice about a week later. Prior to announcing his commitment, Ferris and his father worked with Michi- gan's counselors and his high school administration to form an academic plan for his final two years of high school that would best prepare him for the educational experience in Ann Arbor. Ferns is not just paying lip service to academics — he plans on studying pre-medicine, and eventually becom- ing a doctor. He wants to jump into the college lifestyle a semester early Ferns earned Division 4 All-Ohio Special Mention in 2011 — a rare honor for a sophomore — after making 136 tackles as a linebacker and producing 742 yards on 46 offensive touches (16.1 yards per attempt). PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM and will enroll at Michigan in January 2014. That will allow him to get aca- demically adjusted before worrying about life on the gridiron. "The Michigan coaches agree with going to be hard, but it's what I want to do, and I'm good with it." Ferns' words indicate that he'll be it for obvious reasons," Ferns said of the choice to enroll in the winter semester. "I'd get there early and get into the training and all that, to get started early. "Pre-med is still the plan. People have asked me if I know that's going to be hard. Of course I know that. It's Strengths: Ferns displays the ability to pick through traffic quickly, shedding blockers to find the ball carrier and make the tackle. He also shows the instincts needed to arrive in the right place at the right time to prevent the offense from moving the ball down the field. On both sides of the ball, he displays the burst and top-end speed that will al- FILM EVALUATION low him to excel at the college level. Players his size usually don't move as well as Ferns does, particularly earlier in their football careers. Ferns' film comes from his sophomore season, so he has even more time to improve. Areas of Improvement: Ferns displays physical attributes that will allow him tion. Playing in Ohio's Division 4 doesn't allow him to see top teams every week, and he will have to adjust to tougher opposition by the time he gets to college. Michigan Player Comparison: David Harris (2002-06) was a key cog in one of to succeed at the next level, but there is always room for improvement from a toughness perspective. Playing a bit more like a bully will help him see the field. The biggest question on Ferns is something out of his control: level of competi- Michigan's best defenses in recent years during the 2006 season. While Harris was physically gifted, his knowledge of the game and intelligence in making plays were a bigger part of his success at the college level — and beyond with the New York Jets. — Analysis from TheWolverine.com a more than adequate addition to the university's academic community, but that's not what earned him recog- nition from college coaches. Schools such as Boston College, Duke, Notre Dame, Oklahoma and Stanford of- fered him because of his abilities on the football field. As a sophomore, he made 136 tack- les for the St. Clairsville Red Devils and starred on offense as well, gain- ing 742 yards on 46 total touches (16.1 yards per touch). His combination of defensive and offensive produc- tion earned him Division 4 All-Ohio Special Mention, a rare honor for a sophomore. According to the head coach of St. Clairsville's chief rival, Martins Ferry (Ohio) High, Ferns has to be accounted for on every play. "Particularly defensively, we al- ways have to make sure to get a body on him," Dave Bruney said. "Offen- sively, they have numerous weapons, so we can't key on just one. Defen- sively, we have to make sure where he's at whenever he's on the field." Now that his college commitment is out of the way, Ferns can concentrate on putting up even more impressive performances as a junior and senior. — Tim Sullivan SEPTEMBER 2012 THE WOLVERINE 73

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