The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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FOOTBALL RECRUITING "When your quarterback is the first guy in the class, and especially being a charismatic guy like Shane, that has helped. "Other guys have come in and (Va.) Hermitage running back Der- rick Green. Both have built bonds with Michigan commitments. "Shane Morris and all those guys added to that. [Illinois offensive line- men] Kyle Bosch and Logan Tuley- Tillman are also big recruiters for them. The credit really goes to the group of guys that they have, and particularly Shane Morris. He is just furthering what Michigan already has to sell and has been an advocate on behalf of the program. "The kids commit to Michigan be- over there, I love hanging out with them and spending time with them," Treadwell said. "I have good rela- tionships with those guys." "When Derrick first walked in [to cause it's Michigan. They stay com- mitted because of the opportunities that they have and also the relation- ships they've built." The tight bonds formed by U-M's class of 2013 could help the program land Richmond (Va.) Heritage running back Derrick Green, Rivals.com's No. 12 overall player nationally. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM ing it really seriously. He wants to be at Michigan, and we want him to be there. Everyone overreacted." That relationship-building has not remaining in Michigan's 2013 group, the relationships forged by the likes of Morris, Dawson and the rest of the future Wolverines with the top targets still on the board will play a role in closing out the signing class. The top two players on the radar With only an estimated two spots THE FUTURE are Crete (Ill.) Monee wide receiver Laquon Treadwell and Richmond only kept committed players in the fold, but also helped Michigan reel in a player or two during the course of the process. Morris has developed a reputation as Michigan's ace re- cruiter, and Alliance (Ohio) Marling- ton safety Dymonte Thomas — who was Michigan's second pledge in the 2013 class — credits the quarterback with playing a role in his decision to become a Wolverine. "When I was going up to Michi- gan for my visits, Shane was always on me telling me I should commit," Thomas said with a laugh. "Shane got my number, kept texting me, call- ing me, facebooking me, tweeting me. "He just kept saying 'commit, com- the Barbecue at The Big House], I was standing there. He said, 'Man you're a real big dude,'" Tuley-Till- man said with a laugh. "I said, 'Wait until you see the rest of us. There's three more of me upstairs.' We had an amazing time together." If those relationships help Michi- gan land Green, a five-star prospect who is ranked as the No. 12 overall player in the nation, and Treadwell, who is listed as the No. 5 wide re- ceiver and the No. 39 player overall in the country, they will have gone a long way to doing their part for the Wolverines' recruiting effort. While a tight bond during the pro- cess is nothing new for Michigan football recruiting, it has taken on a life of its own in the 2013 class. It looks like that family feeling isn't go- ing away any time soon. ❑ Check out our website for super tough, officially licensed Michigan® survival gear. WwW.SURvIVALSTRAPS.com mit,' so I finally committed. We just became good friends." While Michigan has a lot to sell on its own merits — one of the best aca- demic schools in the country and Di- vision I's all-time winningest football team speak for themselves — there is no downplaying the role that the bond has played. "I think a lot of the credit for that goes to the kids," Helmholdt said. SEPTEMBER 2012 THE WOLVERINE 77