The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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APRIL 2017 THE WOLVERINE 49 MICHIGAN RECRUITING offensive line group behind Ala- bama, which inked three five-star prospects along the O-line; Georgia, which swiped five-star Isaiah Wilson away from U-M and brought in five other quality players; USC, which brought in a quartet of four-star line- men; Stanford, which snagged two five stars that are among the nation's best tackle prospects; Oklahoma and Notre Dame, which both landed a trio of four-star big men; and Ohio State, which landed the nation's top guard and a coveted four-star tackle. The Wolverines landed five of- fensive linemen in the cycle, includ- ing the country's best pure center in Cesar Ruiz, a 6-4, 336-pounder who finished his high school career at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., after starting out at Camden High School in New Jersey. Ruiz is already at Michigan competing for playing time at either center or guard. Aledo (Texas) High four-star of- fensive tackle Chuck Filiaga was the other headliner of the group, and at 6-6, 340 pounds, he has a chance to push for playing time as a true fresh- man. The rest of the haul was rounded out by Oak Park (Mich.) High three- star offensive tackle Ja'Raymond Hall, who is already enrolled at U-M; Darien (Conn.) High three-star of- fensive tackle Andrew Stueber; and Sugarcreek (Ohio) Garaway Local three-star offensive tackle Joel Hon- igford. DEFENSIVE END Finally, Michigan held down the No. 9 spot for its five-man defen- sive end class that included four- stars Luiji Vilain, James Hudson and Corey Malone-Hatcher, along with three-stars Deron Irving-Bey and Kwity Paye. Alabama, Ohio State, Clemson, Florida, UCLA, Penn State, Florida State and Georgia all brought in groups considered better than Michi- gan's by Rivals. U-M lost some very talented play- ers from 2016's defensive line, and a couple of the incoming freshmen will have a chance to replace them early. Vilain, the leader of the talented group, is a speedy edge defender who will be counted on as a pass rusher in year one. As bigger defen- sive ends go, Hudson and Irving- Bey both appear to have plenty of upside. Malone-Hatcher is a well- rounded prospect, who has some speed and strength, decent size and solid moves. He is also extremely coachable as the son of a coach. Paye brings a level of versatility unlike any of the others. He could play with his hand in the dirt or standing up in Don Brown's scheme and can really run. MICHIGAN RECRUITING LONG, RANGY CORNERS IN 2018 Through early March, Michigan had offered 22 cornerbacks in the 2018 class and there appears to be a pretty obvious set of characteristics that the coaches are looking for in their future corners. Of the 22, only seven of them were shorter than six feet tall. On the flip side, 10 of them were 6-2 or taller. There are only eight cornerbacks listed at 6-3 in the entire 2018 Rivals database, and Michigan has offered three of them, indicating that U-M wants taller, rangier cornerbacks. All three 6-3 corners that Michigan has tendered feel like they have an advantage because of their length. Zephyrhills (Fla.) Wesley Chapel four-star Isaiah Bolden, a Florida State commit, is 6-3, 167 pounds and loves being considered a tall corner. "It's a huge deal," Bolden said. "I see it as a difference maker. I think it could help me play a lot, not only in college but in the league." Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Dillard three-star Stanley Garner 's senti- ments were similar. At 6-3, 180 pounds, he definitely feels confident going against smaller wide receivers. "Being tall gives me a better chance at the football than shorter receiv- ers for sure," he said. "When I see smaller receivers I just think in my head, 'speed,' because most short receivers are fast and quick. A tall corner like me loves to get my hands on receivers like that." Finally, Atlanta Westlake four-star Myles Sims even gets his nickname from his long, lanky build. At 6-3, 173 pounds, "Spider," as most know him, is a serious Michigan target. He knows he can make plays that shorter corners can't. "It definitely gives me an advan- tage. When most corners look at tall receivers they get intimidated, but for me it gives me a chance to match up and shut them down," he said. "I'm big as well, I know how to use my hands and that helps a lot with bigger wide receivers." The affinity for longer cornerbacks is not new for Jim Harbaugh and his staff. The year he landed current NFL star Richard Sherman — who stands 6-2 — at Stanford, he also signed de- fensive backs Tyler Porras and Mar- cus Rance who went 6-2 and 6-3, re- spectively. In the 2017 class, Ambry Thomas, who plays long at 6-0, 170 pounds, and Benjamin St-Juste, who mea- sures in at 6-3, 188 pounds, made up the cornerback haul and inject more length into U-M's secondary. That's just what the team was looking for, and they're looking to continue add- ing the trait in the future. ❏ Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Dillard three- star Stanley Garner fits the profile of what Michigan is looking to add to its secondary as a 6-3 cornerback. PHOTO BY BRANDON BROWN On The Web For regular reports on Michigan football recruiting plus videos of U-M commitments and targets visit TheWolverine.com. 2018 Michigan Commitment List Player Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown (High School) Emil Ekiyor OL 6-4 315 Indianapolis (Cathedral) Aidan Hutchinson WDE 6-4 227 Dearborn, MI (Divine Child) Otis Reese OLB 6-2 195 Leesburg, Ga. (Lee County)