The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/798849
50 THE WOLVERINE APRIL 2017 BY BRANDON BROWN T he Michigan staff is offering more and more 2018, 2019 and even 2020 prospects as the spring marches on. However, the 2018 class is the main focus, and most new offers are to rising seniors. The Wolverines have three com- mitments in the class: Indianapolis Cathedral four-star Emil Ekiyor, the No. 4 offensive guard and No. 148 player nationally; Leesburg (Ga.) Lee County four-star Otis Reese, the No. 13 outside linebacker and No. 215 player in the country; and Dearborn (Mich.) Divine Child three- star Aidan Hutchinson, the No. 17 weakside defensive end in the land. The 30-member 2017 class finished at No. 4 in the country in the Rivals team rankings, and while the 2018 class will likely not be ranked as high based solely on much lower numbers it could still be stacked with quality top to bottom. Here is an early look at who could end up a Wolverine in rough order of Michigan's needs, player talent and the chance they actually pick U-M. Dorian Thompson-Robinson • Quarterback 6-2, 190 • Las Vegas Bishop Gorman Four-star recruit, No. 2 player in Nevada, and No. 2 dual-threat quarterback and No. 41 overall prospect nationally It's a Michigan versus UCLA battle for Thompson-Robinson, and even though his mother is a U-M grad, the Bruins appear to have an edge. Thompson- Robinson is planning a summer com- mitment so his Michigan visit before then will be a huge factor in his final decision. Brian Asamoah • Athlete 6-1, 205 • Columbus (Ohio) St. Francis DeSales Three-star prospect, No. 18 player in Ohio and No. 28 athlete nationally The versatile athlete projects well as a Viper in Don Brown's scheme, and Mich- igan was the leader in the clubhouse as of mid-March. Asamoah is planning to announce a commitment April 21. Will Mallory • Tight End 6-5, 210 • Jacksonville (Fla.) Providence School Four-star talent, No. 50 player in Florida and No. 13 tight end nationally Tight end is a position of need for Michigan in 2018 after not taking one in 2017, and Mallory appears to be a lock. His deep family legacy — his dad and two uncles played at Michigan — is a huge plus for the Wolverines. Tyler Friday • Defensive End 6-3, 260 • Ramsey (N.J.) Don Bosco Prep Four-star recruit, No. 1 player in New Jersey, and No. 2 strongside defensive end and No. 38 overall prospect nationally The Michigan coaching staff is plan- ning to take up to three defensive line- men after the haul in 2017, and Friday would be a very solid third of that. New Jersey products tend to be very realistic targets for the Michigan coaching staff. Nikolas Bonitto • Defensive End 6-4, 200 • Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas Four-star talent, No. 43 player in Florida, and No. 10 weakside defensive end and No. 200 overall prospect nationally Ohio State has been the Big Ten team to beat inside the halls of St. Thomas Aquinas, but Michigan is in solid early shape with Bonitto. The athletic pass rusher would be a great compliment to already committed Aidan Hutchinson. Curtis Dunlap • Offensive Guard 6-5, 362 • Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy Four-star prospect, No. 58 player in Flor- ida and No. 12 offensive guard nationally Dunlap said he feels like Cesar Ruiz's younger brother and has aspirations to play with him in Ann Arbor. He's a Florida kid, though, so it could be tough to bring him north. Daniel Faalele • Offensive Tackle 6-9, 390 • Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy Three-star recruit, No. 81 player in Flor- ida and No. 28 offensive tackle nationally The biggest recruit in the 2018 class, Faalele is starting to get attention from all over the country. Michigan saw him early at the Australia satellite camp and was one of his first offers, which could pay dividends. Keoantay Ingram • Running Back 6-0, 190 • Carthage (Texas) High Three-star prospect, No. 58 player in Texas and No. 22 running back nationally The Michigan staff would love to land a dynamic, every-down running back in 2018, and, despite a modest rating, Ingram appears to be just that. Jim Har- baugh still hasn't had much success recruiting in Texas, and Ingram would be a nice change to that trend. Mustapha Muhammad • Tight End 6-5, 225 • Missouri City (Texas) Ridge Point Four-star talent, No. 27 player in Texas and No. 14 tight end nationally Even with a small overall class, taking two tight ends doesn't seem unrealistic. With Mallory looking very likely, Mu- hammad is another athletic tight end who is openly high on U-M. He also has a solid relationship with Michigan com- mit Emil Ekiyor. Isaac Taylor-Stuart • Cornerback 6-2, 177 • San Diego St. Augustine Four-star recruit, No. 4 player in Cali- fornia, and No. 4 cornerback and No. 28 overall prospect nationally A borderline five-star prospect, Taylor- Stuart has everything Michigan looks for in defensive backs. It's always dif- ficult to pull kids from the West Coast, but Taylor-Stuart seems to be as wide open as any prospect in the country. Iverson Clement • Running Back 5-11, 190 • Mount Holly (N.J.) Rancocas Valley Regional Four-star talent, No. 6 player in New Jersey, and No. 6 all-purpose back and No. 217 overall prospect nationally Another New Jersey product, Clement visited Michigan in late February and likes a lot about U-M. He's listed as an FOOTBALL RECRUITING Michigan's Top 2018 Targets Columbus (Ohio) St. Francis DeSales stand- out Brian Asamoah, the country 's No. 28 athlete according to Rivals, was considered a U-M lean as of mid-March and was plan- ning to announce his pledge April 21. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM