The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/848029
48 THE WOLVERINE AUGUST 2017 BY BRANDON BROWN O ne of the few remnants from the Rich Rodriguez Era is the annual BBQ At The Big House, and every year fans, coaches and recruits get excited for the July event. This year is no different, and the coaching staff is expecting some big- time targets, several commits, and some potential future recruits from the 2020 and 2021 classes. Two of U-M's 10 commits in the 2018 class definitely won't be at the BBQ. Dearborn (Mich.) Divine Child four-star strongside defensive end Aidan Hutchinson will be on a family vacation, and Orlando (Fla.) Olympia four-star dual-threat quarterback Joe Milton will be spending time with his family in the Sunshine State. Traverse City (Mich.) West three- star offensive tackle Ryan Hayes and Leesburg (Ga.) Lee County four-star outside linebacker Otis Reese were both maybes as of early July. Hayes is a busy young man as a three-sport star, while Reese will be very close to starting up summer football activi- ties at his high school. DeSoto (Texas) High twins German and Gemon Green, Indianapolis Ca- thedral four-star offensive guard Emil Ekiyor, Grand Rapids (Mich.) Catho- lic Central three-star offensive tackle Jalen Mayfield, Buford (Ga.) High three-star running back Christian Turner and Atlanta Westlake four- star cornerback Myles Sims have all confirmed that they'll be in Ann Ar- bor for the BBQ, and the entire group is looking forward to spending time with other future Wolverines. The camaraderie and bonding that can come form during an event like the BBQ are invaluable when it comes to current commits and their futures at Michigan, but their effort as recruit- ers is perhaps even more important. The 2018 commits will have at least a couple of rising seniors to work on during the July 29 extravaganza. Houston Lamar four-star cornerback D'Shawn Jamison has said that he'll be in attendance, but plans to check out Ann Arbor have fallen through in the past. Ranked as the No. 24 cor- nerback nationally by Rivals.com, the 5-10, 174-pounder is slightly smaller than most defensive backs U-M is re- cruiting, but he has the Wolverines in his top five and consistently mentions them as a program he must see. One-time Arkansas commit Luke Ford has also said he plans to re- turn to Ann Arbor for the BBQ. The 6-7, 247-pounder out of Carterville (Ill.) High is the No. 5 tight end and No. 136 overall prospect nationally. Tight end is a big position of need for U-M in 2018, so bank on Ford getting a lot of attention during the cookout. Perhaps the most intriguing rising senior to pay attention to during the BBQ weekend is Indianapolis Law- rence Central four-star outside line- backer Cameron McGrone. The 6-1, 210-pounder just picked up his Mich- igan offer in late June, but already has the Wolverines in his top six. He's very close with current Wol- verine running back Chris Evans and could be itching to commit during that visit. McGrone, Rivals.com's No. 16 outside linebacker in the coun- try, would bring more athleticism to an already very athletic and young group of linebackers at Michigan. When looking at the preliminary visitor list for the BBQ, the intrigue is really within the 2019 class. Jackson (Miss.) Prep athlete Jerrion Ealy, Louisville (Ky.) Trinity four-star defensive end Stephen Herron, Bran- don (Miss.) Northwest Rankin safety Jarrian Jones, West Lafayette (Ind.) High four-star defensive end George Karlaftis, Bowling Green (Ky.) South Warren four-star defensive tackle Jacob Lacey and Buford (Ga.) High offensive guard Harry Miller all plan to be in Ann Arbor for the BBQ. All hold an offer from U-M and will get a lot of at- tention from the staff and current play- ers while inside Michigan Stadium. Oak Park (Mich.) High 2020 offen- sive tackle Justin Rogers will also be in attendance and could in be line for an offer during that weekend. Like always, visitor lists for events like the BBQ are extremely fluid and will likely experience additions and subtractions by the time July 29 rolls around. RIVALS' FIVE-STAR CHALLENGE AND THE OPENING Blue-chip prospects from across the country converged on India- napolis for the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge June 9-10, and many of the same youngsters were in Beaverton, Ore., for Nike's The Opening Finals from June 28-July 3. Michigan's lone representative in Indy was Dearborn (Mich.) Divine Child four-star strongside defensive end Aidan Hutchinson. The 6-6, 248-pounder looks more like an elite Division I pass rusher every time he shows up at an event. Now listed as the No. 18 strongside defensive in the country, Hutchinson held his own against some of the best offensive linemen in the country. Rivals.com Midwest recruiting an- alyst Josh Helmholdt has seen a lot of growth in Hutchinson over the last couple of years. "Hutchinson was being talked about as one of the better performers during the afternoon session at the Five-Star Challenge," Helmholdt said. "He used his hands very well, showed a good get-off, and obviously that length helps him when going against other guys who are also 6-6 or 6-7. He has really developed his frame physically, and we love his competitiveness and motor. "He does play a little high and a little stiff, but he's coming along very nicely, and we saw that in Indy." H o u s t o n L a m a r f o u r- s t a r c o r n e r b a c k D'Shawn Jamison has the Wolverines in his top five and plans to make the trip to Ann Arbor for the BBQ at The Big House July 29. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM MICHIGAN RECRUITING The 2017 BBQ At The Big House Is Poised To Be A Success