The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/888498
70 THE WOLVERINE NOVEMBER 2017 BY BRANDON BROWN M ichigan had 14 commits in the 2018 class as of Oct. 17, with the most recent addition being Washing- ton (D.C.) St. John's College High three-star quarterback Kevin Doyle. The haul was rated No. 24 in the country by Rivals.com. The class could get a nice boost over the next few months based on whom the Michigan staff is still targeting. The overall recruits U-M signs should end up being around 22 based on what current commits and their families have been told by the coaching staff, leaving room for eight more prospects. Of course, that number could change because of unexpected at- trition, by the currently committed prospects and members of the Michi- gan football program. One way to identify the prospects U-M is seriously considering is to track those that received a visit from a Wolverine staffer during the bye week. Jim Harbaugh and his nine as- sistant coaches dropped in on more than 20 players from the 2018 class alone over the bye week, painting a pretty clear picture of the staff's top priorities from now until Feb. 7. JIM HARBAUGH HITS THE ROAD Harbaugh swung through Balti- more to check on a few teammates from St. Frances Academy and also hit South Georgia to see a couple more prospects at Lowndes High School. St. Frances four-star weakside de- fensive end Eyabi Anoma has been a serious Michigan target for some time and getting a drop-in from the head coach proves that. The 6-5, 235-pounder is the No. 5 weakside defensive end and No. 99 overall prospect nationally and would be a fantastic compliment to Dearborn (Mich.) Divine Child four-star strong- side defensive end Aidan Hutchinson. Anoma has been linked most closely to Alabama, Maryland and Michigan, and the Wolverines seem to have a great shot based on his most recent discussion about the Maize and Blue. "Michigan is Michigan. Go Blue," he said. "This year they have a chance to do some damage off the strength of how they are getting coached and how consistent they've been. They are consistently bringing the heat on defense. Coach Harbaugh is my guy." Harbaugh was also able to put some eyes on 6-6, 301-pound offen- sive tackle Jaelyn Duncan while at St. Frances. The four-star tackle is committed to Maryland and hasn't necessarily show any signs of waver- ing, but U-M offered him early and is still giving him attention. He's the No. 10 player in Maryland and the No. 22 offensive tackle in the country. Down in the Peach State in the Val- dosta area, Harbaugh checked in on three-star offensive tackle Jalen Goss and three-star athlete Michael Barrett from Lowndes High School. At 6-6 and 270 pounds, Goss is long and athletic, exactly what Mich- igan offensive tackles coach Greg Frey looks for in prep players. Goss was once committed to Florida, but decommitted back in July and picked up his offer from Michigan very soon after. He's well aware of U-M's ef- forts in the state of Georgia. "I like Coach Harbaugh," Goss said. "Michigan is a top program in the country. Everything I've heard about Coach Harbaugh has been good down here." Goss is modestly rated as the No. 96 player in Georgia, but he has a high upside. Goss' teammate Michael Barrett isn't rated much higher, with Rivals listing him as the No. 78 prospect in Georgia. The 6-0, 200-pound athlete plays quarterback in high school, but is being recruited hard by the Wol- verines as a running back. "Michigan is definitely one of my top schools," Barrett said. "I wasn't originally thinking about going that far away from home, but they are sticking out to me. I have not been up there, but the way they are recruiting me, with Jim Harbaugh being a for- mer NFL coach and it being a great program, I am liking them more than I thought I would." The Wolverines have had a strong presence in Georgia, and it's paid off in commitments in both the 2018 and 2019 classes. Landing players like Goss and Barrett would continue that trend and give U-M even more momentum in SEC country. FOOTBALL RECRUITING U-M Staff Stays Busy During The Bye Week Baltimore St. Frances Academy four-star Eyabi Anoma, the No. 5 weakside defensive end and No. 99 overall prospect in the country according to Rivals.com, is a top priority for Michigan. PHOTO BY BRANDON BROWN