The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/901162
DECEMBER 2017 THE WOLVERINE 53 PREP PROFILES Michigan already has two offen- sive line commits in its 2018 class in Grand Rapids (Mich.) Catholic Cen- tral three-star Jalen Mayfield and Traverse City (Mich.) West three-star Ryan Hayes, but clearly wants to add another. The Wolverines lost Indianapolis Cathedral four-star offensive guard Emil Ekiyor to Alabama Oct. 29, and promptly offered Mission Viejo (Ca- lif.) High three-star offensive tackle Jarrett Patterson a day later. Patter- son, who is committed to Arizona State, revealed how the offer came about. "My head coach has connections to Coach [Jim] Harbaugh. They spoke on the phone [Oct. 30], and my coach mentioned my name to him," Patter- son explained. "The Michigan staff watched my film and discussed offering me. Af- ter practice, I talked on the phone with Coach Harbaugh, and he made it official. "They really want me to take an official visit there and consider their offer." Patterson expanded a bit more on Harbaugh's connections to the Mis- sion Viejo area. "Some players from my high school played under Harbaugh at Stanford when he frequently re- cruited the area," the offensive tackle said. "Our offensive coordinator, Rob Johnson, also played for the Raiders when Harbaugh was there." Though Patterson is committed to the Sun Devils, he wasn't afraid to admit how big of a deal the Michigan offer was to him. "It's huge," he exclaimed. "I was really fired up to get it. Playing in front of more than 100,000 people would be a dream come true. The tradition there is great, and they have produced a lot of NFL talent. They set high expectations and expect to win games. "I'm not making a guarantee, but I am almost 100 percent certain I will take an official visit after the season." Although Patterson was named to the Mission Viejo All-County team last year as a tackle, he also has the potential to play guard at the next level. "The coaches did not specify a po- sition to me, so I will have to ask them next time," he explained. "They told me they were in need of some good linemen, and Coach Harbaugh said I really caught his eye when he watched my film." — Austin Fox One of Florida's potential losses could wind up being Michigan's gain. The Gators fired head coach Jim McElwain Oct. 29, and the follow- ing day U-M offered a scholarship to UF's second-best commit in its 2018 class — Metairie (La.) Rummel four- star wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase. "Coach Coop [U-M recruiting co- ordinator Cooper Petagna] asked for my phone number and wanted me to get on the phone with the staff," Chase explained. "I got on the phone with pretty much the whole staff, and they offered me. "I don't know much about Michi- gan, but I know they win a lot. Jim Harbaugh is a successful coach that knows how to win." Rumors have been swirling around Chase's recruitment since McEl- wain's firing, but the four-star re- ceiver insisted his mind is only on one thing. "I'm just focused on my season," he said. "After my season is over, I'll worry about everything else. I told the Michigan coaches that I would want to take an official visit when my season is done." With that being said, the Louisi- ana native still considers himself a Florida commit, despite increased interest from several of the nation's top schools. "Everybody is behind Florida, while all the other schools recruiting me are even," he revealed. "Michi- gan, along with Georgia, LSU and TCU all have my interest, though." Chase visited LSU Sept. 9 for its home opener against Chattanooga, but has not taken any visits since. One of Chase's teammates — four- star linebacker Aaron Brule — is committed to Georgia, so the Bull- dogs could wind up being the Wol- verines' biggest competition for the outstanding receiver. Through eight games in 2017, Chase had hauled in 44 catches for 742 yards (16.9 yards per reception) and eight touchdowns. He also aver- aged 21.1 yards on eight punt returns. As a junior, the four-star finished with 634 yards and 11 touchdowns, averaged an absurd 27.6 yards per catch and was named to the Loui- siana Football Coaches Association All-State second team. — Austin Fox U-M Is Looking To Flip Arizona State Offensive Tackle Commit Michigan Extends Offer To Top-50 Wide Receiver From Louisiana ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ Mission Viejo H.S. Mission Viejo, Calif. Class: 2018 Position: Offensive Tackle Ht.: 6-5 • Wt.: 275 Rivals.com Rankings: Currently unrated Jarrett Patterson ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ Rummel H.S. Metairie, La. Class: 2018 Position: Wide Receiver Ht.: 6-2 • Wt.: 185 Rivals.com Rankings: No. 5 player in Louisiana, and No. 10 wide receiver and No. 50 overall prospect nationally Ja'Marr Chase Chase "I don't know much about Michigan, but I know they win a lot. Jim Harbaugh is a successful coach that knows how to win." Patterson on his U-M offer "I was really fired up to get it. Playing in front of more than 100,000 people would be a dream come true. The tradition there is great, and they have produced a lot of NFL talent."