The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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60 THE WOLVERINE DECEMBER 2017 COMMITMENT PROFILE Michigan fans don't get too excited when a two-star prospect commits to their Wolverines, and that was pretty much the reception when Eureka (Mo.) High two-star running back Hassan Haskins pledged to the Wolverines. Fans may want to hold off on such a snap judgment, however. A modestly rated two-star back now, Haskins racked up more than 2,000 rushing yards and 33 touchdowns as of Nov. 7, and still has playoff football ahead of him. The senior is expected to get a big bump in the rankings according to Rivals.com Midwest analyst Josh Helmholdt. "Haskins is a late bloomer, but he has always been a good high school football player," Helmholdt said. "It is only recently that he has matured into a Power Five-caliber football prospect with the development of some physical tools; particularly greater quickness and agility. "The balance, the vision, the tough- ness and the football IQ were there when I first saw Hassan play live more than two years ago. His senior film shows big improvements in the explosiveness department, and I wrote him up earlier this fall as a prospect whose stock is on the rise. "We update ratings after the sea- son, usually late November or early December. He will move up then, likely to three stars, but we have not done a full evaluation yet." Eureka head coach Jake Sumner certainly thinks Haskins is under- rated. He's watched his back develop for the last three and half years and believes Michigan struck gold in landing Haskins. "Michigan did some great home- work on him and it all worked out great for everybody," Sumner said. "When you watch his film you see his power and his explosion. I think those are two of his best qualities. His ability to be very explosive in his runs and how he finishes his runs are what make him such a great football player. "His natural ability is off the charts. When the Michigan staff is on him and is really pushing him to get better, he's going to thrive. He's the type of kid that you love building a team around. He's talented and athletic, and he's a great teammate and a great overall kid. "His talent coupled with how hard he works is special. He takes advan- tage of every opportunity he has." The 6-1, 207-pounder committed to Michigan while on an official visit the weekend of the Rutgers game after picking up his offer in late October. His recruitment all came together pretty quickly, and Haskins feels be- yond content about his decision. "It was probably about three or four weeks from when they started talking to me to when I visited and committed," Haskins explained. "When I was younger I always looked at Michigan. When I went on my visit they really taught me a lot about the school and program. "I looked up stuff on my own, too, so I didn't feel like it was too fast. I learned a lot in a hurry." While on his visit, Haskins was comfortable with everyone involved with the program, and that helped persuade him to commit. "It really felt like family," he said. "All of the coaches and players treated me like I was one of them. It really had a family feel and that's what I wanted in a school. I felt that right away and was very comfortable for the whole visit." As a junior, Haskins rushed 242 times for 1,509 yards and 19 touch- downs. On defense, he piled up 34 tackles and had 12 sacks. He was se- lected to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch All-Metro second-team at running back and named the Suburban West American Offensive Player of the Year, an honor he also received as a senior. Now committed and done with the process, Haskins is ready to sign his letter of intent in December and then finish out high school before heading to Ann Arbor next June. — Brandon Brown FILM EVALUATION Strengths: Hassan Haskins has a decisive, one-cut style of running and that creates a lot of forward body lean and positive plays. He's tough to bring down because of his lower body strength and overall bal- ance. He's not a burner, but he plays fast and has good vision, which makes him seem faster than he is. Areas Of Improvement: Haskins definitely needs to gain weight and strength in his upper body and he also needs to continue working on his explosiveness and long speed. He's not going to win a lot of foot races, but if he can get a tad faster he'll be plenty fleet of foot when it comes to hitting holes and making solid gains at the next level. Michigan Player Comparison: At 6-1 and 207 pounds, Haskins isn't built anything like Mike Hart, but he has a lot of other similar charac- teristics. He has good vision, excep- tional balance and always seems to fall forward. Hart was never the fast- est player on the field, and Haskins likely won't be either, but if he can come anywhere close to the level of production that Hart had, Michigan fans will be extremely happy. — Analysis from TheWolverine.com As a junior, Haskins carried the ball 242 times for 1,509 yards and 19 touchdowns, and was a second-team St. Louis Post- Dispatch All-Metro selection. PHOTO BY BRANDON BROWN Michigan May Have A Diamond In The Rough In Hassan Haskins Rivals.com Midwest analyst Josh Helmholdt "His senior film shows big improvements in the explosive- ness department, and I wrote him up earlier this fall as a prospect whose stock is on the rise."