The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/944586
MARCH 2018 THE WOLVERINE 53 "That embodies what he is as a player. He can go either way as far as playing corner or safety. With his length he can cover a lot of ground. He's still agile enough to play corner, but he could grow into a safety too. I love Michigan for Myles." Rivals.com Southeast recruiting analyst Woody Wommack can't talk about Sims without mentioning his length and his coverage skills, and thinks he'll excel at Michigan. "When you watch his tape you see a lot of interceptions," Wommack said. "He played in a secondary that had a lot of Division I talent, and that gave him chances to make plays. He uses that length, and he's got great ball skills. "He made a lot of plays on the ball in high school. Because he's not overly heavy at his height, he's still really quick in and out of his breaks and when he comes up to make a play on the ball. I love him and think he can be a real star at Michigan." Sims' father, Merrick, is confident about what his son and his class- mates can do at U-M. He's hoping that the group can launch Michigan to new heights over the next handful of years. "I think that the current sopho- mores with the next two recruiting classes will be something special," the elder Sims said. "I think we will beat Ohio State for the next four years." Myles plans to succeed at Michigan in order to give back to his mother — something t h a t ' s e x t re m e l y important to him. " S h e ' s s a c r i - ficed for not just me, but for my brother too," Sims explained. "She's moved from state to state. She's helped us out a lot, but she's also let us find our own way. "It's been a great balance. I just can't let her down. That's what it's all about for me." Just before he enrolled, Sims looked back on the path that led him to Michigan. "I got to see the whole campus, academics and all that, when I vis- ited," Sims said. "Michigan has the No. 1 business school in America and also Coach [Jim] Harbaugh, he's a top coach in the entire confer- ence. Coach Harbaugh is a players' coach, and he con- nected well with me. "It's a feeling that's indescribable. I can't re- ally put it into words. It's great that I'm about to go through it. I just can't wait to experience it all." ❏ Sims was selected to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Class 7A All-State team and named an Under Armor All-American as a senior. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM THEY SAID IT • U-M head coach Jim Harbaugh: "Sims is a mid- year [enrollee] from Atlanta, Ga., who is already with us. We like long corners — he's 6-2, 6-3, and has a 3.5 GPA." • U-M defensive coordinator Don Brown: "When we evaluate our secondary, the No. 1 trait that we look for is can the guy match up and play man coverage? Being long and athletic is an important piece. It's become like a basketball game out there, and we're just trying to get our best athletes in position where they can play against our opponents' best athletes. "Spider Sims is long and athletic — he's a great player." • Westlake head coach Kareem Reid: "I love the Big Ten for Myles. If he wants to stay at cornerback I think that's the best conference for him to go into because he'll be able to showcase his skill set. "What he does best translates to that conference. Michigan will be a good fit for him, and you can't go wrong with Jim Harbaugh. I'm very excited for him." • Rivals.com Southeast recruiting analyst Woody Wommack: "There's really nothing he isn't good at back there as a corner, and because he's so big he could develop into a really good safety too." MARCH 2018 THE WOLVERINE 53 Rivals Southeast recruiting analyst Woody Wommack on Sims "He made a lot of plays on the ball in high school. Because he's not overly heavy at his height, he's still really quick in and out of his breaks and when he comes up to make a play on the ball. I love him and think he can be a real star at Michigan."