The Wolverine

March 2018

The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports

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60 THE WOLVERINE MARCH 2018 BY ANDREW VAILLIENCOURT High school football players are typ- ically scouted and analyzed most dur- ing their junior year. It's when many colleges offer scholarships and decide if a player fits their program. DeSoto (Texas) High safety German Green missed his entire junior season. The twin brother of fellow U-M signee Gemon Green, German tore his ACL and missed the state title-winning campaign. He spent it rehabbing and hoping his chances of playing college football didn't just go down the drain. The injury didn't deter the Wolver- ines, who were still very interested and ultimately got the defensive back's commitment in April 2017. "I've never seen a kid shake off an ACL as quickly as he did," DeSoto safeties coach Jason Garrett said. "His work ethic towards the rehab was re- ally remarkable." German is a rangy safety, listed by U-M at 6-2 and 178 pounds. He's a little bigger than his brother, who he is six minutes younger than. Garrett said German is more of a free safety than a strong safety and has good ball skills. He has the ability to drop back and read the eyes of the quarterback; he just needs to develop more confidence after missing an entire season. "From a mental standpoint, he's a season behind Gemon as far as getting those game reps," Garrett said. "So for him, it's going to be confidence right off the bat, knowing that he can make a play at the next level." He added that German handled his comeback optimistically and showed resilience. German can play cornerback, nickel back and safety, and played all three in high school. There will be an ad- justment period as he transitions to safety full time, which could mean he redshirts his first year in Ann Arbor. Safeties have to know more about the entire secondary than cornerbacks do and often call signals for the entire group, meaning there is more termi- nology to understand. Garrett knew all along that the brothers would likely end up playing together in college and said U-M will be a great fit. Both German and Gemon felt at home on their visit to campus. He also feels the Wolverines may have gotten a steal in German, who many schools were not as high on as his brother because of the injury. "Like I told [cornerbacks] Coach [Mike] Zordich at Michigan, you won't see it now on tape, but German is just as good, if not better, athletically as Ge- mon," Garrett said. "Nobody can see it because that junior season was a wash. "You can't evaluate what's not out there, so that injury is where that comes from. There's really not a drop- off between the two, except for the playing experience." ❏ German Green Bounces Back From Injury To Join Wolverines STATISTICS Year Tkl. FF FR INT PBU 2017 42 1 1 1 3 HONORS • Tabbed as a 7-6A (largest classifica- tion) first-team All-District performer in 2017. • Played in the International Bowl at AT&T Stadium in Dallas in January. He posted three tackles and an intercep- tion for the victorious USA squad. RECRUITMENT • Committed on April 20, 2017. • Wanted to play with his twin in col- lege, and they both selected U-M over Colorado and Oklahoma State. • His recruitment was led by corner- backs coach Mike Zordich and former safeties coach Brian Smith. DID YOU KNOW? • Born Oct. 20, 1999. • Twin brother, Gemon, also signed with U-M. Gemon is six minutes older. • Cousin Anthony Green played for Jack Harbaugh at Western Kentucky. • His high school won the Texas Class 6A (largest classification) Division II state championship in 2016, but he missed the season with a torn ACL. THEY SAID IT • DeSoto assistant coach Jason Garrett: "During their freshman year, German was a little more athletic. Then sophomore year, Gemon kind of jumped him. Heading into their junior year, unfortunately German tore his ACL in practice, so we didn't really get to see them side-by-side. "Athletically, they both bring a lot. They both do some things that you just can't teach as a ball coach. They're both long and rangy. They both have a track and field background. I really think it's tomato, tomahto with them." GERMAN GREEN SAFETY 6-2 • 178 DESOTO HIGH SCHOOL DESOTO, TEXAS RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE ✪ ✪ ✪ — — — ✪ ✪ ✪ — 80# 115 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 105^ 181 # Ranked as a safety; ^ ranked as a cornerback 2018 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE 2018 Projection Both Gemon and German are long, athletic defensive backs with solid coverage ability and instincts for be- ing around the football. German is slightly more] filled out than Gemon and is built more like a safety, which is what he'll play at Michigan. German tore his ACL during his junior year, which stunted both his development as a player and his re- cruitment. He was able to return to the field and showcase his abilities as a senior. He is a candidate to red- shirt as a freshman, unless he is able to jump an upperclassman on the depth chart, since U-M is crowded at safety for 2018. 60 THE WOLVERINE MARCH 2018 Green tore his ACL as a junior, but DeSoto (Texas) High assistant Jason Garrett noted he had "never seen a kid shake off an ACL as quickly as he did." PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM

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