The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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APRIL 2018 THE WOLVERINE 59 FOOTBALL RECRUITING As of March 18, Michigan had six commitments in the 2019 class and sat at No. 3 nationally in the Rivals.com team rankings. Four of the pledges were rated four-star recruits by Rivals, while three were ranked among the class' top 110 prospects in the land — No. 13 Christopher Hinton, No. 51 Stephen Herron and No. 110 Nolan Rumler. Jim Harbaugh and his squad struggled a bit on the field in 2017 and it definitely seemed to affect the 2018 recruiting class. However, the 2018 season could be a springboard to a top class in 2019. Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy three -star outside linebacker Charles Thomas got U-M's recruit- ing rolling back in June 2017 and remains a firm commitment. The No. 28 outside linebacker in the country isn't at all worried about how U-M fared in 2017. "I don't feel like our team strug- gled in 2017," he said. "We were young and still played tough against everybody. I know we are going to come back even stron- ger this year. I see the direction Michigan is going, and I want to be a part of it." A month later, Michigan landed a pair of four stars during the BBQ at The Big House when Herron, out of Louisville (Ky.) Trinity, and Rumler from Akron (Ohio) Hoban both pulled the trigger. Herron also isn't worried about how the season played out in 2017, either. He sees U-M bounc- ing back in a big way — on both the gridiron and recruiting trail. "I'm committed so strongly be- cause I felt that family feeling," he said. "I think our 2019 class will be one of the best for Michigan in years." Herron checks in as the No. 4 weakside defensive end, while Rumler is the No. 6 offensive guard in the country. Landing the highly thought of duo on the same day was huge for Michigan, and hanging on to them both would be even bigger. A week later, Michigan added the biggest coup of the bunch when Hinton verbally committed to the Wolverines. The 6-5, 265-pounder is the No. 1 strongside defensive end in the country and combines with Herron to give U-M an outstanding combo of bookends in the class. Hinton may be the toughest to keep, but he said he's solid to Michigan for reasons that won't change. "I'm so committed to Michigan because it's the best op- tion for me," he explained. "With the combination of great academics, great football and the people in Ann Arbor, it's second to none. I truly fell in love with the whole picture and not just their past records on the field." Hinton is also confident that he and his fellow commits can launch U-M football into another stratosphere. "I think this 2019 class has the potential to be really spe- cial," he said. "A lot of kids are interested in Michigan, and a lot of kids are putting us in their top schools. I think a successful season for the Wolverines this fall will equate to a special 2019 class." Michigan added its fifth com- mitment in late February when Loganville (Ga.) Grayson three- star offensive tackle Trente Jones picked the Wolverines after an un- official visit. The Wolverines also appear to have found their signal-caller of the future in Reno (Nev.) Damonte Ranch four-star Cade McNamara. The 6-1, 170-pounder is the No. 9 pro-style quarterback and snuck in a secret visit to U-M in January that ultimately led to him flipping from Notre Dame to the Maize and Blue in mid-March. Rivals.com Southeast recruiting analyst Chad Simmons, who has been covering Hinton, Jones and Thomas — who is originally from Fairburn (Ga.) Langston Hughes — for a couple years now, is im- pressed with what U-M has done so far in 2019. "Michigan is off to a strong start in 2019, especially in the south," Simmons said. "Christopher Hin- ton is the leader of this class, and he had every option before pick- ing the Wolverines. Trente Jones a strong, versatile offensive line- man. Charles Thomas is an aggressive linebacker who stays around the ball. "So far, the commitment list looks good with the strength being up front in the trenches." Rivals.com national recruiting director Mike Farrell also gave props to Harbaugh and his staff for what looks like will be an improved class compared to 2018's No. 24-ranked haul. "I think the important part is the Georgia connection," Far- rell said. "They didn't really have a ton of success last year in the Southeast, and that's something they'll have to do to keep up with teams like Ohio State. "Herron and Rumler are both very good players as high- level four stars, but I look at Hinton, Jones and Thomas as the real exciting part of this class because of where they're from. … 2019 is off to a really good start, and now it's about holding up." — Brandon Brown Five-star defensive end Christopher Hinton represents one of the coups in Michigan's 2019 recruiting class, which was ranked third nationally as of mid-March. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM U-M's Hot Start Down South In 2019 Leads To National Ranking Going North