The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/970722
54 THE WOLVERINE MAY 2018 BY BRANDON BROWN O ver the last two seasons, there was a growing concern among high school coaches in the state of Michigan that head coach Jim Har- baugh and the Wolverines were not focusing enough on local products. Now, it appears that some of the new recruiting staff at U-M recognized that and have begun rectifying it. During the entire 2018 recruiting cycle, Harbaugh and his staff offered only 12 prospects in Michigan. Har- baugh and Co. had already offered 18 young men from the Great Lakes State in the 2019 class as of mid- April, and while it hasn't resulted in an in-state commitment yet, several of them are very interested in the Wolverines. First-year offensive line coach Ed Warinner — who came to U-M from Minnesota — has brought previously established relationships with him to Ann Arbor, and one of them is with Paw Paw (Mich.) High three-star of- fensive tackle Karsen Barnhart. The 6-5, 280-pounder is high on U-M be- cause it is an in-state school, but also because of Warinner. "We actually built a relationship when he was at Minnesota," Barn- hart said. "I'd always text him back and forth. We just are continuing to build the relationship. "He sees me playing offensive tackle, offensive guard or center and he sees me as a four-year starter." Barnhart is considered the No. 13 player in Michigan and has been to Ann Arbor a couple of times since being offered in late January. Michigan defensive coordinator Don Brown knows exactly what he's looking for when it comes to versatile athletes playing the Viper position in his defense, and he's identified West Bloomfield (Mich.) High three-star outside linebacker Lance Dixon as one of those guys. The 6-2, 193-pounder has received plenty of love from the Michigan staff via recruiting graphics and has been on campus several times since be- ing offered in November of last year. Dixon is the No. 10 player in the state. The Wolverines are already in good shape at the defensive end position with commitments from five-star Christopher Hinton, four-star Ste- phen Herron and three-star Gabe Newburg. That hasn't kept the staff from targeting Flint (Mich.) Carman Ain- sworth three-star defensive end Mi- chael Fletcher, and the No. 11 player in the state is reciprocating interest. "Michigan is a great place because it has great education and football," Fletcher said. "The coaches said if I go there, I'll have a chance to be one of the best." Fletcher is lankier and leaner than most defensive ends at 6-5 and 233 pounds, but he has broad shoulders and extremely long limbs that should be able to carry a lot more weight. That makes him different from the three commits and keeps him on the recruiting board. Michigan also already has its guy under center in Reno (Nev.) Damonte Ranch four-star pro-style quarter- back Cade McNamara, but remains involved with Walled Lake (Mich.) Wester three-star signal-caller Sam Johnson III. The 6-4, 194-pound pro-style passer grew up a big Michigan fan, and so did his father. He has also bonded will with passing game co- ordinator Pep Hamilton, making him seem like an eventual member of the class even though McNamara has already given his pledge. MICHIGAN RECRUITING Wolverines Prioritizing In-State Prospects In 2019 Karsen Barnhart — a 6-5, 280-pound offensive tackle from Paw Paw (Mich.) High — is among 18 Great Lakes State prospects in the 2019 class that have been offered by the Wolverines. PHOTO BY BRANDON BROWN 2019 Michigan Commitment List Player Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown (High School) Te'Cory Couch S 5-10 165 Hollywood, Fla. (Chaminade Madonna) Stephen Herron DE 6-4 225 Louisville, Ky. (Trinity) Christopher Hinton DE 6-5 265 Norcross, Ga. (Greater Atlanta Christian) Trente Jones OL 6-5 293 Loganville, Ga. (Grayson) Cade McNamara QB 6-1 170 Reno, Nev. (Damonte Ranch) Gabe Newburg DE 6-5 230 Clayton, Ohio (Northmont) Nolan Rumler OL 6-4 300 Akron, Ohio (Hoban) Jack Stewart OL 6-5 285 New Canaan, Conn. (New Canaan) Charles Thomas LB 6-0 216 Fairburn, Ga. (IMG Academy [Fla.])