The Wolverine

January 2013

The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports

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  prep profiles Chicago Lineman Intrigued By Michigan's Academics Enoch Smith Jr. should be one of the Chicago area's mostly highly regarded defensive linemen in the 2014 recruiting cycle. The 6-3, 265-pounder was part of a Mount Carmel High School football team that won the state championship this fall, and he has already racked up handfuls of scholarship offers. Cincinnati, Illinois, Notre Dame and Purdue are among the programs that have let him know that he'd have a spot on their roster. Another school that is showing serious interest — but hasn't yet offered — is Michigan. He attended the U-M summer camp and started to build a bond with defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery. "The camp was very fun, and I learned a lot from Coach Montgomery," Smith said. "I learned things I need to work on to become a better player, including my explosiveness off the ball. "But other than that, Coach Montgomery told me he likes everything about me, he just wants me to continue to work hard and work on the little things. I could see a Michigan scholarship here within the near future." Although Smith has yet to receive that   Enoch Smith Jr. Mount Carmel High School Chicago Position: Defensive Tackle Ht.: 6-3 • Wt.: 265 Michigan offer, he said the interest from the Wolverines is strong. Montgomery visited Mount Carmel in late November and has continued to stay in touch with the standout. That could mean his coveted offer is on the way shortly. "He told me that he wants to get a chance to look at my film," Smith explained, "and that I should have some good news coming from him in the next month or so." Fortunately for U-M, interest from Smith's end is strong, as well. He plans to major in mechanical engineering or industrial operations engineering, and the excellent reputation of the program in Ann Arbor has piqued his interest from that perspective. "My dad and I have done some research about their engineering program," Smith explained. "We saw that they're ranked high in the nation. I always loved math, and I loved science. My parents would tell me that those two come together in engineering, and that degree would be what's best for me." He also plans to check out other schools with strong engineering programs — including trips to UCLA and Stanford this summer — so Smith is not just giving the standard lip service to academics. Smith on Michigan camp "I learned things I need to work on to become a better player, including my explosiveness off the ball." He doesn't have a timeline for a decision, instead choosing to take the recruiting process as it comes. However, should the Wolverines follow through with that scholarship offer, it's clear that they'll be right near the top of his choices. — Tim Sullivan 2014 Pro-Style Passer Showing U-M Interest A 6-3, 190-pound pro-style quarterback — who just so happens to be left-handed — should sound familiar to fans of Michigan recruiting. It's s a description of 2013 commit Shane Morris, a five-star prospect and one of the top players in his class. It's also the description of Camp Hill (Pa.) Cedar Cliff junior Andrew Ford. Although Ford doesn't have Morris' arm strength, he has the tools to be a successful quarterback at the Division I level. Ford took a visit to Ann Arbor for the Wolverines' game against Northwestern this fall, and liked what he saw out of a U-M offense that is transitioning back toward a pro-style system ing me for — the pro-style system. I can't wait to see what they do next year when they're running it full-time. "With the pro-style, you need to make quick decisions, be accurate with the ball, and have a strong arm. Obviously I need to work on all of those areas, but from what they've seen so far they've said that they're very happy with the progress I'm making." It's evident that Ford's desire for improvement is just as important to his game as the skills he's already refined. Entering mid-December, Ford is still waiting for his first scholarship offer. He took visits to Virginia, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Maryland and Rutgers this   Ford on Michigan's quarterback recruiting "I've just got to get my film out there and stay in constant contact with them to hopefully prove that I'm their guy." after five years of spread and hybrid schemes. "I was very excited to see [U-M quarterback Devin] Gardner in there," Ford said of the game he witnessed. "When he's in there they run the pro-style offense, and that's what they're recruit52  the wolverine    January 2013 fall, in addition to his trip to Ann Arbor. Though none of those schools have pulled the trigger yet, he learned a lot about each school on his tours. "All of the visits I've gone to so far have been awesome," he raved. "Right now, I haven't really selected a top five or   Andrew Ford Cedar Cliff High School Camp Hill, Pa. Position: Quarterback Ht.: 6-3 • Wt.: 190 anything like that. It really does seem like to select a school, it's going to be choosing the good from the great or something like that. "It's just been fun to get out to a lot of different schools and see the different traditions. It's been an awesome fall for me." If Michigan's offensive coordinator Al Borges decides that he likes what he sees from Ford, the Wolverines could be a strong contender. "Coach Borges is going to call all of the shots when it comes to recruiting the quarterback," Ford explained. "Right now, they're looking at about four to five kids all fighting for that first offer. I've just got to get my film out there and stay in constant contact with them to hopefully prove that I'm their guy." — Tim Sullivan

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