The Wolverine

August 2018

The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports

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52 THE WOLVERINE AUGUST 2018 BY BRANDON BROWN T he dead period will wrap up July 24 and will be replaced by the quiet period until the end of August. The quiet period refers to a stretch of time when coaches are able to have off-campus viewings of a player for evaluation. The only time a pros- pect may meet with the coach is on the college's campus. That gives col- lege coaches the time they need to prepare for the upcoming season and also gives prospects a chance to swing by campuses and watch prac- tices as programs prepare for their season opener. Michigan will have its annual BBQ at The Big House July 28, which should be a great opportu- nity for players to spend time with the coaches and current players on a very personal level. As of July 17, Michigan had 19 commits in the 2019 class and was ranked No. 4 in Rivals.com's team rankings. That means that the Wol- verines are technically over the 85-scholarship limit by eight, mak- ing a final number for the 2019 class difficult to estimate. There are definitely some positions that need to be addressed, but U-M is in a good spot as the 2018 season approaches. BIGGEST REMAINING NEED While Michigan has already landed five offensive linemen in the 2019 class, it desperately wants to nab a true offensive tackle. There are still a handful of prospects on Michigan's radar, but it's going to be a battle to land any one of them. The top two targets at the position appear to be Crystal Lake (Ill.) South four-star Trevor Keegan and Kan- sas City (Mo.) Rockhurst four-star Danielson Ike. Both prospects were on Michigan's campus for a big visit weekend in Ann Arbor that started June 22. Both prospects were given VIP treatment during their unofficial visit and got a chance to spend a lot of time with offensive line coach Ed Warinner. The two recruits also spent considerable time with cur- rent U-M linemen Cesar Ruiz and Andrew Stueber, along with gradu- ate assistant Patrick Kugler. It's clear that both Ike and Keegan are being treated as top priorities. The 6-6, 315-pound Ike is consid- ered the No. 30 offensive tackle in the country by Rivals.com, while the 6-6, 310-pound Keegan checks in as the No. 21 offensive tackle and No. 192 overall prospect nationally. The Michigan coaches hoped that Lakeville (Minn.) North three-star Bryce Benhart would also be on cam- pus that weekend, but he was un- able to make it. The 6-9, 301-pounder is considered just the No. 37 offen- sive tackle in the country, but at that height he makes for a very intrigu- ing, high-upside prospect. Nebraska, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Okla- homa, Oregon, Tennessee, UCLA, Wisconsin and Minnesota are also after the underrated recruit. The Wolverines have also offered Silver Spring (Md.) Sidwell Friends three-star Walter Rouse and Centen- nial (Colo.) Eaglecrest three-star Bar- rett Miller this summer. Rouse looks like a perfect tackle prospect at 6-6, 280 pounds and is considered the No. 39 tackle in the country by Rivals.com. He released a top group in early July, and included the Wolverines along with Maryland, Notre Dame, Northwestern, Ohio State, Stanford, Duke, Virginia, Penn State and Yale. Miller, who is very quiet, has some solid offers to consider as well. Ri- vals.com's No. 64 tackle in the coun- try is considering Arizona, Arizona State, Nebraska, Northwestern, Oklahoma State, Oregon, UCLA and Utah, among others. At 6-5 and 250 pounds, he's another long, lean pros- pect with a lot of room to improve. SMALLEST REMAINING NEED Landing a tackle is priority No. 1 in Michigan's 2019 class, but the coach- ing staff is likely done at the running back position. There are still a couple of "athletes" on the board in Frank- fort (Ky.) Western Hills four-star Wandale Robinson and Oakley (Ca- lif.) Freedom three-star Giles Jackson. Both Robinson and Jackson, who is actually considered an all-pur- pose back by Rivals.com, could cer- tainly be utilized out of the back- field. They're versatile enough to be considered athletes that could also play in the slot and provide a spark in the return game. Neither would be viewed as an every-down run- ning back should they choose the Wolverines. Westlake Village (Calif.) Oaks Christian four-star Zach Charbon- net definitely is, though. The 6-1, 190-pounder is a complete back and is ranked No. 20 nationally at the po- sition because of his skill set. He committed to the Wolverines June 24, giving Jim Harbaugh and his staff a big win on the recruiting trail with a highly coveted prospect from the Golden State. Charbonnet chose the Wolverines over California, Florida, Notre Dame, TCU, UCLA, USC, Washington and Wisconsin, among others. The coaches also did a great job in landing Memphis (Tenn.) Lausanne Collegiate School three-star all-pur- pose back Eric Gray. Even though he carries the all-purpose tag because of his ability as a receiver, Gray has been a workhorse in high school and can definitely be a feature back in college.   FOOTBALL RECRUITING An In-Depth Look At Michigan's 2019 Class Crystal Lake (Ill.) South four-star Trevor Keegan, the No. 21 offensive tackle and No. 192 overall prospect in the country according to Rivals.com, is a top target for the Wolverines. PHOTO BY BRANDON BROWN

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