The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1083898
MARCH 2019 THE WOLVERINE 23 to be a successful professional in just about any arena he chooses. BIGGEST STEAL Michigan flipped several players in the 2019 class, and landing Dacula (Ga.) High four-star cornerback Jalen Perry was a coup. He was commit- ted to Georgia from October 2017 until October 2018, before he pledged to the Wolverines in November. Flipping a four-star cornerback who happens to be a native of the state away from the Bulldogs is a pretty big flip. Rivals' No. 17 cornerback and No. 190 overall prospect nationally is al- ready on campus as an early enrollee and was described by Jim Harbaugh as an impressive two-way athlete. It'll be interesting to see if he gets a look on both sides of the ball. MOST VERSATILE Everett (Mass.) High's Mike Sain- ristil is listed as a wide receiver on MGoBlue.com but was listed as an athlete by two recruiting services and a cornerback by the third because he did it all for the powerhouse Crimson Tide. Rivals' No. 56 athlete nation- ally played quarterback, run- ning back, wide receiver, defen- sive back and kick returner en route to being named the 2018 Gatorade Player of the Year in Massachusetts. The two-time state champ gained 1,740 yards and 28 touchdowns receiving, 11 touchdowns rushing, four touchdowns on defensive and two more scores on special teams in his career. It looks like he'll at least start on offense at U-M, but he could probably play three to four positions in the winged helmet. FUTURE TEAM CAPTAIN Akron (Ohio) Hoban four- star offensive guard Nolan Rumler has an incredible work ethic and, as a four-time state champion, is a winner and natural leader. He's also been a Michigan guy his whole life and has been committed lon- ger than anyone not named Charles Thomas. He also seems to be a lock to be successful because of his skill set and position. He almost certainly will be a consistent contribu- tor early and permanently. All of those attributes add up to Rumler being a great future leader on the offensive line and overall on the team. MOST UNDERRATED Despite setting the receiving touch- downs record at Lakewood (Ohio) St. Edward en route to a state champi- onship in 2018, wide receiver Quintel Kent is modestly rated and was listed as a three-star prospect by all three recruiting services. He didn't have any other Power Five offers beyond Michigan. In fact, Kent's only other scholarship options were Bowling Green, Kent State and West- ern Illinois. As a senior, Kent had 59 receptions for 924 yards (15.7 yards per catch) and 12 touchdowns, and he also racked up 502 yards on kickoff returns with two touchdowns, while playing sparingly on defense, where he posted 19 tackles with three pass breakups. He's a stud but never got the love on the recruiting trail or from recruiting services that he seems to deserve. BEST POSITION GROUP Michigan inked six offensive line- men including consensus four- stars Nolan Rumler, Trente Jones and Trevor Keegan, who were each ranked among the top 208 overall prospects nationally by all three major recruiting services. Karsen Barnhart was listed as a four-star by two of the three, including a No. 161 overall prospect rating from 247Sports. Michigan also inked three-star guard/center Zach Carpenter, who appears to have excellent potential because of his strength and ability to run block, and three-star offensive tackle Jack Stewart, who is billed as a high-upside, athletic big man. Of- fensive line coach Ed Warinner has six very athletic and versatile linemen that can essentially fill all five spots along the line. Rivals ranked the haul as the fourth- best group at the position nationally. HARDEST HITTER Oakdale (Conn.) St. Thomas More School three-star inside line- backer Charles Thomas has been a tackling machine ever since he strapped on a helmet. He recorded more than 100 tackles in both his freshman and sophomore years while playing at Langston Hughes High School in Georgia. As a junior, he played at IMG Academy and made big plays despite not being an every- down linebacker. Last year, he finished his prep career at St. Thomas More School, and again made a lot of big hits and racked up solid numbers. His speed, nose for the ball and tenacity allow him to be a heat-seeking missile from his linebacker spot. Thomas was modestly rated by Rivals.com as the No. 35 inside linebacker in the country and a three-star — though both ESPN and 247Sports listed him as a four- star — but he should succeed in Don Brown's scheme because of how he plays. ROOKIE STAR Michigan doesn't have much depth of at the running back spot and may be even thinner than anticipated with Linebacker Charles Thomas played at three different high schools in three different states during his prep career, and he was known as a big hitter at each. PHOTO BY BRANDON BROWN