The Wolverine

December 2019

The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports

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44 THE WOLVERINE DECEMBER 2019   PREP PROFILES Moliki Matavao has seen his phone blow up over the last couple of months. He is ranked as the na- tion's top tight end in the 2021 class, and holds several major offers and is constantly hearing from coaches at premier programs. "It's very stressful," Matavao said. "I'm just trying to see where the 2020 class sits and where all the guys are going to go. "But I'm not really focused on it a lot. I want to focus on my team and the big goal of winning a state cham- pionship." Michigan made sure to reach out to the Henderson (Nev.) Liberty prod- uct Sept. 1, the date college coaches were allowed to initiate contact with high school juniors. The Wolverines are looking to land an elite prospect at the position, and Matavao has high interest in them early on. "Michigan is right there," Matavao said. "I know it's all football there. Coach [Jim] Harbaugh is a good coach. They use their tight ends re- ally well. "They put in a few in the league. I just need to visit to learn more." Four-star 2021 Michigan quarter- back pledge JJ McCarthy may live on the other side of the country in Illi- nois, but he has put his recruiting hat on and is working hard on Matavao. "I stay in touch with JJ McCarthy, the quarterback commit," Matavao said. "Hopefully, we'll link up soon. I want to get out there for a visit. I like his game. He throws the ball very well. I want to play with a good quarterback that can throw me some touchdowns." The Michigan staff has reached out to Matavao, and the four-star tight end wants to learn more about the Wolverines. "I keep in touch with Coach Har- baugh a little bit, and I've talked to Coach [Sherrone] Moore," Matavao said. "I want to build that relation- ship up and see what's happening at Michigan." Matavao visited USC earlier this fall and has visits planned to Ari- zona, Georgia and Penn State over the next month. He hopes to make it to Michigan at some point in the near future. Rivals rates the 6-5, 240-pound Matavao as the No. 42 overall recruit in the junior class. — EJ Holland U-M Has Been In Touch With The Nation's No. 1 Tight End In 2021 Class Tyler Martin separated his shoulder Oct. 12, but was right back on the field over the following weekend to help lead his team to a bounce-back win. The elite 2022 linebacker out of Cambridge (Mass.) Buckingham Browne & Nichols is as tough as they come and one of the most talented prospects in the country for his class. While it's still early in his recruit- ment, Martin is clear that the Wolver- ines are making a huge impact. "I'm obviously very interested in Michigan," he said. "There aren't enough good things I can say about the staff and what I've seen from the coaches and the players on and off the field." A big reason why Michigan is mak- ing a big impression on Martin is defensive coordinator Don Brown, who has deep roots in New England. While contact has been limited during the season, Martin loves what Brown brings to the table as both a coach and a man. In a lot of ways, Brown resembles a father figure. "With a guy like Coach Brown, you can talk to him about anything," Mar- tin explained. "I can talk to him about vacationing or grades or social life at school. Even though he's not my coach now, he makes me feel like he's there with me every step of the way." If Brown is a father figure, then 2020 Michigan offensive line commit Zak Zinter is a big brother to Martin. Zinter is his high school teammate and has also been recruiting him to Ann Arbor. "Having Zak on my team is a huge help for me," Martin said. "It's not just about him being committed there, but he's going to be an early enrollee. Being able to learn first- hand what the program is about is going to be great. "He's going to be a great resource as a friend and a guy that's on the team that gets to be part of everyday life at Michigan." Martin, who has already been to Michigan a couple of times, will make an unofficial visit Nov. 30 when the Wolverines take on rival Ohio State. Martin has visited Boston College this fall and is also looking to make trips to Nebraska, Notre Dame and Penn State, where his sister is com- mitted to play soccer. — EJ Holland Elite 2022 Linebacker Has Several Key Figures Recruiting Him To Ann Arbor ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ Liberty High Henderson, Nev. Class: 2021 Position: Tight End Ht.: 6-6 • Wt.: 240 Rivals.com Rankings: No. 1 prospect in Nevada, and No. 1 tight end and No. 42 overall recruit in the country Moliki Matavao Buckingham Browne & Nichols Cambridge, Mass. Class: 2022 Position: Linebacker Ht.: 6-3 • Wt.: 235 Rivals.com Rankings: Not rated yet Tyler Martin Martin "I'm obviously very interested in Michigan. There aren't enough good things I can say about the staff and what I've seen from the coaches and the players on and off the field." Matavao "Michigan is right there. I know it's all football there. Coach [Jim] Harbaugh is a good coach. They use their tight ends really well. They put in a few in the league. I just need to visit to learn more."

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