The Wolverine

March 2020 Issue

The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports

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2020 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY CHRIS BALAS One of the first questions many ask when it comes to cornerback re- cruits is, "how big is he?" Forget that some of the best corners in the game over the years at all levels have been less than six feet tall. Everyone seems to be looking for the next Charles Woodson type, a six-foot-plus corner with elite speed and cover ability. Former Michigan All-American Woodson, of course, was a once-in- a-generation freak of nature, and there was a reason he became (and remains) the only primarily defen- sive player to ever win the Heisman Trophy. There just aren't many like him. But there also aren't a lot like Belleville (Mich.) High's Andre Sel- don — guys who aren't all that big but are elite in their own way with potential next-level ability. The 5-8, 154-pound Seldon proved it during his week at the Under Armour All-American Bowl in Orlando, Fla., at the turn of the year. Rivals.com na- tional recruiting analyst Mike Farrell was among those extremely impressed, and admittedly a bit surprised, by Ri- vals.com's No. 140 senior nationally after seeing him excel all week. "If the common fan looked out on the field this week, then they may have overlooked Seldon," Farrell re- ported. "He is not the biggest defen- sive back, but if the common fan fo- cused on that position day after day, then they would have seen Seldon making play after play. The Michigan signee is a scrappy, tough defensive back with quick reaction and instincts in coverage. He played the ball all week and stood out day after day." So much so that former elite cor- ners Adam "Pacman" Jones (West Virginia) and Deion Sanders (Flor- ida State), two of his coaches for the week, couldn't stop raving about him. Day after day, play after play Jones and Sanders shook their heads at what they were seeing. Everyone in attendance did, in fact, with one exception — Seldon himself. "That's just respect," he told re- porters with a shrug during Under Armour week after hearing how much his coaches appreciated him. "That just shows how much I've been working with my coaches and my team. That's all it comes down to, is work. "I'm out there competing, every rep, going hard. I'm not trying to lose any reps. Every rep, we're going at it." On most he got the better of his opponent, including one against 6-8 tight end and Georgia-bound Darnell Washington, Rivals.com's No. 32 se- Diminutive Corner Andre Seldon Doesn't Back Down Seldon was ranked as a four-star prospect and among the nation's top 314 overall recruits by all three major recruiting services, despite checking in at just 5-8 and 154 pounds. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM 50 THE WOLVERINE MARCH 2020 2020 Projection Seldon is undersized and will take some time to adjust to the college game. He may not see much of the field in his freshman season, with Ambry Thomas and Vincent Gray ahead of him at the position. But it's safe to predict that he will have a big role during his time in Ann Arbor at corner and/or nickel. ANDRE SELDON CORNERBACK 5-8 • 154 BELLEVILLE HIGH SCHOOL BELLEVILLE, MICH. RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 140 15 2 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 314 22 8 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 163 13 4 STATISTICS Year Tackles Int. PBU 2019 27 6 3 2018 18 6 — 2017 — 2 7 HONORS • Included on the 2019 All-State Dream Teams compiled by The Detroit News and Detroit Free Press. • Also made MLive's Detroit Metro Dream Team in 2018 and 2019. • Was named Associated Press first- team All-State for Division 1-2 in 2018 and 2019. • Listed on the Detroit Free Press' All- West team as a junior and senior. • Played in the Under Armour All- American Game, where he notched a pass breakup and four tackles. • Helped lead Belleville High School to a 12-1 record, winning league, dis- trict and regional titles in 2019. Max- Preps tabbed Belleville as the No. 5 team in the state of Michigan. RECRUITMENT • Became the Wolverines' first com- mit of the 2020 class when he pledged to Michigan on June 20, 2018. • Chose U-M over offers from Ken- tucky, Maryland, Syracuse, Penn State and West Virginia, among others. • Recruited by cornerbacks coach Mi- chael Zordich.

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