The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/262939
Day over U-M, Ohio State and Florida State. His pledge continued Michigan's surprising streak of missing on the state's top player that extends from the 2009 class, when they landed William Campbell, but the 6-6, 292-pound McDowell could be the most painful in that stretch. Cornerback Damon Webb • Ohio State Detroit Cass Technical Four-star recruit, No. 40 overall prospect and No. 5 cornerback in the land, and No. 2 player in Michigan Like McDowell, Webb grew up a Michigan fan with plenty of connections to the program in Ann Arbor. He played his junior and senior seasons of high school football at Detroit Cass Tech, a noted Michigan feeder school. However, the 5-11, 177-pounder was enamored with the Wolverines' biggest rival, thanks to the efforts of Ohio State secondary coach (and state of Michigan recruiter) Kerry Coombs. He made a pledge to the Buckeyes more than a year before National Signing Day. Wide Receiver Artavis Scott • Clemson Tarpon Springs (Fla.) East Lake Four-star recruit, No. 68 overall prospect nationally, No. 9 wide receiver in the country and No. 9 player in Florida Though he stands just 5-11, 180 pounds, Scott is dynamic with the ball in his hands, and is the type of playmaker in the slot that the Michigan coaches would like to add to the offensive arsenal. The high school teammate of signee Mason Cole took several unofficial visits to Ann Arbor, but the relationships he built with the coaching staff at Clemson outweighed his connection to Cole in the end. The Wolverines hardly missed a beat, moving on to fellow four-star Freddy Canteen in the slot when it became apparent Scott was Clemson-bound. Offensive Tackle Alex Bars • Notre Dame Nashville (Tenn.) Montgomery Bell Academy Four-star recruit, No. 98 overall prospect and No. 10 offensive tackle in the coun- try, and No. 4 player in Tennessee The loss of Bars wasn't as significant because of what Michigan missed on the field — the Wolverines' offensive line haul included a higher-ranked offensive tackle in No. 92 prospect Mason Cole, along with three-star Juwann Bushell-Be- atty — but rather because U-M seemed like a natural fit due to connections. Bars' older brother Blake plays for Michigan, and the younger prospect took several visits to Ann Arbor during his recruiting process. However, he chose to follow in the footsteps of his father, Joe (a Notre Dame linebacker in the 1980s), rather than his older brother, picking the Fighting Irish. — Tim Sullivan