The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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MICHIGAN RECRUITING 280-pounder with offers from more than 30 programs already. He visited Ann Arbor last summer as part of a trip that saw him compete in the Ri- vals Camp Series in Detroit. Indianapolis Cathedral offen- sive lineman Emil Ekiyor is 6-3, 285 pounds, and Michigan became the first to offer him when he visited March 26. Should the Wolverines wrap up either or both of those play- ers — and they're in very strong early position for Ekiyor — the rising soph- omore class will be off to a great start. CAMP TRAVELS The Michigan coaching staff will hit the road this summer for the camp cir- cuit, rather than simply sticking close to home. Last summer, coaches from Penn State made headlines by co-host- ing camps in Georgia and Florida, in addition to their on-campus efforts. An opening in the rules for coaching staffs to participate in satellite camps — as long as they aren't the host — made for an innovative approach. The Michigan staff will take that plan one step further. They are sched- uled to participate in a number of camps around the nation, in addition to their own on-campus event. U-M will be featured guests at camps in Prattville, Ala., June 5 (at Prattville High School, home of 2015 signee Keith Washington and 2016 commit Kingston Davis); Tampa, Fla., June 6; Easton, Pa., June 7; Houston and Dal- las June 8-9; and California June 10. They will also continue their long- standing tradition of participating in the local Sound Mind, Sound Body camp in the Detroit area June 11-13. The U-M staff has participated in in- struction and evaluation, as well as giving guest speeches, at that event dating back to the Rich Rodriguez ten- ure. The summer camp session will wrap up with the annual Wolverine Tech- nique School on the U-M campus June 14-18. OFFER VOLUME ON THE RISE The previous Michigan coaching staff preferred to keep the overall number of scholarship offers to a low number. Brady Hoke and his assis- tants let prospect know that, because U-M offers are more rare than those from other schools, they're ultimately more meaningful. Chalk up another big difference in the new coaches. Jim Harbaugh and his assistants have blanketed the nation with offers, and are casting a wide net to ensure that they have at least a shot with the best players coast to coast. Hoke's staff averaged 133.3 total offers in each of their three complete classes from 2012-14. It was a solid strategy, with an average class rank of 14.3 nationally. However, there were diminishing returns (with some underlying reasons — fewer spots available in later classes and results on the field scaring some recruits away form their opportunities at Michigan). With more than nine months to go before National Signing Day 2016, Harbaugh and his staff have issued 179 scholarship offers, and haven't