The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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154 ■ THE WOLVERINE 2015 FOOTBALL PREVIEW MIDWEST TOP 30 BY TIM SULLIVAN M ichigan's new coaching staff is putting strong effort into a na- tional recruiting profile, but the Midwest will always be a key to building the Wolverines' roster. Several top Midwest prospects have already made their choices — some for the Maize and Blue — while many remain in play. Here's a look at the best players in Michi- gan's home region. 1. Daelin Hayes, LB Ann Arbor Skyline High School Hayes is enormous for a linebacker (6-3, 255 pounds), but don't let size fool you — he is one of the best athletes in the country at the position. He is comfortable dropping into coverage and can run with even the shiftiest run- ning backs. The question mark on him is physical- ity. That's simply because he's played only a handful of downs of varsity football, missing his sophomore year due to an injury suffered in the first game and his junior year to a transfer of high schools. Hayes — a five-star talent, the No. 1 recruit in Michigan and the No. 11 overall player na- tionally according to Rivals.com — made an early commitment to USC and has remained steadfast in his pledge to the Trojans. Programs closer to home in the Midwest continue to monitor him (Michigan, Ohio State and Notre Dame were among his offers), but it would take big changes for him to decommit. 2. Tommy Kraemer, OL Cincinnati Elder High School Kraemer is a long, athletic and, most of all, big offensive tackle, standing 6-5 and 310 pounds. He is a mauler up front, with the strength to overpower defensive line- men and open big holes in the run game. He is also athletic enough to be a very good pass protector, though he doesn't have to do much of it in high school. His combination of natural size and athleticism is the total package for an offensive lineman. Rivals.com rates him as a four-star prospect, the No. 1 player in Ohio and the No. 31 overall recruit in the country. Kraemer was one of the most heavily pur- sued prospects in the Midwest early in the 2016 cycle, though Michigan seemed to drag its feet on issuing an offer. Kraemer committed to Notre Dame in October and is expected to stay strong with the Irish. 3. Ben Bredeson, OL Hartland (Wis.) Arrowhead High School Bredeson is a 6-4, 280-pound offensive tackle, but he is also capable of playing guard at the next level. He has a broad build that allows him to maintain leverage on de- fensive linemen and a nasty attitude that sees him bury the player across the line from him more often than not. He also has the long arms and quick feet to fit in at tackle at the next level. He is listed by Rivals. com as a four-star recruit, the No. 1 player in Wisconsin and the No. 49 overall prospect in the nation. Bredeson is down to a final four of Wiscon- sin, Michigan, Notre Dame and Ohio State, and has visited each program multiple times. He plans to make a commitment prior to the beginning of his senior season. 4. Jake Hausmann, TE Cincinnati Moeller High School Hausmann is a natural pass catcher whose 6-4, 228-pound frame should allow him to also grow into an in-line blocker at the next level. He has enough athleticism to stretch the field, though he's unlikely to run by op- posing defensive backs, and possesses an awareness of coverages that allows him to get open time and again. Hausmann — a four-star talent, the No. 2 re- cruit in Ohio and the No. 54 overall player na- tionally according to Rivals.com — held offers from around the Big Ten (including Michigan) and the country before committing to Ohio State in January. 5. DeMario McCall, RB North Ridgeville (Ohio) High School McCall is a slight (5-11, 180 pounds) but dynamic running back that is capable of mak- ing plays in space, and he has the speed to take any run to the house. While he doesn't have the bulk to be an every-down pounder, once he gets the ball to the edge or finds a crease in the defense between the tackles, he can make big plays. Rivals. com's No. 3 player in Ohio and No. 66 overall prospect in the land is also a natural pass catcher and could fig- ure in at slot receiver when he arrives in college. Although he camped at Michigan last summer, the Wolverines never offered McCall. The four-star recruit committed to Ohio State over Michigan State, Tennessee, West Virginia and several Mid-American Conference programs in March. 6. Josh King, DE Darien (Ill.) Hinsdale South High School King is a lanky defensive end who uses pure speed off the edge and his long arms to keep offensive linemen at bay and get into the backfield. He has good knowledge of leverage as a state cham- pion wrestler, but that sport has also seen him keep his weight well below what you might expect for a high-caliber defensive end of his height. Standing 6-6 but just 220 pounds, he'll have to work hard in the weight room early in his college career to be more than just a pass rusher. He has the frame and work ethic to do so. He is listed as a four-star prospect, the top player in Illinois and the No. 69 overall recruit nationally by Rivals.com. King was expected to make an early June commitment, and he did just that, pledging to Michigan State, choosing the Spartans over his other finalists — Michigan, Notre Dame, Penn State and USC. 7. Donnie Corley, WR Detroit Martin Luther King Collegiate Corley is athletic enough that he's a top- 100 wide receiver, but he has also received scholar- ship offers from the likes of Nebraska and North Caro- lina State to play defensive back. The 6-2, 190-pounder played that position for the first time as a high school junior. Offense is where he shines, though. Corley is a true pro-style wide receiver with the speed and quickness to get open against all types of coverage, and the skills to win jump balls in the red zone. He's MIDWEST TOP 30 The Region's Best In The Class Of 2016