The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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PREP PROFILES Los Angeles Augustus Hawkins wide receiver Joseph Lewis looks like he could play in college right now. The five-star prospect is big- ger, stronger and faster than virtu- ally every defensive back he lines up against on the high school level. "Lewis makes all the catches, and even with corner- b a c k s h a n g i n g all over him and tryin g to slow him down on the outside, the five- star receiver still makes some re- ally nice grabs," Rivals.com na- t i o n a l re c ru i t i n g analyst Adam Gorney said. "He's not the world's fastest receiver, but Lewis is a great route runner and gets separation. And even when he doesn't, the Los Angeles Hawkins recruit usually comes down with the ball." Lewis' impressive physique (6-2, 197 pounds) and elite set of athletic skills make him the No. 4 wide re- ceiver and No. 20 overall player in the entire country according to Ri- vals.com. He's also considered the top pass catcher and No. 4 player in the Golden State. He stopped by Michigan recently before a seven- on-seven tournament in Illinois, and really liked what Ann Arbor and U-M head coach Jim Harbaugh had to offer. "It's a cool campus," Lewis said. "We saw the stadium and just went all around the campus. We got a chance to talk with Coach Harbaugh and stuff. We had a really good talk. "He was great to talk to. He's very energetic for sure. He's a good per- son to be around — you could tell that. He didn't re a l l y d o a n y - thing too crazy, I guess he was just chill that day." Coaching staffs from all over the c o u n t r y w a n t L e w i s t o p l a y for them, and a few are starting to make an impression. "The five-star wide receiver is one of the most sought-after prospects on the West Coast, but his recruit- ment has gone national over the past few months," Rivals.com Southeast recruiting analyst Woody Wommack said. "Arizona, Nebraska and Okla- homa seem to have the upper hand, with the Huskers building a ton of momentum on the West Coast." Michigan certainly seems to have made a solid impression on Lewis, but others schools are giving their best pitches as well. Pulling a blue- chip talent like him away from the West Coast is no small task, but a stellar season on the field in 2016 could give Michigan a shot. — Brandon Brown California Five-Star Likes What U-M Is About ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ Augustus Hawkins H.S. Los Angeles Class: 2017 Position: Wide Receiver Ht.: 6-2 • Wt.: 197 Rivals.com Rankings: No. 4 player in California, and No. 4 wide receiver and No. 20 overall prospect nationally Joseph Lewis