The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/787035
34 THE WOLVERINE MARCH 2017 2017 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE At the Signing of the Stars, Har- baugh named several family mem- bers of the two Michigan freshman wideouts already on campus and in attendance that day — Peoples-Jones and Tarik Black. Harbaugh hailed the "tremendous families" out of which they came, acknowledging the mutual trust in- volved in the developing relation- ship. "All welcomed us into their homes and are trusting us with their most prized possessions, these two great guys," Harbaugh said. "These are two of our best in the entire class. "It's just great getting to know them both … two big-time people. It's terrific to have them as part of our family." Peoples-Jones insists he under- stands the difficulty of pursuing a pre-med track while competing to play on the football field at Michigan. He says he's ready for that challenge and is already laying the foundation, finding his way around to campus buildings since his arrival. There's a long road ahead, he knows, but first steps are important. "I have a great connection with the doctors there at Michigan," he said. "It's going to mean a lot, because I have that connection going forward. To be able to study what I want to study — that's a crucial factor, too. "It's hard getting into medical school, but with the right connec- tions and the right criteria, it's defi- nitely possible." Peoples-Jones knows it's not easy cracking a college starting lineup as a true freshman, but he's also aware of the fifth-year senior departures out of the Wolverines' 2016 starting lineup. "They sold that to me," he ac- knowledged. "Obviously, their two biggest leading receivers are going to be gone, and they're going to replace them somehow. "I'm just going to come in and give it my all." He'll be doing so under the tute- lage of Pep Hamilton, Michigan's new passing game coordinator. Jedd Fisch's departure from that role to a new job at UCLA obviously wasn't a deal-breaker for Peoples-Jones, who cited the case of a former Cass Tech teammate as a cautionary tale. Running back Mike Weber went to Ohio State in 2015, only to find out after National Signing Day that his position coach was on his way out to another job. Peoples-Jones went in with his eyes wide open, knowing Fisch was gone prior to his signing and insisting it didn't make a differ- ence anyway. "I learned you can't really count on basing your decision off the coach- ing," Peoples-Jones said. "You have to look at the school, the program and the legacies they've left behind before the coaches. "I tried to apply that to my recruit- ment, and not really focus on the coaches too much. I believe Coach Harbaugh is going to stay there. I've talked to him about it, and he doesn't seem like a man who [is leaving]. "He's a great head coach. He has different tactics — different ways of doing different things. To present that he loves Michigan, that's just going to help the university and ev- erything in the program." Now, Peoples-Jones insisted, the really hard work begins. He's obvi- ously motivated academically, but he's coming to Michigan on a football scholarship, taking great pride in his ability to deliver. If he's to make The Big House his first operating room, he'll need to prepare relentlessly. "I have to compete, every day," Peoples-Jones said. "Every day I have to do something great, work- ing on getting better. This will be my craft. This will be what I want to do. "The players in the league, I've seen it. This is what they work on, 24/7. I'm going to have to be able to do that, and to adjust to any situa- tion." ❏ Peoples-Jones is Rivals' first top-ranked senior in Michigan to sign with the Wolverines since 2009 (five-star defensive tackle William Campbell). PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN