The Wolverine

March 2017 Recruiting Issue

The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports

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48 THE WOLVERINE MARCH 2017 2017 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY BRANDON BROWN In the months leading up to his commitment, at offseason camps and other football-re- lated events, Detroit Oak Park three-star offensive tackle Ja'Raymond Hall was usually decked out, head to toe, in Maize and Blue. After going through an intense workout with DGA Developing on the morning of Dec. 5, 2015, Hall gave a low-key interview but with it delivered some big news. "Today is about me com- mitting to Michigan," he said matter of factly. "I'm com- mitted to Michigan as of this morning. I called Coach [Ty- rone] Wheatley and told him that I was committing." Wheatley, Michigan's for- mer running backs coach, was never going to be in posi- tion meetings or run drills for Hall to partake in, but their relationship blossomed to the point where Hall knew Michi- gan was the place for him. As a Detroit native, Wheatley was famil- iar with the landscape in the area and put in a lot of work recruiting the city and surrounding suburbs. It paid off in the form of a pledge from Hall. "It just felt right with Coach Wheatley," Hall said. "Everything about Michigan felt right, really, from the atmosphere to the academics. The academics are first and that part is great. It's all just right." The Wolverines were Hall's first Power Five offer, and even though Tennessee, Ole Miss and Penn State were among the tenders that came along after, he felt like Michigan was the right destination for a while. He knew he'd be a Wolverine pretty early on in the process, and even though Wheatley is no longer on the staff and other schools never gave up on him, it was always U-M for the in- state prospect. "I knew I always liked Michigan," he said. "I was wearing the gear all over and it felt normal. They were always high in my mind." Rivals.com Midwest recruiting an- alyst Josh Helmholdt watched Hall, the No. 17 player in Michigan and No. 78 offensive tackle nationally, de- velop for a couple of years and thinks Michigan has an unfinished product on its roster. "Hall is an athletic offensive tackle prospect," Helmholdt said. "I like a lot of things about Ja'Raymond. He's got great feet and a good ability to kick out and handle speed rushers off of the edge. "Hall is raw, but he's improved and developed well. He doesn't have any weaknesses that aren't correct- able. Like most offensive linemen coming out of high school, Hall will benefit greatly from strength and technique coaches in college." Listed at 6-5, 272 pounds upon en- rolling at the school, Hall has a lot of upside still and could develop into a tackle or a guard. Michigan offensive line coach Tim Drevno sees a lot to like in the local product and is glad to have him on campus as an early enrollee. "With Ja'Raymond, there are a lot of things to love," Drevno said. "I love his foot turnover speed and I love his athleticism. He is a guy that loves the play along the O-line, and you can see that in the way he is physical at the point of attack. "He recovers well, too. If he gets himself into a bad posi- tion, he is able to come out with his top-notch recover- ability skills. Those are just a couple of the reasons we are excited to bring Ja'Raymond into our meeting room and we're glad to have him in maize and blue." Hall was a regular around Michigan games in 2016 and loved every minute spent in Ann Arbor. He also really enjoyed spending time with Drevno and believes he'll de- velop well under the veteran O-line coach. "I missed the Hawai'i game, but that's it," Hall said. "I mean I'm right here and I love that I could go up for all of the homes games. Being about 40 minutes [away] allowed me to make it every time. "[Coach Drevno and I] talked quite often. Whenever I see him it's always big and it always feels natural. It's all love with Coach Drev. He's pretty much the only coach I talked to. Whenever I was up there I have a good bond with all of [the coaches], but it was only Coach Drevno in text [messaging] and stuff. "He's a really good coach, you can tell. He's enthusiastic; he's not a boring person at all. I've been with him off the field, on the field, in team meeting rooms and just hanging out — all of that." Because Hall's position at Michi- gan is still fluid, he has some things to figure out. Being on campus al- ready will give him a chance to start settling on his role a little earlier than the traditional incoming freshman. If his prep career was any indica- tion, though, Hall is likely to improve as time goes on and eventually find a way to help the Wolverines a great deal. It might not be until he puts on the neceessary weight, but an athlete like Hall will be hard to keep off the field once he fills out. ❏ Ja'Raymond Hall Picks Michigan And Stays The Course Being only 40 minutes away from Michigan Stadium allowed Hall to see every U-M home game his senior year except for one. PHOTO BY BRANDON BROWN

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