The Wolverine

March 2017 Recruiting Issue

The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports

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MARCH 2017 THE WOLVERINE 83 2017 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE MEASURABLES • Bench presses 350 pounds, squats 540 pounds and power cleans 325 pounds. STATISTICS • As a senior, Solomon had 77 tackles, 16 tackles for a loss, 12 sacks and a forced fumble returned 20 yards for a touch- down. • During his junior year, he notched 60 tackles, 12 tackles for a loss and five sacks. HONORS • MaxPreps 2016 first-team All-American; he was a second- team choice by USA Today. • Named the 2016 Defensive Player of the Year for Class AAAAAA by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Georgia Sports Writers Association and Associated Press. • USA Today All-USA Georgia first-team selection as a senior. • Georgia Sports Writers Association Class AAAAAA All- State first-team selection as a senior and second-team pick as a junior. • Named the Albany Herald Football Player of the Year as a senior. • MaxPreps 2013 second-team Freshman All-American. ALL-STAR GAMES AND CAMPS • Played in the 2017 U.S. Army All-American Bowl Jan. 7. RECRUITMENT • Committed Feb. 1, 2017. • Solomon originally committed to Michigan June 18, 2016, but it only lasted about two months. The five star decommit- ted from U-M after receiving a thank-you letter for an event he didn't attend. • Solomon officially visited USC (Jan. 13), Alabama (Nov. 26) and Michigan (Nov. 5). Georgia was also a player in Solo- mon's recruitment. • Linebackers coach Chris Partridge, defensive line coach Greg Mattison, head coach Jim Harbaugh and defensive coordinator Don Brown all pitched in to land Solomon. NOTABLE • Born Oct. 20, 1998. • Reached the second round of the Class AAAAAA state playoffs as a senior. • Helped his team reach the second round of the Class AAAAA playoffs as a freshman and reach the postseason as a sophomore in Class AAAAAA after moving up. 2017 PROJECTION Solomon has the size, athleticism and ability to be on the field as a true freshman. His burst is rare for someone his size, and lining him up alongside a talent like Rashan Gary, last year's consensus No. 1 overall recruit, is a scary thought for opponents. Expect Solomon to provide some depth on the young, but extremely talented, defensive line next fall. THEY SAID IT Rivals.com Southeast Recruiting Analyst Woody Wom- mack: "In a year where elite defensive tackles are hard to come by, one look at Solomon and you can see that he's got the potential to be a special talent. After playing both ways as a junior, he has excelled while focusing solely on the defensive line as a senior. He's a big body that can move and create problems as a pass rusher, as well as stop the run, something that is hard to find in a player his size." Defensive Line Coach Greg Mattison: "He has the size, the speed, the strength — he's got the whole package. He is also an outstanding young man. Aubrey has got a great mom [Sabrina Caldwell] who has instilled in him the charac- ter and the things you want in a Michigan football player. He works with an outreach program right now with young kids every week, and that shows who he is as a person, and not just as a player — he really has it all." Linebackers Coach Chris Partridge: "Aubrey is, in our eyes, the best defensive lineman that we have seen in terms of fitting who we are. He's explosive, he's fast, and he's ath- letic. We targeted him really early in the recruitment process as a guy to go [get] and help replace the great linemen that we have leaving. He is a very sharp young man who loves the game of football. He is a great teammate, too. He is ex- tremely bright on the field, and he is a guy who we hope can come in and contribute right away." AUBREY SOLOMON DEFENSIVE TACKLE 6-3 • 305 LEE COUNTY H.S. LEESBURG, GA. RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 31 2 4 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 11 2 1 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 30 3 3 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 63 5 7 Solomon was a huge National Signing Day pull for the Wolverines, giving them a trio of Rivals.com five stars for the first time in school history (the web site's rankings started in 2002). PHOTO BY BRANDON BROWN RIVALS.COM SOUTHEAST RECRUITING ANALYST WOODY WOMMACK "One look at Solomon and you can see that he's got the potential to be a special talent. … He's a big body that can move."

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