The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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90 THE WOLVERINE MARCH 2017 2017 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY BRANDON BROWN In early December, Detroit Mar- tin Luther King four-star corner- back Ambry Thomas announced via Twitter that he was committing to Michigan, which meant he wasn't heading to Michigan State. The 6-0, 170-pounder had been billed as a Spartan lean throughout much of his recruitment, but when the time came he was all blue. "I feel like they have good people up there," Thomas said of U-M. "They're winning and they really know what they're doing. It's my type of defense. It's a man, press type of de- fense. I'll be assigned to just one person all the time so I like that. "I'm just ready to win at Michigan. I don't like losing." Thomas' talents are undeni- able. Rivals rates him as the No. 2 player in the Michigan, and the No. 15 cornerback and No. 146 overall prospect nationally. Martin Luther King head coach Tyrone Spencer has seen that talent on display every day over the last three-plus years and knows Michigan is getting a good one. "He's really developed as a leader over the years," Spen- cer said. "That's something we preach a lot in the program. We want our kids to stay humble and hungry and continue to work. The guys from last year and this year set the trend, and that's what's expected. "I think [Michigan] knows what they are getting out of Ambry Thomas. They are getting a phenom- enal athlete and a great person. He's a kid who is serious and focused on winning. He's somebody who is go- ing to have great success because he's confident in his ability. I think with all of that stuff combined he'll have a great time up there." Rivals.com Midwest recruiting analyst Josh Helmholdt has also watched Thomas develop over the last few years — on both sides of the ball — and thinks that even though he's very good on offense and de- fense already, Thomas still has a lot of room to improve and could reach elite levels as a defensive back. "He just has a natural skill set that lines up better for corner," Helm- holdt said. "Offensively he's a great athlete and he makes plays there, but he's more special at cornerback. His potential is the highest at cornerback. He's going to maximize who he is at the next level on defense. He doesn't have a great frame for the slot [re- ceiver] at the college level. "His speed, athleticism and agil- ity are not necessarily unique for the wide receiver position, but at corner- back he has more elite traits. That's where he'll make a longer career in my opinion." Spencer knows Thomas will reach that potential because of his competi- tive drive. "Bry's competitive nature is on an- other level," the coach said. "He is so competitive. His mentality is just all about competition. He and Don- nie [Corley, a rising sophomore at Michigan State] are two of the best competitors I've ever seen. "The level of talking and wanting to get after it is on another level with both of them." Michigan secondary coach Mike Zordich made similar comments about Thomas on National Signing Day, referencing his competitive edge and noting he believes that the coaching staff has a very talented in- dividual to start molding. "Ambry is a real competitor," Zordich said. "He is very feisty and another one of our players who I can't wait to get on the field. He is very athletic and played both ways in high school. He was an excellent re- ceiver on offense in high school, so he is an exciting individual. "We are glad to have him at Michigan and look forward to working with him." Corley is obviously at Michi- gan State and to some degree, spurned Michigan for MSU, whereas Thomas did the oppo- site. Thomas is glad he made the choice he did, even though it was difficult and means bat- tles against Corley, his former teammate and close friend. "It was a hard, hard deci- sion," Thomas said. "It was Michigan or Michigan State for quite some time. I just knew I had to step up and be a man. "I talked to Donnie and he was proud of my decision, but he was mad. We exchanged some words, but it's all love." At the end of his process, Thomas rejected the Spartans in favor of Michigan and also brushed away offers from Ari- zona, Auburn, Florida, Iowa, LSU, Ole Miss, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Penn State, UCLA, USC, West Virginia and Wis- consin, among others. Thomas is already enrolled at Michigan and will compete to get on the field as a true freshman with openings left by seniors Jourdan Lewis and Channing Stribling. He may also get a look on offense after a very productive senior season in which he made 34 catches for 903 yards and 14 touchdowns as a re- ceiver. He also recorded 44 tackles, 14 passes broken up and three intercep- tions in his final prep season. He took one of the interceptions back for a touchdown and also had a punt re- turn and a kick return for a score. ❏ Four-Star Detroit Corner Ambry Thomas Is A Perfect Fit At U-M Rivals.com rates Thomas as the No. 2 prospect in Michigan, and the No. 15 cornerback and No. 146 overall player in the country. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM