The Wolverine

May 2017 Issue

The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports

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MAY 2017 THE WOLVERINE 49   FOOTBALL RECRUITING Bowles and Batton are both wait- ing on their first offer, but as sopho- mores, they still have a lot of time to bring in those options. With offers from schools like Iowa, Kentucky, Minnesota, Ole Miss, Mis- souri, North Carolina, Northwestern and Wisconsin, among others, Floris- sant (Mo.) Hazelwood Central three- star safety Dallas Craddieth already has options, and, after swinging by Ann Arbor, he could soon be adding Michigan to that list. "It was a really good visit," Crad- dieth said. "I liked the atmosphere, the facilities and seeing how many former players came back to watch. The fans there are amazing. "I got to meet Coach Brown, which was pretty cool. He said he likes my size and can't wait to get to know me a little more. Coach [Brian] Smith likes me at safety and thinks I could fit into their defense. They just want to see how fast my 40 time is. Over- all, I enjoyed my visit." At 6-1, 180 pounds, Craddieth has the size that the Michigan coaches like in the secondary and, as the No. 31 safety in the country, he's a known prospect on the recruiting trail. Plantation (Fla.) American Heri- tage outside linebacker Andrew Chatfield, Indianapolis Lawrence Central outside linebacker Cameron McGrone and Detroit East English Village center Tyrone Sampson were also in attendance — and all carry four-star distinctions on the recruit- ing trail. The trio of juniors hold many Power Five offers, but did not procure one from U-M during the weekend of the spring game. FUTURE COMMITS? Finally, the group that fans care most about is the one comprised of players that could be in a maize and blue uni- form someday. Many offered players were in the house, and a few of them look like very realistic possibilities to eventually play in a Michigan spring game of their own in the future. Louisville (Ky.) Trinity four-star strongside defensive end Stephen Herron looks like one of the top over- all prospects in the entire 2019 class and has been quite high on Michigan since picking up his offer in February. "I definitely wasn't upset with my first visit to The Big House," Herron said with a laugh. "The fans knew my name. They were yelling, 'Ste- phen! Stephen! You're going to come here and do big things! Come to The Big House!' People were saying I'd be the next Taco [Charlton]. "I liked Michigan a lot. I can't wait to get back to Ann Arbor for an ac- tual game." As a 6-4, 225-pound 10th grader, Herron could very well end up being like Charlton, widely projected to be a first-round pick in the NFL Draft, and obviously coming to Michigan would make the comparison even more true. Perhaps the safest best to eventu- ally be a Wolverine is Grand Rap- ids (Mich.) Catholic Central three- star tackle Jalen Mayfield. The 6-5, 250-pounder used to be committed to Minnesota, but opened things up after a March visit to Michigan and an offer from the Maize and Blue. Mayfield has publicly named U-M his leader and couldn't have had a better time during the spring game. "The visit went great," he said. "I loved the environment and seeing the culture of Michigan football up close. Overall, my family and I had a blast." The No. 25 player in Michigan would like to make a decision before his senior season starts, and after his most recent visit to Ann Arbor, the smart money is on the Wolverines. If Mayfield is the best bet to even- tually be a part of U-M's 2018 class, Missouri City (Texas) Ridge Point four-star tight end Mustapha Mu- hammad is a very close second. The 6-5, 225-pounder stayed another night after the spring game and loved everything about his trip. "This was a great returning visit," he said. "I'm glad I came. My family and I had a fun time and felt really welcomed by the fans and coaches. I meshed well with the current U-M players and built some solid relation- ships as well. Coach [Jim] Harbaugh is just awesome." The No. 14 tight end nationally and No. 27 player in the state of Texas looks destined to end up in Ann Arbor for college and has formed a solid early friendship with Michigan commit Emil Ekiyor. Finally, in the 2019 class, Michi- gan is in solid early shape with Ak- ron (Ohio) Hoban four-star offen- sive guard Nolan Rumler. The 6-4, 300-pounder has two seasons of high school football left, but after the spring game visit, he may have Michigan firmly in the driver's seat. "It was a great day," he said. "First off, it was great weather, which made for a great day for football. I don't know exactly how many people were there, but it was solid attendance for a spring game. There were a lot of recruits there and it was pretty clear that a lot of people want to go there. "It was great to see Michigan play again, and I think they look pretty good right now. They were playing tough and looked faster this year. It was a good day all around." Rumler says he'd like to be com- mitted by mid-April next year. Other offered prospects in atten- dance from the 2018 class included Paramus (N.J.) Paramus Catholic four- star weakside defensive end Dorian Hardy; Las Vegas Bishop Gorman four-star tight end Brevin Jordan, who committed to Miami upon returning home from Ann Arbor; Orlando (Fla.) Olympia four-star dual-threat quar- terback Joe Milton; Irvington (N.J.) High four-star wide receiver Jasiah Provillon; and Las Vegas Bishop Gor- man four-star dual-threat quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson. From the 2019 class, Orange (N.J.) High cornerback Nyquee Hawkins, Hyattsville (Md.) DeMatha four-star wide receiver DeMarcco Hellams, and Ft. Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas inside linebacker Anthony Solomon also took in the event. ❏ Three-star offensive tackle Jalen Mayfield decommitted from Minnesota after a March visit to Ann Arbor that resulted in a Michigan offer. He has since publicly named the Wolverines his leader. PHOTO BY BRANDON BROWN

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