The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/835590
THE WOLVERINE 2017 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 71 RUNNING BACKS THE WOLVERINE 2017 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 71 RUNNING BACKS as a junior, including a title-game record 376 yards in the 2011 Class 1A Illinois state championship contest … Earned Illinois Football Coaches Association first- team All-State honors as a senior … As a junior was named a USA Today second-team All-American, an ESPNHS.com first-team Junior All-American and The Chicago Sun-Times Player Of The Year … Tabbed as a five-star prospect, the No. 2 recruit in Illinois, and the nation's No. 4 running back and No. 27 overall player by Rivals.com. Personal: Born Oct. 16, 1994 … Enrolled in the Col- lege of Literature, Science and the Arts. Year GP/GS Att. Yds. Avg. TD 2013* 14/0 40 236 5.9 2 2014 Sat out due to NCAA transfer rules 2015 8/1 30 205 6.8 1 2016 12/0 74 417 5.6 5 Totals 34/1 144 858 6.0 8 *At USC HENRY POGGI • FB 5th-Sr. • Baltimore Ht.: 6-4 • Wt.: 257 Career Highlights: Has seen time in 31 games in his career, starting four at tight end and seven at fullback … Played in all 13 games in 2016, making six catches for 45 yards … Appeared in 12 games with four starts in 2015 as a tight end and fullback … Made his first career start at Utah, playing tight end … Recorded his first career start at fullback, catching his first pass for two yards, against Oregon State … Played in six games as a de- fensive lineman and recorded two tackles in 2014 … Redshirted during the 2013 season. Prep: Spent three seasons on the Gilman School varsity team, accumulating 165 total stops, 53 tackles for loss and 32.5 sacks in his career … Also played tight end, catching 18 balls for 165 yards and two touchdowns … Ranked as a four-star recruit, the No. 4 player in Maryland, and the No. 5 defensive tackle and No. 70 overall player in the country by Rivals.com … Rated as the No. 1 defensive tackle and the No. 9 overall player in the nation by Max- Preps.com. Personal: Born Aug. 9, 1994 … Enrolled in the Col- lege of Literature, Science and the Arts. KAREEM WALKER • RB R-Fr. • Wayne, N.J. Ht. 6-1 • Wt. 207 Career Highlights: Did not see game action in 2016. Prep: Led the DePaul Catholic Spartans to three straight New Jersey Non-Public Group 2 state championships … Recorded 4,563 rushing yards and 55 rushing touch- downs in his high school career … Caught 19 passes for 245 yards … Posted 1,517 rushing yards with 13 touchdowns as a senior … Ran for 1,607 yards and 26 touchdowns as a junior … Named to NJ.com All- State first team for last two seasons of prep football … Listed as a four-star prospect, the No. 5 talent in New Jersey, and the No. 6 running back and No. 181 player in the country by Rivals. Personal: Born May 18, 1998 … Enrolled in the College of Literature, Science and the Arts. NEWCOMERS BEN MASON • FB Fr. • Newtown, Conn. Ht.: 6-3 • Wt.: 247 Prep: Recorded 63 tackles, three tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, one pass broken up and an interception returned for a touchdown as a senior … He also had 80 carries for 719 yards and 11 touchdowns, as well as 15 catches for 188 yards and three touchdowns his final season … Named the Ga- torade Player of the Year for the state, and USA Today All-USA Connecticut first team and Defensive Player of the Year for 2016 … As a junior, posted 113 stops, 11 tackles for loss, four sacks, a fumble recovery and four interceptions, three of which were returned for touchdowns … On offense in his penultimate year he ran the ball 43 times for 231 yards and six touchdowns along with 24 catches for 416 yards and nine touchdowns … Rated as a three-star recruit, the No. 6 player in Connecticut and the No. 35 inside linebacker in the country by Rivals.com. Personal: Born May 25, 1999. O'MAURY SAMUELS • RB Fr. • Los Lunas, N.M. Ht. 5-10 • Wt. 192 Prep: Ran the ball 160 times for 1,376 yards and 14 touchdowns as a senior … Had two catches for 23 yards and a touchdown as well as a kickoff return touchdown his final year … Garnered USA Today All- USA New Mexico first-team honors in 2016 … First- team New Mexico High School Coaches Association 5A All-State as a senior and junior … Notched 185 car- ries for 1,468 yards and 21 touchdowns in addition to eight receptions for 92 yards and two touchdowns his junior season … On special teams as a junior, he returned six kickoffs for 186 yards and a touchdown … USA Today All-USA New Mexico second-team se- lection in 2015 … His sophomore season he compiled 187 carries for 1,397 yards and 14 touchdowns along with three catches for 55 yards and a touchdown … Added two kickoff returns for 150 yards and a kickoff return touchdown as a sophomore … His freshman season he posted 27 carries for 65 yards and a touch- down … Ranked as a four-star recruit and the No. 21 running back nationally by Rivals.com. Personal: Born June 18, 1999. KURT TAYLOR • RB Fr. • Covington, Ga. Ht. 5-8 • Wt. 197 Prep: Had 191 carries for 930 yards and 14 touch- downs as a senior after transferring from Newton High to Grayson High … Also had 21 catches for 332 yards and five touchdowns his final year … At New- ton, rushed the ball 240 times for 1,631 yards and 22 touchdowns his junior season … Earned 6A first-team all-region honors in 2015 … Ranked as a two-star recruit by Rivals.com. Kareem Walker amassed 4,563 yards and 55 touchdowns on the ground during his career at Wayne (N.J.) DePaul Catholic, then he redshirted his first year at Michigan. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL