The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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AUGUST 2017 THE WOLVERINE 49 MICHIGAN RECRUITING There were four future Wolverines were in Oregon, and all four report- edly performed very well. Jake Re- use of UGASports.com was on site and was impressed by a player he's familiar with in Buford (Ga.) High three-star running back Christian Turner, who pledged to U-M in April. "I thought Christian had a solid showing and exhibited some good burst," Reuse said. "Being from Bu- ford, a program that prides itself on discipline, he's got excellent pa- tience, as well. In a down running back class, he's a very solid option and one of the better ones in 2018." Reuse also took notice of India- napolis Cathedral four-star offensive guard Emil Ekiyor even though he's not from his neck of the woods. "Ekiyor definitely looked like a top-150 player, as he more than held his own against some strong pass rushers," Reuse stated. "He's a pow- erful guy and doesn't give up a lot of ground. I liked what I saw from him." At 5-10 and 180 pounds, Turner is considered the No. 15 running back in the country, while Ekiyor is listed as the No. 5 offensive guard and No. 145 overall prospect nationally. The 6-4, 339-pounder is also the top prospect in the state of Indiana. Corey Bodden of BlueandGold.com was also in Beaverton and took notice of DeSoto (Texas) High four-star cor- nerback Gemon Green and Atlanta Westlake four-star cornerback Myles Sims while they were in action against some of the nation's best pass catchers. "Sims made a couple of nice plays during seven-on-seven play, includ- ing an interception on Saturday while playing safety," Bodden said. "He covers well and showed some versatility playing safety during the event. Cornerback is his future, but his versatility gives the Wolverines options if necessary. "Green, like Sims, covered well in the portions I watched during the event and made a few plays as well. He also showed good speed, which will serve him very well to go with his length at the cornerback spot. Green and Sims could make a formi- dable combination in the back half of the Wolverine defense once they arrive in Ann Arbor." At 6-3, 173 pounds and 6-2, 173 pounds, respectively, Sims and Green bring a lot of length to Michigan's 2018 class. A PEEK AT THE 2019 CLASS Michigan got the ball rolling in the 2019 class with the commitment of Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy outside linebacker Charles Thomas. The 6-0, 216-pounder committed to the Wolverines while in town for an unofficial visit. A quick look over the 2019 offer list reveals seven other names that jump out as potential U-M leans that could join Thomas. Kentwood (Mich.) East Kent- wood four-star offensive tackle Lo- gan Brown has always been high on Michigan and visited as recently as U-M's spring game. Akron (Ohio) Hoban four-star of- fensive guard Nolan Rumler was in Ann Arbor for U-M's Big Man Camp, and while he didn't participate in that camp he did spend considerable time talking with offensive line coach Tim Drevno. While in Indianapolis for the Ri- vals100 Five-Star Challenge, a Michi- gan hat was the only lid Stephen Her- ron threw on during the photo session. "Michigan is definitely going to be a big school for me," he said. "They've shown me a lot of love without even being able to call me, so I'm feeling them." Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas four-star inside linebacker Anthony Solomon (6-1, 180) has spent considerable time in Ann Ar- bor and may very well be a U-M lean. "Michigan is recruiting me hard," he said. "I feel good about them, and they really make me feel welcome." Another Michigan may lead for is Wake Forest (N.C.) Heritage four-star inside linebacker Drake Thomas. The 6-0, 225-pounder showed up in Indy for the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge with a Michigan shirt on but swore it didn't mean anything. "It's just a shirt right now, but I have a pretty good relationship with Coach [Don] Brown and Coach [Chris] Partridge," Thomas said with a laugh. "They both came down to my school and said that means that I'm a high priority for them." Detroit Martin Luther King safety Marvin Grant is very close with current Michigan freshman Ambry Thomas, and that could pay divi- dends down the road. Finally, Michigan freshman Dylan McCaffrey's younger brother, Luke, already holds a Michigan offer and could potentially give U-M a hard look. Like Dylan, Luke stays pretty quiet, but the next star McCaffrey out of Highlands Ranch (Colo.) Valor Christian can play wide receiver or quarterback and started receiving in- terest from the U-M staff before being offered in December 2016. The 6-2, 180-pounder is no stranger to the recruiting process because of his older brothers, and he'll have his own decision to make before long. ❏ 2018 Michigan Commitment List Player Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown (High School) Emil Ekiyor OL 6-4 339 Indianapolis (Cathedral) Gemon Green DB 6-2 173 DeSoto, Texas (DeSoto) German Green DB 6-2 180 DeSoto, Texas (DeSoto) Ryan Hayes OL 6-7 250 Traverse City, Mich. (West) Aidan Hutchinson DE 6-6 248 Dearborn, Mich. (Divine Child) Jalen Mayfield OL 6-5 250 Grand Rapids, Mich. (Catholic Central) Joe Milton QB 6-5 210 Orlando, Fla. (Olympia) Otis Reese LB 6-2 195 Leesburg, Ga. (Lee County) Myles Sims DB 6-3 173 Atlanta (Westlake) Christian Turner RB 5-10 180 Buford, Ga. (Buford) 2019 Michigan Commitment List Player Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown (High School) Charles Thomas LB 6-0 216 Fairburn, Ga. (IMG Academy [Fla.]) Four-star cornerback Myles Sims made plays at Nike's The Opening Finals June 28-July 3 in Beaverton, Ore., showing off his length and ball skills. PHOTO BY BRANDON BROWN