The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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SEPTEMBER 2017 THE WOLVERINE 61 COMMITMENT PROFILE Most people knew that Michigan was in good shape with Norcross (Ga.) Greater Atlanta Christian five-star de- fensive end Christopher Hinton, but no one realized that he was ready to commit before starting his junior year. The 6-5, 265-pounder surprised many by committing to U-M Aug. 5 — not that anybody with a vested interest in the program is complain- ing. Rivals.com's No. 3 overall player in the 2019 class explained why he picked the Wolverines and why the timing was perfect for him. "I chose Michigan because of the great balance of academics and ath- letics," Hinton said. "Also, I feel like it will prepare me for the next step in life. The people at the University of Michigan are unique and made it feel like home as well. "Committing has been on my mind a lot lately, and I've been liking and wanting to commit for a while. With Sept. 1 coming soon, I wanted to fin- ish up the process kind of early." College coaching staffs can initiate contact with 2019 prospects starting Sept. 1, and Hinton knew that the floodgates would swing open on that date. They still might, but at least now he's committed and can politely shoot down other schools' advances. "I'm shutting it down," Hinton said. "I gave Michigan my word, and my word is my word. I'm 110 percent committed to the University of Michigan." Recruits say stuff like that all the time only to decommit and pledge to a different school. Rivals.com Geor- gia recruiting analyst Chad Simmons doesn't see it playing out like that with Hinton at all. "I would say that he's done," Sim- mons said. "It comes from his home life and his parents. Give them a lot of credit. I don't think they would've allowed Chris to make this decision if he was not 100 per- cent all-in and settled on being a Michigan Wolverine. "I'd be shocked if he even visits another campus. He's the kind of kid who has been going through this for about two years now. He has a ton of offers and he's taken a lot of visits, so I think he's done with the process. I'd be very surprised if he looks around at all." According to Hinton it'll be quite the opposite. He plans to recruit other Peach State stars and will start in his own home with his 6-5, 285-pound "little" brother Myles. The younger Hinton is an offensive tackle from the 2020 class and may very well follow big bro to Ann Arbor. "I'm definitely going to be recruit- ing my brother," Hinton said with a laugh. "That's my brother, so I only want what's best for him. If that's Michigan, then great, if not, then oh well. "I'm going to be recruiting a lot of guys out of Georgia, especially [Suwanee North Gwinnet three-star cornerback] DJ Turner." Hinton is a huge win for Jim Har- baugh and Co. on the recruiting trail, and continues momentum in Geor- gia, a state where the high school football is as good as anywhere. While playing in the Peach State as a sophomore, Hinton piled up 70 tack- les, 46 of which were solo. He also had half of a sack and was a regular at pressuring the quarterback. After that productive campaign, Hinton was named first-team all- region for Division 7-AAA by the league's coaches. He's expected to have a huge junior campaign and has been named to the MaxPreps 2017 Preseason Junior All-American Foot- ball second team. — Brandon Brown U-M Scores Surprise Pledge From Georgia Five-Star Christopher Hinton FILM EVALUATION Strengths: Christopher Hinton has a lot of strengths and they all add up to his biggest one, which is consistency. He's big, strong, motivated and athletic for his 6-5, 265-pound size, and just gets it as the son of a former NFL lineman. He's the No. 3 overall player nationally for a reason. Areas Of Improvement: There aren't a lot of weaknesses in Hinton's game, but if you have to pick something for him to improve it would be his overall strength. He's a big, strong kid, but will definitely have to be bigger and stronger to play at strongside end or along the interior of the defensive line in the Big Ten. He's just a rising junior, so he'll have plenty of time to get ready. Michigan Player Comparison: Hinton could end up being a cross between Taco Charlton (2013-16) and Chris Wormley (2012-16). Hinton is far more touted than both Charlton and Wormley were coming out of high school, but he has some similarities to both. He's big and thick like Wormley, but has a little more athleticism like Charlton. He has the ability to play inside or outside and holds up well against the run while still being a threat to rush the passer. — Analysis from TheWolverine.com Hinton, who is the son of seven-time NFL Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro offensive lineman Chris Hinton, is rated as the No. 3 overall player in the 2019 class by Rivals. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM