The Wolverine

September 2018*

The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports

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54 THE WOLVERINE SEPTEMBER 2018 BY BRANDON BROWN C ollege football programs were permitted to officially offer 2019 prospects in writing starting Aug. 1, and coaches around the country ea- gerly waited for the clock to strike midnight so they could start showing off their fancy graphics. Michigan director of football creative Aaron Bills had his ammo ready to go, but the U-M coaches decided to ap- proach the first day in August a little differently. Instead of assigning mul- tiple recruiting analysts and graduate assistants to spam the inboxes of of- fered prospects as soon at it was al- lowed per NCAA rules, Jim Harbaugh opted to personally send out the of- ficial offers himself several hours later. The head coach rolled into Schem- bechler Hall early that morning and started sending out the offer graphic to every prospect Michigan is still re- cruiting, and the message definitely hit home. Frankfort (Ky.) Western Hills four- star athlete Wandale Robinson was one prospect to receive the offer di- rectly from Harbaugh, and the 5-9, 175-pounder really appreciated the head coach's gesture. "It definitely meant a lot," Robin- son said. "The fact that he took time out of his day to send it to me shows that he really wants me to be a part of his team." Robinson is considered the No. 22 athlete in the country by Rivals.com and is being recruited by Michigan as an "offensive weapon." He's been told that he'd be used in the slot, out of the backfield and in the return game. Oakley (Calif.) Freedom three-star Giles Jackson would be used in a sim- ilar fashion should he choose Michi- gan, even though he's listed as an all- purpose back. The 5-10, 185-pounder really appreciated the offer directly from Harbaugh and really likes the coach's down-to-earth approach. "To get an offer to Michigan is a very huge accomplishment, but to get it straight from Coach Harbaugh makes it seem like he really wants you rather than just getting it from your area coach," Jackson explained. "He's a great coach, and I had super fun when I went down there." Jackson was leaning toward an Aug. 24 commitment date, but is finding the decision more difficult than he anticipated. He's choosing between Michigan, Oregon, Oregon State and USC. One of Michigan's biggest remain- ing targets is Cedar Hill (Texas) Trin- ity Christian four-star safety Lewis Cine, and he, too, loved getting the direct attention from Harbaugh. "It's great and feels special that the head coach would do it himself," Cine explained. "It shows he cares and wants me in his program." The 6-1, 180-pound Cine — who played the last three years at Ever- ett High School in Everett, Mass. — is considered the No. 7 safety and No. 91 overall prospect nationally by Rivals.com. It's not just targets that got the spe- cial treatment. Every one of Michi- gan's 19 commits also received their offer directly from their future head coach. Loganville (Ga.) Grayson three- star offensive guard Trente Jones also appreciated Harbaugh's message. "It means the world to me," Jones said. "It shows me that my assump- tion about my choice was right. My assumption was that Michigan is a humble and loving school that knows how to treat its players right through thick and thin." Jones is considered the No. 17 of- fensive guard in the country by Rivals.com. Even though the 6-5, 293-pounder is listed as a guard, Michigan likes him because of his ath- leticism and versatility. Those traits could translate to Jones playing multi- ple positions along the offensive line. Michigan also sent out official of- fers to a handful of prospects that are committed elsewhere, indicating that their interest in seemingly off- the-market guys is still going strong. Round Rock (Texas) Cedar Ridge three-star wide receiver Jaylen Ellis tweeted out his official offer from U-M despite being a member of Baylor's class since June of last year. The 6-0, 186-pounder is considered the No. 46 wide receiver in the country by Rivals. com and maintains that he'll be in Ann Arbor this fall for an official visit. Apopka (Fla.) Wekiva three-star cornerback Renardo Green is com- mitted to Florida State and has been since April of this year. The 6-0, 170-pounder has been to Ann Arbor once before, and It'll be interesting to see if Rivals.com's No. 47 cornerback in the country ends up taking an of- ficial visit to Michigan. In a move that amused Michigan State fans quite a bit, Belleville (Mich.) High four-star athlete Julian Barnett tweeted out a photo of his official of- fer from Michigan. Of course, the 6-2, 180-pounder has been a member of MSU's recruiting class since Decem- ber, giving Spartan fans something to be excited about — the Michigan staff wants one of their guys. Barnett, the No. 9 athlete and No. 95 overall prospect nationally according to Rivals.com, hasn't shown any sign of being unhappy with the Spartans, but is still obviously being courted by many programs including Michigan. Even though he's not committed to another program, Indianapolis War- ren Central four-star wide receiver David Bell eliminated Michigan from contention earlier this spring, but Harbaugh still sent an official offer directly to him. The 6-2, 180-pounder   MICHIGAN RECRUITING Jim Harbaugh Personally Doles Out Official Offers To 2019 Prospects Cedar Hill (Texas) Trinity Christian four-star safety Lewis Cine, Rivals.com's No. 7 safety and No. 91 overall player in the country, loved receiving his written scholarship offer directly from Harbaugh. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM

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