The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/1061540
JANUARY 2019 THE WOLVERINE 47 MICHIGAN RECRUITING in the classroom as well," he said. "I look forward to becoming the best player I can be there, and I'm excited to play at such a great university with amazing fans." Depending on what David Long and Lavert Hill decide to do, Perry, at 6-1, 188 pounds, might have a chance to battle into at least the two deep next fall. Everett (Mass.) High three-star athlete Mike Sainristil also commit- ted to Michigan in November and can't wait to be on campus. The 5-9, 175-pounder does it all in high school and is going to get a look all over the place at Michigan. Because he's go- ing to have much to learn, the No. 60 athlete in the country knows that en- rolling early is the best move for him. "I feel like it'll help me excel sooner, and I know that the coaches want me to learn both sides of the ball. I'll be able to have more time to learn," he explained. "Even more importantly, I want to be able to go in and get my classes situated. I want to get credits early. "By doing this I won't have to take summer classes, I won't have to miss practices, and I'll start the fall semes- ter with credits under my belt." Finally, the only in-state early en- rollee will be Kentwood (Mich.) East Kentwood four-star defensive tackle Mazi Smith. The 6-3, 302-pounder looks forward to honing his skills and learning under such a great de- fensive staff. "I saw a great opportunity, and I took it," Smith said. "The earlier I enroll, the earlier I'll be able to put in the work and try to make something of myself at the next level." Smith is ranked as the No. 8 defen- sive tackle and No. 174 overall pros- pect nationally. Once at Michigan, he's going to be in a very structured and intense weight training program and will receive guidance from a nu- tritionist to transform his body. That help, coupled with his size and athleticism, could give him a chance to provide depth on the in- terior of the defensive line next fall. TWO RIVALS250 PROSPECTS DECOMMIT In a move that shouldn't have sur- prised any Michigan fans, Memphis (Tenn.) Lausanne Collegiate School four-star all-purpose back Eric Gray decommitted from U-M Dec. 1. "First off, I would like to say thank you to Coach [Jim] Harbaugh and the entire Michigan staff and all of fans that have supported me," Gray tweeted. "The University of Michi- gan gave me an unbelievable oppor- tunity to be a part of an excellent pro- gram. However, at this time I feel it's best for me and my family to reopen my recruitment and decommit from the university. "There is no love lost between me and the coaching staff there. I wish them the best of luck. Thank you again to everyone but please respect my decision." The 5-10, 185-pounder had been committed to Michigan for five months, but started to look around almost immediately after he pledged to U-M. The home-state Volunteers, Ole Miss, Alabama and Texas A&M are all involved with the No. 4 all- purpose back and No. 233 overall prospect nationally, with Knoxville feeling like his future home. The ver- satile back is expected to sign, gradu- ate and enroll early at his school of choice, and he's squeezing in Decem- ber visits as he gets ready to make a decision. On the flip side, Tulsa (Okla.) Booker T. Washington five-star Dax- ton Hill's decommitment and flip to Alabama surprised everyone. The 6-1, 190-pounder took to Twitter Dec. 8 to let fans know that he'll be play- ing next year in Tuscaloosa, not Ann Arbor. "I would like to thank the Univer- sity of Michigan for their love and support throughout this time of re- cruiting me," he wrote. "Thank you to all the coaches at Michigan that took their time to come see me play or reached out to make sure every- thing was well with my family and I. This was a tough decision for me and my family, but I have decided to decommit from the University of Michigan and flip my commitment to the University of Alabama." As the No. 1 safety and No. 24 overall prospect nationally, Hill's de- cision definitely hurts. Michigan's class dropped from No. 8 to No. 10 just from losing Hill, while Alabama looks poised to finish with the No. 1 class yet again. ❏ 2019 Michigan Commitment List Player Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown (High School) Erick All TE 6-4 223 Fairfield, Ohio (Fairfield) Karsen Barnhart OT 6-5 280 Paw Paw, Mich. (Paw Paw) Zach Carpenter OG 6-5 305 Cincinnati (Moeller) Zach Charbonnet RB 6-1 190 Westlake Village, Calif. (Oaks Christian) Christopher Hinton DE 6-5 265 Norcross, Ga. (Greater Atlanta Christian) Giles Jackson RB 5-9 183 Oakley, Calif. (Freedom) George Johnson III ATH 5-11 175 Stuart, Fla. (Martin County) Quinten Johnson S 5-11 190 Washington, D.C. (St. John's College High) Trente Jones OL 6-5 293 Loganville, Ga. (Grayson) Quintel Kent WR 6-0 170 Lakewood, Ohio (St. Edward) Cade McNamara QB 6-1 170 Reno, Nev. (Damonte Ranch) Michael Morris DE 6-6 260 Boca Raton, Fla. (American Heritage) Gabe Newburg DE 6-5 230 Clayton, Ohio (Northmont) David Ojabo DE 6-5 240 Blairstown, N.J. (Blair Academy) Jalen Perry CB 6-1 188 Dacula, Ga. (Dacula) Amauri Pesek-Hickson ATH 6-2 215 Overland Park, Kan. (Blue Valley North) Nolan Rumler OL 6-4 300 Akron, Ohio (Hoban) Mike Sainristil ATH 5-9 175 Everett, Mass. (Everett) Mazi Smith DT 6-3 302 Kentwood, Mich. (East Kentwood) Jack Stewart OL 6-5 285 New Canaan, Conn. (New Canaan) Charles Thomas LB 6-0 216 Fairburn, Ga. (St. Thomas More [Conn.]) DJ Turner II CB 5-11 160 Suwanee, Ga. (IMG Academy [Fla.]) Joey Velazquez S 6-0 205 Columbus, Ohio (St. Frances DeSales) 2020 Michigan Commitment List Player Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown (High School) Kalil Branham WR 6-1 190 Columbus, Ohio (Northland) Nick Patterson TE 6-3 215 San Antonio (San Antonio Christian) Andre Seldon CB 5-9 154 Belleville, Mich. (Belleville) Cornell Wheeler LB 6-0 229 West Bloomfield, Mich. (West Bloomfield)