The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/1061540
48 THE WOLVERINE JANUARY 2019 BY BRANDON BROWN F ive future Wolverines will be playing in All-American games during the first week of January and, as usual, they are excited to be com- peting against other top prospects. It's also a great opportunity for each of the young men to represent their high schools and, of course, the Uni- versity of Michigan on national tele- vision. A handful of Michigan targets will also be playing in the games, giving the commits a chance to convince them to join them in Ann Arbor. UNDER ARMOUR ALL-AMERICA GAME THURS., JAN. 3 ORLANDO, FLA. 6 P.M. EST • ESPN2 Four future Wolverines will play in the Under Armour All-America Game. Westlake Village (Calif.) Oaks Christian four-star running back Zach Charbonnet, Washington (D.C.) St. John's College High four-star safety Quinten Johnson, Akron (Ohio) Ho- ban four-star offensive guard Nolan Rumler and Kentwood (Mich.) East Kentwood four-star defensive tackle Mazi Smith will all be in Orlando for the prestigious game. Charbonnet recently received a huge bump in the Rivals.com rank- ings and is now considered the No. 4 running back and No. 39 overall pros- pect nationally. The 6-2, 219-pounder rarely talks to the media, but he'll get a chance to let his game do the talking to the nation, and Michigan fans, in the Under Armour game. Johnson also climbed up the rank- ings and is now the No. 20 safety and No. 237 overall prospect in the coun- try. The 5-11, 190-pounder isn't quite as quiet as Charbonnet, but he also keeps to himself for the most part. He'll have a chance to try out at a couple of different positions once at Michigan, including viper. It will be interesting to see how he does and where he plays in the UA game. Rumler, the No. 8 offensive guard and No. 141 overall player nation- ally, is a Michigan throwback. The 6-4, 300-pounder is mean, nasty and all interior lineman. He just helped Hoban High finish 15-0 and capture a state championship for the fourth year in a row. Now, his sights are set on competing against other top pros- pects in the Under Armour game. "I'm very excited to compete against other players who are on the same level as I am," Rumler said. "I actually watch the whole week of practice and the game every year, and this has always been a dream of mine. "I'm also excited to hopefully meet some other Michigan commits who I have not met yet, and I am excited for the overall experience." Smith, the No. 8 defensive tackle and No. 174 overall prospect nation- ally, had similar sentiments. "It feels like a pretty good accom- plishment right now," Smith said. "I never expected that I was going to get picked to play in that game. It's pretty big for me." The 6-3, 302-pounder can't wait to actually get on the field and start cracking pads. "I'm most excited just to compete with high-caliber and high-class play- ers," he said. "My goal is always to be dominant no matter who it's against. "I'm not going to say anything be- fore it happens. I'm just going to get out there and do my best." As for U-M targets in the game, there are two worth keeping an eye on. Savannah (Ga.) Islands four-star outside linebacker Kalen DeLoach has been committed to Florida State since July 2018, but he's always been high on the Wolverines. The 6-1, 205-pounder took an official visit to Michigan for the Penn State game and left feeling very good about U-M. "The coaches showed me a lot of at- tention, but they were not pressuring me," DeLoach said. "They just made sure that I knew I would have every- thing I need if I chose Michigan. The coaches there are great guys and they were great to be around. "The coaching staff is really close and I like that. They gave a great vibe. Michigan has definitely given me something to think about. You can never go wrong going to Michigan. FOOTBALL RECRUITING Michigan Commits And Targets Are Getting Ready For All-American Games Commit Nolan Rumler is ranked by Rivals.com as the No. 8 guard and the No. 141 overall prospect in the country. He is one of four pledges in the Under Armour All-American Game. PHOTO BY BRANDON BROWN