Michigan Football Preview 2017

2017 Michigan Football Preview

The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports

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174 ■ THE WOLVERINE 2017 FOOTBALL PREVIEW MICHIGAN TOP 10 BY BRANDON BROWN M ichigan had already landed three in-state prospects in the rising senior class through the first five months of 2017, but only one of them cracked the top 10 within the Great Lakes State. Jim Harbaugh and Co. will always recruit nationally with a few local products sprinkled in, and based on Michigan's needs as of June 1 that number might stay at three. 1. Kalon Gervin, CB Detroit Cass Technical High School Gervin isn't the biggest, rangiest cornerback, but he's very physical and plays with a toughness coaches love to see. The top player in Michigan, he is considered a four-star cornerback and is the No. 104 overall prospect in the country by Rivals. He was once committed to Notre Dame, but opened his recruitment back up after a lack of communication with the Irish staff. After decommitting, he picked up an offer from Ohio State. The Buckeyes definitely have his attention, but Oregon and Virginia Tech are also heavily involved with the 5-11, 180-pounder. 2. Marquan McCall, OG Oak Park High School McCall is a load of an of- fensive lineman at 6-3 and 323 pounds. He's proficient in run blocking, but also holds his own as a pass pro- tector despite being designed perfectly as an interior road grater. Heading into his senior season, the No. 115 overall player in the nation has the look of a big-time college lineman. His offer list developed well over the last couple of years, but both Michigan and Michigan State cooled on him. That caused him to look around a bit and ultimately com- mit to Kentucky in early May. It's unclear if McCall will continue to entertain other suit- ors, but heading into the summer the Wildcat faithful are extremely excited to have nabbed a top talent out of Michigan. 3. Antwan Reed, OT Muskegon High School At 6-5 and 334 pounds, Reed definitely looks like a big-time tackle prospect with his senior season approach- ing. He still has some reshap- ing to do, but his body has filled out and he now has the bulk to compete at the next level. The No. 222 overall prospect nationally committed to Penn State in late April and hasn't shown any signs of wavering. Michi- gan offered, but never showed any legitimate attention. 4. Aidan Hutchinson, DE Dearborn Divine Child The lone Michigan com- mit within the state's top 10, Hutchinson has developed into a stud heading into his senior season. Measuring in at 6-6 and 248 pounds, he now has the look of a true threat as a defensive end. Considered the No. 18 strong- side defensive end in the nation, he has per- formed well all spring leading into his senior season and is pushing for Rivals250 status. Hutchinson is in line to potentially sign with U-M during the newly implemented early signing period Dec. 20-22. The son of former Michigan All-American Chris Hutchinson, he is rock solid on his decision and could be looked at as a steal later in his career. 5. Tyrone Sampson, C Detroit East English Village Sampson is the No. 3 cen- ter in the country, but neither Michigan or Michigan State offered the in-state talent. He's a bit short for the posi- tion, and that might've scared off some of the biggest pro- grams. However, at 6-3 and 304 pounds, he is as stout, technically sound and moves extremely well for someone with his stature. The Detroiter committed to Syracuse in mid-April, and it appears that the Orange got a steal out of the Great Lakes State. He could be an early contributor, based on what he's been able to do through his junior season. 6. Ovie Oghoufo, LB Farmington Hills Harrison Originally viewed as a wide receiver early in his prep career, Oghoufo is now a long, rangy, extremely ath- letic outside linebacker at 6-2 and 207 pounds. He runs like a deer, plays well in space and is not afraid of contact, despite being a little slight heading into is senior season. Being a little undersized is part of the reason for his relatively low ranking as the No. 31 outside linebacker in the nation. After picking up early offers from both Michigan and Michigan State, Oghoufo de- cided to pledge to Notre Dame in July 2017. He's been a solid ambassador for the Irish, and is recruiting other Michiganders and national recruits hard. 7. Reggie Pearson, S River Rouge High School In terms of size and ability, Pearson is very comparable to 2017 Michigan signee Jaylen Kelly-Powell, which may explain MICHIGAN TOP 10 The Best In The State For The Class Of 2018 Last Year's Cream Of The Crop Jim Harbaugh and his staff dominated in-state recruiting in the 2017 cycle, landing Michigan's lone five- star prospect along with another five top-10 prospects — plus No. 11 (defensive end Deron Irving-Bey) and No. 17 (offensive lineman Ja'Raymond Hall). Rk. Player Pos. High School College 1. Donovan Peoples-Jones WR Detroit Cass Tech Michigan 2. Ambry Thomas CB Detroit Martin Luther King Michigan 3. Joshua Ross LB Orchard Lake St. Mary's Michigan 4. Donovan Johnson CB Detroit Cass Tech Penn State 5. Hunter Rison WR Ann Arbor Skyline Michigan State 6. Antjuan Simmons LB Ann Arbor Pioneer Michigan State 7. Corey Malone-Hatcher DE St. Joseph Michigan 8. Jaylen Kelly-Powell S Detroit Cass Tech Michigan 9. Cody White WR Walled Lake Western Michigan State 10. Phillip Paea OL/DL Berrien Springs Michigan

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