The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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74 ■ THE WOLVERINE 2017 FOOTBALL PREVIEW WIDE RECEIVERS Tarik Black in some of the seven-on-sevens, the [prep] all-star game and the spring game, that he was underrated. You've got to be ex- cited about his future. "If I was to bet on a youngster breaking through, there are really three in this mix. Tarik Black has certainly made himself a factor." Another definitely in the mix is Peoples- Jones, who combines a 39-inch vertical jump and excellent hands with his afore- mentioned speed. He didn't stand out in the spring game, making a pair of catches for seven yards, and battled injury for part of spring ball. That said, few doubt he'll be in the mix come August. "He has a chance to be a physically domi- nating receiver," Karsch assessed. "Getting used to the physicality at the collegiate level, a guy like that with that kind of size and strength is more prepared to do so. "The future is incredibly bright for Dono- van Peoples-Jones. He's a high-end talent that is probably going to make an impact pretty quickly." The third of the potential early impact three, in Karsch's mind, is Brad Hawkins, who spent a year at prep school beyond his high school career, gearing up for this op- portunity. While he's strong and physical enough that some wonder if he might be called upon to play safety — including Har- baugh himself, who mentioned it as a pos- sibility this summer — Hawkins has already demonstrated excellent receiving skills. "He has one of the best high school tapes I've ever seen," Karsch said. "The year at prep school kind of takes him out of the consciousness, but I've seen his highlights from his prep school. "I remember the same thought when I saw Mike Hart's tape. It's like, 'Wow, what do they have here?' He could be vastly under- rated. "When I talk about the three youngsters [who could impact], it's Donovan Peoples- Jones, Tarik Black and Brad Hawkins, who is absolutely in that category." That doesn't rule out an early chance for Nico Collins and Oliver Martin, who round out a fearsome five among the frosh. But they'll have work to do, rising up over fresh- men who played all spring at Michigan and one who experienced an extra season of prep beyond high school. "All I saw was high school film," Karsch said of Collins. "I liked what I saw. He's maybe a redshirt candidate, but it's foolish to count anybody out before you get to see them play." Martin's possible opening comes because he can play the slot, which needs bolstering at this point. "If I were to look at a position in which you could make an impact, I'd say slot re- ceiver is one of them," Karsch said. "The incumbent there [Perry] allowed the door to get opened up." Coaches shy from the word "potential" like they would a three-fingered wide re- ceiver. Michigan's young receiving corps possesses it in abundance, but that needs to translate onto the field. Former head coach Lloyd Carr used to Sophomore Kekoa Crawford played in all 13 games last fall, and hauled in four catches for 47 yards and a touchdown. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN "The future is incredibly bright for Donovan Peoples-Jones. He's a high-end talent that is probably going to make an impact pretty quickly." MICHIGAN SIDELINE REPORTER AND DETROIT RADIO PERSONALITY DOUG KARSCH