National Signing Day Recap

By Jacob Lipnik on February 5, 2015

With college football’s national signing day now in the rearview mirror, the University of Michigan’s 2015 recruiting class appears to be completely filled out. In total, head coach Jim Harbaugh, put in an extremely difficult situation and forced to try to fill out a class in less than a month, was able to snag 14 commitments to play for the Wolverines in 2015. Most of the players in the class have been verbally committed for a while now—some even since Brady Hoke was the head coach—while some just committed on national signing day itself.

Overall, although the Michigan staff did miss out on a few top targets (the loss of TE Chris Clark and RB Mike Weber, both former commits, especially stings), they were able to round out an impressive class given the circumstances. 247Sports, which bases its class rankings on a composite of every recruiting sites’ opinion, has Michigan’s class ranked as the 38th best this year, and 6th in the Big Ten. However, those rankings measure not only quality of commits, but quantity too. Michigan is at a disadvantage there; most classes are around 25 kids, not just 14. Unfortunately, Michigan simply didn’t have many more scholarships to dole out—at most they could have taken two or three more commits. But if you base the rankings solely on the quality of the players, the Wolverines look a lot better. Based on average recruit rating, Michigan has the 3rd best class in the Big Ten, behind only Ohio State and Penn State. And despite its small class, Michigan is also 3rd in the Big Ten in number of 4-star recruits, with six—again behind only the Buckeyes and Nittany Lions.

The most important recruit Michigan signed this offseason? Jim Harbaugh
(via flickr.com)

So, the Wolverines might not have dominated the recruiting trail as much as they have in the past, or as much as they will in the future with Harbaugh calling the shots, but they did put together a good class nonetheless. Here’s a quick look at all 14 members of the University of Michigan football 2015 incoming recruiting class (all ratings via 247sports):

Andrew David—Kicker: The first commit in the class, David has stuck with the Wolverines through thick and thin. He’s a strong-footed and accurate kicker, and should have a strong chance to grab the starting job this fall in a position where Michigan struggled mightily last season.

Alex Malzone, Zach Gentry—Quarterback: Malzone, a Michigan native and long time fan, is an early enrollee who is already on campus. He’s not the biggest or most athletic QB, but he is a smart and accurate pocket passer, and being on campus for spring ball should help him earn a shot at the starting job in September. The other QB in the class, Gentry was committed to Texas until Harbaugh was able to flip him for the Wolverines at the end of January. At 6’7″, Gentry is a physical specimen with seemingly limitless potential. However, because he is a bit raw and won’t be on campus until the summer, expect Gentry to take a redshirt year before truly competing for playing time.

Grant Newsome, Nolan Ulizio, Jon Runyan Jr.—Offensive Tackle: Newsome is the best of the offensive tackle commits, as the only 4-star in their ranks, but even he, along with Ulizio and Runyan Jr., should expect to take a redshirt year to bulk up and get better. With all five of Michigan’s offensive linemen from a year ago returning, it will take a few injuries for any of these freshmen to see the field. All three have the potential to be starters one day, though.

Brian Cole, Grant Perry—Wide Receiver: Cole is listed as an athlete by most recruiting services (and a freak one, at that), but word has it that he will be playing wide receiver once he gets to Michigan. As a solid 4-star prospect and the highest rated of any player in the class, Cole has the best chance of any freshman to start right away. Michigan struggled often at the WR position last season, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see Cole end up on the field more often than not when the Wolverines have the ball. Perry, a former Northwestern commit and high school teammate of Malzone, probably won’t see much action his freshman year, but he could be a valuable slot receiver in the coming years.

Karan Higdon—Running Back: Michigan didn’t get the star running back it hoped for in this class, as local Detroiter Mike Weber signed with Ohio State instead, but Higdon, a 3-star prospect, is still a solid addition. The former Iowa commit doesn’t have breakneck speed, but he’s a powerful runner who should fit perfectly with Harbaugh’s offensive philosophies. With the running game a huge question mark for Michigan heading into the season, don’t rule out the possibility of Higdon earning a few carries now and then.

Tyrone Wheatley Jr—Tight End: Wheatley Jr., whose father starred as running back for the Wolverines and is now the running backs coach, was a huge pickup for the maize and blue on national signing day. He plays both TE and defensive end, but it’s assumed he’ll play TE at Michigan. Having missed out on other top tight end prospects, snagging the 4 star Wheatley Jr. away from UCLA was a huge coup. In Harbaugh’s TE-oriented offense, Wheatley Jr. will have the chance to earn some minutes as a freshman.

Keith Washington—Cornerback: Washington was primarily a QB throughout high school—he even led his team to the state championship—but he also played CB, and that’s where he’ll be needed for the Wolverines. Though not a highly touted recruit, Washington is a great athlete; at 6’2″, he can allegedly run a 4.3 40 meter dash—at least that’s what he told Jim Harbaugh when he was being recruited. With plenty of depth at his position for next year, Washington should take a redshirt, but he’s got all the tools to excel one day.

Tyree Kinnel—Safety: Another one of the recruits who has stuck with Michigan since day one, the 4 star Kinnel looks to be one of the best prospects in the class—247sports has him rated behind only Cole and Gentry. Although safety looks to be filled out for this year with Jabrill Peppers switching positions, Kinnel could definitely earn some minutes as a backup; in a couple years, expect him to be a solid starter.

Reuben Jones, Shelton Johnson—Defensive End: Jones was the first of the two to commit, but Johnson stole the spotlight at this position by choosing the Wolverines over Florida State on national signing day. At 6’5″ and 220 pounds, Shelton is right on the verge of being a consensus 4 star. While Jones will probably redshirt for a year to bulk up, Johnson has the potential to get some spot minutes right away to reek havoc on opposing quarterbacks.

 

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