Courtney Morgan's Evaluation Chops Paying Dividends For Michigan Recruiting
New Michigan Director of Player Personnel Courtney Morgan has been endlessly praised for his connections out West.
And rightfully so. Coaches, trainers, 7-on-7 directors and kids from California, Washington and more absolutely love Morgan, a Los Angeles native that played at Michigan before working in recruiting departments at Fresno State, San Jose State and UCLA.
Morgan has built a network based on trust. With relationships being the name of the recruiting game, Morgan has been a welcomed addition to the Michigan staff.
But Morgan is more than just a figurative bridge out West. He has become increasingly involved with Michigan targets across the country and is flexing his muscles as a high-end evaluator.
At Fresno State — his final stop before returning to Ann Arbor — Morgan mined for talent and jumped on guys with ‘dog mentalities’ early on. Morgan essentially discovered a trio of recruits that are at the core of Michigan’s 2022 recruiting class.
Perhaps the most impressive find of them all is three-star edge rusher Kevonte Henry. The Lawndale (Calif.) Leuzinger product is aggressive and hella fast off the edge. His ceiling may be the highest in the class, and that’s why some recruiting networks have him rated in the Top 100
While still raw, Henry has Day 1 NFL Draft talent. Morgan realized that almost a year ago when he offered Henry in October of 2020 while at Fresno State. As soon as he arrived at Michigan, Morgan put Henry in front of the U-M staff and made sure he was a priority for the Wolverines.
Despite eventually notching offers from Pac-12 programs like Arizona State, Oregon, USC and Utah, Henry sided with U-M this summer.
“I first met Courtney at Fresno State,” Henry said. “That’s how I got in contact with Michigan. Once he got there, he hit me up and told me about the program and the environment. A month later, he offered me. He’s had a big impact on me. I feel like I’m the closest to him out of everybody.
“Courtney has just been keeping up with me about my grades and school. He checks in on how I’m doing with football. He’s just like a big brother to me. We have a really strong relationship.”
If Henry is Morgan’s most impressive find then three-star Anaheim (Calif.) Servite defensive tackle Mason Graham isn’t too far behind.
One of the most underrated recruits in the country, Graham notched his first offer from — you guessed it — Fresno State back in November of 2020. Graham wouldn’t receive another FBS offer until more than two months later. In the recruitment of Graham, Morgan was way ahead of the curve.
Graham eventually developed into one of the top defensive tackles nationally and has been dominant as a senior in the Trinity League, arguable the toughest high school football conference in America. Graham committed to Boise State before flipping to Michigan in September. Soon after, Oregon and USC decided to jump in the mix with offers of their own.
Still, Graham remains solid to Michigan in large part because Morgan believed in him when no one else did.
“Courtney is my guy,” Graham said. “I’ve known him since my freshman year. He’s been recruiting me throughout this whole process even when he was at Fresno State. Once he went to Michigan, he hit me up, and he told me ‘we want you here.’”
Morgan’s eye for talent goes beyond just the West Coast. In fact, Morgan was on the verge of offering three-star Huntsville (Ala.) Madison Academy linebacker Deuce Spurlock before he left Fresno State.
Like with Graham and Henry, Morgan put Spurlock in front of the Michigan staff and the Wolverines made their push. SEC schools Mississippi State, South Carolina and Auburn, which offered just two days before Spurlock committed to U-M, made their runs.
But again, Morgan’s early evaluation proved to play a key role in Michigan earning another significant pledge.
“Coach Morgan has been messing with me since my sophomore year back when I was at Fresno State,” Spurlock said. “He was there early. He told me to wait because he had some big moves coming. He stuck with me when he got to Michigan. I mess with him for real. He’s my guy. He’s there to be your friend, but he’s like an older brother that mentors you and keeps you in the right lane.”
Graham, Henry and Spurlock should all see big bumps in the rankings before the cycle comes to an end and are primed to be the foundation of Michigan’s future on the defensive side of the ball.
As Morgan tweeted a few weeks ago, Michigan is recruiting diamonds not stars. And Morgan is quite the expert in mining.
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