Michigan Wolverines football head coach Jim Harbaugh discussed all 22 of U-M's signees this morning on his 'Attack Each day' podcast, providing a bit of background on each player.
We have the full highlights below:
Jim Harbaugh, Discussing U-M's Defensive Signees:
"It's a bunch of great guys from great families. We've been recruiting some of these guys for two or three years, and everyone who committed stayed with their commitments. There were no decommitments.
"Nobody compares to [Williamstown (N.J.) High three-star defensive end] Aaron Lewis' energy and enthusiasm — maybe [current U-M fifth-year senior tight end] Joey Files. They're at the highest level of enthusiasm and energy, and he plays that way. He's always running from sideline to sideline and is extremely athletic.
"[Tampa Berkeley Prep three-star defensive end] Jaylen Harrell can really rush the passer and comes from a great high school at Berkeley Prep. He comes from a great family and has a dad who played in the NFL. He's extremely articulate and is always engaged, and has big plans for himself. Jaylen was a four-year starter down there.
"All these guys want it. They're willing to work to get it.
"We recruited [Port Huron (Mich.) Northern four-star defensive end] Braiden McGregor since early in his sophomore year. He comes from a tremendous family, and is also a really good basketball player. He has 227 career tackles and committed very early on and was active in recruiting others.
"[Olney (Md.) Good Counsel three-star defensive end] Kris Jenkins' dad was a first-round NFL pick and I played with him in Carolina. I was on the team for nine weeks, and it was my last year in the NFL in 2001.
"The son looks like a chip off the old block.
"[Milton (Mass.) Academy four-star linebacker] Kalel Mullings was recruited for at least three years, and his dad is kind of like the team dad at the high school. Kalel is someone you respect and someone who shows great respect.
"He came to a camp over the summer and we told him it'd be great if he could participate, and once his dad heard that, he jumped a fence and got the cleats out of the car. It was a great day.
"We've seen all the linebackers live and in camps. It's going to be a position of need for depth this season, with [redshirt freshman] Cam McGrone and [junior] Josh Ross projected to be the starters at inside.
"They'll be able to come in and compete for backup time.
"We first offered [Baltimore St. Frances four-star linebacker] Osman Savage between his sophomore and junior year. He started off as a running back, and Kalel Mullings had a great year as a running back this season as well.
"Savage is an Aaron Lewis-type in terms of enthusiasm and bringing the energy, and liking football. He's a great addition.
"[Baltimore St. Frances three-star linebacker] Nikhai Hill-Green is from Pittsburgh and we know how good the football is there. We got a good heads up he'd be transferring to St. Frances, and we're there a lot watching their practices and games.
"We offered the first time we saw him, and he's another first-class type of individual. He's serious about being good and taking advantage of his opportunity, and he has great awareness of it.
"[Head coach] Ron Bellamy has done a great job at West Bloomfield, and [four-star linebacker] Cornell Wheeler and [four-star safety] Makari Paige are great competitors. They're at positions of need, and they're motivated to come in fast and hit the ground running.
"Makari Paige and [Oradell (N.J.) Bergen Catholic four-star] Jordan Morant are true safeties, and [Brooklyn Erasmus Hall Campus four-star linebacker] William Mohan is athletic enough to be a corner or safety or an edge rusher like a viper.
"There are a lot of ways he can contribute. He is a tremendous tackler and gets on the quarterback and running back so fast. He tracks plays and eventually runs them down.
"Makari Paige tracks the ball and makes plays on it as well, and Morant is the same way.
"Jordan Morant reminds me of [former NFL safety] Troy Polamalu. He has instincts and can line up anywhere on the defense.
"[Delran (N.J.) High three-star safety] R.J. Moten is 6-0, 199 pounds, and is athletic enough to be a corner. He's strong and powerful, and we've been with him in camps here on campus. The sky is the limit for his ability and talent.
"[Belleville (Mich.) High four-star cornerback] Andre Seldon is a true corner and very competitive — that's what stuck out to me. He's not just out there to cover people — he wants to go tackle.
"This is an exciting group of defensive backs."
Jim Harbaugh, Discussing U-M's Offensive Signees:
"[Centennial (Colo.) Eaglecrest three-star] Reece Atteberry was playing tackle when I watched him on film and I saw other clips of him playing center, and it hit me that he could be an NFL center someday. On the school visit, I asked his coach which position would be his best in college, and he said center.
"Reece can also be a tackle or a guard, but don't be surprised to see him as a really good center here.
"[San Juan Capistrano (Calif.) JSerra Catholic four-star offensive tackle] Jeff Persi walks through the door and you immediately think tackle. He had a tremendous senior year and came onto the scene, and everybody wanted him after he committed.
"He was with Michigan all the way, just like everybody else in the class was.
"[Cambridge (Mass.) Buckingham Browne & Nichols four-star offensive tackle] Zak Zinter will probably be one of those big inside guys at guard, but is athletic enough to play tackle. He's right next to Harvard and MIT at BB&N, and drives about an hour and a half to school every day.
"He's mature and has a plan for himself and his future. They have a nice man cave in the basement with a shuffleboard.
"[Phoenix Pinnacle quarterback] J.D. Johnson had been committed since Signing Day of 2018, and had a heart issue that won't allow him to play football. He'll still come and take advantage of his opportunities as a Michigan Man.
"We began looking for another quarterback, and [Massapequa (N.Y.) Plainedge Senior three-star quarterback] Dan Villari stood out at the time. He does everything offensively — runs and throws, and that's how he came onto our radar.
"They won their championship and then he took an official visit, and we're really happy to have him. He throws the ball well and is a strong runner. We feel like we've uncovered a hidden gem.
"He's worthy of playing at a program like Michigan.
"[Baltimore St. Frances four-star running back] Blake Corum is a big-time back and a national type of recruit and talent. We zeroed in on Blake and it was Blake or bust; there was no finer work ethic than we saw in him.
"We have so much respect for the St. Frances program and how tough the guys are, and how good the football is. Blake is the cream of the crop, and he's a fast type of homerun hitting running back.
"He can catch the ball, and this is someone [running backs coach] Jay Harbaugh has been so excited about.
"[Burke (Va.) Lake Braddock three-star tight end] Matt Hibner came onto our radar early last spring when we saw his junior numbers. He was tall but very thin, and then he started showing up at camps in the 240s, 250s weight range.
"[Shrewsbury (Mass.) St. Johns three-star receiver] Eamonn Dennis is a player like [current Michigan freshman wideout] Mike Sainristil. It was like watching Sainristil again when I first watched Dennis on tape. He could be a receiver or corner, and he was leaning toward corner last time I talked to him.
"[Honolulu St. Louis three-star receiver] Roman Wilson and [Frankfort (Ill.) Lincoln Way East four-star receiver] A.J. Henning are really good at football. These guys make plays in games, and do whatever they can to help their teams win. They're both state champs.
"A.J. is a tremendous receiver and was used on fly sweeps at Lincoln Way East, and was the Gatorade Player of the Year in Illinois."
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