Michigan Football Signee Bio: Cornerback Sammy Faustin
Naples (Fla.) High three-star cornerback Sammy Faustin has signed his letter of intent, and is officially part of the Michigan family.
Measurables
• At the Nike Opening regional camp in Miami on February 26, 2017, Faustin ran a 4.83 20-yard shuttle and leapt 35.3 inches in the vertical jump. He also recorded a 31-foot toss in the power throw.
Statistics
• Racked up 36 tackles, one tackle for loss, an interception, three passes defended and one fumble recovery as a senior in 2017.
• Compiled 39 tackles, one tackle for loss, two fumble recoveries, one forced fumble, four passes defended and an interception as a junior in 2016.
• Played in just two games in 2015 as a sophomore, and recorded one tackle and defended a pass.
Honors
• Following his junior season, he was listed as a Class 6A third-team All-State pick at defensive back by FloridaHSFootball.com.
• Was one of four Collier County defensive backs to make the Daily News All-Area first team in 2016.
• Invited to the 2016 Offense-Defense All-American Bowl.
• Invited to the U.S. Army National Combine in Jan. of 2016.
• Ranked No. 4 on The Big 15, a listing of Southwest Florida's top recruits, by the Naples Daily News and The News-Press
• Two-time Naples Daily News All-Area first team (2016-17)
All-Star Games And Camps
• Attended Nike's Opening regional camp in Miami on February 26, 2017.
• Took part in a FBU (Football University) camp in Orlando in 2017.
Recruitment
• Committed to Michigan on Aug. 2, 2017, just four days after attending U-M's annual Barbecue at the Big House.
• Chose the Wolverines over Boston College and Virginia, two other schools he visited.
• Did not tour any other schools after committing to the Wolverines.
• Took his official visit to Ann Arbor this past year on Nov. 25.
• Received his offer from Michigan in February, 2017.
• Did not hold a single offer at the end of the 2016 season.
Notable
• Born on Jan. 20, 2000.
• He moved with his family to Florida from the Turks and Caicos Islands in the Atlantic Ocean when he was 11 years old.
• Views Michigan's Don Brown as the best defensive coordinator in college football.
• Did not become a starter at Naples until he was a junior.
• Led his Naples squad to the Florida 6A state semifinals.
2018 Projection
Within his own class, Faustin will have to compete with Myles Sims and Gemon Green at cornerback in 2018, along with rising-juniors Lavert Hill and David Long, and sophomores-to-be Ambry Thomas and Benjamin St-Juste (along with Brandon Watson, if he is invited back for a fifth season). Faustin has the length and athleticism to be ready as a freshman, but might not be as technically sound as Sims and Green at corner.
If a position switch to safety occurs and that's where he lines up in 2018, Faustin would likely be behind senior Tyree Kinnel and junior Josh Metellus, as well as sophomores J'Marick Woods and perhaps Jaylen Kelly-Powell. The depth chart is young and talented across the board in the secondary, but Faustin brings great length and athleticism to the group.
They Said It
Longtime football recruiting expert Tom Lemming: "Faustin is one of my 'Other Players to Watch' in Florida. He's 6-2, 175 pounds and has legit 4.5 speed. He has good range, quick hands and loose hips, and does a very good job of playing the ball. He needs to add weight and strength, but is an exceptional athlete. He's one of the top prospects in Southwest Florida in my opinion.
"He can play either corner or safety, but I personally had him listed as a safety."
South Fort Myers head coach Matt Holderfield, whose Wolfpack squad defeated Naples in 2016: “With his body type, I can see why a coach like Jim Harbaugh would want him. Faustin looks like the kind of corner that the major colleges and NFL teams are trying to get. He has the body structure to be somebody they’d want to develop over four years. I could see him starting by his junior and senior years. I coached [Cincinnati Bengals and former Alabama cornerback] Dre Kirkpatrick and [Minnesota Vikings and former Clemson safety] Jayron Kearse, and Faustin is built a lot like those guys.
“He’s similar to Kirkpatrick, as far as the height and lengthiness, but Dre was more of a freak when it came to speed. Kirkpatrick contributed right off the bat on special teams, and I could see Faustin doing the same thing — he’s got to add a little more muscle first."
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