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This past weekend, Michigan hosted 2020 Tampa (FL) Berkeley Prep four-star linebacker/defensive end Jaylen Harrell, who, according to ESPN is the 172nd-rated player, regardless of position.
It was an official visit for the four-star, and he was blown away by everything that the University of Michigan has to offer, he told WolverinesWire on Tuesday.
“It was a magnificent visit,” Harrell said. “I got a chance to sit down with the coaches and players, see how I fit into the program. Everything about the school is great. The academics, all the academic advisors. They have a lot of resources for help for student-athletes to be very successful.”
With the note about academics first and foremost, it’s certainly one of the big keys to securing Harrell’s signature when that time comes. But Michigan certainly helped itself when he got to see the first-class accommodations inside Schembechler Hall.
As a matter of fact, Harrell notes that the facilities are beyond compare.
“No doubt, academics comes first, always,” Harrell said. “The facilities were top-notch, the best I’ve ever seen – especially the weight room. Probably the biggest weight room I’ve ever seen. Everything about it was great.”
Coming from a warm-weather climate, Harrell was surprised that Ann Arbor wasn’t as cold as he anticipated, and enjoyed his time in the city.
But the thing that really stood out to him was the time he got to spend with defensive coordinator Don Brown & Co., as well as current players Chris Hinton, Giles Jackson, Ronnie Bell and Jordan Castleberry.
His time with the players had him saying, ‘(They’re) great people made me feel like I was family and gave me great advice, on-and-off the field.’
The family feel is important, as that’s one of the deciding factors for Harrell, especially if he is to choose a school that’s as far away from home as Michigan. Currently, he’s considering the Wolverines as well as Penn State, Florida State and Miami — the latter of which he’s visiting this weekend.
But in speaking with the coaches, he certainly sees an opportunity, and he likes what he was presented as far as scheme is concerned.
“It was great spending one-on-one time with the coaches,” Harrell said. “Their message was they need me, they want me. They were telling me how I fit into the program and how I could thrive in their defensive scheme and on and off the field.”
“I can fit into it really well (to the defense),” Harrell added. “They do a lot of different things (where) I could make plays on the field. I feel like it’d be a great fit.”
Harrell doesn’t have a timeline in mind as of yet, as he’s still going through with his visits.
Once he gets done checking out everything in his interest list, then he’ll start to whittle down his choices that much further.
“Not really sure, ideally – I’m gonna see how everything goes,” Harrell said. “Going to Miami this weekend, so we’ll see how that goes.”
According to 247Sports, Harrell is listed as a weak-side defensive end at 6-foot-4, 235-pounds and is rated as the 13th-best WDE in the 247Sports Composite.
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