Category: Recruiting

Signed: Eamonn Dennis

Everything you need to know about new Wolverines signee Eamonn Dennis.

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Stars Overall Position State
247Sports 3 536 #31 ATH #5
Rivals 3 – #78 WR #5
ESPN 3 – #38 ATH #4
247Sports Composite 3 508 #24 ATH #5

Vitals

Hometown Worchester (MA) St. John’s
Projected Position Wide Receiver
Height 5-foot-10
Weight 173-pounds

Recruitment

A versatile player from an under-recruited region of the country where Michigan has gotten a lot of talent, Dennis got his offer from the Wolverines in Jan. 2019.

He committed on June 23 along with William Mohan, Aaron Lewis Jordan Morant and Reece Atteberry.

Readiness Level

Given that he’s an early-enrollee, should he opt to play on the offensive side of the ball, likely won’t redshirt, should he acclimate quickly like some of his counterparts on the offense. Contributor status early, potential starter down the line.

Early Enrollee?

Yes

Notes (via MGoBlue.com)

Prep
• Attended St. John’s High School (2020) coached by John Andreoli
• Helped St. John’s to a Division II/III Central/Western Massachusetts District Championship and Division III State Championship in 2017 and 2018
• Four-year varsity performer who played running back, wide receiver, cornerback and was a kick returner

Key Statistics
• All-Time leader in kick returns for a touchdown in Central Massachusetts history
• Scored 19 touchdowns as senior
• Carried the ball 39 times for 448 yards and scored six touchdowns and caught 30 passes for 751 yards and seven scores during senior year; had three kickoff return touchdowns
• Rushed for 444 yards on 54 carries and scored three touchdowns and caught 28 passes for 379 yards and six touchdowns as a junior
• Scored 16 touchdowns as a junior, including three on special teams

Honors and Rankings
• 247Sports Composite ranking of three-stars, the fifth-best prospect in Massachusetts, the No. 24 athlete nationally and the 508th overall recruit in the country
• Three-star prospect according to 247Sports, the No. 5 player in Massachusetts, the 31st-best athlete in the country and the 508th overall recruit nationally
• Three-star performer according to Rivals.com, the fifth-best prospect in Massachusetts and the No. 78 receiver in the country
• Three-star prospect by ESPN, the No. 4 overall player in Massachusetts and the 38th overall athlete nationally
• PrepStar Magazine All-East Region; fifth-ranked player in Massachusetts and the 21st overall athlete in the country
• Central Massachusetts Offensive Most Valuable Player in 2019
• Telegram and Gazette Super Team All-Star as a senior
• First-team All-State senior year

Personal
• Eamonn Gus Dennis was born February 25, 2002
• Son of Augustine Dennis and Felecia Kegbeh

Film

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More

From Jim Harbaugh on the In the Trenches podcast:

“Eamonn Dennis has the ability to be both a defensive player or an offensive player,” Harbaugh said. “Could be a corner or could be a receiver. Kind of like a Mike Sainristil – another really good Mike Sainristil.

“Pretty simple – Eamonn Dennis is a really good receiver and he’s a really good defensive back. If you think Mike Sainristil, if you watched Eamonn’s tape, you’re gonna think of Mike Sainristil. That’s who I thought of when I first watched Eamonn Dennis play football. He could be a corner, he could be a slot receiver. He could be a return person.

Recruiting Player Profile: Martavius French

Recruiting Player Profile: Martavius French

KNOXVILLE – As Tennessee football brings in new talent during the Early Signing Period, Vols Wire is releasing player profiles on each individual that signs with UT.

Find out recruiting ratings, key skills, stats and which other programs had offers on the table for each Tennessee signee.

Another member of the Whitehaven trio from Whitehaven High School in Memphis, inside linebacker Martavius French signed with the Vols on Wednesday morning.

At 6-foot-2, 240-pounds, French is a four-star prospect and the No. 15 inside linebacker in the 2020 class on the 247 Sports Composite.

“Martavius French, to me, is a guy that can play all four positions,” said Tennessee head coach Jeremy Pruitt during his signing day press conference.

“When it comes to linebacker he can play inside or he can play outside. He’s from Memphis, we signed a couple of his teammates and all of these guys, I think in the last two years they’ve only lost two ballgames, but when you talk about hard-nosed, loving the game and when you go watch this guy play you can see before the ball snaps he knows what play is really coming from the offensive side of the ball.”

A former Arkansas commit, French held offers from schools such as LSU, Memphis, Florida and Oklahoma.

Stay tuned to Vols Wire for more player profiles on each Tennessee signee during the Early Signing Period.

Recruiting Player Profile: Bryson Eason

Recruiting Player Profile: Bryson Eason

KNOXVILLE – As Tennessee football brings in new talent during the Early Signing Period, Vols Wire is releasing player profiles on each individual that signs with UT.

Find out recruiting ratings, key skills, stats and which other programs had offers on the table for each Tennessee signee.

As one of the Whitehaven trio out of Memphis, Eason is a four-star prospect and the No. 14 inside linebacker in the country on the 247 Sports Composite. He is a big and physical 6-foot-2, 255-pound linebacker and can cover the field sideline to sideline as an elite run-stopper.

Eason was a highly sought after prospect, along with his Whitehaven teammates. Georgia, Florida and LSU were among the long list of schools with offers on the table for the Memphis product.

Stay tuned to Vols Wire for more player profiles on each Tennessee signee during the Early Signing Period.

Why the Michigan staff sees signee Blake Corum as ‘an elite running back’

What the Wolverines head coach and Michigan’s director of recruiting think about their latest RB signee.

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When you have 3,113 yards of total offense and 42 touchdowns, you’re going to be a highly sought after prospect.

While that’s certainly true of Michigan signee Blake Corum, the former Baltimore (MD) St. Frances Academy running back chose the Wolverines back in June and stuck with it, never wavering, even though other schools apparently came calling.

As an early-enrollee, Corum is set to officially enroll in a few short weeks, but his Michigan career will begin this weekend, when he suits up for practice during bowl prep.

Naturally, the staff is very excited to get him on campus for real, as he’s got so much talent, perhaps beyond his already lofty four-star rating.

“Blake is an elite running back,” Michigan director of recruiting Matt Dudek told Jon Jansen on the In the Trenches podcast. “You seen it playing this season. You saw it by the other (teams) trying to get him to flip and recruit him throughout. I can’t say we were in a battle, because he was so locked in with us. I give the credit to Blake. But his phone didn’t stop ringing. And every week, you seen him do everything right. He can’t wait.”

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And a big reason why Corum has had lofty numbers — and why Michigan coveted him so much is because of his work ethic and how much he strives to be great.

Also on the In the Trenches podcast, Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh shared about how Corum lives in the gym — but it’s practical, as his diligence carries over to football.

“He is a dedicated guy,” Harbaugh said. “You watch a lot of high school players and their work ethic – I can’t think of anybody with a higher work ethic than Blake Corum. He is a guy – whether it’s football practice, training – he is very diligent. I could tell you a lot of stories of things he’s done. 5am workouts.

“And he’s not just a workout guy, either. He’s a workout guy to be a football player. He likes football and he likes playing in the games. We’ve both seen guys who are workout warriors in the weight room and in the offseason and that’s their highlight for them is the workouts and the training. Blake Corum really combines both. He’s a warrior on the field and in the weight room. In just about everything he does, he’s a highly, highly motivated youngster.”

According to the 247Sports Composite, Corum was rated a four-star, the No. 119 prospect in the 2020 class, regardless of position, and the 12th-best running back in the country.

Recruiting Player Profile: Dominic Bailey

Recruiting Player Profile: Dominic Bailey

KNOXVILLE – As Tennessee football brings in new talent during the Early Signing Period, Vols Wire is releasing player profiles on each individual that signs with UT.

Find out recruiting ratings, key skills, stats and which other programs had offers on the table for each Tennessee signee.

One of three defensive tackle signees in the Early Signing Period, Dominic Bailey is an out of state prospect from St. Frances Academy in Baltimore, Md. At 6-foot-2, 290-pounds, Bailey is rated as a four-star prospect, the No. 20 defensive tackle in the 2020 class per the 247 Sports Composite.

Committed to Tennessee since February, Bailey is another defensive line signee that played basketball in high school in a talent-rich area.

“I went and watched these guys practice and I thought it was the Pittsburgh Steelers out there at practice, their high school team was so big,” said Jeremy Pruitt about Bailey’s high school football program.

“The guys he’s practiced against every single day are all guys that are probably going to college, so he’s going to be used to the wear and tear when he gets here,” Pruitt continued. “Again, a guy that’s used to winning and was sold on UT from the first day that he got here.”

Stay tuned to Vols Wire for more player profiles on each Tennessee signee during the Early Signing Period.

Recruiting Player Profile: RJ Perry

Recruiting Player Profile: RJ Perry

KNOXVILLE – As Tennessee football brings in new talent during the Early Signing Period, Vols Wire is releasing player profiles on each individual that signs with UT.

Find out recruiting ratings, key skills, stats and which other programs had offers on the table for each Tennessee signee.

As Tennessee looks to add size and athleticism to the interior of a 3-4 defense, Alabama product RJ Perry is a big step towards that goal.

The 6-foot-6, 301-pound defensive tackle out of Fairfield, Ala. is a sneaky athletic three-star prospect that played basketball in high school. Rated as the No. 60 defensive tackle in the country, Perry held offers from South Carolina, Kentucky, Indiana and Iowa among other Power 5 programs.

Stay tuned to Vols Wire for more player profiles on each Tennessee signee during the Early Signing Period.

Signed: Aaron Lewis

Everything you need to know about new Wolverines signee Aaron Lewis.

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Stars Overall Position State
247Sports 4 252 #12 SDE #7
Rivals 3 – #37 SDE #17
ESPN 4 – #33 DE #9
247Sports Composite 3 457 #20 SDE #14

Vitals

Hometown Williamstown (NJ)
Projected Position Defensive End
Height 6-foot-5
Weight 235-pounds

Recruitment

Michigan offered Lewis on Jan. 31, the day after Ohio State. But less than four months later, it wouldn’t matter, as Lewis committed to West Virginia.

It all but looked as if he had shut down his recruitment. However, Michigan stayed on him, and Lewis quietly — and somewhat secretly — took an official visit to Ann Arbor, just a week after his official visit to Morgantown. That was all Lewis needed to see, as he, in one fell swoop, flipped from WVU to the Wolverines on June 23, the second of the eight official visitors to pledge coming out of the June 21 visits.

Readiness Level

Given the depth ahead of him, redshirt is likely, but he should be a contributor by years 2-3.

Early Enrollee?

Yes

Notes (via MGoBlue.com)

Prep
• Attended Williamstown High School (2020) coached by Frank Fucetola
• Helped Williamstown to a 12-0 record, a sectional title, and an appearance in the South Jersey Group 5 championship as a junior (2018); posted a 56-20 victory over Rancocas Valley in the title game
• His junior season, led a Williamstown defense that held 11 of 13 opponents to a touchdown or less; allowed 49 points across nine regular season games

Key Statistics
• Posted 67 tackles, 22 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries and three pass breakups as a senior
• Recorded 102 tackles, including 40 solo stops, with 25 tackles for loss and six sacks as a junior in 2018
• Finished with 74 tackles, 17 tackles for loss and seven sacks as a sophomore in 2017

Honors and Rankings
• 247Sports Composite ranking as a three-star prospect, the 457th overall player nationally, the No. 20 strongside defensive end prospect and the 14th-best player in New Jersey
• Four-star prospect according to 247Sports; listed as the No. 14 player in New Jersey, the 20th-best strongside defensive end and the 457th overall player in the country
• Three-star prospect according to Rivals.com; rated as the No. 17 player in New Jersey and 37th-overall defensive end in the country
• Four-star prospect according to ESPN; rated as the ninth-best prospect in New Jersey, the No. 32 defensive end nationally and the No. 9 player in New Jersey
• PrepStar Magazine All-East Region; No. 10 recruit in New Jersey and the 32nd defensive end prospect in the country
• Twice hailed as the South Jersey defensive player of the year by the Philadelphia Inquirer (2018-19)
• All-New Jersey defensive team first team honoree (2018) as chosen by USA Today
• First-team All-South Jersey Touchdown Club selection (2018)
• Three-time All-South Jersey first team honoree
• All-Conference as a junior and senior
• First-team All-State selection as a junior and senior

Personal
• Aaron DaVal Lewis Jr. was born December 30, 2001
• Son of Angela Meraviglia and Aaron Lewis Sr.

Film

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Six new signees set to practice with Michigan — this weekend?

The Wolverines discovered a loophole that allows recruits that just signed to practice as soon as this weekend.

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If there’s one thing that Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh has always been good at it’s not only following the rules, it’s using them to his advantage.

We saw it when he got to Ann Arbor with the satellite camps, taking his coaches around the country and beyond, hosting recruits, giving them requisite exposure while building the Michigan brand. Well, he and his staff have found something of another loophole, and it certainly gives some of the new signees a leg up compared to before.

Appearing on the In the Trenches podcast with former Michigan great — and perhaps the busiest man in radio — Jon Jansen, Wolverines director of recruiting Matt Dudek was breaking down what makes new running back signee Blake Corum so electric, when he suddenly shared a vital tidbit of information.

“I don’t know if Coach Harbaugh said this – some of our midyears are coming to practice three days from now,” Dudek said. “Because the ways the rules are written, we’re gonna get three days of practice with Blake Corum, Nikhai Hill-Green, Zak Zinter, Makari Paige, Andre Seldon.”

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Wait — did we hear that correctly? Some of the recruits who just signed their letter of intent on Wednesday are going to in pads, practicing with the maize and blue as soon as this weekend?

“They’re wearing a winged helmet three days from now – yes,” Dudek said. “In bowl prep.

“Now, there’s an acclimatization period. We’re not putting them in team. They’re not gonna go do one-on-ones. They’re gonna be in helmets for two days and jumpers for the last. But they’re here. They’re going to be here to practice with us.

“I’m missing a guy – Braiden McGregor, because he’s going to come down and rehab.”

Dudek went on to mention how much of an advantage it is for those players who are capable of getting the early time in, considering how things were just a few short years ago.

Before the early signing period took effect last year, it used to be that the bulk of signees put pen to paper in February, especially the bigger names. Then those players would come in late-June, start trying to get acclimated to campus life, while not getting an opportunity to practice until fall camp — and even that was limited, given the bridge program with freshmen classes.

But with a reported (and staggering) 16 early-enrollees coming in this January, six of those players are getting a jump on the situation — which bodes well for their early development.

“Those guys are coming to practice with us And you wanna know why? Because they want to come work! That’s it,” Dudek said. “It’s not about: ‘Oh, I get to wear the winged helmet, I’ll be on Instagram.’ No, no, no. They’re coming to work. We posed this to them when we figured out this rule and they’re like, ‘Yeah! Wait – I get to come get three workouts in with Herb? I get to come in and get individual period with Jay Harbaugh? Sign me up!’

“So they are coming in this weekend and we are fired up to see them in the winged helmet.”

While those players will be participating in practice, they will — of course — not be eligible for Michigan’s final game of the 2019 season, which is the VRBO Citrus Bowl against Alabama, which will take place on Jan. 1 in Orlando.

Recruiting Player Profile: Tee Hodge

Recruiting Player Profile: Tee Hodge

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KNOXVILLE – As Tennessee football brings in new talent during the Early Signing Period, Vols Wire is releasing player profiles on each individual that signs with UT.

Find out recruiting ratings, key skills, stats and which other programs had offers on the table for each Tennessee signee.

Tennessee football has an elite high school program in its backyard, and the Vols secured a signature from Maryville running back Tee Hodge on Wednesday to add to its running back depth.

Hodge has been the starting running back for the Maryville Rebels since his sophomore year and has won two state championships, including a blowout win over Ravenwood High School to win the title on Dec. 7. A powerful back standing at 6-foot and 216-pounds,

Tennessee head coach Jeremy Pruitt said Hodge “is a guy that we targeted early on.”

“He has been a core guy in this class to help recruit, committed and never wavered,” Pruitt said of Hodge on the first day of the Early Signing Period.

Hodge is a three-star prospect and rated as the No. 58 running back in the 2020 class on the 247 Sports Composite, with offers from programs such as Arkansas, Michigan, Penn State and Kentucky.

Stay tuned to Vols Wire for more player profiles on each Tennessee signee during the Early Signing Period.

 

Recruiting Player Profile: Will Albright

Recruiting Player Profile: Will Albright

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KNOXVILLE – As Tennessee football brings in new talent during the Early Signing Period, Vols Wire is releasing player profiles on each individual that signs with UT.

Find out recruiting ratings, key skills, stats and which other programs had offers on the table for each Tennessee signee.

Long snapper is a position that does not receive any attention unless a mistake is made, but is important nonetheless when it comes to special teams and the field position battle.

Tennessee signed in-state long snapper in Will Albright on Tuesday, out of Greenville High School.

At 6-foot-2 and 215-pounds, Albright is rated as a two-star recruit and the No. 7 long snapper in the country, per the 247 Sports Composite. This becomes a position of need after the 2019 season concludes, as senior long snapper Riley Lovingood is graduating from Tennessee’s program.

Stay tuned to Vols Wire for more player profiles on each Tennessee signee during the Early Signing Period.