Tag: Quintin somerville

In a surprise, Michigan football loses defender in flip to Pac-12 school

In a signing day surprise, Michigan football loses one of its highly coveted defenders.

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It was rumored, but certainly not expected. And like that, Michigan football lost its second defensive commitment of the recruiting cycle on national signing day.

Poised to become something of a fan favorite, Scottsdale (AZ) Saguaro defensive end Quintin Somerville was planning to come to Michigan despite his best friend being committed to Ohio State. It would have been a fun storyline, but with the uncertainty in Ann Arbor, it seems that Somerville felt his best option was to stay out west.

On Wednesday, the first day of the early signing period, he announced that he’s flipping to UCLA and will sign with the Bruins.

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Speaking with 247Sports’ Blair Angulo, the uncertainty of the Michigan coaching staff was the primary factor driving his decision to go elsewhere:

“Coach Shaun Nua has been the reason I committed to Michigan in the first place, his presence in my recruitment has been big and I consider him a family member now, just with how he treats me and my family,” Somerville told 247Sports. “He was the coach I know would help me get comfortable at Michigan and, with the staff future up in the air there, it was tough making the decision knowing that he might not be in Ann Arbor, that was one of the hardest things.”

Michigan has two defensive end commits signed at this juncture in TJ Guy and Kechaun Bennett.

Fab Four: Selecting Michigan football’s Mount Rushmore of all-time recruits

LoW (398): What we’re confident in for Michigan football vs. Minnesota

What we’re confident in, or not so much, as Michigan football takes on Minnesota on Saturday night.

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Game week is finally here as Michigan is set to take on the Minnesota Golden Gophers come Saturday night in Minneapolis.

Expanding on our new weekly feature on WolverinesWire, we break down what we’re most confident in, not confident in and skeptical about as the maize and blue hit the field for the first time on Saturday.

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You can find us on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you get your podcasts!

Or, you can listen below, right here on WolverinesWire!

Michigan vs. Ohio State: Best friends committed to opposite sides of rivalry

Two best friends are set to be on opposite sides of the Michigan football – Ohio State Buckeyes rivalry.

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Imagine this: you’re a standout football player, who can play anywhere in the country — and so is your best friend.

They choose national powerhouse Ohio State as their school of choice. Where are you gonna go? Are you going to follow them — especially considering you already have an offer to be a Buckeye?

If you’re Quintin Somerville, you do the one thing that your best friend, OSU WR commit Denzel Burke, and his new supporters in Columbus would particularly abhor — you choose to attend Michigan.

While these two best friends will be on opposite sides of the rivalry in just a few short months, Somerville says that no love will ever be lost between each other. Regardless of being on the verge of becoming arch-rivals, the four-star defensive tackle says he and the four-star wideout will be best friends for life.

“Me and Denzel have been best friends since – I don’t even know when,” Somerville told WolverinesWire. “Probably since I was eight or nine-years-old. This has been a dream for us. Besides the rivalry – that’s going forward – but right now we’re brothers and will be for the rest of our lives. It’s gonna be exciting to see who wins that one in the next few years. Whoever loses that game will get the best of it. Right now – and going forward – we’re gonna be best friends for the rest of our life. We’ll have the opportunity to go and play college football at the next level, which we’ve been dreaming of for the longest.”

That said, is there much smack talk between the two?

Naturally, it’s part of the rivalry, but Somerville says — at least to this point — it’s been kept to a minimum.

“No, no, not too much, but Denzel will have that upper hand right now,” Somerville said. “I’m telling him every day, once we get out there, we’re trying to change this tide. This class has big expectations and hopefully we bring them down in Ann Arbor.”

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While Somerville and Burke don’t discuss the rivalry much in heated terms, the Michigan commit does confer with many of his future teammates about the state of The Game.

Harkening back to what J.J. McCarthy told WolverinesWire, Somerville says that the class is intent on changing the tide of the rivalry, as well as the narrative.

That said, Ohio State has been a daily topic of conversation amongst the 2021 pledges, as they’ve already put something of a focus on how they can take down the Buckeyes once they get their opportunity.

“Every day – we see the stuff on Twitter and we’re always sending screenshots to each other on chat,” Somerville said. “Knowing that we haven’t won that game in a couple years, it’s just fueling this fire. It’s really incredible knowing that we have an opportunity to change the tide and stamp our mark in Michigan’s football legacy.”

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Why Quintin Somerville chose Michigan, how he feels he fits in

Michigan football commit Quintin Somerville shares why he chose Ann Arbor, how he fits in and why he loves Khalil Mack in an exclusive.

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2021 Scottsdale (AZ) Saguaro four-star defensive end Quintin Somerville has as impressive an offer sheet as anybody.

He has a veritable ‘who’s who’ of high-end opportunities at his disposal: Georgia, LSU, Ohio State, Auburn and both in-state Arizona schools. But in the end, he picked Michigan above all.

Somerville had visited Ann Arbor twice, but with the COVID-19 pandemic hitting in March, he couldn’t make it back to campus — nor could he go anywhere else — to solidify his future decision. However, between having been to Michigan, as well as his long-term relationship with defensive line coach Shaun Nua, Somerville felt that the Wolverines were his best option, hence his June 2020 commitment to join the maize and blue.

On Thursday, he shared why Michigan was the obvious choice for him with WolverinesWire.

“Since that visit, my recruiting from Michigan has just been incredible,” Somerville told WolverinesWire. “Obviously I got to meet all the coaches. Coach Brown and Coach Harbaugh were the coaches that I hadn’t really got to meet that I’ve been talking with every day. They were just incredible to me.

“And, of course, Coach Nua. Our relationship since he was at Arizona State. I’ve known him on a deeper scale because of my brother being a coach, as well. That relationship that we built when he was at Arizona State is really strong. I used to go into his office every day and talk to him. It’s just really special knowing that he’s been recruiting me this whole time and has that deeper care for me going into this thing.

“I guess what made me pull the trigger in the end, obviously the mix between academics and football – you can’t get much better than Michigan. With that coaching staff that they have currently, it’s just incredible.”

Somerville will be on campus sooner-than-later, as an intended early-enrollee, arriving in Ann Arbor after he partakes in the All-American Bowl on Jan. 9.

So, what is he looking forward to once he finally starts his college career?

“I plan on enrolling on Jan. 15, and in the thick of the winter!” Somerville said. “I’m not gonna be excited about that one, but besides that, just getting to know everyone. I didn’t get to meet everyone I wanted to meet when I was out there, player-wise. But, building a relationship with the team and getting to know the city more, it’s gonna be really special. What I’ve seen so far in the two trips I’ve taken to Ann Arbor, it’s just been really special. When my momma starts crying when she sees the stadium, that’s how you know it’s real!”

Until he gets to Ann Arbor, Somerville feels like he’s personally something of a work in progress, with multiple capabilities, but not necessarily a solid identity as a defensive end.

Still, at the moment, Michigan sees him as fitting into the role of one of the Wolverines’ biggest playmakers on the defensive line, and he’s spending a lot of time on his own working to emulate perhaps the NFL’s biggest standout at defensive end.

“Coach Nua – I send him clips every day of what we do at practice and in the games, of course,” Somerville said. “He keeps telling me I look different in every clip and he doesn’t know how I’m gonna project. But right now, he likes me at the Kwity Paye defensive end position. That’s where I think I’m gonna play going in, but obviously that’s subject to change once they see what I can do.

“Model-wise, I watch Khalil Mack a lot. Just seeing his violence off the ball, how he sets his hands and leverages his advantages – that’s incredible. So I’m modeling after that right now and trying to get some of those clips on my highlight tape.”

Quintin Somerville ‘spoke into existence’ his All-American Bowl invitation

The Michigan football four-star DE commit shares why he’s particularly excited to have received his All-American Bowl jersey.

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On Wednesday, yet another Michigan football commitment received their jersey to participate in January 2021 All-American Bowl in San Antonio.

Five of Michigan’s 2021 commits have received invites to play in the prestigious all-star game, and this week, Scottsdale (AZ) Saguaro four-star defensive end Quintin Somerville joined QB J.J. McCarthy and Xavier Worthy in having received his All-American Bowl jersey, locking him into the game. LB Junior Colson and K/P Tommy Doman Jr. are the other future Wolverines set to participate in the January contest.

Shortly after receiving his jersey, Somerville spoke to WolverinesWire about the honor of his All-American Bowl invite, sharing why it’s such a special moment for him to know he’ll soon compete with the best-of-the-best.

“Coming from Arizona, you get to see every couple years a guy going to this game,” Somerville told WolverinesWire. “In the past, Andrus Peat – who plays for the Saints now. Guys like Christian Kirk, who played in Under Armour and Byron Murphy. The same with me. You just dream of this every day playing football in Arizona. It’s just a dream come true.

“I said it on my Twitter earlier, just spoke it into existence. But that’s like actually true. Since Day One of high school, me and the other – the tackle that got the jersey invite with me – we just been talking about this since day one. It’s really just incredible how it all came to fruition.”

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This was a moment that Somerville has long been awaiting, with this particular game being something of a dream for him to play in. He harkens back to having watched it before, while also keeping an eye on the yearly Nike event that serves as something of a feeder to the annual San Antonio contest.

“Since I was a young guy, I used to watch The Opening every year,” Somerville said. “And, of course, this game – dreaming of playing with the best of the best. I’m shocked still. I’m getting goosebumps right now just thinking about it. This is just a dream come true to me.”

Beyond that, what makes this game so special for Somerville?

A big part of it is knowing that he’s putting on for his home state, one that isn’t seen as a national incubator of talent like many others across the nation. As one of three contributors coming from the state of Arizona this year, Somerville is excited to show the nation that players from The Grand Canyon State can contend with anybody.

“Coming from Arizona, we don’t get a lot of national recognition,” Somerville said. “Not only me, but Bram (Walden) as well. We’re just looking to prove ourselves on a national scale and go to work and show everyone what we can do.”

The All-American Bowl will take place at the Alamodome in San Antonio on Jan. 9 and will be broadcast nationally on NBC.

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LoW (396): Special guests – Jon Jansen and Quintin Somerville

2 special Michigan football guests on the podcast: Jon Jansen talks 2020 expectations and 2021 commit Quintin Somerville on his recruitment.

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GIANT show on Thursday replacing the Michigan Mailbag, as we welcome in Jon Jansen — co-host on the 97.1 The Ticket morning show and host of MGoBlue podcasts Conqu’ring Heroes and In The Trenches — to talk 2020 team outlook.

Then, 2021 Michigan football commit Quintin Somerville joins us to discuss getting his All-American Bowl jersey, what it’s like having his best friend being a future Buckeye, where he fits into the Wolverines defense and what he’s into off the football field.

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You can find us on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you get your podcasts!

Or, you can listen below, right here on WolverinesWire!

Georgia football player card: DB Kelee Ringo

Georgia Bulldogs defensive back Kelee Ringo comes to Athens after having offseason shoulder surgery.

Kelee Ringo, defensive back (No. 5):

Class: Freshman

Height: 6-2

Weight: 205 pounds

Hometown: Tacoma, Washington

High School: Saguaro (Arizona)

Georgia Bulldogs defensive back Kelee Ringo comes to Athens after being rated as a five-star recruit. Most scouting services considered Ringo to be the top cornerback recruit in the class of 2020.

Ringo played in the 2020 All-American Bowl and committed to the University of Georgia during the game.

He played both defensive back and running back at Saguaro High School. As a junior, Ringo ran a 10.4 one-hundred meters. He has elite size and speed for a cornerback. Georgia football was pursuing a four-star defensive end (Quintin Somerville), who is a member of the class of 2021 at Saguaro High School.

Ringo underwent offseason shoulder surgery and is expected to miss a portion of the 2020 college football season.

Daran Branch, Kelee Ringo, Jalen Kimber and Major Burns are Georgia’s four scholarship defensive backs in the class of 2020. These four have a lot of talent.

Georgia’s secondary is deep this season with Eric Stokes, D.J. Daniel, Tyson Campbell, Richard LeCounte, Lewis Cine and more. Daniel and LeCounte are both seniors, so there could be a large contingent of new faces in the 2021 Georgia secondary. Campbell and Stokes have NFL potential and could leave following their junior season this year.

Ringo will be exciting to watch when he gets healthy.

Saguaro’s Kelee Ringo wins heat of the 200 meters during the 2019 Arizona State Track and Field Championship at Mesa Community College in Mesa, Arizona, May 03, 2019.

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4 Michigan football 2021 commits make SI99 rankings

The Wolverines have an impressive group that made Sports Illustrated’s illustrious high school senior football ranking.

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Jim Harbaugh & Co. have done a masterful job of putting together the 2021 recruiting class.

Though Michigan football had just two commitments for nearly a year, now the class is ranked No. 10 with 21 pledges, highlighted by five-star quarterback J.J. McCarthy as well as a cadre of top-notch wide receivers.

And though the Wolverines aren’t done yet — as prospects such as West Bloomfield (MI) four-star Donovan Edwards are still deciding — the maize and blue find themselves not only with some of the top players in the country according to the recruiting services, but also with many making a coveted list.

Sports Illustrated put out the SI99, as in the 99 best high school seniors heading into the 2020 season. While many won’t get the opportunity to actually suit up due to different states not having high school football this fall, that doesn’t mean that they aren’t among the elite in the country.

That said, Michigan had four commits make the list, unsurprisingly headlined by its five-star signal caller.

  • No. 24 – Bradenton (FL) IMG Academy QB J.J. McCarthy
  • No. 58 – Scottsdale (AZ) Saguaro DE Quintin Somerville
  • No. 67 – Fresno (CA) Central West WR Xavier Worthy
  • No. 99 – Santa Ana (CA) Mater Dei WR Cristian Dixon

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McCarthy at 24 is expected, but given that Somerville, Dixon and Worthy are all outside of the Top 100 in the 247Sports Composite, it shows how other analysts anticipate big things out of the various Michigan commitments. Worthy and Dixon are particularly tantalizing, as they’ll add a lot of speed to Josh Gattis’ offense, and could become unparalleled breakout players wearing the maize and blue.

While it’s a nice haul, rival Ohio State — which currently has the top-rated class in the country — has 10 commits who made the SI99 rankings.

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Michigan secures top 2021 DE target

The Wolverines secure a top target in the 2021 class. Learn more about the four-star defensive end and how he fits.

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The Wolverines got out to a hot start recruiting in 2021 offensively, but it’s been more of a process defensively.

Whereas OL Giovanni El-Hadi and QB J.J. McCarthy were four and five-stars, respectively, and pledged in 2019, those who committed on the defensive side of the ball were slower to verbally commit to the 2021 class, and those who did tended to be ranked three-stars. However, while Michigan got its first two four-stars on defense with the commitments of Junior Colson and Jaydon Hood last month — and later DE Kechaun Bennett, who’s ranked No. 331 in the 247Sports Composite — save for the aforementioned, there weren’t any national standouts up front.

That changed on Saturday.

One of the hot commodities in 2021 has been Scottsdale (AZ) Saguaro four-star Quintin Somerville, a four-star rated as the No. 104 prospect in the country according to ESPN and No. 150 via the 247Sports Composite. Holding offers from Georgia, LSU, Ohio State and Auburn, Somerville’s top four included Michigan, Florida State, Washington and Vanderbilt. However, as he was trending to Ann Arbor in the 247Sports Crystal Ball, he made good on that prediction, pledging to become a Wolverine via an announcement on Twitter.

According to 247Sports’ Blair Angulo, Somerville projects to being a starter at the Power Five level and has a bright future ahead of him:

Stocky build with broad shoulders and decent length. Smart pass-rusher with array of counter moves. Technically sound and maintains low pad level. Manages to get underneath blocks and uses strong lower half to push forward. Mobile and spry in pass-rush situations. Disengages from blocks and shows flexibility to bend in pursuit. Finishes plays in the backfield. Stays gap conscious in run support. Could improve overall athleticism and quickness off the edge. Potential to be a multi-year Power Five starter and future NFL Draft selection.

He’s the 18th commitment in the 2021 class and moves Michigan up from the No. 8 ranked class in the cycle to No. 7, ahead of Florida which has 19 commits.

Watch his junior film below:

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Top Michigan target sets college decision date

The Wolverines top target at defensive end knows what day he’ll choose between Michigan, Washington, Vanderbilt and Florida State.

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Michigan recruiting has been rolling as of late, but it’s certainly not done.

With 16 commitments in the 2021 class at the time of this writing, the Wolverines have the No. 5 class in the country according to 247Sports. But, from the looks of it, it will keep getting better.

One player that the maize and blue have been heavily after is Scottsdale (AZ) Saguaro four-star defensive end Quintin Somerville, rated as the No. 152 player in the country, the 14th-best strong-side defensive end as well as the No. 3 player in the state of Arizona.

With seven predictions in the 247Sports Crystal Ball, all are favoring Michigan to land the 6-foot-1, 230-pound prospect.

And now we know when he intends to make his commitment known.

Florida State, Washington and Vanderbilt are also in contention for his services, but he also has offers from Auburn, Georgia, LSU, Ohio State and Nebraska.

However, if things unfold as prognosticators anticipate, come June 20, he’ll choose to wear a winged helmet in his future.