*** Before going out to see Michigan defensive tackle commit Kenneth Grant yesterday, I made sure to stop by Kankakee (Ill.) High vs. Harvey (Ill.) Thornton for an early kickoff. Michigan recently extended an offer to 2023 Kankakee defensive back Jyaire Hill and is making him a top priority for next cycle. In fact, one of the biggest reasons I made it a point to see Hill live is because multiple sources close to the program expressed how high Hill is on the board and how much they love his game. Michigan safeties coach Ron Bellamy is leading the way here, but new Director of Player Personnel Courtney Morgan, defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald and others are very involved in this recruitment as well.
*** Hill picked up his first offer from Illinois a few weeks ago and saw Michigan jump in the mix soon after. Now, he also has scholarships in hand from Boston College, Michigan State, Missouri and Penn State. Expect that list to grow exponentially, especially once coaches get their eyes on him this spring. We'll get to more on his skillset in a second. As far as his recruitment goes, Hill is still trying to process everything early on, but he is building a great relationship with the U-M staff, which has made sure to also speak to his father and high school coaches. Hill likes that Michigan was in on him early and made it clear that he is feeling the love from the Wolverines. Hill does not have a visit to Michigan planned, but he does hope to make his first trip to Ann Arbor in the near future.
*** It's clear Michigan is going after tall, long and athletic safeties with room to add weight. Hill fits that mold and after seeing him live, I feel comfortable saying he's a better version of top 2022 target Damani Dent. Right now, Hill is rated as a 5.7 three-star prospect, but there is no doubt in my mind that he'll be a national Top 250 recruit. Along with his length and athleticism, Hill is downright explosive. He returned a kick 80 yards for a punt and also dashed 50 yards for a touchdown while playing Wildcat quarterback. Hill was aggressive and physical inside the box while playing against a run-heavy team. It should be noted that he leads the state of Illinois in interceptions. On top of all of this, Hill is a track kid and runs a verified 4.5 40.
*** From talking to multiple sources in Ann Arbor, Michigan is making it a point to recruit more prospects with 'dog mentalities.' The Wolverines want players who love the game of football and have a certain demeanor that separates them from others. Simply put, Michigan's new staff is looking to avoid softer finesse types. Hill is a dog. He's a vocal leader and has a ton of swagger and personality. He commands the defense as a junior and appeared to be on a high of energy at all times — it makes sense that his nickname is Sugar. Hill really impressed me on Friday from both a prospect standpoint and a kid standpoint. I knew I had to get over to see Grant, but I honestly didn't want to leave. He was so fun to watch.
*** Hill picked up his first offer from Illinois a few weeks ago and saw Michigan jump in the mix soon after. Now, he also has scholarships in hand from Boston College, Michigan State, Missouri and Penn State. Expect that list to grow exponentially, especially once coaches get their eyes on him this spring. We'll get to more on his skillset in a second. As far as his recruitment goes, Hill is still trying to process everything early on, but he is building a great relationship with the U-M staff, which has made sure to also speak to his father and high school coaches. Hill likes that Michigan was in on him early and made it clear that he is feeling the love from the Wolverines. Hill does not have a visit to Michigan planned, but he does hope to make his first trip to Ann Arbor in the near future.
*** It's clear Michigan is going after tall, long and athletic safeties with room to add weight. Hill fits that mold and after seeing him live, I feel comfortable saying he's a better version of top 2022 target Damani Dent. Right now, Hill is rated as a 5.7 three-star prospect, but there is no doubt in my mind that he'll be a national Top 250 recruit. Along with his length and athleticism, Hill is downright explosive. He returned a kick 80 yards for a punt and also dashed 50 yards for a touchdown while playing Wildcat quarterback. Hill was aggressive and physical inside the box while playing against a run-heavy team. It should be noted that he leads the state of Illinois in interceptions. On top of all of this, Hill is a track kid and runs a verified 4.5 40.
*** From talking to multiple sources in Ann Arbor, Michigan is making it a point to recruit more prospects with 'dog mentalities.' The Wolverines want players who love the game of football and have a certain demeanor that separates them from others. Simply put, Michigan's new staff is looking to avoid softer finesse types. Hill is a dog. He's a vocal leader and has a ton of swagger and personality. He commands the defense as a junior and appeared to be on a high of energy at all times — it makes sense that his nickname is Sugar. Hill really impressed me on Friday from both a prospect standpoint and a kid standpoint. I knew I had to get over to see Grant, but I honestly didn't want to leave. He was so fun to watch.
