Antjuan Simmons
UNLV is hardly the most exciting opponent on Michigan’s 2015 home schedule.
The Rebels went 2-10 last year and, after falling 28-7 to U-M on Saturday, are 0-3 to start 2015. Despite that, several prospects made the trip to Ann Arbor to see the Wolverines play.
The headliners were a pair of official visitors from outside the region – three-star Florida defensive tackle Keyshon Camp (a USC commit) and five-star California linebacker Caleb Kelly – but the majority of those who made their way to Michigan Stadium were in-state.
That group included a surprise visitor in Detroit King wide receiver Donnie Corley, the top uncommitted senior in the state. It also included a number of underclassmen taking in their first trip to Michigan.
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“This was the best game experience that I have had,” said Romulus senior linebacker Kingsley Enechukwu. “The atmosphere was great. The roar of the crowd was energizing and brought life to the field as Michigan played. I’m really looking forward to potentially coming back.”
“I had a great first time experience, it made the experience a lot of fun,” said Berrien Springs 2017 offensive/defensive lineman Phillip Paea. “The food was great and the team did great, so in all I really enjoyed the game. It’s a great environment to be around.”
Several players from nearby Ann Arbor Pioneer made the trip, including 2017 athlete Antjuan Simmons. The 6-1, 200-pounder has excelled on both sides of the ball this fall, and could be a candidate for a Michigan offer down the road. Previously plying his trade primarily as a running back, he’s been most impressive as an outside linebacker for Pioneer in 2015.
Simmons spoke with running backs coach Tyrone Wheatley (whose son, Terius, is Simmons’ teammate at Pioneer) and recruiting coordinator Erik Campbell while in town. He’s made several past visits to Ann Arbor, including for the Wolverines’ annual “Barbecue at the Big House” recruiting event in early August, and is building a rapport with the Michigan staff.
Even if the Wolverines don’t ultimately offer more than a couple of the in-state prospects who made it to town Saturday, they’ve certainly given many of them reason to be interested.
Tim Sullivan is the Football Recruiting Editor of The Wolverine magazine and TheWolverine.com. He is also a contributor to national football recruiting coverage on the Rivals.com network. You can follow him on Twitter @TimS_Wolverine.
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