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Michigans Jim Harbaugh answers questions from press reporters on a Zoom call about playing football in 2020, COVID-19 and more, Wednesday, July 8, 2020.
Detroit Free Press
” You might run double tight ends, single large receiver. If hes your single broad receiver, youre still going to be sitting pretty. Deservings recruitment began in earnest this offseason. Uses from Tennessee, Michigan and Utah on Feb. 28, and USC on March 1.
Deserving, who will belong to the 2021 class, is an accomplished track star, and taped a 10.55-second 100-meter dash and 21.41-second 200-meter dash as a sophomore.
For referral, former Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson– considered one of the fastest gamers in the programs current history– had a personal record of 10.56 seconds in the 100-meter dash as a senior at Deerfield Beach (Fla.) High School in 2009.
From the day he came to Michigan, offensive planner Josh Gattis has actually valued speed at large receiver..
And on Friday afternoon, he landed a recruit who might be a best suitable for his offense..
Xavier Worthy, a four-star possibility ranked No. 175 overall, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings, picked the Wolverines over Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, LSU and Oregon..
Kyle Biggs, Worthys coach at Central East High School in Fresno, California, states his star gamer is a “complete receiver.”.
He also acknowledges the apparent: Worthys speed is a huge reason his recruitment exploded this offseason.
” Really, it was (Michigans) offensive planner and receivers coach,” Biggs said. “X is real huge on relationships. He has a real close relationship with his broad receiver coach. He would like to know the man whos coaching him and have that exact same relationship with him and be on a personal level with him. (Gattis) likewise has a performance history of training men and getting men to the NFL.”.
Michigan offending planner Josh Gattis on the sidelines during the 2nd half of U-Ms 52-0 win on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2019, at Michigan Stadium. ( Photo: Kirthmon F. Dozier, Detroit Free Press).
” Hes fast,” Biggs stated. ” Theres no second-guessing that. Theres no navigating that. Hell be the clear-out person. He has terrific hands. He runs fantastic routes. Hes great at what he does. Hell obstruct. He does all the little things that you desire from your star athlete. He does all those things.
” Hes a complete pass receiver that is truly fast. Thats the very best method I can put it.”.
He has a real close relationship with his broad receiver coach.
Four-star receiver Xavier Worthy devoted to Michigan football on Friday. ( Photo: Xavier Worthy).
Go blue.
King difficult pic.twitter.com/vip3yX5HiT— The Real Flash ⚡ ❄ (@Xavierworthy2) July 10, 2020.
The SEC came calling later, as Auburn offered April 9; Georgia and Alabama May 5-6; and reigning nationwide champion LSU on May 27..
Pretty quickly, the recruiting process began to overwhelm Worthy, who had coaches like Jim Harbaugh and Nick Saban on speed dial, Biggs said. The attention and relentless contact from college coaches has “worn (Worthy) out.”.
” I believe hes made with the entire recruiting thing,” Biggs said. ” Hes not utilized to all the attention. He simply goes about his organization and does his job. His Twitter name is Flash, but hes not a flashy kid.”.
While Worthy had plenty of coaches pursuing him, Gattis was eventually the coach with whom he developed the greatest relationship with.
TRADE – 18. San Francisco 49ers (from Dolphins): WR Henry Ruggs, Alabama– Ruggs in Kyle Shanahans system is scary to consider. ( Photo: Joe Robbins, TNS).
Former Alabama star Henry Ruggs– thought about maybe the fastest receiver in college football last season and a first-round draft pick of the Raiders– had an individual record of 10.53 seconds in the 100-meter dash.
Had Worthys track season not been canceled since of the coronavirus break out, Biggs believes he would have only improved his 100-meter time..
” He most likely wouldve been able to run a 10.2 had he had the ability to run track this year,” Biggs said..
That speed translated to the football field, where Worthy enjoyed a breakout junior season as the secondary choice for an offense that also consisted of Jeremiah Hunter, who signed with Californias 2020 class.
Denard Robinson delivered Michigan to the Sugar Bowl at the end of the 2011 season. ( Photo: Raj Mehta, US Presswire).
In positioning with his “speed in area” approach, Gattis has actually hired quicker gamers given that his arrival at Michigan. In the 2020 cycle, he assisted sign A.J. Henning and Roman Wilson, who were timed at 4.46 and 4.37 seconds, respectively, in the 40-yard dash as high schoolers, and 10.73 and 10.68 seconds in the 100-meter dash..
Worthwhile is the latest hire to fit Gattis approach. And he could be the fastest yet..
” He ran a laser-timed 40 a week earlier,” Biggs stated. “But hes not really happy with it. I indicate, it was a 4.46. He wishes to come down to a 4.3. He didnt even desire to inform me.
” Thats one of his objectives, and I believe hes quickly going to accomplish that.”.
Contact Orion Sang at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @orion_sang. Find out more on the Michigan Wolverines and sign up for our Wolverines newsletter.
Worthy torched defenses, taping 54 catches for 992 yards and 16 touchdowns as Central East went 15-0 and won its first state title in school history..
” With what he does, he fits anything,” Biggs stated. ” You might run double tight ends, single broad receiver. If hes your single pass receiver, youre still going to be sitting quite. He definitely fits. We run all four-wide things. Any spread attack, he can use the within, he can play on the outside. Fly motions, orbit motions, he can line up in the backfield, he can line up at quarterback. Hes a vibrant professional athlete.”.
Worthwhiles recruitment started in earnest this offseason. He got his very first big offer on Feb. 25 from Oregon. Uses from Tennessee, Michigan and Utah on Feb. 28, and USC on March 1.