With plenty of questions surrounding the wide receiver depth chart heading into the offseason thanks to the top two receivers graduating, the Michigan coaching staff needed to restock the cupboard with some elite talent. And they’re off to a huge start as 2017 Cheshire Academy (CT) WR Tarik Black has officially committed to Michigan.
Commitment
Scouting Report
Black is one of the most physically gifted receivers in the class. At 6’4″ and 200+ pounds, he uses his size and unreal athleticism to dominate at the high school level. But he’s not just all size. Black runs crisp routes, has great vision with the ball in his hands and uses his speed and sneaky quickness to break away from defenders on short, intermediate and deep routes.
Whether he was going to end up at Michigan or not, I believe Black is a five star talent and could be an absolute star in the Maize and Blue. His game reminds me a bit of New York Jets WR Brandon Marshall.
Black is a big target who tracks the ball well and high-points his catches. He goes over the middle and can also get down the field. He has big hands to secure the ball and tucks it quickly. He gets off the line well and is quick in and out of breaks. He knows how to use his size against the defensive backs. He needs to add strength to be more physical down the field and also to be a more effective blocker. – via Scout.com’s Brian Dohn
Recruitment
As one of the top receivers in this class, Black was obviously a wanted recruit. But Michigan was one of the only teams that has been in it from start to finish. After looking like a good bet early on, he was a receiver target that looked likely to end up elsewhere. Stanford and Notre Dame shared time as the favorites over the summer. But those feelings were short lived as his visit to Ann Arbor for the BBQ at the Big House looked to put Michigan on top for good.
Not long after the BBQ, I put in my Crystal Ball prediction for Black to Michigan.
Though Alabama made a strong push for him and he named the Crimson Tide his “leader” after his official visit, MGoFish learned that earlier in the season that Black was referring to himself as a Michigan commit to people around him. And with Black mentioning early on in his recruitment that the plan was to silently commit before his senior year and announce afterwards, it all adds up.
Black officially visited Michigan for the Hawaii game and made an unofficial return just days before his announcement in mid-December. Add in some intel and it was a clear cut sign who the big receiver was going to announce for. And he followed through by choosing the Wolverines in front of his family, friends, teammates and classmates.
- Height: 6’4”
- Weight: 205lbs
- Hometown (School): Cheshire, CT (Cheshire Academy)
- Notable Offers: Alabama, Auburn, Stanford, Notre Dame, UCLA
- Rankings: Scout (4*, #99 overall) – Rivals (4*, #76 overall) – 247 (4*, #194 overall) – ESPN (4*, #223 overall)
- Composite Ranking: Four star, #123 overall, #17 WR, #1 in Connecticut
Highlights
As for the Rest of the Class
Black is the 21st overall commitment, 2nd wide receiver and 3rd commit out of Connecticut (which is a pretty damn impressive stat). With him on board, the staff has its first domino knocked down in this train of announcements coming up over the next couple weeks. Next up are Donovan Peoples-Jones, Isaiah Wilson, Cesar Ruiz and Jordan Anthony. As for receiver recruiting, with Black and Hawkins on board, the staff is hoping to finish up the haul with DPJ and Nico Collins, who isn’t expected to decide until closer to NSD.
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