Michigan Wolverines Add Juwann Bushell-Beatty, Hope To Add Teammate Jabrill Peppers


Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

The Michigan Wolverines continued their little recruiting streak on Monday with the verbal commitment of offensive tackle Juwann Bushell-Beatty, their third commitment of the last week. Bushell-Beatty joins tight end Ian Bunting and receiver Maurice Ways as the most recent additions to the Wolverines class of 2014, and is the eighth overall.

Bushell-Beatty is picking the Wolverines over Boston College, Tennessee and Florida.

Bushell-Beatty will be coming to Ann Arbor via one of the top prep schools in the country: Paramus Catholic (Paramus, NJ). His exact size is somewhat of a mystery (ESPN and 247sports list him at 6-foot 7, over 310 pounds, while rivals and scout list him at 6-foot 5, 295 pounds), but we do know he’s still a very big man with a load of talent.

He’s got some work to do before he becomes the next blue chip offensive tackle from Big Blue. He’s a tall guy, and sometimes he plays just like it. If he doesn’t use good technique, he’ll stand straight up, won’t get good leverage or hand placement, and won’t use his hips.

But, when he does use good technique, he’s a mauler who is adept at both pass and run blocking, has enough speed to get up to the second level, has superb reach for keeping defenders well off his chest and showing decent lateral mobility.

Any time you get a big man with a talent ceiling as high as Bushell-Beatty’s, you’re elated. But, for you Wolverine fans out there, this could lead to even bigger news. You see, as I mentioned earlier, Bushell-Beatty plays for the Paramus Catholic Paladins, one of the top prep football programs for pumping out talent.

Well guess what, Bushell-Beatty isn’t even the best player on the Paladins roster this fall. That honor goes to mega-recruit Jabrill Peppers, a safety who rivals list as the No. 2 player overall in the country. Peppers has given indication that he was a Michigan lean, and that was before his friend and teammate Bushell-Beatty chose the Wolverines.

Could this lead to the Wolverines adding a ninth commitment in the very near future? Michigan coach Brady Hoke sure hopes so, but I’d imagine Peppers will take a little more time with his decision than Bushell-Beatty’s.

Still, this certainly doesn’t hurt Big Blue’s chances.

Rick Stavig is a National Recruiting Columnist for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @rickstavig or add him to your network on google.

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