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I don't usually link to Bleacher Report, but the folks there managed to get what should be a rare treat for Michigan fans in anticipation of the 2014 football season. In case you haven't heard, Brady Hoke and the Michigan football coaching staff got the commitment and LOI from five-star defensive back Jabrill Peppers (Paramis, NJ). Peppers is considered the best cornerback in the class of 2014 and is certainly the highest rated recruit of Michigan's 2014 class. His Rivals.com recruiting profile is here, and his 247Sports recruiting profile is here.
Peppers, who is set to arrive on campus on June 20, recently caught up with Bleacher Report and agreed to make a list of his Top Ten Predictions, which you can watch in the video above. If for some reason the video does not play, here is the list transcribed:
1. Will Make All-Big Ten Freshman
2. At least 3 Interceptions as a Freshman
3. At least 1 Touchdown on Special Teams
4. At least 1 Touchdown in a game
5. Have a Big Hit in a game
6. At least 1 Pick-6 (INT return for TD)
7. Michigan will have a better season record than 7-6
8. Will Make Freshman All-American List
9. Big Ten Championship (in his career at M)
10. National Championship (in his career at M)
So, those are his predictions. Pretty bold, especially the last three. Items 2-6 certainly seem doable. (I wouldn't be surprised if Peppers made three interceptions in one game, especially early in the non-conference schedule.) I'd be shocked if none of these predictions came true, at least the reasonable ones. Okay, sure, predicting a national championship sometime in his career is a bit much, but Peppers has always possessed a flair for the dramatic and a penchant for going big.
After all, here's what he did when he committed to Michigan:
If you need a quick refresher of what he did in high school, here's another highlight reel:
A video on Peppers early in his recruitment:
And when he visited Michigan:
Clearly there are a lot of reasons to be excited about finally seeing this young man in a winged helmet playing for Michigan, and it's one of the few reasons why I'm looking forward to the 2014 season. Welcome, Jabrill! Go Blue!