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Michigan's hot streak on the recruiting trail continued into the month of July on Friday, when the football program received a commitment from 2016 wide receiver Brad Hawkins out of Camden, New Jersey.
Hawkins, a four-star prospect, is teammates with defensive end commit Ron Johnson and gives the Wolverines another piece from The Garden State, which has become Michigan's East Coast pipeline. There are still some big names on the board from the state, like defensive tackle Rashan Gary and 2017 center Cesar Ruiz, so that very well could pay dividends down the road.
Following his commitment to Michigan, we did a brief analysis of what Hawkins brings to the table. Here is a snippet:
At 6-foot-1, 190 pounds, Hawkins is a physical wide receiver with above-average height. He is not the fastest by any means, but he does appear to get faster as he gathers momentum down the field.
He is a true red-zone target that adjusts to the football and makes plays at the highest point. He has big hands and uses them well to catch the ball. He is not a playmaker, but does flash the ability to make moves to get behind the secondary and get open down the field.
Hawkins needs to improve a bit as a route runner, but has the look of a nice match-up wide receiver you can line up in the slot or someone on the outside that can grab a jump ball.
Butler decommits from Pittsburgh
Class of 2016 cornerback Tony Butler (Lakewood, Ohio) decommitted from Pittsburgh last week, according to 247's Steve Wiltfong.
Butler is a three-star prospect and the 57th-ranked cornerback in the class, per the 247 Composite. Many believe that Michigan is the school that will ultimately gain a commitment from him.
He wil be visiting Michigan later this month, so we will keep an eye on what happens with him. I would not rule out a commitment, but I am not comfortable with making a prediction there yet without gathering more intel on the situation. Stay tuned.
Xavier Kelly trims list of schools
In case you missed it last week, 2016 defensive end target Xavier Kelly (Wichita, Kansas) released his top eight schools, where Michigan made the cut.
Alabama Florida State Clemson Michigan〽️ Georgia Kansas State Oregon TCU
— xavier kelly (@xavierkelly22) June 29, 2015
Kelly would be a great piece to add to a class with Ron Johnson at defensive end and possibly Rashan Gary at defensive tackle. It would go a long way in improving a defensive line that has underachieved greatly in the last few seasons.