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Who can make an immediate impact from Michigan’s 2019 class?

Michigan’s top 10 class has a few members who can make a difference right away.

NCAA Football: Michigan at Ohio State Greg Bartram-USA TODAY Sports

National Signing Day has come and gone (until February), and Michigan ended up with a top 10 class for the third time in the past four seasons.

This group is loaded with potential starters for the Wolverines, but who can make an immediate impact from true freshman next season?

Daxton Hill (5-star, Safety)

Hill was one of the most intriguing stories of the class of 2019 for Michigan. After committing to Michigan in September, the 6-foot safety from Oklahoma flipped to Alabama just two weeks ago. But Hill flipped back to Michigan on National Signing Day and is now officially a Wolverine.

Hill is the crown jewel of this impressive class. With senior Tyree Kinnel graduating, Hill will have an opportunity to prove his worth right away and fight with Brad Hawkins for the role.

Hill has some serious play-making ability, which he showed on both sides of the ball in high school. He runs a 4.3 40-yard dash and has a knack for reading plays early. He crashes down on the run, reads the quarterback’s eyes well and has the speed to keep up with the fastest receivers.

Of all the talent in this class, Hill is the most college-ready player of the bunch. He needs to put on a bit more muscle, but I can see him being a guy Don Brown is wowed by come spring.

Mazi Smith (4-star, DT)

Smith reminds me so much of former Wolverine Mo Hurst. The 6-foot-3, 290-pound defensive lineman from Grand Rapids was ranked 137th nationally.

Smith uses his size to plug up gaps in the run game. He also has the speed and aggression needed to put pressure on opposing quarterbacks. He is another guy Brown will love to have on his defensive line.

Smith has the ability to climb the depth chart early after the transfer announcement by former 5-star Aubrey Solomon. But he will have to compete with interior linemen like Michael Dwumfour and Carlo Kemp.

Take a look at some of his junior season highlights:

Giles Jackson (4-star, WR)

Jackson was one of the best recruits for Michigan this season in high school. Not only is he one of the quickest slot receivers in his class, but he was extremely influential as an ambassador by recruiting others to Ann Arbor.

Jackson is one of my favorite players in the 2019 class because of his ridiculous speed and big play ability. He has a 4.43 40-yard dash and makes defenders look silly on a consistent basis. While Michigan is pretty locked and loaded at the receiver position, I think he would fit nicely into the Wolverines’ offense. He will have to fight with Oliver Martin, Ronnie Bell and Michael Barrett for the spot.

Chris Hinton (4-star, DE)

Hinton has been a Michigan commit for awhile. In fact, he committed back in August of 2017. He had an unwavering love for Michigan and their defensive prowess.

Now he will have his time to shine in the Maize and Blue as he finished as the No. 49 recruit in the country. He has great size at 6-foot-4 and 280 pounds, and with that comes impressive strength.

Hinton needs to work on his speed and footwork, but I expect him to be a force on the defensive line and see a similar amount of snaps as Aidan Hutchinson did this year. I also would not be surprised to see Hinton shift to the nose tackle position, especially because of the depth the Wolverines have on the outside.

Zach Charbonnet (4-star, RB)

Charbonnet made the biggest jump out of any Michigan commit this year in terms of rankings, moving up from 303rd to 49th by the end of the season. He has a huge build at 6-foot-2 and 215 pounds, and is exactly the type of freak power-back Jim Harbaugh loves. What makes him different is how quick and agile he is.

He packs a punch while going through the offensive line, and has the speed and grace to get to the second level and beyond. This has drawn some comparisons to Adrian Peterson in his younger days.

Charbonnet will be in a crowded backfield for Michigan, but will likely see some playing time based on the Wolverine’s approach at the position every season under Harbaugh.

Oh, and he is already receiving praise from his coaches:

Let’s hope we will see some highlights like this from Charbonnet in a Michigan uniform:

Poll

Which of these players are you most excited for?

This poll is closed

  • 1%
    Mazi Smith
    (12 votes)
  • 1%
    Chris Hinton
    (14 votes)
  • 46%
    Daxton Hill
    (438 votes)
  • 3%
    Giles Jackson
    (33 votes)
  • 46%
    Zach Charbonnet
    (435 votes)
932 votes total Vote Now