Detroit Cass Tech’s Donovan Peoples-Jones (9) runs against Novi Detroit Catholic Central on Saturday, Nov. 26, 2016, at Ford Field in Detroit.
Every year since 1985, the Lansing State Journal has ranked the top 22 senior football prospects from the state of Michigan. Past No. 1 selections have included college and pro standouts such as LaMarr Woodley, T.J. Duckett, Courtney Hawkins, Robaire Smith, Drew Henson and Charles Rogers, to name a few. See who made the cut this year in our annual Catch 22 list.
1. DONOVAN PEOPLES-JONES
DETROIT CASS TECH
Position: Wide receiver
Height/Weight: 6-2/190
40 time: 4.42
College: Michigan
Academic status: Qualified – Early Enrollee
THE WORD: Freakish – As only a junior, Peoples-Jones went to Nike’s ‘The Opening’ camp in Oregon and earned the highest SPARQ rating – a combined score of different athletic tests – of any prospect in attendance. His vertical jump and 20-yard shuttle would have been the fastest of any receiver at that year’s NFL Draft combine. Chose Michigan over MSU, Ohio State, Florida State and Florida. Played in the U.S. Army All-American Game.
Ambry Thomas
2. AMBRY THOMAS
DETROIT MARTIN LUTHER KING
Position: Defensive back
Height/Weight: 6-0/174
40 time: 4.43
College: Michigan
Academic status: Qualified- Early Enrollee
THE WORD: Winner – Playing at both receiver and defensive back, Thomas helped polish off back-to-back Division 2 state championships for King High School and then committed to Michigan on Dec. 7. Other finalists included MSU, Penn State, Pittsburgh and Florida. Played in the U.S. Army All-American Game.
DB Jaylen Kelly-Powell
3. JAYLEN KELLY-POWELL
DETROIT CASS TECH
Position: Defensive back
Height/Weight: 6-0/180
40 time: 4.49
Max bench: 275
College: Michigan
Academic status: Qualified – Early Enrollee
THE WORD: Movement – In a world with increasingly taller players in the defensive backfield, Kelly-Powell fits the mold. An Under Armour All-American, he also made Division 1-2 first team all-state twice at Cass Tech and was part of a 4×100 state championship relay team. Had offers from 32 other Power 5 schools besides Michigan.
Orchard Lake St. Mary’s Josh Ross.
4. JOSH ROSS
ORCHARD LAKE ST. MARY’S
Position: Linebacker
Height/Weight: 6-2/225
40 time: 4.6
Max Bench: 355
College: Michigan
Academic status: Qualified
THE WORD: Sibling – The younger brother of former Catch 22 top-five player James Ross, who was also a linebacker and built almost the same (6-0, 210). Josh committed to Michigan in March 2016 and also held offers from the likes of MSU, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Wisconsin.
Skyline High’s Hunter Rison.
5. HUNTER RISON
ANN ARBOR SKYLINE
Position: Wide receiver
Height/Weight: 6-0/185
40 time: 4.6
College: Michigan State
Academic status: Qualified – Early Enrollee
THE WORD: Lineage – Son of former Spartan and NFL receiver Andre Rison, who remains in the top five all-time at MSU in career receptions, receiving yards, TD receptions and yards per catch. Hunter also held offers from the likes of Alabama, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon and Penn State. Received offers from 18 Power 5 conference schools, including MSU.
Hunter Rison commits to Michigan State again
Cody White caught 59 passes for 1,148 yards and 14 TDs last season.
6. CODY WHITE
WALLED LAKE WESTERN
Position: Wide receiver
Height/Weight: 6-3/195
40 time: 4.55
Max bench: 225
College: Michigan State
Academic status: Qualified
THE WORD: Playmaker – White did a little bit of everything this past season for Walled Lake Western. He averaged almost 11 yards per carry and ran for seven touchdowns, averaged 17 yards per catch and had nine receiving TDs and threw for nine TDs. He also was the team’s punter. “Cody’s one of the best DBs, receivers, slots that we’ve ever had in our school,” Warriors coach Mike Zdebski said after the team’s state final loss to Detroit Martin Luther King. “He’s going to have a great future.”
Detroit Cass Tech has four of the top-15 seniors in the state, including No. 8 Donovan Johnson, left, and No. 1 Donovan Peoples-Jones.
7. DONOVAN JOHNSON
DETROIT CASS TECH
Position: Defensive back
Height/Weight: 5-11/178
40 time: 4.43
College: Penn State
Academic status: Qualified
THE WORD: Plucked – Not highly recruited by either MSU or Michigan, Penn State swooped in for Johnson off a successful season that ended in a Big Ten title and Rose Bowl appearance. Johnson played in the U.S. Army All-American Game and did attract other high-profile offers such as Nebraska, Oregon, Tennessee, Virginia Tech and Wisconsin.
Antjuan Simmons Ann Arbor Pioneer linebacker Antjuan Simmons commits to Michigan State on Saturday, Jan. 14, 2017.
8. ANTJUAN SIMMONS
ANN ARBOR PIONEER
Position: Linebacker
Height/Weight: 6-1/215
40 time: 4.55
Max bench: 270
College: Michigan State
Academic status: Qualified
THE WORD: Welcomed – In a stretch with few commitments to the 2017 class, the addition of Simmons was a big one for MSU and kicked off a needed closing run. Formerly an Ohio State commit, Simmons, who is tagged as a four-star recruit by some services, pledged to the Spartans on Jan. 14 over Notre Dame and Arizona.
Four-star linebacker Antjuan Simmons commits to Michigan State
Flint Southwestern football player Deron Irving Bey talks about heading to play football at University of Michigan next season on Friday January 20, 2017 at Flint Carman-Ainsworth High School.
9. DERON IRVING-BEY
FLINT SOUTHWESTERN
Position: Defensive line
Height/Weight: 6-5/278
40 time: 4.9
College: Michigan
Academic status: Qualified
THE WORD: Battle – MSU and Michigan had a hotly-contested recruiting tussle over Irving-Bey, a U.S. Army All-American who could play defensive end or defensive tackle in college. The Wolverines ultimately won out with a commitment on Dec. 19. “He’s a very explosive player,” Southwestern coach Chane Clingman said. “Very quick with his first step, aggressive and very coachable.”
Corey Malone-Hatcher of St. Joseph.
10. COREY MALONE-HATCHER
ST. JOSEPH
Position: Defensive line
Height/Weight: 6-4/250
40 time: 4.79
Max bench: 425
College: Michigan
Academic status: Qualified – Early Enrollee
THE WORD: Edge – Malone-Hatcher’s size and speed made him a highly-sought defensive end prospect. Committed to Michigan in June and also held offers from the likes of MSU, Alabama, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Penn State, Tennessee and Wisconsin. Early enrollee has already played one game at Michigan Stadium, as he helped shut down Kalamazoo Central 13-6 on Aug. 28 in season-opening “Battle at the Big House” event.
Phillip Paea, a two-way lineman at Berrien Springs (Mich.) High, received offers from Notre Dame, Michigan State and Michigan in a five-day span in February.
11. PHILLIP PAEA
BERRIEN SPRINGS
Position: Offensive line
Height/Weight: 6-4/305
Max bench: 330
College: Michigan
Academic status: Qualified
THE WORD: Coordination – “For a kid his size, the combination of speed and athleticism is what makes him special,” Berrien Springs coach Tony Scaccia said. “He’s everything you’d want in a guy who’s 5-10, 180 and he possesses all those things (at 300 pounds). He’s gifted for a kid that size.” Also held offers from the likes of MSU, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Oregon and USC.
Cass Tech rising senior Jordan Reid, a three-star offensive lineman, chose MSU on Saturday over Michigan, Florida, Pittsburgh and Tennessee.
12. JORDAN REID
DETROIT CASS TECH
Position: Offensive line
Height/Weight: 6-4/280
40 time: 5.2
College: Michigan State
Academic status: Qualified
THE WORD: Depth – Reid is one of four offensive line commits for the Spartans in the 2017 class. MSU dipped into Cass Tech for OL in the 2013 class with tackle Dennis Finley, who showed promising upside and played before breaking his fibula and tibia in 2015. Reid looks to be more of an interior line prospect, but did play tackle for the Technicians.
Cass Tech OL Jordan Reid becomes MSU’s 15th commit for 2017
Oak Park’s JaRaymond Hall.
13. JARAYMOND HALL
OAK PARK
Position: Offensive line
Height/Weight: 6-5/275
40 time: 5.03
Max bench: 275
College: Michigan
Academic status: Qualified – Early Enrollee
THE WORD: Arsenal – Michigan is bringing in six offensive linemen for its power rushing attack in the 2017 recruiting class and Hall was the first of those six to commit, pledging all the way back in December 2015. Likely a tackle at the college level with his frame, Hall racked up early offers from Arizona, Ole Miss, Penn State and Tennessee.
Orchard Lake St. Mary’s Richard Bowens.
14. RICHARD BOWENS III
ORCHARD LAKE ST. MARY’S
Position: Defensive back
Height/Weight: 6-2/185
40 time: 4.5
Max bench: 250
College: Iowa State
Academic status: Qualified – Early Enrollee
THE WORD: Long – “His length is what gives him an edge,” St. Mary’s defensive backs coach Jeff Phillips said. “He’s got long arms, he can run. … Being long and fast as a corner is going to help him at the next level.” Along with multiple state championships in football, Bowens was a two-time Division 2 state champion in the 300-meter hurdles and a member of a state champion 4×200 relay team.
Warren De La Salle’s Allen Stritzinger.
15. ALLEN STRITZINGER
WARREN DE LA SALLE
Position: Running back/Defensive back
Height/Weight: 6-1/185
40 time: 4.46
Max bench: 230
College: Syracuse
Academic status: Qualified
THE WORD: Diverse – That’s how De La Salle coach Mike Giannone describes Stritzinger’s skill set. “He can run the ball with the ability to turn the corner and put a move on a defender anywhere on the field and Allen can also move to the other side of the ball and become a lockdown corner,” Giannone said. Also held offers from Cincinnati and seven schools from the Mid-American Conference, where second-year coach Dino Babers was before taking the job with the Orange.
River Rouge’s Jairus Grissom.
16. JAIRUS GRISSOM
RIVER ROUGE
Position: Quarterback
Height/Weight: 6-2/200
40 time: 4.6
Max bench: 250
College: Eastern Michigan
Academic status: Qualified
THE WORD: Rebuild – Chris Creighton did a tremendous job leading the Eagles to a bowl game on the heels of a 1-11 season in 2015. Leading the way was quarterback Brogan Roback, a highly-rated, pro-style quarterback coming out of high school. Grissom is more of an athletic, dual-threat style QB and he can also play in the defensive backfield. Also held offers from Houston, North Carolina State, Purdue, Rutgers, Syracuse and Wake Forest.
Muskegon’s Kalil Pimpleton.
17. KALIL PIMPLETON
MUSKEGON
Position: Athlete
Height/Weight: 5-7/160
40 time: 4.4
Max bench: 305
College: Virginia Tech
Academic status: Qualified – Early Enrollee
THE WORD: Ability – The AP Division 3-4 Player of the Year in Michigan this past fall is one of the more interesting prospects on this list and where he makes an impact at Virginia Tech, a program that was ahead of schedule in the first year of Justin Fuente’s rebuild, remains to be seen. While also playing quarterback for the Big Reds, Pimpleton has the athleticism to play running back, slot receiver or star in the return game at the college level.
Notre Dame Prep’s Kyle Sassack.
18. KYLE SASSACK
NOTRE DAME PREPARATORY
Position: Offensive line
Height/Weight: 6-7/280
40 time: 5.3
College: Minnesota
Academic status: Qualified
THE WORD: Moving – When former Western Michigan coach P.J. Fleck took over at Minnesota following the Broncos’ Cotton Bowl appearance, Sassack was one of the WMU commits he took with him. Sassack is a two-time Division 3-4 all-stater. “Kyle is an outstanding run-blocker and has great potential as he grows into his 6-7 frame,” Notre Dame Prep coach Pat Fox said. Also held offers from Vanderbilt, Syracuse and several Mid-American Conference schools.
Detroit Jesuit’s Scott Nelson.
19. SCOTT NELSON
UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT JESUIT
Position: Defensive back
Height/Weight: 6-2/185
40 time: 4.5
Max bench: 255
College: Wisconsin
Academic status: Qualified
THE WORD: Fit – It took a while for Nelson to select which college he would be attending, but the Badgers – with a secondary that was tied for second in the Football Bowl Subdivision in interceptions this past season – seem to be a perfect spot for a ball-hawking safety who was also a standout wide receiver for the Cubs. Held offers or received interest from seven other Big Ten schools.
Greenville’s Keegan Cossou.
20. KEEGAN COSSOU
GREENVILLE
Position: Tight end
Height/Weight: 6-5/240
40 time: 4.8
Max bench: 275
College: Central Michigan
Academic status: Qualified
THE WORD: Prototypical – Cossou played both tight end and defensive end for Greenville in the fall, but fits the mold of a tight end at the Division I level. “He’s a prototype tight end,” Greenville coach Eddie Ostipow said. “He’s a physical blocker at the line of scrimmage but also a threat in the middle of the field while possessing great ball skills.” Received offers to Nebraska, Minnesota and Purdue after committing to CMU in April.
Muskegon’s Andrew Ward.
21. ANDREW WARD
MUSKEGON
Position: Linebacker
Height/Weight: 6-1/209
40 time: 4.65
Max bench: 315
College: Nebraska
Academic status: Qualified
THE WORD: Overlooked – Will have to add some weight in the rugged Big Ten, but Ward was named to the AP Division 3-4 all-state team at linebacker as a senior after helping lead Muskegon all the way to the Division 3 state final, where they lost to Orchard Lake St. Mary’s by one point. Anchored a defense that allowed only 12 points per game. Held offers from six other Power 5 schools, including Indiana and Penn State in the Big Ten.
Saline’s Bryce Wolma.
22. BRYCE WOLMA
SALINE
Position: Tight end
Height/Weight: 6-4/235
College: Arizona
Academic status: Qualified
THE WORD: Development – Wolma accumulated offers from schools such as Colorado and Tennessee on top of four MAC schools and was once committed to Northwestern before switching to the Pac-12’s Wildcats, which produced a top NFL tight end in Rob Gronkowski. Had 48 catches for 694 yards and six touchdowns in his senior season at Saline.
Here are the previous No. 1 prospects on the Lansing State Journal’s annual Catch 22 list of the state’s top senior football prospects:
1985: John Miller, Farmington Hills Harrison — MSU
1986: Tony Boles, Westland John Glenn — Michigan
1987: Scott Kowalkowski, Orchard Lake St. Mary – Notre Dame
1988: Courtney Hawkins, Flint Beecher — MSU
1989: Gilbert Brown, Detroit Mackenzie — Kansas
1990: Mill Coleman, Farmington Hills Harrison — MSU
1991: Tyrone Wheatley, Dearborn Heights Robichaud — Michigan
1992: Pete Chryplewicz, Sterling Heights — Notre Dame
1993: Randy Kinder, East Lansing — Notre Dame
1994: Chris Floyd, Detroit Cooley — Michigan
1995: Diallo Johnson, Orchard Lake St. Mary — Michigan
1996: Robaire Smith, Flint Northern — MSU
1997: Maurice Williams, Detroit Pershing — Michigan
1998: Drew Henson, Brighton — Michigan
1999: T.J. Duckett, Kalamazoo Loy Norrix — MSU
2000: Charles Rogers, Saginaw — MSU
2001: Kelly Baraka, Portage Northern — Michigan
2002: Gabe Watson, Southfield — Michigan
2003: LaMarr Woodley, Saginaw — Michigan
2004: Alex Mitchell, Bay City Central — Michigan
2005: Kevin Grady, East Grand Rapids — Michigan
2006: Brandon Graham, Detroit Crockett — Michigan
2007: Ronald Johnson, Muskegon — USC
2008: Nick Perry, Detroit Martin Luther King — USC
2009: William Campbell, Detroit Cass Tech — Michigan
2010: William Gholston, Detroit Southeastern — MSU
2011: Lawrence Thomas, Detroit Renaissance — MSU
2012: Aaron Burbridge, Farmington Hills Harrison – MSU
2013: Shane Morris, Warren De La Salle – Michigan
2014: Damon Webb, Detroit Cass Tech – Ohio State
2015: Kyonta Stallworth, Detroit Martin Luther King — MSU
2016: Donnie Corley, Detroit Martin Luther King — MSU
Donovan Peoples-Jones also considered Florida, Florida State, Michigan State and Ohio State.
Detroit Cass Tech senior Donovan Peoples-Jones was joined by coach Thomas Wilcher and principal Lisa Phillips for the announcement.
Hunter Rison, a four-star wide receiver, graduated early from Ann Arbor Skyline.
King’s Ambry Thomas runs the ball Friday against Walled Lake Western. Thomas worked with Scarber to improve his skills in the secondary.
