Bushell-Beatty chooses Michigan
From the moment Juwan Bushell-Beatty set foot on Michigan's campus, it didn't seem like any other school could match everything the offensive lineman from Paramus (N.J.) Paramus Catholic liked.
"When I was there I felt like I saw everything that I was looking for in a school," said the 6-foot-5, 295-pound Bushell-Beatty. "The academics, the way the coaches are and the way the players interact with the coaches made me feel really comfortable. It felt like it was the place for me.
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"The coaches, tradition and players were the biggest reason for my commitment," he said. "I just felt like I was at a place that was already familiar to me and I was around people I knew. They have great coaches there. They are great guys. Coach Funk is a great guy. I'm really fond of the way he coaches.
"I don't think distance from home is that big a deal," Bushell-Beatty said. "I was looking for a place that could offer me a great opportunity to play college ball on a big level and also a high academic place. I haven't set up my next visit up there yet but I'm going to try to get up there during our bye week during the season or after the season."
Clearly, the Ann Arbor school made a great first impression on Bushell-Beatty and he said he has been thinking about committing since then.
"After my visit, at Ohio State, I was contemplating committing to Michigan," he said. "Over time, I thought about how I felt about Michigan and I talked to my coach about it a lot. I've been to a few other schools and have been comparing them to Michigan. I'd go to one place and I'd see that they had a great coaching staff but they didn't have another aspect that I was looking into. I felt like Michigan was a place that had everything."
Most recruits know they won't step in and start right away but Bushell-Beatty knows what he needs to accomplish to reach new heights.
"I think I will have to adapt to a college speed during my first year," said Bushell-Beatty. "When I go up there I want to get as much done as possible. I have goals set for my freshman year and I want to achieve those. I want to achieve those and work hard, and I'll make new goals for the next year. It's just like when I started play football in high school. It's a gradual system where I get one thing done after another."
Bushell-Beatty is not the only recruit at Paramus Catholic. The nation's second overall prospect Jabrill Peppers is also a star for the Paladins. Peppers is considered a Michigan lean and now the Wolverines have one of Peppers' good friends onboard to help recruit the standout cornerback every day.
"I'm going to try my best to get Jabrill to come along but at the end of the day it's his decision," he said. "I'll keep doing my best to let him know how I felt about it and I'll get some feedback from him. One thing that I think would be the greatest thing is playing at the next level with a player that I played in high school with."