Michigan lands Tennessee four-star ATH Taylor Groves
THE SITUATION: Michigan came in with an offer January 27, and just over a week later, Taylor Groves committed to the Wolverines. The 6-foot-3, 185 pound junior out of Cross Plains (Tenn.) East Robertson has over 20 offers, and the majority were to play offense, Michigan wants Groves on the defensive side. The talented junior has committed to Jim Harbaugh and the staff in Ann Arbor over a host of other top programs to play defensive back in the Big House.
IN HIS OWN WORDS: "I know I have not have the offer long, but committing to Michigan just feels like the right move," said Groves. "I was high on schools like Ole Miss, Notre Dame, Virginia Tech, Tennessee and Penn State, but Michigan came in and really impressed me.
"I have been talking to coach Mo (Maurice Linguist) a lot, and my connection with him was different. He is a realist, and he is so easy to talk to, so he made it easy. We have been talking every day, and we talk about life, family, football, the Michigan program, and everything.
"I told coach Mo about my decision Wednesday and he was almost in tears. He was so pumped up to have me and he was excited. He is a great coach that can really coach me up at defensive back.
"I am excited too. It did happen quickly, but I honestly felt it after just a couple of phone calls. It was that gut feeling and it is exciting. I am excited to be part of such a well run program. Michigan is a great school, they have had a lot of great players and it feels great to be committed to them."
RIVALS REACTION: Michigan closed strong in 2021, and it is now building off that momentum in 2022. Junior Colson was a big get for the Wolverines in 2021, and he is not too far from Groves, so getting back into Tennessee early this cycle is a good sign. Groves had an impressive list of offers, and only three of those were to play defense. He is a big athlete with long arms, great instincts, and his ball skills consistency jump up when breaking his tape down. At a safety, he is will be a leader on the back-end of the defense. He has great size, he is an athlete, he is going to add more weight and muscle to his frame, and he is a commitment Michigan fans should be excited about.