Michigan Recruiting: Wolverines Make Offer to 2014 Class Phenom Da'Shawn Hand

With just a week to go before National Signing Day, right now, most major college football programs around America are trying to put the finishing touches on their 2012 recruiting classes as they try to keep all of their current commitments secure while also attempting to add a few last-second pickups.

But just because most of the focus is on this year’s group of high school seniors, that doesn’t mean that some college coaches aren’t already starting to look ahead and plan for the future.

When it comes to recruiting, it’s never too early to get a head start and begin building a relationship with a coveted recruit, and that’s just what Michigan coach Brady Hoke is planning on doing with sophomore sensation Da’Shawn Hand, a budding star defensive end at Virginia’s Woodbridge High School.

Today, Michigan joined the likes of Boston College, North Carolina State, Rutgers, Syracuse and Virginia Tech, as the Wolverines became the latest school to offer an early scholarship to the young sophomore.

After following up a season in which he recorded 21 sacks and earned second-team All-Northwest regional honors with an eye-opening performance at this year’s All-American combine, Hand has certainly put himself on the recruiting map, as he already looks capable of developing into one of the future blue-chip prospects of the 2014 class.

It may be a little too early to tell just how good he could be down the line, but the 6’4’’, 245-pound sophomore is obviously loaded with potential, and the fact that he’s already receiving this type of attention and receiving these types of offers so early in his high school career just goes to show how highly he’s thought of in the recruiting world already.

If Hand keeps physically maturing as expected, he possesses the type of edge-speed, power and raw athleticism to develop into an absolute pass-rushing phenom over the next few years.

Hoke made a wise choice to build an early bond with Hand, because with the way things look right now, we’re going to be hearing a lot more of his name in the coming years, and he's sure to be receiving plenty more attention and offers from some of the top programs from around the country.