Michigan Football Recruiting: Shane Morris Will Put Wolverines Program on Top

It's difficult to gauge football talent coming out of high school. The transition from high school to college is a tough one and has been known to be the downfall of numerous talented athletes in the past. 

Shane Morris, quarterback from Warren De La Salle high school in Warren, Michigan, hasn't had the senior year that most 5-star recruits dream about. 

Morris, who was ranked as the No. 26 player in ESPN’s Top 150 for 2013, was hospitalized during his senior season after contracting mononucleosis. 

The confident quarterback missed a portion of his senior season, which showed in the Under Armor All-American Game. He completed just two of his 10 passes and threw an interception in a losing effort. (He also took this huge hit.)

It may sound like U of M fans should be dreading Morris’ decision to come play for the Wolverines next year. Not so fast. 

Morris, when he’s not wrestling with mono, can make throws with the best of them. He's shown that he's very comfortable in the pocket and can do enough with his legs to make plays, much like Aaron Rodgers. Keep in mind that All-Star games rarely have developed game plans, and that Morris’ performance should be no big deal to fans of the maize and blue. 

In his junior season Morris was a monster, completing 121 of his 235 passes for 1,684 yards and 19 touchdowns. A player with those numbers and Morris’ 6’3’’, 201-pound frame should be encouraging for a Wolverine program that’s lacked a pocket passing quarterback for some time. 

Because of his health issues, Morris would greatly benefit from holding the clipboard for his first season on campus. If he takes the time to really get comfortable with the playbook and college environment, he could thrive in Ann Arbor and may even be the “Tom Brady reincarnated” that fellow Michigan recruit Kyle Bosh said he was. 

Morris is exactly what U of M needs to bring the program back to its rightful place at the top of the Big Ten and all of college football. He's the NFL-style quarterback that the Wolverines have lacked in the last few years, and may bring them the kind of glory not seen since the 1990s.