Michigan football: Is Kenneth Grant Harbaugh's 'gift from the gods?'
Michigan’s last two recruiting classes are proving to be absolutely stacked, though both still have plenty to prove on the field. Head coach Jim Harbaugh characterized his trio of receivers as a “freak show” for their incredible talent, and it appears he’s found another at a different position to join them.
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Harbaugh closed his Tuesday press conference at media day talking about his freshman class. About half of them were early enrollees, and the other half showed up in June.
“It’s really good,” Harbaugh said of the group. “I probably won’t talk about it right now just because I wouldn’t mention someone who would be good,” Harbaugh said. “But we saw mid-year players 11, 12 – was it 12 or 13? They were really good. And then we got another 11, 10. In June, more came in, which are also outstanding. So that’s a good class, too … a good, good group of players.”
Including one behemoth who might prove to be one of the more underrated players in the class. Four-star defensive lineman Kenneth Grant of Merrillville (Ind.) High appears to be an eye-opening addition. He’s who most believe Harbaugh was talking about Wednesday after he told The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman Grant ran a sub-5.0 40-yard dash this summer at 350 pounds.
“I have one that I consider to be just an absolute, absolute gift from the football gods. Who?” the Michigan coach said. “I’m going to write it down on a piece of paper here, seal it up. Just see if I’m wrong …”
Grant, ranked No. 102 nationally in the final On3 rankings, picked Michigan over Ohio State and others. He’s a perfect fit at Michigan, Merrillville head coach Brad Seiss said in February, and will be a great addition in Ann Arbor.
“I was fortunate enough to visit Michigan with Kenneth, and the players were extremely personable when they hosted him,” Seiss said. “They seemed like genuine, nice kids. That’s what Kenneth is. He fits the mold of the Michigan Man really well. He thinks about others before he thinks about himself. The motto of ‘The Team’ fits him really well.
“[Grant] helped us in all three phases of the game even though he was highly touted and could have been selfish about being a good defensive player. He did everything he could to be a good offensive lineman and block kicks on special teams. He fits what they are looking for.”
Soon enough, he’ll get a chance to prove it on the field.
