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Michigan freshman corner Shamari Earls continues to impress

Chris Balasby:Chris Balas•about 22 hours•

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Michigan Wolverines football freshman cornerback Shamar Earls was a four-star recruit. (Photo courtesy Shamari Earls / Instagram)
Michigan Wolverines football freshman cornerback Shamari Earls was a four-star recruit. (Photo courtesy Shamari Earls / Instagram)

The Michigan secondary has been a strength of the team for several years running, and it figures to be again this year. The Wolverines have size, speed, athleticism, a ton of depth at safety and some young corners who have shown up at their best in big games. 

Redshirt sophomore Jyaire Hill joins Zeke Berry as the likely starters at corner, though Berry can play just about anywhere as the “Swiss army knife” in the secondary. As depth goes, though, they’re still looking, and one freshman has opened some eyes.

“[The guy] I mentioned the other day to [secondary] coach [Lamar] Morgan was Shamari Earls, the freshman from Virginia,” receivers coach Ron Bellamy said. “He’s a long, 6-2 corner, can move, very skilled. Those types of body types … he’s built a little longer than [former U-M corner] Will Johnson, and those guys give receivers problems just because if you beat them initially, they can recover with their length and athleticism. 

“He’s a kid we’re expecting big things from. His recruitment … everyone in the nation wanted him, and you can see why. I think he’s a really good player.”

Our practice spotters told us as much recently, noting he was making big time plays in scrimmage situations, including interceptions and on-the-spot tackles. He still has a lot to learn, Morgan said, but he’s making progress every day. 

“Shamari is trying to do a good job of getting here in January, trying to put it all together,” Morgan said of Earls. “He didn’t play his senior season, got hurt in the preseason as a senior, so it’s been a lot on him. I think he’s been pushing through. He’s a tough kid. His parents were formerly in the military, both of them … so, the kid is a pleaser. He’s asking all the right questions, trying to get better each and every day. 

“He has a lot of confidence in himself, but he also doesn’t want to let anybody down. He doesn’t want to let us down, doesn’t want to let the head coach [Sherrone Moore] down, doesn’t want to let Michigan down. He just puts a lot of pressure on himself, which is a good trait if you can balance it all.”

He seems to be on his way. It’s tough for freshmen to make an impact at the position right off the bat, but the best usually shine by the end of their freshmen seasons. Earls has a shot given his physical skills and willingness to learn, and he’s continued to improve throughout camp.

“I’m excited about him. He’s a tall, long guy. I think Michigan every year for the last couple of years has had at least one or two guys that way,” Morgan said. “The combination of over 6-1, around 200 pounds, and he also ran in the 10s (in the 100 meters) in high school, allows him to be a unique player. 

“He’s kind of like Bambi sometimes because he’s just so long and he has to figure it out, but I’m really excited about him.”

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