University of Michigan Offers Canadians Josh Palmer, Chase Claypool

University of Michigan Offers Canadians Josh Palmer, Chase Claypool

With the University of Michigan starting their rebuilding process, head coach Jim Harbaugh is recruiting in every possible place he can. His most recent recruiting trip has sent Michigan north of the border into Canada, where the Wolverines have extended scholarship offers to a pair of Canadian wide receivers, Chase Claypool (Abbotsford, BC) and Josh Palmer (Brampton, ON).

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For Canadian football players, the presence of a program like Michigan in Canada speaks volumes to the talent developing here, especially when somebody like Jim Harbaugh is in charge.

“The talent has always been here,” said recruiting consultant Simon Lazanja. “With Division-I programs like Michigan, Oregon and Notre Dame starting to take notice, it’s huge for Canadian players. I’ve heard many doubters over the years, but now that those kind of programs are recruiting up here, it speaks for itself.”

Jim Harbaugh did not make the trip to Vancouver to visit Claypool, instead, his son Jay Harbaugh did. According to 247Sports, Jay, the tight ends coach at Michigan, and Jedd Fisch, the quarterbacks and receivers coach at Michigan, are recruiting Claypool.

With the offer, Michigan now joins a growing list of prominent Division-I schools in pursuit of the British Columbia product, as Claypool has now received 12 scholarship offers.

Thursday was a big day for Claypool as Washington State also extended an offer to him, which was the first time he has received multiple offers in one day.

One of Claypool’s trainers, Eddie Ferg of Air Raid Academy, is not surprised by all the interest he’s drawing.

“He has all the athleticism, but he also has the mind for it,” said Ferg. “His work ethic is unreal. He’ll perfect things until the late hours of the night by himself. He’s kind of an old school guy in that sense, but he’s a kid that’s hungry for success.”

At 16 years old, Claypool is a strong athlete that looks like a man among boys on game film. But off the field he’s a humble and grounded young man.

“A lot of kids allow this stuff to get their head, but he’s probably one of the most humble kids I’ve ever been around,” said Ferg. “He’s not caught up in social media and all that. He’s all about getting better and working hard. He’s always critiquing and challenging himself to be better. That’s his goal everyday — to get better.”

Prior to Claypool being offered by Michigan, Joshua Palmer, a wide receiver at St. Roch secondary school in Brampton, was also offered a scholarship from Michigan.

At 6-foot-2, 170 pounds, Palmer has lots of room to grow still and is already a playmaker on the field. Next season Palmer will be joining St. Thomas Aquinas high school in Fort Lauderdale, FL, to suit up for the two-time National Champion Raiders.

The 15-year-old receiver also trains with IDFFL coach Anthony Cannon, who was a former standout at Tulane University and spent three seasons with the Detroit Lions.

A part of the 2017 class, Palmer also received an offer from the University of Temple. However, with two full years left in his recruitment, these two offers should be the first of many for the Brampton native.