Competitive Delonte Hollowell looking forward to being part of the Michigan football program
DETROIT - When Delonte Hollowell received a scholarship offer from the Michigan football program last September, his first call went to his brother, Charles.
“I was like, ‘For real?’” Charles Hollowell said. “He said, ‘What should I do?’ And I was like, ‘You should go ahead and take it.’ That’s one of his dream schools. So as soon as he got the chance to, he went and took it.”
Hollowell became Michigan’s second verbal commitment in January, joining fellow defensive back Greg Brown.
Last week, at the Sound Mind, Sound Body football camp at Wayne State, Hollowell said there never was any doubt where he’d play his college football.
“The coaching staff was great, but that’s not the reason I committed to Michigan,” he said. “They have good academic programs. The football team’s great. I have former players that I play with up there and I would love to have the chance to play with them again. I love the coaches, I love everybody there.”
A 5-foot-8, 165-pound cornerback, Hollowell will be the latest in a long line of Detroit Cass Tech products to sign with Michigan next February.
Hollowell played with current Wolverines Will Campbell, Teric Jones and Thomas Gordon as a sophomore and still works out occasionally with them. Fellow verbal commit Shawn Conway went to Cass Tech as a freshman. And Hollowell said he’s already started recruiting sophomore defensive back Terry Richardson.
Hollowell, Conway and Richardson all attended the SMSB camp, where Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez was a guest speaker.
During his presentation, Rodriguez told the story of deciding which of two unnamed prospects to offer last year.
“I said, 'I want to take him,'” Rodriguez said. “The coaches said, 'Why do you want him?' I said, 'I was at the Sound Mind, Sound Body camp and I watched the one-on-ones and that guy was trying to get in the front of the line and that guy was trying to hide in the back.' I want the guy that wants to take every rep against every guy, who’s not afraid to compete.
“So we took that guy, and I’m glad we did because he’s going to be a great player.”
Hollowell was at the SMSB camp last year, and those who know him say that sounds like him.
Rodriguez can’t talk about recruits publicly, but Hollowell, even with a scholarship wrapped up, attended both the SMSB and Michigan football camps last week, and went to the Nike camp in May.
“I love to compete,” Hollowell said. “There’s always time to compete and get better. There’s other cats out there that will work me and I can work them.”
Dave Birkett covers University of Michigan football for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached by phone at 734-623-2552 or by e-mail at davidbirkett@annarbor.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.
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