Michigan football team grabs fifth 4-star offensive lineman for 2013 class
More on Michigan's week-long recruiting barrage: Commit Nos. 1 and 2 | Historic Six | No. 7 Jake Butt | No. 8 Logan Tuley-Tillman | No. 9 Jaron Dukes, a Columbus receiver
The Michigan football team now has five four-star offensive linemen verbally committed to its 2013 recruiting class.
No other Big Ten team has more than four commitments overall.
There are a lot of impressive numbers related to the Wolverines' week-long recruiting spree, which included 10 commitments, but that perhaps is most impressive of all.
The latest player to pledge to Michigan is Pennsylvania four-star offensive lineman Patrick Kugler, who did so Saturday morning according to his Twitter account.
"Committed to the University of Michigan! Gonna be a Wolverine!" he tweeted.
Kugler is the 13th player to join Michigan's 2013 class. The next closest team in the Big Ten is Ohio State at four. Michigan State, which hosts a junior day this weekend that Kugler was supposed to attend, has two.
Kugler is ranked by Rivals as the country's No. 54 overall player. That means the Wolverines' entire five-man offensive line class ranks among the country's top 200 players: Chris Fox (No. 46), Kyle Bosch (No. 60), Logan Tuley-Tillman (109), David Dawson (199) and Kugler.
That comes after Michigan's four-man offensive line class for 2012 finished third in the country, according to Rivals. Those two classes combine for one five-star, seven four-stars and one three-star prospect.
Of course, verbal commitments for 2013 are nonbinding until letters of intent are signed next February. But, barring something cataclysmic, that will stack up as a terrific two-year haul.
It also should help bolster depth down the road after Michigan had to play with just eight scholarship offensive linemen last season. Coach Brady Hoke has said that's roughly half what he desires.
Jeff Hecklinski, Michigan's receivers coach and recruiting coordinator, said earlier this month on signing day that offensive line will be a point of focus for every class going forward.
"Look, Big Ten football, Michigan football, has always been won up front," he said. "And, every year, the emphasis is going to be on getting kids who can help us win up front.
"Our emphasis is on the toughness of our lines, and that’s where we truly believe Michigan football starts, and we truly believe that’s where winning football starts."
Now, though, Michigan could be done at the position until 2014. Scout Midwest recruiting expert Allen Trieu said recruits were saying Michigan coaches planned to take five players at the position.
Kugler, then, could be the final piece, and quite a piece he is.
The Wexford, Penn., native had 25 offers, according to Rivals, including from programs such as Florida, Florida State, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Penn State and Stanford.
He stands 6-foot-5, 280 pounds.
Kyle Meinke covers Michigan football for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at 734-623-2588, by email at kylemeinke@annarbor.com and followed on Twitter @kmeinke.
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