Karmello English, Wolverine

 

Phenix City (AL) Central wide receiver Karmello English (image via OANow)

Phenix City (AL) Central wide receiver Karmello English committed to Michigan on National Signing Day. The former Auburn commit picked the Wolverines over offers from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Miami, Ole Miss, Tennessee, and Texas A&M, among others.

English is 5'11" and 175 lbs. As a junior in 2021, he caught 70 passes for 1,059 yards and 18 touchdowns.

RANKINGS
ESPN: 4-star, 85 grade, #15 WR, #82 overall
On3: 4-star, 90 grade, #51 WR
Rivals: 4-star, 5.9 grade, #29 WR, #153 overall
247 Sports: 4-star, 90 grade, #40 WR

Hit the jump for more.

English was thought to be a possibility for Michigan early on, but then a commitment to Auburn dashed those thoughts for a while. However, Auburn has been an up-and-down program for several years, and the uncertain situation with coach Bryan Harsin (who has since been fired) made English question whether that was the right spot. He eventually decommitted, but it still seemed likely that he would stay down south. It came down to Kentucky and Michigan, and he signed his National Letter of Intent and publicly committed to Michigan at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday.

English is a powerful, speedy route runner who has some good quickness in and out of breaks. He shows some decent body and hand strength at the catch point and can make some tough catches in traffic. He also has some good short-area quickness to make people miss in space, and then his acceleration is solid to blow past defenders. I really like his ability to come in and out of breaks with speed, and he should be a good target on corner routes, out routes, digs, and posts.

There aren't many negatives to his skill set. He could afford to add some size and strength to his frame, but that's the case for everyone.

Overall, he's a good prospect. I was trying to wrack my brain for a comparison from a Michigan perspective, but I couldn't come up with anyone. He reminds me a little bit of (uh-oh) Antonio Brown. Yes, the Antonio Brown who went to Central Michigan and then the Steelers and then Crazytown. Brown is 5'10" and 181 lbs. (not far off from 5'11", 175), but his ability to shake defenders in space and then run through contact was impressive for someone so slight. That's how I feel about English, who I think can be someone who makes things happen after the catch, especially if Michigan can scheme him open and get him the ball with a little room to run.

English is the third receiver in the class, joining Semaj Morgan and Fredrick Moore. He's the first player from Alabama to sign with Michigan since Nico Collins in 2017. English's head coach is former Mississippi State linebacker Patrick Nix, who is the father of Oregon quarterback Bo Nix.

TTB Rating: 82