Shamari Earls, Wolverine

 

Shamari Earls (image via Twitter)

Chester (VA) Thomas Dale cornerback Shamari Earls flipped from Georgia to Michigan. He picked the Wolverines over other offers from Alabama, Miami, Tennessee, and USC, among others.

Earls is listed at 6'2" and 180 pounds on 247 Sports, although I have heard he's closer to 200 pounds now; an article on 247 Sports says he's 203 pounds. As a junior in 2023, he caught 29 passes for 715 yards and 8 touchdowns; he also made 25 tackles and 3 interceptions. He runs a 10.8 in the meters and a 21.78 in the 200 meters, and both his high jump (6'2") and long jump (23'10 3/4") numbers are pretty good.

RANKINGS
ESPN: 4-star, 84 grade, #9 CB, #71 overall
On3: 4-star, 96 grade, #4 CB, #23 overall
Rivals: 3-star, 5.7 grade, #46 CB
247 Sports: 4-star, 94 grade, #9 CB, #67 overall

Hit the jump for more.

Defensive backs coach Lamar Morgan reeled in Earls despite a roller coaster of a recruitment. Earls initially committed to South Carolina before flipping to Georgia. Then he silently committed to Michigan, delayed a public announcement due to a late overture by Georgia, and then finally went public with his commitment to the Wolverines late during the week. Considering all the ups and downs, I wouldn't necessarily write his name in pen for Michigan's class until he enrolls.

As for the play on the field, Earls is a big body who almost looks too thick to be a cornerback. He's tall and long at 6'2". I'm interested to see how his body will develop; he could potentially add weight at his size and maybe become a safety, or he may be able to redistribute some of his body makeup and stay roughly the same size. In the mold of Will Johnson, he's a guy who sometimes doesn't look like he's moving fast because he takes such long strides, but his speed is good enough to be successful at the next level. He shows some nice body control and seems to know he's bigger and stronger than most of the skill players around him.

On the negative side, I have some questions about his ability to flip hips and change direction. He does not show the quickest footwork and sometimes even seems sluggish when it comes to planting and changing direction. Is it because he can't do it or doesn't want/know to do it? I would tend toward the latter, and hopefully higher expectations and better coaching at the college level can improve that technique. That extends to his tackling, as I think he lacks physicality and aggression when it comes to meeting ball carriers; he tends to try to go low and grab on to ankles rather than trying to be an enforcer.

Overall, Earls looks like a very good piece of the puzzle for the 2025 class. With the size and skills I see on his film, I would almost project him to safety, but I don't think his tackling is on par with what's necessary at the position. Unless that can be improved, I think he's a cornerback all the way. He appears to be an Aamir Hall-level tackler (not great) with Will Johnson-type size and athleticism (pretty darn good). With Johnson looking like a good bet to head to the NFL next season and Hall out of eligibility, there's a good chance Earls could step in next season and be CB2 or CB3. Generally, starting a freshman at cornerback is problematic, so it would be nice if someone else can step in and let him develop a little bit first.

Michigan now has 18 commitments in the class of 2025. Earls would be the first signee from Virginia since safety Brandyn Hillman in the class of 2023, and the first player from Thomas Dale to play for the Wolverines.

TTB Rating: 83