Michigan Football: Wolverines get key commitment from 2020 defender

Michigan football hosted over 20 recruits this weekend and the first of those players to commit is 2020 3-star William Mohan, who will be a viper.

When it comes to recruiting, stars and rankings don’t always matter. What matters is the way a program views a player and when it comes to William Mohan, Michigan football has a strong view of what he can do.

The Wolverines have always felt like Mohan, a three-star athlete from Brooklyn, would be perfect playing the viper role on Michigan’s defense and now it looks like that thought will become a reality.

That’s because Mohan announced Sunday morning that he would be committing to Michigan football following his visit Saturday. Mohan is listed as 6-foot-1 and 195 pounds by 247 sports which also has him rated as the No. 28 athlete and No. 415 nationally according to their composite rankings.

New defensive assistant coach, Anthony Campanile was the primary recruiter for Mohan and it was another solid get for the former Boston College co-defensive coordinator. UM has been doing well in the Northeast due to Chris Partridge and Don Brown and with Campanile, as well as all his connections, that trend should continue.

Mohan is the 11th commitment for Michigan football in the 2020 class, although he is the fourth that could be playing a linebacker position. The Wolverines already have commitments from Osman Savage, Cornell Wheeler and Nikhai Hill-Green.

Yet, none of those guys will fit the way that Mohan will with the Wolverines, who see him as a perfect fit for the viper role that is currently being played by Khaleke Hudson, as well as others such as Jordan Glasgow and Michael Barrett.

Jabril Peppers was the one who first starred in the role on Brown’s defense back in 2016. Since then, it has been a staple and in 2017, his first season on the job, Hudson was incredible with 16 TFL, 7.5 sacks and two interceptions.

That shows the potential impact a viper can have in this defensive system and when you watch Mohan’s highlights, you can see the athleticism jump off the screen.

In high school, Mohan played some outside linebacker and also appeared at times to play a safety-type role, although most of the time he’s line up on the edge. He appears to have a great feel for blitzing off the edge, while also showing some fluidity in coverage and a willingness to tackle.

The other thing you notice is that he’s around the ball — a lot. He forces fumbles, gets an interception and also makes a lot of tackles. He needs to add some weight if he’s going to play in the box in the Big Ten, however, he won’t be counted on to start right away either.

Yet, that doesn’t mean he won’t have a chance to make an immediate impact as a freshman. That starting job will certainly be open after Hudson graduates and you never know what can happen.

Few likely expected Mike Sainristil, a three-star athlete from the 2019 class, to be among the favorites to start at wide receiver after spring football, yet that’s where we are. Mohan, who is an explosive player, could possess similar potential.

Regardless, Michigan football got a player it can be excited about moving forward. It also got a guy that could be the starting viper someday.