Michigan Football: Breaking down commitment of CB Myles Pollard

The Wolverines landed a key addition for its 2022 recruiting class with cornerback Myles Pollard committing to Michigan football on Wednesday. 

Michigan Football has gotten off to a hot start in the month of July by picking up commitments from four-star tight end Colston Loveland and four-star EDGE Mario Eugenio.

Wednesday, Michigan continued its momentum by landing one of its top overall targets in cornerback Myles Pollard (Brentwood, TN/Ravenwood HS).

When Michigan football hired Maurice Linguist to be its co-defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach, he wasted little time in making Pollard a top priority.

The Wolverines offered him on January 28th and Pollard was able to get to Ann Arbor a dead period visit in March and again for his official on June 11th. When Linguist left to become the head coach at Buffalo, the move actually worked to Michigan’s benefit.

Pollard had a better relationship with new defensive backs coach Steve Clinkscale, who was at Kentucky at the time. Michigan’s efforts paid off and it was able to land a huge commitment at a position of need. Read on for how Pollard fits into Michigan’s class.

Breaking down Michigan football’s latest 2022 addition:

CB Myles Pollard

Size: 6-foot-2 185 lbs

Ranking: 247composite #439 player overall, #39 corner, and #16 player in Tennessee

Rivals four-star #34 corner and #11 player in Tennessee

Notable Offers: Alabama, Auburn, Oklahoma, Florida, Florida State, Miami (FL), Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Oregon, Penn State, Tennessee, Washington, UCF, and Wisconsin

The Player: Pollard has the protypical size that you look for a cornerback prospect at 6-foot-2,185 pounds and long arms. He also has the speed, quickness, and fluid hips to turn and stick with receivers on an island in man coverage. Pollard is comfortable dropping back into zone and shows good instincts and ball skills.

I love the physicality that Pollard brings to the cornerback position. He is very physical when it comes to jamming receivers at the line of scrimmage. Pollard is highly competitive at the catchpoint and he has no problem letting receivers know that he will be in their face all day. He is also very comfortable coming up in run support and laying a big hit. My comparison for Pollard is Jaycee Horn, 2021 first round pick of the Carolina Panthers.

The Fit: Pollard is the third defensive back Michigan football has landed in its 2022 class, joining his good friends five-star Will Johnson and four-star Kody Jones. Pollard and Johnson project to the perimeter while Jones projects to nickelback. Returning starters Vincent Gray and Gemon Green will have a final year of eligiblity in 2022, however both are seniors and they may not use their extra year. Michigan’s young corners are still unproven at this juncture.

Pollard is both talented enough and physically ready to see the field as a freshman. When Pollard does crack the starting lineup, I think he is in for a big career. Pollard is capable of being an All-Big Ten performer and beyond for the Wolverines. If he starts opposite Will Johnson during their careers, Michigan will have two extremely long and athletic corners to pester receivers on the outside.

Pollard is also the second prospect from Tennessee that the Wolverines have landed in 2022. Defensive lineman Walter Nolen, the No. 3 overall player in the 2022 class, is also from Tennessee. It will not hurt to have another friendly face in Nolen’s ear.