Freshmen Faces: Eamonn Dennis

Eamonn Dennis was signed by Michigan as an athlete, but earlier this year, the Worcester (Mass.) St. John's product announced that he would be enrolling at Michigan as a defensive back. In high school, the 5-10, 173-pounder was electric with the ball in his hands, scoring 19 touchdowns as a senior, but also flashed the quick feet and hips to stay with shifty receivers. Because of that, and because of U-M's depth chart at the nickel corner position, the No. 24 athlete nationally per 247Sports will line up on defense instead of offense.

Recruitment

Like so many players from New England, Dennis was not heavily recruited and was viewed only as a three-star prospect coming out of high school. He reeled in double-digit offers, with Duke, Georgia Tech, Iowa, Mississippi State and Purdue being some of the more noteworthy tenders.

Player Breakdown/Player Comparison

As a high school prospect and when it looked like he'd be playing offense in college, Dennis looked nearly identical to fellow Massachusetts native and current Wolverine wide receiver, Mike Sainristil. The two are almost the exact same size, played all over the field in high school and even wore No. 5 in a red and gold uniform as prep stars. The similarities are quite uncanny.

Even though he won't be catching or carrying the ball, Dennis' abilities are still unique. He's extremely shifty and quick in tight spaces, possesses great balance and really seems to anticipate well on the football field on both offense and defense. He's got great ball skills and was also a big time weapon as a return man in high school. He really can do it all on the gridiron so it'll be interesting to see how he's ultimately used at Michigan.

Now that he's playing defense, the best player comparison for Dennis is Nickell Robey-Coleman. At 5-8, 180 pounds, Robey-Coleman is one of the smaller cornerbacks in the league, but he's cat quick and sticky in coverage. Dennis is listed a bit taller, but he's built similarly and possesses some of the same traits that makes Robey-Coleman a great nickel corner.

2020 Outlook

I don't think Dennis will see the field much if at all as a true freshman, but he might because of U-M's depth chart at the nickel spot. If he comes in and flashes the ability to stick with guys like Sainristil and Giles Jackson, he'll get a look simply because Michigan doesn't have a No. 1 at the position right now.

As a five-star freshman, Daxton Hill held down the spot last year, but with Hill now a permanent fixture at safety, the nickel position is wide open. It seems like second-year corner DJ Turner could get a look there, as well as redshirt sophomore Gemon Green, but early enrolled freshman Andre Seldon, along with Dennis, are definitely going to shoot their shot.