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FOOTBALL RECRUITING: Miami (OH) comes into town to shore up its recruiting class, grabs commitments from Niemiec and Buchanan
Striking gold in Metro Detroit late last month, Miami University of Ohio snagged commitments from two area prep football stars in the same 24-hour period.
Orchard Lake St. Mary’s all-state running back Grant Niemiec and Southfield offensive lineman Collin Buchanan each committed to play their college ball for the Red Hawks over the weekend before the Thanksgiving holiday.
Both Niemiec and Buchanan were three-year starters for their respective high school teams
Niemiec was a two-way terror this fall, excelling in the backfield and on defense at middle linebacker on an Eaglets’ squad that made their fourth straight appearance in the Division 3 state championship game.
Rushing for 1,910 yards and 28 touchdowns, he broke single-season St. Mary’s school records in both categories. In his first year starting on the defensive side of the ball, he was equally devastating, collecting 129 tackles (77 solo, 11 for lost-yardage) and seven sacks.
A two-time all-state pick, the tenacious and hard-running Niemiec led St. Mary’s to a state crown as a junior last fall. Big games were a specialty of his, as he racked up 334 yards and six touchdowns in his three trips to the state finals down at Ford Field.
Buchanan, an imposing 6-foot-6, 305-pound tackle, helped Southfield gain two consecutive appearances in the postseason and raise a Division 2 district title in 2011.
“I love everything about the school and the football program,” said Buchanan of the commitment. “I don’t have any doubts that Miami is the place for me.”
The pair of gridiron standouts are two of a total of 14 verbal-commits Miami (OH) has in its stable less than three months away from National Signing Day in February.
Miami (OH) closed out the regular season last weekend with a 4-8 overall record. The Red Hawks are coached by former Michigan State offensive coordinator Don Treadwell and had six players from the state of Michigan on the team in 2012. Treadwell will be entering his third year at the helm of the program when Niemiec and Buchanan set foot on campus in the summer.
“I wanted to play for Coach Treadwell,” said Niemiec of his choice to become a Red Hawk. “I couldn’t be happier about my decision.”
Another reason why Niemiec is so ecstatic about accepting a scholarship from Miami (OH) is that it allows him to join his first cousin, Spencer McInnis (Orchard Lake St. Mary’s), a freshman running back with the team this past season, on the roster and play the majority of his college career side-by-side with him in the Red Hawks backfield.
