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RECRUITING: A pair of prep stars commit to D1 schools, as Edwards and Hunter pick college destinations
Two of the best prep athletes in the state found homes at the college level recently, with Chelsea football star Berkley Edwards committing to the University of Minnesota and Detroit Consortium boys basketball star Vincent Hunter committing to UT-El Paso.
Both committed over the last two weeks.
Edwards won’t sign his National Letter of Intent until February, while Hunter signed his and sent it out to the Miners’ coaching staff in Texas late last month.
The tenth player to join the Golden Gophers’ 2013 recruiting class, Edwards is the son of former NFL running back Stanley Edwards and baby brother of current NFL wide receiver Braylon Edwards. Selected to the Division 3 all-state team, he rushed for 1,330 yards and 21 touchdowns this fall. Last season, he ran for over 1,500 yards and crossed into the end zone 18 times. Both years, Edwards led Chelsea into the playoffs.
His father and brother each played at Michigan. Braylon, a first-round draft pick of the Cleveland Browns in 2005 and currently with the Seattle Seahawks, has been vocal in criticizing his alma mater for failing to recruit his younger sibling.
In his own pro career, which lasted six seasons, Stanley played for the Houston Oilers and Detroit Lions. While at Michigan in the late 1970s and early 1980s, he was a member of Bo Schembechler’s first Rose Bowl-winning team.
Hunter is a super smooth and explosive 6-foot-7 ½ forward, considered a top candidate for the state’s prestigious Mr. Basketball Award. Entering his third year in Consortium’s starting lineup this winter, Hunter has helped turn the Cougars into a Class C powerhouse. As a sophomore, Consortium made a run into the final four. Then, last year as a junior, the Cougars won a district title before losing a 38-36 heartbreaker in the regional championship game to eventual state champion Flint Beecher.
If Hunter and his Cougars teammates want to return to the Breslin Center and the state semifinals this March, they will most likely have to go through Beecher and all-state point guard Monte (Man-Man) Morris – signed with Iowa State of the Big 12 – in the state tournament again.
UTEP is coached by former NBA sideline general Tim Floyd.
Edwards’ future team, the Golden Gophers of Minnesota, finished 6-6 on the gridiron this year. Minnesota currently only has two players from the state of Michigan on its roster; defensive back Kenny Watkins (Birmingham Brother Rice) and linebacker Dominic Schultz (Port Huron)
