Signing Day Capsule: Maurice Hurst Jr.

Hurst Jr. is a big boy who can plug the whole as run stopper for years to come in Ann Arbor, and who displays a quick first step for a player his size.

Maurice Hurst Jr.

6-foot-2/300-pounds

Xaverian Brothers H.S. (Westwood, Mass.)

National Rank: Four-star Prospect/No. 14 DT Overall Maurice Hurst Video Highlights.

His Recruiting Story

Westwood (Mass.) Xaverian Brothers defensive tackle Maurice Hurst Jr. is future run stopper for the Michigan defense. He committed to the Maize and Blue last June after offers from other notable programs Ohio State, Michigan State, Nebraska and Boston College to name a few.

At 6-foot-2, 300-pounds, it’s easy to see why so many top teams were interested in Hurst Jr. services. But once the future Wolverine stepped on campus last summer, it became clear the Michigan had what he was looking for in his future school.

“Just on the trip, everything I saw I liked,” he told GBW last June. “We went to the academic center and fell in love with it. It was probably one of the best ones I’ve seen. Then just sitting down and talking with coach (Brady) Hoke for a while was awesome. He’s just a really great guy, and he cares about you as a person just as much as he does football.”

Hurst, who is rated the No. 14 DT in the final Scout.com player ranking, was a force for the Hawks this past season, helping him earn a trip to the Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl in Los Angeles, Cali. At the Semper Fi Bowl, Hurst Jr. dominated competition all week, despite playing with strep throat.

“He struggled between plays,” said northeast recruiting analyst Brian Dohn. “ It looked like he could barely move. Once the ball snapped, he was a complete animal. His explosion is terrific. His aggressiveness and ability to get underneath lineman is tremendous. And what impressed me the most about him, was beside his physical ability, was the toughness he showed in practicing for two days when he was just sick as a dog.”

GoBlueWolverine Commentary

Hurst Jr. is a big boy who can plug the whole as run stopper for years to come in Ann Arbor. He’s going to need to get stronger but displays a quick first step for a player his size. He most likely will redshirt next season, but could see the field depending depth issues on next year’s team. Along with Ondre Pipkins, they should create quite the dynamic duo in the middle of the Maize and Blue defense for the foreseeable future. Hurst Jr. is a tough player and could be a guy who could be the steal of this class.

“I just want to keep working and trying to get better,” Hurst Jr. said. “It’s not something I am going to say, like I am the greatest football player of all time. I just like to keep working and keep trying to get better and trying to learn stuff new. That’s mainly what I do."