New Minnesota commit Maxwell Miles breaks down why he flipped from Michigan

Las Vegas (Nev.) Centennial defensive back Maxwell Miles flipped his commitment from Michigan to Minnesota over the weekend and talked about why he chose the Gophers. 

Miles committed to Michigan back in March during an unofficial visit. It was a quick decision, committing just hours after being offered. 

The Gophers stayed on Miles and were able to get him on campus over the weekend for an official visit.

“Minnesota was one of my first scholarship offers and I have really good, genuine relationships there,” Miles said. “They never backed off and were pushing for me to take an official visit. 

“I decided to visit to see their full vision for me first hand. Once I got there and saw how welcoming they were to me and especially my parents, I was sold. They made my parents feel valued from the moment we got there and that was very important for me.”

Miles said being around the players and the rest of the coaching staff put the Gophers over the top. 

“The turning point for me was definitely getting to hang around the staff and the guys on the team,” Miles said. “Everything just clicked for me and I knew I could be a very valuable player in their defense, that’s Safety-U (University) and I love how I fit in.”

Gopher DC Danny Collins was the lead recruiter with Miles.

“I have a great relationship with coach Collins,” Miles said. “He’s done a great job building that up and he came to the house twice for home visits and even came to one of my track meets to watch me compete. 

“He broke everything down for me and showed me exactly how I would be used in the defense. Like I said, I love the all around fit and I’m very excited about my decision.”

Miles has a nice combination of size, skill and athleticism. He was a standout at the Under Armour All-American Camp in SoCal last April and then had a strong junior season after transferring in to Centennial. 

In 11 games, he totaled 77 tackles, six for loss and picked off six passes. He flashes on tape and shows plenty of range, ball skills and covers a lot of ground. 

He’s a willing hitter who plays a physical game as well. He has an edge to him and is a really nice fit in what Michigan likes to do with their safeties. 

He’s also a track standout and has already long jumped 23′ 3.25” early this spring, 2nd best long jump in the state so far.