Just by looking at his junior season stats it's easy to see why running back Ty Isaac (Joliet, Ill./Joliet Catholic) is so heavily sought after. Of his team's 93 total touchdowns, Isaac accounted for 51. He had 42 rushing touchdowns with a little more than 2,600 yards, seven receiving scores and two return touchdowns.
He has proved he can be a versatile back in any offense. He obviously has been a key to his current team's success, which is why his coach, Dan Sharp, believes he will be successful in the future.
"Anytime he touches the ball, everybody is on edge, because it could be a Gayle Sayers moment. Every time Sayers touched the ball, he could go, and Ty has that ability," Sharp said. "[Isaac would fit] in any kind of pro-style offense. He's the type of back who can get tough yards, durable, and he's not fun to tackle for safeties and corners."
The interesting part of Isaac's game is that he's a bigger back at 6-foot-3, 220 pounds, but he also has an elusiveness and speed element that gives him a lethal combo.
Sharp has seen about a dozen of his former players go on to FBS schools, most recently tight end Coby Fleener at Stanford. Sharp even sent a former player to Michigan when offensive lineman Mike Kolodziej committed to the Wolverines in the 2002 class.
He believes all of those players are special in their own right, and he even keeps mementos from each one on a bookshelf in his office to celebrate their success. The bookshelf is filled with photos, awards and helmets representing not only only his former students, but the presence he has had in their lives.
With all of the past players he has coached, and all of the success those players have had, Sharp believes Isaac has a chance to be the best.
"He ranks up there with some of the very best, and he might be the most heavily recruited person we've had at Joliet Catholic," he said. "He's one of the best players to come out of this high school, period. Ty reminds me a lot of Marcus Allen out of USC and the Oakland Raiders. Ty is 6-foot-3, 220 pounds, and he might be one of the strongest guys on the team."
Comparing his high school athlete to a Pro Football Hall of Fame running back is a bold step, but Sharp believes Isaac is something special.
"It's scary how good this kid can be, and he has the work ethic and personality to succeed," he said. "He understands what it takes and what he needs to do, and he has a certain humility about him, which is refreshing."
Sharp has been around Isaac for seemingly his whole life, as Sharp also coached Isaac's father at the college level and had Ty as a ball boy when he was a youngster. He's all grown up now, and the now older and more mature Isaac has an opportunity in front of him like no other.
"He's doing all the research right now. He has no timetable, and the offers are still coming in," he said. "I'm sure he'll get to a point where he's ready, but he needs to go out and see some places, and he's very thorough that way."
Isaac has been out to Michigan a few times now, and he recently took a trip to Auburn. He plans on making another trip to Ann Arbor on March 10.
He and his father made the last trip to Michigan, which was again about research and finding answers. His father had some specific questions for the coaching staff that got a lot more in depth with what opportunities his son would have as a Wolverine.
"My dad asked a lot of stuff pertaining to how they're switching to a pro-style offense," Isaac said. "And not necessarily when I'd be able to play, but when would I get the chance to compete for a position. Where they would see me fitting in, and then some general questions after that."
Isaac was specific in his message about playing time. He doesn't want to be handed anything, but he wants the chance to compete. He was more than satisfied with the answer the Michigan coaches gave him, as they were all on the same page.
"They said for everybody it's going to be right away. They're not going to guarantee anybody's going to play anything," he said. "They're going to let you compete right away, and to me that's the best answer you can give because you can't guarantee someone a spot, you have to go let them work for it."
In his research of programs he will be looking at depth charts, because while he wants to earn his playing time, he doesn't want to be stuck behind a logjam at his position. Isaac says he also will be looking at the type of offense a school runs, what they've done on the field recently, and the type of recruiting class each school has coming in.
Isaac no doubt is aware that Michigan already has 13 commitments in the 2013 class, five of whom are top prospects along the offensive line. Within those commitments are two offensive line prospects from Illinois, Kyle Bosch (Wheaton, Ill./St. Francis) and Logan Tuley-Tillman (Peoria, Ill./Manual).
"I want to go with a good class, so I am looking at that. [Quarterback commit Shane Morris] and I talk, I don't want to say every week, but here and there," he said. "He's a good guy and a good recruiter. That definitely goes a long way for any school, having a good class for the next four years."
Tom VanHaaren has covered Michigan recruiting since 2008. He can be reached at TomVHESPN@gmail.com or on Twitter @TomVH.