When Denton Ryan’s Ty Haywood was in eighth grade and living in Mississippi, an athletic trainer told him some discouraging words that made him want to quit football. He considered joining the Army, in hopes of training to be a sniper.

Ty Haywood, the highly-coveted offensive tackle from Denton, Texas (Ryan High School) who was previously committed to Alabama before he re-opened his recruitment last month, officially pledged to join the Wolverines on Wednesday, the first day of the final national signing window which runs through April 1.