BALTIMORE — Miles Boykin likes making his father angry.
Because his father and brother are both avid supporters of Michigan, Boykin grew up cheering for Michigan State. Now that the consensus four-star wide receiver from Providence Catholic (Ill.) High School is being courted by top schools across the country, it means Boykin, a class of 2015 football recruit who visited Ann Arbor last weekend, is far from a lock to commit to playing there.
That doesn’t mean family isn’t influencing his upcoming decision, though, and Boykin enjoyed Michigan even though coach Brady Hoke was on the west coast for a fundraiser.
“I loved it,” Boykin said Friday. “It was great being down there with an offer.
“My dad and brother were biased, so they loved it before they even got there. Them seeing it put a whole different spotlight on it for them. My brother loves it, my mom really doesn’t care about it — she doesn’t care about really any school — but my dad and my brother just love it.”
Boykin plans on returning to Ann Arbor later this month for the football program’s Barbecue at the Big House, a tradition started by former coach Rich Rodriguez that offers recruits the opportunity to interact informally with other players and coaches.
He expects to announce a top-five list in mid-July and plans to reveal his commitment by August. And yes, somewhere in-between, he will take another visit to Michigan State.
“It’s getting tiring, but it’s a blessing” he said. “Not many people are in this position, so I know I’m going back on it and say, ‘Man, I was truly blessed.’ ”
Boykin is one of more than 100 top recruits attending the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge, hosted at the Baltimore Ravens’ M&T Bank Stadium on Saturday and Sunday. Tyree Kinnel, who committed to Michigan last fall, will participate, as will top targets Chris Clark, Jacques Patrick and Jerome Baker.
“I just want to get here against some of the top players in the nation and just compete,” Boykin said.
Justin Hilliard, a four-star linebacker from Cincinnati with Michigan in his final five, informed Challenge organizers on Friday that he would not be attending despite previously accepting an invitation.