beau atkinson

Linguist Fallout/Clink Reactions

Losing their hottest recruiter at a position of dire recruiting need last week was a blow, but one that was salvageable if Ron Bellamy could play damage control($) until Michigan could pull off the one hire people wanted more than Linguist. They did so, and now the damage doesn’t look so bad. There are a lot of details behind the paywalls here but I’ll give a quick rundown of the board and how things have shifted with links as to the how and why.

THE MR. BLUES:

• ➡ 5* MI CB commit Will Johnson: He’s “in the class” ($) says EJ Holland. Dad is on board. Johnson is still telling 5-star Oklahoma commits to come to Michigan, so I think we’re good here.
• ➡ 4* TN CB/Nk commit Kody Jones: Has an existing relationship, told Sam he’s “all-in” and that Clinkscale was his first offer.
• ⬆/➡ 4* TN CB target Myles Pollard: Told Holland Clink was his first choice(free), and Sam writes Pollard “has a leader”($, info in title) so no change. Pollard did add a visit to Florida after those to Oklahoma and Auburn. In a Michigan vs the field recruitment, I say more the merrier, since it just dilutes the field.
• ➡ 4* NJ CB target Jaeden Gould: Helps($) thinks Holland, “Still in a really good place”($) Johnson told Sam.
• ⬇ 4* MI S/Nk target Dillon Tatum: “Not had the best words about it” Johnson told Sam, who also got Dillon to admit on record that up until last Wednesday the only thing holding up a Michigan commitment before was waiting on the video. Apparently Tatum was turned off at some point when Clink was recruiting him to Lexington; Holland learned before Clink was hired(free) that Tatum didn’t have a good relationship there, says there’s some fence-mending needed($) and went into detail on a public Q&A before Clink was hired that sounded like somebody up US-23 was whispering sweet nothings. Upshot here is Tatum will take visits to his leaders, and Michigan is giving him time to form a bond with Clinkscale.

THE HAPPY TEETH​

• ➡ 5* CA USC CB commit Domani Jackson: Linguist’s leaving hurt, via Holland, but Clinkscale and Domani’s dad are both from Youngstown. Holland wrote that ASU’s Christian Hawkins would have moved the needle here the most.
• ⬇ TX 4* S Chace Biddle. Probably wasn’t happening anyways.
• ⬇ VA 4* S Sherrod Covil. Once an M/ND scouting win who was ticketed for Va Tech, now Clemson/Bama/OSU involved and ND is trying to hang on. M was probably pulling out before Linguist left.

THE DATUM (DATAS?)

• ➡ GA 4* UGA CB commit Marquis Groves-Killebrew is one Linguist connection I was surprised is still coming up here, but that’s the plan($) says Sam. MGK is one of two recent offers whom Will Johnson told Webb Michigan’s “in a good place with.”
• ➡ GA S Mumu Bin-Wahad is the other, and will still be up for a visit on Victor’s Weekend. Trying to dig on this guy returns mostly rebuffed recruiting reporters until the 24/7 Michigan guys started getting interviews about MBW’s bond with Will Johnson($, info in title).

THE SAD JOSH

• ⬆ 3* MI Kentucky S commit Jeremiah Caldwell: Probably changed this one from a peripheral recruitment to a flip.

THE NEFARIOUS EDUARDOS:

• ⬇ I’m just gonna take TX 5* Bryce Anderson off the board entirely. He was trending to Texas($, info in title) before Michigan lost the one reason he was interested.
• ⬇ Ditto LA 5* Jacoby Matthews (going to LSU guys).

NON-DEFENSIVE BACKS:

• ➡ 5* TN DT Walter Nolen. Via Holland, Bellamy had more to do with this recruitment than Linguist. Keeping Kody Jones is important. Michigan also just offered Walter’s middle school brother, a 2025(!) OL. This is the only way you’ll get me to talk about 2025 recruiting.
• ⬆⬆ 3* MI DT/OL Deone Walker: Up($), also rising. Holland had a (free) 1-on-1 recently, that includes an interesting note about how the new staff would use a 6-7/340 guy I’ve upgraded him to Mr. Blue on the board:
• ➡3* TX LB Jeremy Patton, who probably won’t be a 3-star much longer, is going to use one of his coveted few visits to check out Michigan(free) reports Steve Lorenz, who stresses Patton was one of the first targets the new staff ID’d. Seems like a big hurdle in a recruitment that will have a few of them.
• ➡ 4* MI Notre Dame LB commit Josh Burnham: No change($).
• ⬆ 4* TN LB Keaten Wade and 4* ATH/QB Destin Wade, both UK commits: Package deal($), M needs a QB so would make sense.

Rest of the board isn’t tied to Linguist or Clinkscale in a specific way. I guess it could help with MI CB/WR Jaden Mangham from my high school, who was just bumped up to a 4-star in 24/7, but I haven’t heard yet.

[After THE JUMP: Two more cornerbacks, and guys the size of two cornerbacks.]

Michigan’s closing in on prospects at some positions of need, and adding guys to the board at a lot of spots where they’re less sure of their top options. So let’s check in on recruiting before this post gets pushed down by another Hello or Goodbye. The 2022 recruiting board lives here.

Quarterback

CA 3* Nate Johnson got a crystal ball from 24/7’s Sam Webb and a FutureCast from Rivals’s EJ Holland recently. Johnson ran a 10.49 100-meter-dash at a meet last weekend per his coach. For reference, Tyrone Wheatley put up a 10.46 at Michigan, Denard’s personal best was 10.44, and the mathematics of the Universal Standard Model of Quarterback Physics breaks down at around 10.42.

Holland said as long as Michigan overcomes the distance hurdle, Johnson will be in the class. Matt Weiss working with Lamar Jackson (and Harbaugh’s history with Kaepernick) is helping convince the dual-threat Michigan would know what to do with him, a comp also shared by 24/7’s Brice Marich($). Utah and Oregon State will get their visits, and then I am guessing we’re on commit watch when Johnson visits in June. Holland also said Johnson ran a laser-timed 4.45, and gave a player comp to Marcus Vick, noting the elite athlete could play safety or wide receiver if quarterback doesn’t work out.

Johnson might not be the only QB on the board however. Marich reports they’ve made contact($, info in title) with Cal commit/CA 4* Justyn Martin, who just had a pretty nice delayed junior season.

Happy Trails: IN 4* Tayven Jackson committed to Tennessee.

Best Guess: Nate Johnson and thoughts turn to Dante Moore in 2023.

Running Back

Lorenz reports that recent offeree LA 4* Trevonte’ Citizen is a longshot($), despite Michigan making a top ten cut. I’m not adding him to the board.

Best Guess: Pursuit of Sawchuk goes to the moment Sawchuk signs with Oklahoma, add a Karan Higdon or Tavierre Dunlap type along the way.

[After THE JUMP: Dashes]

Some things have happened since we last checked in. Starting with…

Quarterback

The dominoes fell($) and Michigan’s top pro-style targets went off the board to Clemson (Cade Klubnik) and Penn State (Drew Allar). Oregon’s commitment from Tanner Bailey ruled out the Ducks for Trayce Jackson-Davis’s brother Tayven, the younger Jackson just put out a top eight that excluded Michigan.

Michigan’s now forging ahead with some dual-threats, notably CA 3* Nate Johnson who sounds like($) the closest thing to a Denard Michigan has recruited since the smiling one. The new offer is 3* TX dual-threat Alex Orji, who expressed “tons of excitement” after getting that offer from Harbaugh directly. Orji is a Linguist idea with a lot of regional offers and a highlight reel of leaving a lot of grasping defenders rolling on the ground.

What?

Running Back

Mike Hart seems focused on 5* Gavin Sawchuk, whom Michigan was first to offer, though Oklahoma has five crystal balls there. They’re also looking at a big fella in AL 3* Quinshon Judkins, who impressed Rivals’ EJ Holland($) at the Panama Beach 7v7 Tournament.

[After THE JUMP we finally name our Tennessee operation]