With only 3 true guards on the roster heading into next season, landing guard depth via the HS route is critical. Visit season is upon us that means we're heading down the home stretch with priority prospects.

Let's take a look at where things stand coming off the final live evaluation period of the summer.

Isaiah Collier

Height/Weight: Listed height in the 6'2 - 6'4 range, with listed weight ranging between 170 - 205. Eye test says he's probably a legit 6'2 and 190-195.

High School/AAU: Marietta Wheeler HS (GA)/Nike EYBL The Skill Factory (GA)

Weekend Performance: Sat out due to injury

Mainstream Ranking: Now a top-5 overall prospect to both On3 and Rivals. 247 bumped him up to #9 overall. 

EM Ranking/Evaluation: After watching Collier extensively in the Spring, the projected impact is definitely that of a 5-star prospect with an extremely high floor. The playmaking ability for others is off the charts as seen in my footage above. While he was a known commodity as a passer, I didn't anticipate him to be a perimeter shotmaker to the extent I witnessed. Particularly when considering that a good portion of the attempts are difficult pull-ups. He's streaky as a shooter, but even if Collier is a consistent mid-30s type shooter from distance, that translates to a guy that has huge impact on the game given his ability to make others better and get downhill off the bounce. Athletically, my initial comp of poor man's Jrue Holiday was relatively accurate. Isaiah doesn't have the vertical explosion of Holiday (hence poor man's version) and isn't quite as tall, but his strength/core balance is impeccable for a HS junior. Defenders bounce off him when he's attacking the paint and his physicality can be overwhelming. He's not necessarily a shifty ballhandler, but he does have a solid handle and controls the ball while not being a big TO risk. There is no doubt in my mind that he can step in and be a rotational player at Michigan from the day he steps on campus. There is a clear gap between Isaiah and the remaining prospects on this list. 

Recruitment: Collier is currently on campus for his official visit in Ann Arbor. Down to a final four of Michigan, UCLA, USC and Cincinnati despite late interest from Kentucky. UCLA insiders seem to think the Bruins lead as of now, but do acknowledge that he's far from a lock in Westwood. With Collier looking to make a decision in the next few week, the staff will roll out the red carpet without question, as Isaiah is arguably the number one overall target for the class of 2023. Assistant coach Saddi Washington and leading man Juwan Howard have been absolutely diligent in this recruitment and hopefully that persistence pays dividends. Again, it must be noted that Isaiah's brother resides in the LA area and is looking to get into the entertainment industry. So the family ties on the West Coast run deep. Pitching distance and early playing time are things that seemingly play in favor of the Wolverines. Fingers crossed. 

Elmarko Jackson

Height/Weight: Listed at 6'3 and 185 pounds. That appears very accurate to my eyes.

High School/AAU: Recently transferred to South Kent in CT (now teammates w/Papa Kante)/Under Armour WeR1 (DE)

Weekend Performance: 15.2ppg, 5.7asst, 42.4 FG% and 25% from distance on 28 attempts over six games

Mainstream Ranking: 4-star/55 -150 range

EM Rankings/Evaluation: Projects to have the impact of a prospect that ranks in the 40-60 range overall if his performances this year are the new normal. I've watched Jackson live eight games since April and each time he's looked much better than last year as a shooter. As you can see from the film above, Elmarko is consistently hitting midrange pull-ups and triples off movement. My most recent viewing came last month in Connecticut and Jackson hit at least two pull-up triples in all three games I viewed live. He's a twitchy athlete with some real acceleration + strength and getting to the rim has never been a problem. While the decision-making in terms of playmaking is still inconsistent, there are flashes there that allow one to project him favorably in that regard. Don't necessarily know if he'd be a guy that plays heavy minutes as a freshman, but there is some pro upside down the road given his positional size + athleticism in tandem with the much improved perimeter shotmaking. 

Recruitment: Juwan Howard offered the first of July after seeing him live and coming away impressed in back to back weekends in June. Will cut his list before taking OVs in the fall. Texas insiders are inclined to think Jackson will visit Austin in September. UCLA's 247 site speculates that Michigan could be the leader. As someone that is somewhat tied in with this recruitment, I would expect Michigan gets a visit along with Miami and Texas. Maryland will get a visit as well, but it remains to be seen whether it is the official variety, as College Park is relatively close to home. There are serious family ties here, as former Michigan FB standout and Indianapolis Colt, Marlin Jackson is Elmarko's uncle. Michigan had some ground to make up here, as the offer came in late, but things are definitely picking up recently. I'll reiterate, its not an either/or scenario with Collier + Jackson. The staff will absolutely take both.

[After THE JUMP: Happy Trails]

2023 Marvel Allen committed to Georgetown a few weeks back. Allen had some connections to freshman Gregg Glenn, as the two attended the same HS. Marvel was always a Tier B/C prospect for the staff and things never got too serious here. I wish the young man all the best as a Hoya, but I'm not necessarily in tears that he ended up elsewhere.