June is a big month for recruiting. After a rather quiet May that follows the spring period, June heats back up with clusters of visitors each weekend of the month, including the signature Victors Weekend in mid-June. Michigan Football currently sports a top five 2024 recruiting class according to the sites, with 17 commitments already in the class. This June they'll be looking to add to it as they build what figures to be an enormous recruiting class considering the sheer volume of commitments. It's been over a month since we last did a full-on recruiting update (not just a Hello post), so I figured this one should be expansive and comprehensive to set the table for the month of June. We'll go through each position and work our way through the top players:

 

Quarterback

Commits (1): Jadyn Davis (5*) 

Prospects: ----

Outlook: Michigan has their guy and have been wrapped up at the position since. 

 

Running back 

Commits (1): Jordan Marshall (4*) 

Prospects: Taylor Tatum (4*), Darrion Dupree (3.5*), Yasin Willis (3.5*), Micah Ka'apana (3*)

Outlook: This is one of the more interesting areas of focus as the summer rolls along. Michigan already has one elite back locked in to the recruiting class in Ohio's Jordan Marshall and they want to take another RB in this class. 4* Taylor Tatum from Texas has long been the focus of everyone's attention and Michigan is right there for him. As it stands right now, the commitment of Marshall has not dissuaded Tatum from being interested in joining the Wolverines, even as other suitors like Oklahoma and USC are in the hunt. Michigan seems to be in a good position for Tatum but as is the case with an elite (top 100) recruit, it is a battle and battles drag on. The recent word is that Tatum's decision is not close ($) and he may wait until September to commit, so the question for Michigan is whether they want to wait. 

The sense I have gotten from the various insiders ($), is that Michigan doesn't have a ton of appetite to take three RBs and it's not like any RB wants to be part of a three-man class. Thus, they have two options, fighting it out until the fall for Tatum or taking a commitment in June or July from one of several options that Mike Hart has lined up. The crystal ball by Steve Wiltfong for 3* Las Vegas RB Micah Ka'apana a couple weeks back garnered some attention but it's not clear to me based on the reporting if Ka'apana is a take at this time for Michigan. Other possible options if they decide to take a commitment now rather than wait for Tatum include 3.5* Darrion Dupree from IL, which is looking like a B1G battle, and 3.5/4* Yasin Willis from NJ, for whom it seems like Michigan and Pitt are the leaders for. It feels like any of these players are gettable if Michigan deems them a take and prioritizes them, but when and who remains to be seem. The optimal scenario is that they battle it out with Tatum, knowing that they have someone in their back pocket in case. Whether that's possible, though, I don't know. 

[AFTER THE JUMP: Some settled positions and some unsettled positions]

 

 I'Marion Stewart [247 Sports]

Wide Receiver

Commits (1): Channing Goodwin (3.5*) 

Prospects: I'Marion Stewart (4*), Gatlin Bair (4*), Ryan Wingo (5*), Jordan Shipp (4*), Mekhai White (3*), Elijah Moore (3*), James Madison II (4*) 

Outlook: Ron Bellamy picked up his first commitment at the position in Providence Day School's Channing Goodwin, a teammate of Jadyn Davis'. Attention then shifted to 4* Jordan Shipp, also a product of Providence Day. Shipp is more explosive whereas Goodwin is shiftier, they'd be good complements. Shipp isn't a done deal, Michigan is still competing with NCST for Shipp's services, but I do like where they stand given all the connections. Shipp is visiting this weekend for reference. 

The easiest guess for who is committing next at WR is I'Marion Stewart, a 4* from Illinois. Stewart has been predicted to choose Michigan for ages and it's about time to finish the deal. He's scheduled to visit 6/23 and it feels quite likely that Stewart ends up offering his commitment by the time July rolls around. The other 4* name to talk about is Idaho speedster Gatlin Bair, but there's an asterisk here: Bair is planning to take a Mormon mission and thus is really a 2026 recruit. He won't impact the numbers equation and thus should be considered an extra take regardless of what happens with the other WRs. Michigan is in the top group for Bair along with Nebraska, Boise State, TCU, and Oregon. 

After those players, there's 5* Ryan Wingo from St. Louis, but that one has never seemed terribly likely. More probable to fill out the WR class are 3*s Mekhai White and Elijah Moore. Michigan led for White back in the spring but the sense is that he's more of a fallback option to the program and has not set his OVs yet. Moore attends Good Counsel HS in Maryland and is a teammate of a couple other Michigan targets. Despite his 3* status, this one might be a Michigan-Ohio State recruiting battle(!) ($). Finally I'll toss out the name James Madison II, who doesn't seem to be favoring Michigan at this time ($) but is on the radar. I will say, after basketball picked up George Washington III, it feels like James Madison II has to come to Michigan.  

 

Tight End 

Commits (2): Hogan Hansen (4*) and Brady Prieskorn (4*) 

Prospects: ------

Outlook: Much like QB, Michigan is set here with the desired number of premium prospects in the class. Hansen and Prieskorn form one of the most highly rated TE duos anywhere in America in the 2024 cycle, so there's no need to do anything else here. 

 

Bennett Warren [247Sports]

Offensive Line 

Commits (5): Ben Roebuck (3.5*), Luke Hamilton (4*), Andrew Sprague (4*), Blake Frazier (4*), Jake Guarnera (3*)

Prospects: Max Anderson (4*), Bennet Warren (4*), Brandon Baker (4.5*), Michael Uini (4*), Jordan Seaton (4*) 

Outlook: Michigan's offensive line class filled up in a hurry, but there's still potentially room for one more prospect. Michigan isn't going to take a sixth OL they aren't completely sold on, but thankfully there are some players they have quite a bit of interest in who are available. For a long while, 4* Max Anderson from Texas seemed like the odds-on favorite to be the sixth OL in this class, but things have cooled recently and all signs now point towards Anderson landing with the Tennessee Volunteers. 

With the ship possibly having sailed on Anderson, attention then turns to the next group of candidates. 4.5* Brandon Baker is one of the nation's top OTs but he is a tough pull out of Southern California and has always seemed like a pie in the sky. More probable are Texas 4*s Bennett Warren and Michael Uini. Both are not firmly rooted in Texas and are open to leaving the Lone Star State and both are visiting in the next few weeks. Both also have pretty wide open recruitments and Uini may not commit to any school before the fall ($). That's fine with Michigan, who can afford to wait it out to try and win one of these blue chips and if they don't win any, no big loss. The existing OL class as it is is terrific. I should note that Michigan is a dark horse with 4* IOL Jordan Seaton but I don't see that one as remotely likely. 

 

Mr. Wafle [Irish Sports Daily]

Defensive Tackle 

Commits (3): Ted Hammond (3*), Manuel Beigel (3*), Jerod Smith (4*) 

Prospects: Owen Wafle (3.5*), Justin Scott (5*), Deyvid Palepale (3*), Jordan Thomas (4*), Brandon Davis-Swain (4*) 

Outlook: A couple quick notes on the existing prospects... I'm listing Jerod Smith as a DT, though there is the possibility he could be an EDGE. Likewise there's a possibility that Manuel Beigel could kick to OL if Michigan doesn't end up taking a 6th OL. Also on the Beigel front, the formerly unknown German kid at the time of his commitment to Michigan has been garnering major interest from big time programs. He's picked up offers from Georgia and Penn State, with others sniffing around. Beigel remains locked into Michigan ($), the program who unearthed him, with a visit to Michigan upcoming too. I will update y'all if insiders indicate that the firmness of his commitment is changing. 

As for the prospects, the newest name on the block is Owen Wafle, a 3.5* who decommitted from Notre Dame a couple weeks back. Wafle's decommitment from ND was immediately followed by a flood of insider predictions mocking him to Michigan faster than the flip of a pancake. Wafle is slated to visit Michigan 6/16 and no one would be surprised if that visit were followed by a commitment. The other name to know is Deyvid Palepale, a 3* from Pennsylvania who Michigan appears to value much more highly than your average 3*. The staff has Palepale as their #1 nose prospect in this class and he has reciprocated the interest, naming Michigan as his leader before the OVs ($). Palepale is visiting next weekend and like Wafle, I wouldn't be surprised if a commitment quickly follows the visit. 

Beyond that, Michigan is not throwing in the towel on Chicago 5* Justin Scott, but it has never seemed like that one was happening (Miami holds the predictions right now). 4* Jordan Thomas from Don Bosco Prep out in New Jersey visited back in March and is scheduled to visit in a couple weeks but I haven't heard a ton of buzz about him. West Bloomfield 4* Brandon Davis-Swain has been an odd recruitment since his decommitment from ND, interest in Michigan but it doesn't seem like Michigan has a ton of interest in him. Davis-Swain is seen by Elston and the staff as a bit of a tweener and at this point I'd be surprised if he ends up in the class. 

 

The Smith twins [On3]

EDGE 

Commits (0): ---

Prospects: Brian Robinson (4*), Devon Baxter (4*), Dominic Nichols (4*), Darien Mayo (4*), Marquise Lightfoot (4*), Elias Rudolph (4*), Jacob Smith (4*) 

Outlook: Oh boy, this is fun. I'm listing Michigan at "zero" for commits, but you could easily list Mason Curtis here (I classified him and Cole Sullivan as defensive athletes at the end of the piece due to positional ambiguity). The word is that the Wolverines would like to take four to five EDGE prospects ($), a number that does not count Curtis as such. That's a lot! And amazingly, you could argue they have leads for up to six names at the EDGE position, making this summer a fascinating time to see how the EDGE board shakes out. 

It's quite possible it will go like the OL room back in the spring, where it essentially became first come, first serve. The first players to lock in and put their name down may well be the ones to get slots in the class. Part of that is because among those that you could say Michigan leads for, they are all roughly the same caliber of prospect and are all (probably) takes for the program. I will prepare to walk you through all of them in the subsequent paragraphs. 

Youngstown, Ohio's 4* EDGE Brian Robinson is the name who has been linked to Michigan the longest, but the fact a commitment hasn't happened is the biggest reason to think it might not. Steve Clinkscale's roots in Youngstown and Robinson's affinity for the program made it seem like an easy match, but the longer it goes on without Robinson shutting it down, the more likely it would feel that Michigan and Robinson may go in different directions. He's visiting again this weekend, so I guess we'll see if there's any movement. 

The player out of this pile up of prospects that Michigan may be the highest on ($) is 4* Darien Mayo, a product of Good Counsel HS in Olney, MD, and a teammate of WR target Elijah Moore and LB target Aaron Chiles. Mayo appears to be a Michigan-OSU battle and despite Mayo growing up a Buckeye fan ($), the consensus has seemed to nudge towards the Wolverines. Snagging Mayo would be a nice win and there is a sense they could make room for him in the class even if 4-5 other EDGEs sign up first. 

Dominic Nichols [247Sports]

Elias Rudolph is a 4* playing HS ball in Deerfield Beach, FL, but is originally from Cincinnati and may end up also being a Michigan-OSU recruiting battle. Reports are that Rudolph would like to return to the Midwest for college ($), but which bitter rival he chooses is not known right now. Rudolph's relationship with Clinkscale has Michigan ahead in the predictions but OSU has the final visit in June. 

Twin brother of Michigan commit Jerod Smith is Connecticut 4* Jacob Smith. As has been noted by many, twins generally go to the same school, which has made folks believe Michigan will nab Jacob after picking up Jerod. At the time of Jerod's commitment in April, Jacob was considered a hard Notre Dame lean, but that has since dissipated, with Michigan gaining the upper hand in the predictions. In fact, the competing suitors may now be Nebraska and Kentucky ($). If that is the case, I would have to like Michigan's chances to get Jacob, but the Rule of Twins may mean it was written in fate anyway. Jacob is visiting this weekend with Jerod, so all eyes are on the Smiths (and we're not talking about Morrissey here). 

When EJ Holland logged a prediction for Michigan and 4* Maryland EDGE Dominic Nichols, it was a bit of a surprise. At the time, Nichols was considered a PSU lean. However, Steve Lorenz followed a couple weeks later and thus the consensus now holds that Michigan leads for Nichols. The kid will be visiting next weekend and is another name to watch. The final name to check out in this bucket of prospects is a fellow Marylander, 4* Devon Baxter. Baxter is a player who has flown up the board from 3* status as a bit of a project but a player Michigan likes. He is visiting 6/16 and could be the first domino to fall at this positional group ($). 

Those six are the big names to follow and I'd guess that the vast majority of the EDGEs that Michigan takes in this class come out of that group. If there's one player outside those six to talk about, it would be Chicago 4* Marquise Lightfoot (no relation to Lori). Lightfoot is a consensus top 100 player so this one is going to be quite a battle. Notre Dame is the nominal leader, and Michigan might be a longshot here ($). Ultimately, getting any four of those six I mentioned regardless of Lightfoot would be a huge coup for the staff, so we will see how it shakes out. You have to think once the first commitment happens, a few more will follow. 

 

Aaron Chiles [247Sports]

Linebacker 

Commits (0): ----

Prospects (3): Aaron Chiles (4*), Jeremiah Beasley (4*), Jaden Smith (3*) 

Outlook: Again, I'm listing both Curtis and Sullivan as athletes because neither are true LBs and may be more EDGE (or other) types. I'm also listing PWO-type Zach Ludwig (3*) as a fullback. Despite having no true LBs committed yet, Michigan doesn't have a long list of prospects because they are in great standing with two blue chip prospects. Those are 4* Aaron Chiles from Maryland and 4* Jeremiah Beasley, both of whom being high-level 4*s, Chiles inside the Top 100. The hiring of Chris Partridge quickly put a charge into both of these recruitments, especially Beasley who was once seen as favorable to MSU. Predictions fell into line on both and now it's a matter of closing. 

Both Beasley and Chiles are visiting in the month of June, with Beasley aiming to commit at the end of June. Both players are among the most likely prospects to be the next commit in the class and I wouldn't be surprised to see both end up in the class by the end of the month. If that happens, Michigan will likely be set at LB and would be ecstatic with the haul, but if something goes haywire, I'd keep an eye on 3* Jaden Smith from North Carolina, a recent offer. 

 

Aaron Scott [247Sports]

Defensive Backs 

Commits (1): Jacob Oden (4*)

Prospects: Bryce West (4.5*), Aaron Scott (4.5*), Boo Carter (4*), Jordon Johnson-Rubell (4*), Terhyon Nichols (4*), Marquis Gallegos (4*), Ondre Evans (4*), Zaquan Patterson (4*), Nigel Maynard (3*)

Outlook: Michigan holds the commitment of 4* in-state nickel/safety Jacob Oden, but are still looking for ~three more players at the DB position, including a couple corners. The big names at the corner position have been Ohioans Bryce West and Aaron Scott, both elite recruits. West has long seemed destined to end up with the Buckeyes, while Scott was the player many insiders believed Michigan had a real shot at. I don't think that's changed, though the winds started blowing more heavily towards OSU... until recently, when Oregon entered the equation ($). Apparently Scott grew up a rabid Oregon fan despite coming from an OSU extended family, sleeping with Oregon bedsheets ($) (hello, John Tavares), and given the way the Ducks are tossing around NIL $$$$, we have to take this seriously. I don't feel great about this one right now, but Michigan is in the top five and a decision is coming in July. We shall see. 

If Michigan doesn't land either, I assume the spotlight will shift to a different Ohioan, 4* Terhyon Nichols. Kentucky, Ohio State, and Penn State are all involved in this recruitment but if Michigan heavily prioritizes Nichols, it feels doable. 4* Ondre Evans from Nashville is another corner name of interest after Scott/West, currently with NCST in front ($) but that alone makes this recruitment feel winnable. 

At safety, 4* Boo Carter from Tennessee has been the top name on the board but it doesn't seem like he will leave the state ($). If he does though, Michigan is in good position. Nigel Maynard is a 3* who Michigan is very high on and currently fighting with Pitt for. The name "Rod Moore" is getting tossed around in reference to Maynard's potential ($). Top 100 4* Zaquan Patterson looks like a strong Miami lean, but Michigan has 2025 CB commit Chris Ewald (Patterson's teammate) working on him and there may be reason for optimism ($). 

Zooming out to include a few more names, S Marquis Gallegos (4*) is visiting this weekend and S Jordan Johnson-Rubell (4*) is coming in the next weekend. Michigan doesn't hold the lead for either, but I'll list their names just for the hell of it. Likewise at corner 4* Jameer Grimsley is visiting this month and in-state 4* Jalen Todd was once linked heavily to Michigan but things seem to have cooled with Iowa emerging as the current favorite.  

 

Defensive Athlete 

Commits (2): Mason Curtis (4*), Cole Sullivan (3*) 

Prospects (0): -----

Outlook: As stated previously, here are Curtis and Sullivan. Both of these players are high-upside athletes listed as LBs but with the potential to end up in different places. Curtis seems a bit more like an EDGE-rusher, Sullivan seems like he could end up being more of a VIPER/HSP type, but they will likely shift around once they get to Ann Arbor.