Layup for the Graphics Department

We're in the heart of high school football season, and much to the delight and relief of certain bloggers who compile certain types of recruiting posts, there's a healthy amount of scouting of Michigan commits available. It certainly helps that a decent chunk of M's recruiting class plays for Baltimore St. Frances, who 247's Brian Dohn saw shut out powerhouse St. Joseph Regional 28-0 last weekend. He wrote up reports on all three St. Frances Michigan commits; linebacker Osman Savage stood out to him the most among the three, and a certain trait popped out [emphasis mine]:

Savage was physical and fast. He was quick to read plays and he was able to get up the field against the run. He showed an ability to drop into coverage and be effective while reading the quarterback. He is explosive and he plays fast. He is fearless, and he excels in space because of his tackling skills and his body control.

Check out the mid-season film above and—yup, he plays fast. Fellow linebacker commit Nikhai Hill-Green "was physical at the point of attack, but was caught a few times peaking into the backfield on pass plays." Finally, running back Blake Corum got the Not Just A Scatback™ designation:

Four-star Michigan commit Blake Corum, who is the No. 14 running back in the 247Sports Composite, showed he can be a physical runner between the tackles. He ran for tough yards in the middle, and he was able to get to the edge a few times. He was patient and let the plays develop, and he picked up key yardage to get first downs. Whether he can touch the ball 20-plus times a game in college remains a question, but he can carry the load for St. Frances.

247's Allen Trieu got a look at four-star receiver AJ Henning a couple weeks ago and came away impressed with his versatility when injury forced him into some action as a running back:

So we saw him in the slot catching the ball and running it from the backfield. We knew he had legit breakaway 4.4 type speed, but he has shown more than just that too. He made a great diving catch, he broke tackles, he showed all the dimensions to his game. He is about 5-foot-9, not real tall, but has a compact build. I think he can be a running back or slot at the next level, but there is no doubt he can affect the scoreboard and help an offense in a lot of ways.

Out west, 247's Greg Biggins scouted three-star OT Jeffrey Persi, who may be the leader in the clubhouse for Sleeper of the Year if his rankings remain static:

At 6-7, Persi is so long he's tough to get around. He has long arms, good feet and moves laterally very easily. He's starting to fill out and looks like he has gained a solid 10-15 pounds from his junior season. 

He was good in one on one pass protection, was dominant in the run game and made some really nice blocks when he got out and pulled, showing very good athleticism for a big tackle. Persi is not even close to reaching his ceiling and will make another big jump when gets to college.

Biggins thinks he "should be a multi-year starter."

Over at MGoFish, their video scouting series continues with OG Zak Zinter and ATH RJ Moten. They see Zinter as a high-floor road grader in the Graham Glasgow mold, while Moten's athleticism and versatility gets him a lofty Jabrill Peppers comparison. There's an impressive amount of depth to these reports, and it's particularly nice to see one on Zinter, who doesn't get a ton of attention out in Massachusetts.

[Hit THE JUMP for the rest of the roundup.]

More Commit Updates: Hopefully Nothing

2020 commit Andre Seldon will participate in the Under Armour All-American game:

He’s a lockdown corner who’s heading to Ann Arbor to play for @UMichFootball next year.

Belleville senior @AndreSeldonjr is officially an Under Armour All-American! ? #UAALLAMERICA pic.twitter.com/5KmwieHRPu

— All-America Game (@AllAmericaGame) September 20, 2019

Another member of the 2020 defensive backfield, top-100 safety Jordan Morant, took his supposedly innocuous official visit to Texas A&M—he has a strong relationship with DC Mike Elko—and gave 247's Brian Dohn some less-than-innocuous quotes in the aftermath:

“I’m still committed to Michigan but I have a few upcoming visits still on the works. But you never know. I still have time but at the moment I’m still committed to the Michigan.”

So that doesn't sound ideal. On the other hand, The Wolverine's EJ Holland is holding fast that he doesn't expect anything further to materialize with A&M, and he also reports that this weekend's scheduled visit to Penn State may not happen. That'd be a positive development.

2021: Midwest Prospect Visiting This Weekend

247's Steve Wiltfong reports the three-star 2021 IL DE Ryan Keeler will visit this weekend for the Iowa game, and Keeler sounds pretty high on the Wolverines:

The Wolverines are a major player in this recruitment.

“What stands out about Michigan is they are Michigan, the winningest football program ever!” Keeler said. “Michigan has everything.”

Seems worth keeping an eye on that. Keeler has offers from pretty much the entire Big Ten West—including Iowa, Nebraska, and Wisconsin—and an impressively wide scattering of the type of programs that try to get in before the blue-bloods on under-the-radar guys. He could be a riser.

Michigan is hoping to make a push for some top talent in California, according to EJ Holland. 2021 St. John Bosco WR Beaux Collins, the #30 player in the country and somehow not a lock to LSU, was on campus in the spring and tells Holland he's looking to make a return trip:

“Michigan is pretty high on my list,” Collins said. “They are a top academic school. They put out great players in the NFL and teach them to be great outside of football.”

The early visit gives some hope Michigan can be a factor here; that'll grow if he returns. While Michigan has a direct tie to four-star ATH Ethan Calvert, an Oaks Christian teammate of Zach Charbonnet, chances sound slimmer with him, though he says he's also looking to take a fall visit.

Happy trails to four-star center Ryan Linthicum, who picked Clemson over a who's-who list of offers. TMI's Brice Marich says Michigan is likely to turn to Cass Tech's Raheem Anderson to fill their 2021 center slot—he's no consolation prize as a top-200 player nationally. Michigan has all four predictions on his crystal ball.