Promos: We get most of our information from subscribing to the services, and share only a tiny portion of the mountains of information they’re collecting. If you’re finding yourself wanting to click on anything with the ($) next to it, you might as well take advantage of the special offers the competitors recently put out:

• 24/7’s offering 50% off a subscription plus CBS All Access (which is becoming Paramount+). Why be the guy stealing someone else’s login when you could be the guy your father-in-law keeps calling for yours?
• Rivals has a deal for Michigan fans if you type in Blue60 as a promo code to get the first 60 days for free.

This will probably be my last of these for awhile as spring practice is now underway, and with it Hail to the Victors 2021. There’s also been a lot of movement, most of it pretty good news, on the recruiting front. We’ll go backwards through the roster again since that’s kind of the order of interest as well.

CORNERBACK

Pull the trigger! The 5-star in-state legacy Will Johnson announced a decision date of this Sunday, when he will choose between Michigan, Ohio State, and USC. Timing suggests the former is the choice($), but the latter is the biggest threat, especially since friend and fellow 5-star Domani Jackson committed there, and USC’s own ace recruiter Donte Williams pushing($). Jackson sounds like he’s good staying out West, so it’s unlikely this is still a “package deal” for Michigan, but the prognosticators are all coming in for Michigan($), and increasing in confidence($). Johnson and Jackson were in Miami last weekend for their 7-on-7 tournament, though Johnson was limited:

Will Johnson, the No. 4 cornerback in the 247Sports Composite was limited by an ankle injury so he played safety and still looked good moving around and covering a lot of ground. Michigan, Ohio State and the Trojans are the three battling for his signature. Johnson sported Wolverines gloves while competing on Sunday.

Sam Webb and Steve Lorenz shared on their podcast that Will was close to committing to Ohio State earlier this year but Michigan successfully talked him into pumping the breaks while they got their staff settled. It appears they nailed it with the Linguist hire, and Ron Bellamy further solidified Michigan’s credibility with the Detroit area fraternity—father Deon Johnson has been involved in Sound Mind, Sound Body for years.

It’s also a good sign that Johnson’s been interacting with other high-profile Michigan targets. If he does choose blue, he could be the anchor of this class the way J.J. McCarthy and Junior Colson were for the latest one.

[Hit THE JUMP for all the other positions, plus more elite corners who seem to like the way we trim our genoas.]

Johnson has also been communicating with NJ 4* Jaeden Gould. Confidence is growing($) that Gould will be a Wolverine despite the rotating cast of recruiters, with Rivals’ EJ Holland believing a Johnson commit would help solidify Gould($), among a lot of other DB notes. I’m not sure I want to leave Gould in the cornerbacks because on tape he’s a natural fit for the do-everything free safety role the Ravens have been using, but Linguist is leading the recruitment here. 247’s Brian Dohn got Gould to talk about his final six($), which includes Clemson, ND, PSU and Rutgers, but a decision doesn’t seem to be coming until this summer.

Linguist also got Michigan into a final three for TX 4* Bobby Taylor IV (son of the ND all-American CB), but probably did too good of a job recruiting him to Texas A&M a few years ago. Taylor’s third school is Texas, but the new staff was starting from scratch there, and Taylor’s teammate is a top-50 DE who was A&M’s first commit in the class.

Tennessee recruiting will continue until morale improves. Mo Linguist is also making up ground with Junior Colson’s teammate TN 3* Myles Pollard, whom Michigan is “pursuing with a fury” ($, info it title) according to Sam Webb. That article goes in-depth on a fascinating prospect Michigan media folk have been on about since we all watched Colson’s film. Rivals Chad Simmons just posted a breakdown of Pollard’s top schools($) that I can’t access right now. Pollard’s trainer Darryl Graham worked with Mike Weber back when the former was in Michigan, which sounds like a bad thing, but don’t forget Urban Meyer had to go full Urban Meyer to win that one during a Michigan transition year. The Pollards are targeting a June/July decision.

The state of Tennessee struck back by taking away Brian Jean-Mary, then holding a Zoom with a bunch of Michigan’s Tennessee targets. Michigan sees that as a minor setback in their conquest, adding an offer to 2022 three-star DB Jaylen Lewis to their pursuit of S commit Taylor Groves, CB commit Kody Jones, Pollard, LB Keaten Wade, and DT Walter Nolen. Lewis is 6-2 and plays safety and cornerback in a small town about an hour northeast of Memphis. Quick watch shows a multi-skilled guy who’d be a good fit for the Ravens-y stuff Michigan wants to do. LSU and Virginia Tech recently offered as well.

The women’s sports pipeline continues. A guy to really keep an eye on is AZ CB 3* Benjamin Morrison. The 247/TMI guys were all about Morrison (free writeup) on their recent podcast, noting that Morrison’s older sister is already a star on the Michigan gynastics team, and also that a big move up the rankings is imminent. Sam explains:

I love this kid. Explosive speed, just an outstanding athlete. I talked to Blair Angulo about him and he said, 'Sam, I just don't think he knows how good he is yet.' And I can see that. And (Angulo) said one of the things that maybe depressed is ranking a bit was as a sophomore, he had an injury that kind of cut a season short.

Morrison visited the campus when his sister committed in 2019, so things could move quickly. But Notre Dame has offered, and Ohio State may as well. That’s not going to be the last time I reference this very thorough podcast, if you’d rather listen to that. Lorenz also posted an update on Michigan’s now very much changed recruiting board at defensive back($). Rivals Austin Fox spoke to five people who know Linguist to learn the secret of his recruiting prowess, including Rashod Bateman’s mom.

Happy Trails: TX 5* Denver Harris left Michigan out of a final four.

SAFETY

Bellamy knows people. Yeah we talk about new safeties coach Ronald Bellamy as a Michigan guy because he spent 12 years turning West Bloomfield(!!!) into the best HS football team in the state. Lest we forget, Bellamy is also one of the rarest birds of all: a Michigan guy from Louisiana, but it goes deeper than that: Matthews plays for Bellamy’s old high school coach. That prooobably won’t be enough to get Michigan to the top of the recruitment of about-to-be-a-5* LA S Jacoby Matthews, but go for it I guess. It’d be nice to get that old Bayou to Blue (James Hall, Leroy Hoard, A-Train, Chris Howard, Adam Kraus, Warde Manuel) pipeline going again. Whether it’s working depends on whether you think Rivals’ Adam Gorney made a typo by including Michigan State as a school that’s caught Jacoby’s attention.

Also in “go for it” Michigan has offered($) GA 3* Jake Pope, who’s probably not going to be ranked a 3-star for much longer. Sounds like a tough pull.

Bellamy’s move does answer any remaining questions about the recruitment of West Bloomfield 4* Dillon Tatum, whose dad told Sam Webb a week ago that they talked plenty to Bellamy but were wary because they had not yet heard from Tatum’s ultimate position coach (that’s the podcast again). Well now. MSU was coming hard, but after the Bellamy move Sam and others put their crystal balls in($):

(That’s significant) for a kid who went through a period where Michigan was a little down on his list because he didn't hear from them and didn't know what his role would be... and didn't how much they wanted him. Then they started talking to him and he started liking them a lot again, but he still needed to get to know those other coaches. He needed to get to know Macdonald more, and Linguist more, and Helow more before he would really come forward and say, 'yeah, they're on top.' Then when I talked to him last night, and now Ron Bellamy is (coaching safeties)... he was like, ‘well, they've always been at the top or it near it. Kind of back and forth from Michigan and Michigan State... with some Baylor in there.

EJ Holland had an interview with Tatum after Michigan’s new defensive staff got in touch, but before Bellamy switched to defense, which kind of answered the positional question($):

Helow pitched him on changing the culture at Michigan and taking the defense in a new direction. He also talked to Tatum about playing safety with opportunities to line up at corner and in the nickel.

Tatum is the kind of athlete who could play anything from corner on down to Viper, or running back. He’s another guy who would fit well at the position the Ravens had Earl Thomas playing.

Speaking of Bellamy connections of uncertain position, 3* MI ATH Jaden Mangham, the one shot in my lifetime for my alma mater that pumps out lawyers to get a guy on scholarship at Michigan, could be a safety again on our board since Bellamy was the guy who loved him as a receiver($). Also in that article Mangham lists education and relationships with the coaches as his most important factors, and offered a list of six beatable schools, none of which were MSU.

This is a viper though. VA 3* Sherrod Covil, a holdover from the previous staff, remains high on Michigan’s board and likely to move up the rankings, says Lorenz. Notre Dame has gotten into that recruitment enough now that we’re getting regular free scouting reports. Steve Wiltfong pegged him as a “Rover type” after Covil’s recent 7-on-7 performance convinced a few others he’s deserving of a four-star.

With Tatum out of reach Michigan State is now getting their hopes up($) for Andre Seldon’s brother/former Michigan commit Myles Rowser. It’s unclear to Lorenz whether Bellamy is going to pursue him again($) and Holland says “there are a lot of moving parts”($).

Happy Trails. Also in that article, top targets of the old staff like FL 3* Devin Moore and KY 3* ATH Treyveon Longmire are probably not priorities anymore. Holland notes FL 3* Anthony Rose, and LSU decommit Bryan Allen left Michigan out of cut lists, and FL 4* Jaylin Marshall committed to Arizona State. He also put in a Futurecast for TX 3* Landon Hullaby to stay home in Texas.

LINEBACKER

Inside track for some outside guys. We’re waiting to see what the fallout of Jean-Mary’s departure is going to be. MI 4* Joshua Burnham was expected to drop to Michigan soon($, info in title), and that doesn’t seem to have changed: Lorenz notes Burnham is close with Mike Macdonald($), Wiltfong says the Burnhams have “tremendous love for the program,” and Wisconsin 247 guy Evan Flood says Burnham is “all Michigan”($) as if you needed more after a family with a photo of Lloyd Carr in their house are using the word “tremendous.”

It might have put Michigan out in front for as-yet unranked FL tweener Micah Pollard (no relation to Myles), because George Helow was recruiting him to Maryland. He sounds like a priority($):

“It's amazing because we have a great relationship and him moving to my position group is even better,” Pollard told The Michigan Insider. “I was the first person he called to tell the good news.”

Of the new lines Macdonald’s put in the water, the offer to unrated GA LB Joshua Josephs seems to have caught a nibble. One of the five guys Lorenz put in for a ratings bump($), Josephs says he’s talking to the Michigan coaches regularly($) now. Power 5 offers are just now starting to come in (this is going to happen a lot with this class) so we’ll see who else wants to jump in soon. So far it’s a very surmountable list.

Michigan also hasn’t given up on($) IL 4* Sebastian Cheeks, though Notre Dame is still looking like the destination. The Wolverines are also expected to make the top-10 for MD 4.5* Jaishawn Barham, St. Frances (Biff Poggi) kid who’s friends with Blake Corum. A lot of schools with less turnover have been on him a long time, but Barham doesn’t seem to have a favorite yet($).

Outside shot at some inside guys: Mike Macdonald recently Facetimed with AL 4* Shemar James, a 6-3/200 grow-an-ILB currently playing receiver, who then cut his list to a top-eight including Michigan. The Alabama 247 guy put a high-confidence ball in to the Tide($) when they offered last November, but James is in no hurry to make a decision, and Bama isn’t the kind of school to wait on a development kind of guy. Both sites emphasize the role of Michigan analyst Aashon Larkins in The upside here is bonkers.

You’d think it hurts with SC 4.5* Jaylen Sneed, a top target of Don Brown whom Jean-Mary was coming for even before Michigan switched to a better fit defense. Anyway every time the Michigan recruiting people decide they don’t have to keep covering Sneed his coach is like “Michigan’s gunning for him hard,” so he’s staying on the board again.

It probably does hurt with TN 4* LB Keaten Wade, since Jean-Mary is going to recruit him to Tennessee, especially if the Vols roster becomes so destitute they can afford to invite Keaten’s brother Destin.

In DL/LB tweeners, Clemson has jumped into the fray for MO 3.5* DE/OLB DJ Wesolak, who was trending Notre Dame before. If that draws his recruitment out, Michigan could make up ground they lost in the transition. PA 3* WDE/OLB Keon Wylie is a similar type of prospect and is hearing from Helow($, info in title).

DEFENSIVE LINE

Take your shot. Michigan’s entire staff zoomed ($, info in title) with TN 5* NT Walter Nolen and Sam Webb says Michigan’s going to have a puncher’s chance($, info in title) with a guy who could be the #1 prospect in his class. The Wolverines made his top ten, and he’s been talking with Will Johnson, not to mention Pee Wee teammate/Michigan CB commit Kody Jones. However Michigan did not make Rivals analyst Adam Gorney’s frankly terrifying list of top suitors:

The five-star defensive tackle recently released a top 10 but there are definitely some bigger standouts even among that group with Alabama and LSU probably leading the way at this point. That could change, though, once Nolen could get on the road if the NCAA lifts the dead period after May 31 since he wants to see Clemson and Florida as soon as possible. Ohio State is going to be a serious player as well and Nolen’s coach at Cordova (Tenn.) St. Benedict is former Tennessee linebacker Marlon Walls so the Vols could play a big factor but Nolen’s relationship is just starting with new Tennessee coach Josh Heupel.

Brice Marich thinks Michigan isn’t at the top but pretty close to IN 4.5* DE Joe Strickland, who’s got a Stanford academic profile and a frame for any position on the line. Tom Loy put in a crystal ball for Penn State($), and PSU guy Sean Fitz agrees they’re ahead, but our 247 guys think Michigan’s got a great shot. Indiana isn’t going to lose without a fight($), but Notre Dame has not offered for some reason. Nua has been on him, and Joe took a dead period visit last year because mom loves Michigan (but went to Purdue). Dad played basketball with Sir Charles at Auburn, so maybe Juwan Howard can make a call.

They’re also quietly making headway($) with AZ 4* DE/DT Anthony Lucas. That’s Nua’s original stomping grounds, but Chaparral has sent more than its fair share of players to Michigan. Notre Dame has been out in front here, and Bama just offered.

And Michigan’s courting($, info title) AL 4* DT Khurtiss Perry, who’s been projected to grow into a 3-tech or nose, and land at Bama or Auburn because he’s a four-star DT in Alabama, duh. Bama has a crystal ball because Auburn gave up ground during their staff changeover, but Bama tends to wait on local mere four-stars they they can get in a heartbeat, so there’s a chance Michigan could steal one.

Southern DL bonanza. The next most likely to replace Alex VanSumeren is Florida’s 4* DT Jordan Phillips, who’s 6-4/280 with some ridiculous film, some strong offers, and no ranking yet on any site. His dad talked to Sam and believes Jordan means to get out of state($). Miami (YTM), Penn State, and Auburn are the other two schools involved($).

Michigan’s also going to fight for FL 4* WDE Mario Eugenio. They’re just starting and Iowa State has been on him awhile, but ironically ISU is in better shape than Michigan at the edge position, and Eugenio seems very interested in playing early($).

The old staff was interested in FL 3* grow-a-DT Hayden Schwartz, whom Marich confirms is still a priority($). His dad is Bryan Schwartz, a 2nd round pick of the Jags in 1995. Vandy, IU, Nebraska, and Northwestern have offered.

A Venables assist?

OFFENSIVE LINE

I’m having a hard time catching up on the OL board since Sherrone Moore took over for Ed Warinner, so I guess we can all read($) EJ Holland’s extensive two-part rundown together($). The new name in there is AL 4* Riley Quick, who’s another guy analyst Aashon Larkins is helping with.

One constant the new staff could move with($) is TX 4* Cameron Williams, a 6-6/320 behemoth Warinner liked a lot, but who’s from the Dallas area where Linguist knows everybody. Oklahoma leads for now.

Moore has been pushing hard for OH 4* Aamil Wagner. The competition seems to be Stanford and ND, not the local Big Ten school—Ohio State 247 recruiting guy Bill Kurelic says the Buckeyes are establishing a relationship but waiting on an offer right now($).

Michigan made a top eight for KY 4* OT Grant Bingham.

Happy trails? Michigan did not make the list of schools standing out for GA 4.5* Addison Nichols.

TIGHT END

Since we’re tracking phone calls after staff changes, the first from Jay Harbaugh was to committed TE Marlin Klein, but the second($) was to fellow GA 4* Oscar Delp, according to 24/7’s Josh Newkirk. Delp wants to get up to visit and enroll early. Georgia wasn’t on Delp’s list of schools he wants to visit but he’s been to Athens a zillion times. Wiltfong has a crystal ball in to Georgia from 2/15, UGA writer Kipp Adams noted that Georgia TE coach Todd Hartley is zeroed in on Delp($), and “has become tough to beat on the recruiting trail when that happens.” Wonder what that means.

I had hoped to hear more about GA 4* Holden Staes after his PSU decommit, but ND and Texas and Ole Miss writers are talking about him more than our guys. On the other hand EJ Holland thinks Michigan is really high on recent offer TX 3* Jason Llewellyn.

RECEIVER

Morris and Brown. Confidence was recently waning that Michigan would be able to pull in both of the Illinois duo, mostly because the higher-rated slot-type Kaleb Brown, keeps sounding like a national recruit to Wiltfong($):

Kaleb Brown spoke highly of Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State and Alabama. The three Midwest schools he’s been in contact with and he’s hoping to see things pick up with the defending National Champs. Irish offensive coordinator Tommy Rees appears to be one of his best relationships.

…and because Tom Loy thinks Brown would rather go to a school where nobody cares about basketball:

as of today, my pick is in for Michigan. However, I’m considering changing it. I’m not there yet, but I’m actually close to picking Ohio State to land him.

This has been the dance all winter. As for the other Illinois one, we have a projected June or July commitment($) for Tyler Morris. It also still sounds like a Michigan-over-Notre Dame recruitment with Missouri and Florida the other hats on the table. These are all articles coming out of Morris and Brown’s NFA 7v7 regional win last weekend over Cam Newton’s 7v7 team. Holland was there and reports Morris “absolutely torched [Newton’s] defense.” I’d guess Morris is coming to Michigan so long as Gattis remains the receivers coach, while Brown is going to be a battle.

Besides Morris and Brown. Last check-in I was getting excited about a couple of in-state battles with State, plus an Oregon guy who grew up near MSU, whom Bellamy was going after. With him moved to defense, people were wondering where that puts us with MI 4* Tay’shawn Trent, who’s been a Spartan priority. Well Sam checked in and then put in a crystal ball to Michigan($, info in title).

EJ Holland is still beating the drum for an offer to GA 4* Sam M’Bake, a big target who looked good at the Cam Newton 7v7 even in Myrtle Beach.

As for the new offers, Lorenz thinks GA 4* Kojo Antwi is going to move up, which isn’t surprising given the OSU-A&M-Georgia battle($) going on there. Holland reports TX 3* Nicholas Anderson will get up to Ann Arbor for a visit—Ron Bellamy has another interesting connection there($). Also in that article is SC 3* Antonio Williams, who’s getting a lot of offers but has a tenuous Michigan connection. This was all when Bellamy was at receivers so I don’t know if that’s changed.

RUNNING BACK

Last year Oklahoma went all out to score 5* Camar Wheaton; they didn’t get him, but the attention to Wheaton helped Michigan get mutual target Donovan Edwards. That might be happening again; Oklahoma is moving out in front for massively underrated($) NV 4* Jovantae Barnes, and already have a commitment from CA 5* Raleek Brown. They’ve also been the favorite Michigan’s top target, CO 5* Gavin Sawchuk, who might not want to be the third back in the Sooners’ class.

QUARTERBACK

Where somebody gets Kevin Bacon. Wiltfong reports there’s a whole domino scenario that’s starting to fall with the nation’s blue chip QBs. It’s hella complex but the Michigan-relevant bits are Texas was trying to re-recruit Ohio State commit Quinn Ewers, but suddenly beat out Bama for CA 5* Maalik Murphy, which probably frees up local TX 4* Cade Klubnik, whom Michigan would like to pull out of Austin. Murphy also settled TX 4* Conner Weigman to Texas A&M, PSU transfer Micah Bowens to Oklahoma, AZ 4* Devin Brown to USC, and GA 5* Gunner Stockton probably to Georgia, which will push GA 4* Holden Geriner to Auburn and create a Clemson-Bama showdown for TN 5* Ty Simpson tomorrow. Depending on which way that goes (lean Clemson), Alabama could take DE 4* Braden Davis, or force Clemson to choose whether to fight Arkansas for Davis or offer Michigan’s other top QB target, OH 4* Drew Allar, though Penn State might pull him in first($).

2023 THE DISTANT FUTURE

This section only exists today because Michigan is feeling more like family($, info in title) to IL 4* WR Carnell Tate, who is going to be a national prospect and recently transferred to IMG. He’s friends with AJ Henning and has a Tom Loy crystal ball to Notre Dame. Never change($), Tom Loy. FL OT Payton Kirkland is a big priority($). OH 4* Sonny Styles is the son of former OSU star Lorenzo Sr., and younger brother of Lorenzo Jr., the receiver Michigan nearly stole from Notre Dame’s class (and would have if it wasn’t for you damn pandemic). Michigan just offered, but Ohio State wants.

2024 IF THE WORLD STILL EXISTS

More on Lloyd Carr’s QB grandson CJ Carr, who’s also Jason Carr’s son, and lest we forget CJ’s mom is the daughter of Tom Curtis. MSU has offered. EJ Holland wants Michigan to drop an offer to GA WR Debron Gatling, who’s originally from Michigan and looked good at Cam Newton’s 7v7. Before he left Jean-Mary dropped an offer to GA DT Omar White, who’s a 6-3/305-pound high school freshman. West Bloomfield has a LB in Kari Jackson who’s likely to follow Donovan Edwards wherever he goes($)