The Michigan Wolverines' 2020 early signing football class is in the books, with the Maize and Blue bringing in a group of prospects that currently ranks 11th nationally.
Below is a breakdown of how Michigan fared by position, with an analysis and letter grade provided for each spot:
Quarterback: D+
Phoenix Pinnacle four-star quarterback J.D. Johnson's retirement from football for medical reasons put this position in a tough spot for Michigan, with the Wolverines once being set here with a solid top-200 player nationally.
A late push for Rancho Cucamonga (Calif.) four-star C.J. Stroud wound up falling short with the top-50 signal-caller choosing Ohio State, leaving the Maize and Blue with Villari as a result.
The Wolverines did what they could at the position with the little time they had, though Villari clearly wasn't one of their top options.
Running Back: A-
The only reason this spot wasn't given an 'A' was because of the low quantity it included, but in Corum, the quality is exceptional.
His outstanding senior season saw him rush for 1,438 yards and tear up some of the nation's best competition at Baltimore St. Frances. That not only resulted in him winning Gatorade Player of the Year in the state of Maryland, but also receiving a massive boost in the latest Rivals prospect rankings update.
Corum skyrocketed from a recruit numerically ranked in the mid-100s to No. 67 overall nationally, and he is currently rated as Michigan's top signee in the class.
“We’ve both seen guys that are workout warriors in the weight room, in the offseason and then that’s the highlight for them is the workouts and the training," Harbaugh said this morning on Jon Jansen's podcast. "Blake Corum really combines both. He’s a warrior on the field and in the weight room, [and in] just about everything he does. He’s a highly, highly motivated youngster.”
Wide Receiver: B-
Henning is the headliner here, checking in at No. 86 overall nationally, the second-highest-rated commit in Michigan's class (behind No. 67 Corum) and as the 2019 Gatorade Player of the Year in the state of Illinois.
There are no big-bodied receivers in this class, with both Henning and Dennis standing at only 5-10 and Wilson checking in at 6-0.
Speed is the name of the game with the trio, however, with offensive coordinator Josh Gattis' fingerprints clearly behind all three of these signings and the 'speed in space' mantra he wants to bring to the table.
Henning and Wilson, in particular, were both admittedly at the top of Gattis' recruiting board, with one of the many reasons likely due to their status not only on the gridiron, but as elite track athletes as well.
"Eamonn Dennis has the ability to be a defensive or offense [player]. He can be a corner or receiver, like another really good one in [freshman wideout] Mike Sainristil," Harbaugh said this morning on Jansen's podcast. “Eamonn Dennis is a really good receiver and a really good defensive back. If you think Mike Sainristill, if you look at Mike Sainristil’s tape … that’s who I first thought of when I saw Eamonn Dennis play football. He can be a corner, he can be a slot receiver, can be a return player."
Tight end: D+
Tight end was a pretty uneventful position to follow for Michigan throughout the cycle, with Hibner pledging in June. Three-star Nick Patterson later committed but has not signed.
Windsor (Ontario) Holy Names four-star Theo Johnson remained a major priority for the Wolverines up until his commitment to Penn State on Dec. 9, and potentially landing him would have vaulted Michigan's grade at this position into the 'A' range.
Hibner, instead, resides as the lone signee at a position that has seemingly been deemphasized a bit with the arrival of Gattis and the move to more of a spread system.
The Virginia native hauled in 42 receptions for 940 yards and 12 touchdowns as a senior at Lake Braddock.
Offensive Line: B
At No. 149 overall nationally, Zinter is the fourth-highest-rated commit in Michigan's signing class, while Persi checks in as one of five U-M four-star signees outside the Rivals250.
Zinter, Persi and Atteberry are all listed by Rivals as tackles, though the latter played on the interior at times at Eaglecrest High School in Colorado, and seemingly has the ability to move inside at U-M if need be.
Zinter was tabbed as the New England Prep School Athletic Council (NEPSAC) All-New England Lineman of the Year as a senior, and had long been either at or near the top of the offensive tackle board for position coach Ed Warinner (perhaps only behind the likes of Littleton (Colo.) Columbine four-star Andrew Gentry, who committed to Virginia on Saturday).
Defensive Line: C
Though Rivals lists Harrell as an outside linebacker, we included him as a defensive lineman because that's what Michigan had him tabbed as.
McGregor is the lone four-star of the bunch, and posted 10 tackles for loss and two sacks before suffering a season-ending leg injury this past year.
Even though no one in the quartet is listed as a defensive tackle (a position that wasn't exactly a strength on the current team this season), Lewis is viewed as the most likely candidate to potentially move inside sometime down the road.
The defensive line haul as a whole is underwhelming and lacks star power, especially compared to last year's crew that was headlined by five-star Chris Hinton and four-stars Mazi Smith and Mike Morris.
Linebacker: A
This is the strongest position group Michigan signed in 2020, with four of the five signees standing as four-stars in Mullings, Savage, Wheeler and Mohan.
Mullings won the Gatorade Player of the Year award in Massachusetts and is U-M's third-highest-rated signee in the class, while Savage stands as the club's fifth-best prospect at No. 166 overall nationally.
Hill-Green is viewed as a recruit who will likely require significant time to develop, which shouldn't be an issue when considering the size of the Maize and Blue's haul at the position.
Wheeler was also an important recruit to take home, with the Detroit native being tabbed as a first-team all-state member as both a junior and senior, while learning under the tutelage of former Wolverine Ronald Bellamy at West Bloomfield.
“There are three starters on every team as it relates to linebackers," Harbaugh explained this morning, discussing why he signed five linebackers. "A lot of times in the nickel pass downs, a linebacker can go to a defensive end and be a pass rusher. We definitely have need at that position.
“Every linebacker we signed came to camp; [defensive coordinator] Don Brown got to work with them in the summer camps, we watched them through pretty much their whole high school careers, guys like Cornell Wheeler from West Bloomfield, the two St. Frances linebackers, Nikhai Hill-Green and Osman Savage … we’ve seen them for a long time.
"[Mohan] is the type of athlete he can be a corner, safety, outside linebacker. He sounds a lot like a viper right now as a I say it. Another youngster who is so good, versatile, athletic; another youngster in this group recruited by everybody. He’s really going to be fun to watch. The way he runs and hits is special, really pops off the screen.
"They are good players at a position of need for our football team who we’ve watched and worked with at camp. We feel excited about that group coming in and showing what they can do.”
Defensive Back: A-
Like linebacker, defensive back was also a position where U-M brought in a large haul, signing four prospects.
Three of the four — Morant, Paige and Moten — are viewed as safeties, while Seldon is the lone corner of the group.
There had been some worries surrounding Morant's status and whether or not he would stick with Michigan in the weeks leading up to Signing Day, so keeping him in the fold was a coup for the coaching staff.
Paige, meanwhile, is Wheeler's teammate at West Bloomfield, and was another vital local prospect to keep home in what appears to be a budding pipeline to the nearby Detroit high school.
While signing three four-stars in the defensive backfield was ideal, this group was not elevated to 'A' status because Morant and Paige both reside outside the Rivals250, and Seldon is barely inside it at No. 232 overall.
“It’s a really, really good, athletic group," Harbaugh noted. "I really feel like you saw [freshman safety] Dax Hill come in and make a good impact as a freshman. It’s going to be all four … to make the same kind of impact in our secondary. I’m very excited about that.
"Andre Seldon is a tough competitor. We watched him at camps, over at Belleville, watched him run track and lead his team. Those are the kind of guys you want playing in the secondary.
"Jordan Morant is a Dax Hill type of safety. Both have that special ability. I can go down the list. R.J. Moten is another one — big, strong athlete. He’s even got the ability to be a corner, but the strength and physicality to be a safety and cover people. It’s a really dynamic group.”
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