Cameron Calhoun breaks down commitment to Michigan

Michigan defensive back commit Cameron Calhoun (Cincinnati, Ohio) made plenty of headlines when he announced his commitment to the Wolverines' 2023 class just hours after attending The Game as he was on a visit for Ohio State.

Calhoun recently joined the All Time Misfits Podcast to discuss the timeline of his commitment, why he ultimately decided Michigan was the right fit for him, and more.

When Calhoun decommitted from Cincinnati in mid-November, he immediately scheduled an unofficial visit to Ann Arbor for Michigan's Nov. 19 game against Illinois.

Calhoun stressed how well that visit went and how much he bonded with other Michigan recruits and the coaching staff, but that he had already built up some relationships with other Wolverine recruits prior to that weekend. He said he would have others always telling him how good things were with Michigan.

"The fact that I was so close with the players, even before I was a recruit I was already talking to the other Michigan recruits and they were all filling me in about how everything was up at Michigan," said Calhoun. "Then when I unofficially went up on a visit to Michigan, just seeing everything, talking to the players in person and talking to most of the recruits in person, it felt like I didn't even leave my house. Then, the coaching staff had welcomed me like I was already committed."

Calhoun's high school teammate at Winton Woods, Jermaine Mathews has been committed to Ohio State since July.

While Calhoun admitted he has thought in the past about what it would be like to team up with Mathews at the college level, they talked to each other and realized they could thrive in separate ways on different teams and maybe even have the chance to compete against each other.

The Buckeyes never came to Calhoun with an offer and Calhoun said he feels like Ohio State's program doesn't make a lot of players in Ohio feel like they're a priority or have a chance to play there.

On the other hand, Michigan, who offered Calhoun in early November before he revoked his pledge from the Bearcats, built a relationship with him and made him feel wanted.

"I just don't feel like they (Ohio State) make the Ohio kids feel like they have a chance to play at Ohio State," Calhoun said. "But other teams like Michigan, who believe in the Ohio kids, gave me a shot and I just went with it."

Michigan defensive backs coach and co-defensive coordinator Steve Clinkscale is a Youngstown, Ohio native and has plenty of ties to the state and led the way in Calhoun's recruitment.

Calhoun's commitment came during a stretch where Michigan landed four prospects from the state in as many days (three from the class of 2023 and one from the 2024 class).

When asked what Michigan fans can expect from him on and off the field, Calhoun said on the podcast he approaches the game with a business-like mentality, brings a high level of energy and wants to impact the community in a positive way.

"Off the field, you're going to expect a business man," said Calhoun. "I'm not just a football player, I'm going to be about my business and you're going to get a very energetic kid, an outgoing kid and someone who just wants to be positive in the community. On the field, y'all are going to get a rockstar but my work is going to tell everything on the field."