Five Things We Learned About Michigan Football Recruiting In September

September was a busy month for the Michigan Wolverines, with the reinstatement of the fall football season, certainly, but also on the recruiting trail.

Here's five things we learned about Michigan recruiting over the last month.

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Essexville (Mich.) Garber four-star defensive tackle Alex VanSumeren has been in the fold since last December, but he's received a bump in the recruiting rankings, all the way up to being the No. 172 player in the nation.

Joining him in the class last month was four-star linebacker Tyler Martin, out of Cambridge (Mass.) BB&N, who is rated as the No. 106 prospect in the class. Adding another recruit of his caliber means defensive coordinator Don Brown is off to a burning hot start when it comes to 2022.

The momentum continued just last week, with Rabun Gap (Ga.) three-star tight end Marlin Klein joining the group and marking a big win for head coach Jim Harbaugh and tight ends coach Sherrone Moore down in Georgia. Klein is originally from Germany and is newer to the game, but the Wolverines love the upside, and it's safe to say Moore was ecstatic when Klein pledged to the Maize and Blue.

The hunt for more talent continues for the Wolverines, as they build on their class which is currently ranked fifth in the country for the cycle.

West Bloomfield (Mich.) Rivals100 running back Donovan Edwards has been the "holy grail" for the Wolverines in the class of 2021, as Michigan has gone all in to land his services. While the Maize and Blue are in good shape to contend for Edwards when it's all said and done, they were still looking around for other backs across the country, and found one in Austin (Texas) Del Valle three-star Tavierre Dunlap.

With the numbers working out the way they did (Dunlap makes 20 commits out of a possible 25 or 26 spots), Dunlap was a take all the way for running backs coach Jay Harbaugh, who went to visit the 6-0, 195-pounder in the Longhorn State before the dead period began in March.

Now, Michigan continues to push for Edwards, and if it lands the hometown prospect, the Wolverines will have an outstanding duo of ball carriers coming in next fall.

One of the top remaining targets (more on that later) in 2021 is Jersey City (N.J.) Rivals250 defensive lineman George Rooks, who was set to commit before the beginning of his high school season. It now appears Rooks will continue to take his time, with his season-opener being Oct. 2.

The delay by Rooks does not help Michigan, and many believe Penn State to now be the slight favorite in what is as close to a 50/50 battle as there can be. This would be a big blow for Wolverines' defensive line coach Shaun Nua and the position unit as a whole for this cycle.

The recruitment is reminiscent of Drew Kendall's, with the Rivals100 offensive lineman pushing back his decision continuously until Michigan no longer was a top option for him. By the way, Kendall has yet to commit to a school. The difference here, however, is that Michigan continues to push for Rooks.

While we thought Rooks would have a future home by the end of September, this one will drag into October and possibly beyond.

As we mentioned earlier, Edwards is the top target in the class, followed by Rivals100 defensive tackle Rayshaun Benny, out of Oak Park (Mich.), and the aforementioned Rooks.

At one point, it appeared Michigan would take 26 recruits in 2021, but that number now seems high, as several prospects (such as four-star safety Daymon David and three-star cornerback Kamonte Grimes, to name two) are now off the board.

More names could pop up here or there for Michigan as the cycle winds down, but the Wolverines are all in on Edwards, Benny and Rooks now, meaning there's plenty of potential for the class to finish strong, while the possibility remains that the Maize and Blue don't have the conclusion many hope for.

Edwards is looking to take visits to campuses like Michigan, Georgia and Oklahoma on his own dime, even though the dead period rages on and recruits can't have in-person contact with coaching staffs. He won't make a decision until after his high school season, which ends Oct. 24 at the earliest, is finished. He will enroll early at the school of his choosing, meaning it'll be a quick turnaround from when he decides to when he gets on campus.

Benny's recruitment could go all the way until February, with the in-state, mammoth tackle still unsure on his timeline. Many believe Michigan leads, but there could be a long way to go.

The month of September saw two of Michigan's commits back off their pledges. First it was four-star wide receiver Markus Allen, who decommited Sept. 9. Allen has said he didn't feel the love from Michigan, even though he was in constant contact with offensive coordinator Josh Gattis and staff.

Allen is high school teammates with three-star Michigan safety commit Rod Moore, but there is no concern about Moore also leaving the class, with the defensive back making it clear to The Wolverine following Allen's announcement that he is solid with the Maize and Blue.

Another left the class of 2021 on Sept. 19, when three-star linebacker Casey Phinney flipped his commitment to Boston College, which is close to home. Phinney had family members contract the coronavirus, and he also may have seen a tougher path to playing time after Michigan landed 2022 linebacker Tyler Martin, who we mentioned previously. The two would both likely play the same position in Ann Arbor, so it's no surprise Phinney decided to look elsewhere.

For now, the rest of Michigan's 2021 class remains solid, though there should be some level of concern with the pledges who have not visited campus due to the pandemic.

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