Michigan is creating some early momentum with its 2022 recruiting class.

The Wolverines dipped down into the Nashville-area and notched a commitment from four-star Cross Plains (Tenn.) East Robertson athlete Taylor Groves on Friday morning.

For Groves, the decision to pull the trigger for the Wolverines mostly came down to his relationship with new Michigan co-defensive coordinator Maurice Linguist.

“It was just a gut feeling,” Groves said. “It was also the relationship I built with Coach Mo Linguist. It just felt real. I’m excited to see what we can do. I’m just ready to get on campus, compete and get ready. When you know, you know. I just had that feeling.”

Groves committed to Michigan over offers from Arkansas, Baylor, Colorado, LSU, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Ole Miss, Penn State, South Carolina, Tennessee and a number of other major programs.

Michigan offered Groves just a little more than a week ago. However, he quickly built a strong bond with Linguist and felt comfortable with him and the program.

“I like the coaching staff for sure,” Groves said. “Coach Mo is a great coach. Coach (Jim) Harbaugh is a great coach as well. They have a very well ran program. I went ahead and committed because I didn’t want to waste time. It was the right decision for me and my family.”

Linguist is quickly become the ‘Ace’ recruiter on the Michigan staff. His resume and approach is appealing to recruits, especially in the south, where he has strong ties.

Groves connected with Linguist on a personal level and also cited his ability to develop players in the secondary.

“I feel like he’s a coach that can develop me and get me where I want to be,” Groves said. “I like how real he is. He doesn’t beat around the bush. He tells you what he wants and how he feels. That’s what you need as a coach. He coached in the NFL, so he can show me what I need to do to get there.”

Groves is listed as a wide receiver on Rivals, but the Wolverines are recruiting him strictly as a safety. In fact, Linguist had some high praise for Groves as a prospect on the back end.

“He thinks with my length, my ball skills and my speed that I can develop into one of the top safeties in the country,” Groves said. “He told me that he’s going to have to beg me to stay my fourth year because he thinks I’ll be an NFL prospect after my third year. That was exciting to hear.”

With his decision out of the way, Groves is now ready to help Michigan recruit more top talent to Ann Arbor.

“I’m very, very, very excited,” Groves said. “I want to start off the 2022 Michigan class with a bang. I want to bring all the guys from over here with me. I wanted to start this thing off and get it rolling.”

Groves has never visited Michigan but hopes to do so in the future.

At 6-foot-3, 185 pounds, Groves is ranked as the No. 41 wide receiver nationally and No. 11 overall prospect in the state of Tennessee, per Rivals.com.

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