Tristan Bounds couldn’t wait until the dead period was over.

With the recruiting clock ticking and a potential summer decision coming, the three-star 2021 offensive tackle felt like he needed to see Michigan and Notre Dame — two of his finalists — for the first time before taking the next step in the process.

So Bounds and his family jumped in the car and drove from the DMV to the Midwest to check out both campuses.

“My head coach encouraged it,” Bounds said. “I felt like it was important that I get to see different places just because I’ve been to a bunch of schools on my list, but there were obviously places I hadn’t been to. I’m high on both Michigan and Notre Dame, so I felt like it was important that I go see those places.”

Bounds, of course, was unable to chat with the Michigan coaching staff due to the aforementioned dead period. However, he did spend a few hours on campus and around Ann Arbor.