Meet The Commits: U-M Has Kicked Off The 2022 Recruiting Cycle With A Bang
The Michigan Wolverines' 2022 football recruiting class is off to a red-hot start, with the haul containing three four-star prospects and a five-star.
We have provided background info on each of them below (in chronological order from the newest pledge to the oldest), and will continue to update this article each time Michigan lands a new pledge.
LaGrange Park (Ill.) Nazareth Academy four-star wide receiver Tyler Morris
Height: 6-0
Weight: 175
2019 stats: 22 receptions for 419 yards and three touchdowns (his squad's 2020 fall season was pushed back to the spring of 2021)
Quick Biography: He pledged to Michigan April 20, after originally having planned on making a decision in the summer of 2021. Morris had been in the midst of planning official visits to Florida, Michigan and Notre Dame, but decided to scrap those plans to commit to the Maize and Blue.
“They have a great culture,” he said. “I think they have a bright future ahead of them. I like the family feel and the way they make me feel like they really want me. They showed me how I’m going to be used, and that’s big for me.”
U-M took a laid-back recruiting approach with Morris and it wound up paying dividends. He cited his budding relationships with co-offensive coordinators Sherrone Moore and Josh Gattis as one of the primary reasons for his pledge, and the topics they discuss together.
“They are great guys,” Morris said. “They seem real. I say this all the time, but it’s not just about football with them. They always ask how I’m doing, how my family is doing, how school is going and things like that. It really shows a lot.”
Morris is also former Nazareth Academy teammates with current Michigan freshman quarterback J.J. McCarthy.
Eastpointe (Mich.) High four-star wide receiver Tay'Shawn Trent
Height: 6-4
Weight: 205
2020 Stats: 32 receptions for 548 yards and 11 touchdowns
Quick Biography: He pledged to Michigan March 3, becoming the first wide receiver commit in U-M's 2022 class. Michigan State was actually viewed as the leader for Trent throughout much of the process, but U-M offensive coordinator Josh Gattis helped turn the tide in the Maize and Blue's favor.
"He's a coach that you can look at as a friend," Trent said of Gattis. "But you don't necessarily treat him as a friend. He's a best friend but a coach at the same time. He likes me as a big guy on the outside and sees me as a strong, physical receiver. We have a great relationship.
“We actually talk about stuff like the food he’s had down south, and the food we have up here. I want to try some of that down south food. But he’s just a cool dude and a good coach."
When asked which NFL receiver Trent compares his game to, he singled out Atlanta Falcons wideout Julio Jones.
Grosse Pointe (Mich.) South five-star cornerback Will Johnson
Height: 6-2
Weight: 182
2020 Stats: 14.5 tackles, two interceptions and seven pass breakups
Quick Biography: Johnson committed to Michigan Feb. 28, becoming the Wolverines' first (and to date, only) five-star prospect in the class. He chose the Maize and Blue over his other two finalists, Ohio State and USC, pledging a little over three months after a visit to The Big House during U-M's November showdown against Wisconsin.
“I think it was definitely a big visit for me,” Johnson said of his November trip. “They impressed me a lot. I definitely connected with a lot the commits. It was a big weekend for Michigan. I liked getting to see the dorms, but really it was being able to connect with everybody.”
Johnson's father, Deon, also played for Michigan in the 1990s. The younger Johnson also cited his relationship with U-M's new co-defensive coordinators, Mike Macdonald and Mo Linguist, as one of the primary factors for his pledge.
“They said it’s not going to be a lot of man [defense],” Johnson said of the schematic philosophy. “They are going to have a lot of different coverages and take a more pro-minded approach.”
Germantown (Tenn.) High four-star safety Kody Jones
Height: 6-0
Weight: 180
2020 Stats: Shelby County Schools did not have a football season this past fall
Quick Biography: He pledged to Michigan Feb. 5, just two and a half weeks after picking up an offer from the Maize and Blue. Jones said the primary reason for his commitment was due to the relationship he had built with newly-hired U-M co-defensive coordinator Maurice Linguist.
“Really, it’s Coach Mo," Jones explained while discussing his pledge. "The relationship we have is crazy. What we talk about and how we talk about it is real. I felt it in my heart.
"That’s where I want to be. I know it in my heart, so why wait?”
Jones committed to Michigan over other impressive offers from the likes of Auburn, Florida State, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Penn State, Tennessee and Texas A&M. His pledge also came without ever having visited Ann Arbor.
The four-star is listed as a safety, but Linguist has discussed him potentially filling Michigan's nickel/corner role as well.
Monument (Colo.) Palmer Ridge three-star offensive tackle Connor Jones
Height: 6-7
Weight: 285
Quick Biography: He pledged to Michigan on Christmas Eve night (Dec. 24), standing as U-M's first offensive line commit in the 2022 class. The 6-7, 285-pounder chose the Maize and Blue over other Power Five offers from Indiana, Northwestern, Oregon State, Virginia and West Virginia.
Jones admitted he's been a Michigan fan his entire life, and cited his relationship with [now former] offensive line coach Ed Warinner as one of the primary reasons he committed.
“Overall, he’s a great coach,” Jones said of Warinner. “He’s put a lot of guys in the league. That’s one thing I’m going to take into consideration when making a decision. It definitely makes me super excited. The NFL is Plan A.”
Jones also took a self-guided tour of Ann Arbor in mid-December a week before he committed, marking the first time he'd ever been to campus.
River Rouge (Mich.) High three-star defensive end Davonte Miles
Height: 6-4
Weight: 265
Quick Biography: He committed to Michigan Dec. 18, serving as just the third pledge in the Wolverines’ 2022 class. Miles had 17 scholarship offers at the time of his commitment, including other notable ones from the likes of Kentucky, Michigan State and Pittsburgh.
“I feel like I wanted to stay home and help Michigan win, become that top-caliber program,” Miles told Rivals.com’s Josh Helmholdt. “They were one of my favorite programs [growing up].
"It’s a huge blessing and a dream come true.”
Miles also cited his relationship with defensive line coach Shaun Nua as one of the primary reasons for his pledge.
Rabun Gap (Ga.) Nacoochee three-star tight end Marlin Klein
Height: 6-6
Weight: 215
2019 Stats: 15 catches for 335 yards and four touchdowns
Quick Biography: He pledged to Michigan on Sept. 22, becoming the first offensive commit in the Wolverines' 2022 class.
Originally hailing from Germany, Klein chose Michigan over other notable offers from Florida State and Georgia.
The 6-6, 220-pounder cited how much Ann Arbor reminded him of Germany when explaining why he chose to pledge.
"As soon as I stepped on campus, it felt like home, and that is when I started thinking about committing," he said. "I did not go up there thinking about doing this, but I know that I found my place.
"When I was up at Michigan, I felt like I was at home in Germany. The weather reminded me of home, and it just felt right. The campus was great, the people are nice, and Michigan is the whole package."
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