It might be early, but Michigan has another Top 15 recruiting class.
The Wolverines jumped up nine spots to No. 14 in the 2021 Rivals team recruiting rankings after landing a commitment from Rivals250 offensive lineman Greg Crippen.
The four-star prospect from Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy picked Michigan over offers from Alabama, Boston College, Duke, Ohio State, Pitt, Purdue, Syracuse and others.
Crippen, who was previously committed to Notre Dame, visited Michigan in October and was set to be back in Ann Arbor this month before the coronavirus pandemic derailed his plans.
Still, Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh got on the phone with Crippen on Tuesday and was able to secure his verbal pledge soon after.
Michigan now has three commitments in its 2021 recruiting class. Crippen joins Rivals100 quarterback JJ McCarthy and Rivals100 offensive lineman Giovanni El-Hadi.
Michigan moved past teams like Florida State, LSU, Nebraska, Texas A&M and Tennessee and now has a total score of 498. Every team ranked ahead of Michigan nationally holds more commits at this time.
Here is a look at The Big Ten rankings:
1. Ohio State
2. Wisconsin
3. Iowa
4. Maryland
5. Michigan
6. Rutgers
7. Nebraska
8. Minnesota
9. Purdue
10. Penn State
11. Indiana
12. Illinois
13. Northwestern
Michigan is within striking distance of USC and Georgia. Both are ahead of Michigan by fewer than 100 points.
Crippen’s commitment awarded Michigan 147 points based on his 5.9 rating.
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