Michigan didn’t invent satellite camps, but head coach Jim Harbaugh was the face of them early in his tenure in Ann Arbor.

Harbaugh and his staff zig zagged across the country, ultimately leading the NCAA to ban satellite camps before overturning the decision. The controversy from Harbaugh’s national tour is long gone, and it appeared the days of the Wolverines hitting satellite camps were too.

But that’s not the case.

With a recruiting department overhaul, Harbaugh and Michigan have rekindled their satellite camp fire. Michigan is scheduled to take part in a handful of satellite camps this summer, and more are currently being mapped out.

With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Michigan has been unable to evaluate recruits in-person for more than a year. Getting to satellite camps in June could prove to be crucial in the evaluation process for this cycle and beyond.

Michigan will kick things off in its own backyard by partnering with Eastern Michigan on June 1. The camp will take place on EMU’s campus and will also feature Indiana as well as a few FCS programs. U-M will then head to Big Rapids for a satellite camp at Ferris State on June 3 and Detroit for a satellite camp at Wayne State on June 7.

The Ferris State camp is especially intriguing since Sound Mind Sound Body is helping coordinate the event.

SMSB was co-founded by ex-Wolverine Deon Johnson, father of five-star 2022 Michigan cornerback commit Will Johnson, and features a number of key targets, including wide receiver pledge Tay’Shawn Trent, four-star defensive back Dillon Tatum, four-star defensive tackle Deon Walker and elite 2023 quarterback Dante Moore.

Will Johnson has confirmed with The Wolverine that he will participate in individual drills at the camp, which means the Michigan staff will get a live look at their 2022 class leader.

Of course, Michigan is set to head out of region as well. On June 1, the same date as the Eastern Michigan camp, Michigan will be represented in the Atlanta-area at the Mercer Raise The Bar mega camp — Georgia Tech, Mississippi State and Northwestern are some other P5 programs slated to be in attendance.

Michigan will also stick around in Georgia and participate in the Champions Elite Camp at La Grange College on June 3-4.

Michigan has made recruiting the Peach State a priority. The Wolverines hold a commitment from three-star Georgia tight end Marlin Klein and are set to receive official visits from fellow Georgia prospects like Rivals100 tight end Oscar Delp and three-star edge rusher Joshua Josephs.

Sticking with the Southeast, Michigan will partner with Florida International for its June 7 camp in Miami. U-M plucked two prospects from South Florida last cycle in Jaydon Hood and Ja’Den McBurrows and is actively involved with Sunshine State recruits like four-star defensive lineman Mario Eugenio, three-star edge rusher Micah Pollard and three-star defensive tackles Hayden Schwartz and Tawfiq Thomas — all are scheduled to officially visit Michigan in June – this cycle.

The Wolverines will also be heading out West. U-M has recruited well in California in the past and now has a strong connection there through new Director of Player Personnel Courtney Morgan, a Los Angeles native with experience working at UCLA and Fresno State.

Michigan is set to participate in the Redlands Camp Series just outside of Los Angeles on June 16. There are a handful of key targets in California this cycle, including three-star quarterback Nate Johnson and three-star edge rusher Kevonte Henry, both of whom are slated to visit U-M this summer.

Michigan will then head to Tacoma, Washington for a satellite camp with Pacific Lutheran on June 27. The Wolverines are making a concerted effort to recruit harder in the Pacific Northwest and are in it for some big-time targets this cycle, including Rivals100 Washington offensive lineman Joshua Conerly and Rivals250 Oregon wide receiver Darrius Clemons.

Michigan has also been making a huge push in the Nashville-area and will be at the Tennessee State camp on June 16, which is also set to feature Florida, Ole Miss, TCU and others. New Michigan assistant Steve Clinkscale has been successful recruiting Nashville at his previous stops and is making four-star cornerback Myles Pollard a top target this cycle.

Aside from satellite camps, Michigan will hosts its own on-campus camps at The Big House on June 6 and June 13. These camps are closed to the public.

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