National Signing Day 2022 Hub: Live blog of Michigan football's signing day
The early signing period has arrived as the class of 2023 football recruits can officially sign with college programs across the country.
Michigan's class has seen some momentum as of late, with the likes of four-stars Cameron Calhoun and Roderick Pierce, and three-stars DJ Waller and Hayden Moore having all made recent pledges to the Wolverines staff.
With some prospects still on the board expected to announce on Wednesday, join us with our live blog for all news, updates and highlights from U-M's 2022 Signing Day.
8:20 p.m.: Michigan's last NLI is in as the Wolverines formally welcome Jyaire Hill into the fold. That'll do it from us this evening.
Recruiting story: Hill took things down to the wire and put a spin at the end of his recruitment as well. After what was thought to be a two team race for a long time between Michigan and Illinois for Hill, he left Michigan out of his top 5 days leading up to signing day before choosing the Wolverines, which didn’t seem to add up considering Michigan felt good about its chances with Hill. As it turns out, Hill was having some good fun, and nevertheless, is a key addition to Michigan’s class.
Outlook: Hill, at 6-foot-2, has the size and length to do a lot of positive things on the football field. He has a track background and has tremendous straight line speed and has the versatility to make plays in whatever capacity the coaches ask of him, including in pass coverage and in run support. Hill was also superb on the offensive side of the ball in high school and showed his athleticism to impact games on offense too.
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4:33 p.m.: Michigan gets the second commitment of the day as four-star DB Jyaire Hill commits to the Wolverines.
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2:05 p.m.: Or not, as it appears that Hill's commitment will be at 4 p.m. ET after all. It was previously reported that he was set for a 2 p.m. announcement.
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1:57 p.m.: We should be moments away from figuring out where four-star DB Jyaire Hill is headed. A rescheduled announcement is set for 2 p.m. ET.
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1:52 p.m.: Michigan's last current commitment is in, as three-star Zack Marshall is officially a Wolverine.
Recruiting Story: Michigan dipped into Pac-12 country to pull out 6-foot-4, 210-pound tight end Zack Marshall in August. Many schools like UCLA, Utah, and others were involved, but a visit to the Big House for the BBQ showed Marshall that Michigan was where he belonged thanks to the culture, the coaching staff, and life after football opportunities.
Outlook: Marshall is an athletic pass-catcher who already has the tools to be effective at the next level in the passing game. He will need to develop a bit of a mean streak and more physicality to be stronger in the running game, and once that comes Marshall could be a great asset to the Michigan offense.
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11:40 a.m.: Michigan's big fish has landed in the pond. Rivals 250 WR Karmello English is officially a Wolverine.
Recruiting story: English also took his decision down to the early signing period, with Michigan winning out in this one over Kentucky and others. The Wolverines offered English in March of this year and built a great relationship with him over time before eventually winning out in his recruitment. A great win for wide receivers coach Ron Bellamy and the staff.
Outlook: English fits the bill of the other wideouts in this class being a slot receiver who bleakly quickly off the line of scrimmage and is excellent in the short to intermediate game. But even at 5-foot-11, English has shown the ability and athleticism to make 50-50 catches and can pose as a downfield, outside threat in certain situations too. He’s an overall physical and explosive receiver and will bring a lot of valuable traits to Michigan’s offense
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10:30 a.m.: Great news for Michigan as 2023 four-star wide receiver Karmello English commits to the program.
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10:05 a.m.: Michigan adds to its offensive line with the addition of three-star Nathan Efobi.
Recruiting Story: Winning a recruiting battle over the defending national champions is always impressive, but beating them for a recruit in their home state is even better. That is exactly what Michigan did when they dipped into the state of Georgia to gain a commitment from OL Nathan Efobi over Georgia, Georgia Tech, Miami, Penn State, and more. Efobi described his Michigan offer as a dream come true, and has stayed firm in his pledge to this point.
Outlook: Efobi projects as an interior offensive lineman who already looks super strong in the run game and only needs a little bit of work to be more effective in the pass game as well. His footwork will need some attention, but Efobi does a great job moving defenders off the line of scrimmage in the run game.
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9:55 a.m.: The recent flip from Nebraska makes it official, as three-star linebacker Hayden Moore is a Wolverine.
Recruiting Story: Hayden Moore was a very highly recruited linebacker out of Aurora, Colorado, and the Michigan staff stayed persistent in order to ultimately win his signature on National Signing Day. A six-month commitment to Nebraksa ended for Moore on December 18th, and one day later he was the 21st commitment in the Wolverines’ 2023 class. Moore held offers from the likes of Iowa, Colorado, Texas A&M, UCLA, and more.
Outlook: According to M&BR’s Lucas Reimink, Moore has the prototypical size to play either the Mike or Will LB positions. As a LB, he has really good mental processing speed, good foot speed, good tackling ability, solid agility, solid COD, and marginal physical strength. He plays with a competitive edge to him, as he relentlessly pursues the ball carrier at full speed on almost every single snap.
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9:51 a.m.: We are less than 10 minutes away from four-star wide receiver Karmello English's decision. The Wolverines are one of the finalists and are currently trending on the FutureCast for him.
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9:45 a.m.: Four-star wide receiver Fredrick Moore is in as he officially becomes a Wolverine.
Recruiting story: Moore committed to the Wolverines on July 1 after visiting Ann Arbor less than a month prior. He had other offers from Arkansas, Cincinnati, Michigan State, Penn State, Texas A&M and many others, but the Wolverines’ staff really won him over on his official visit in June, which led to being able to secure him not long after.
Outlook: At 6-foot-1, 159 pounds, Moore will be a ‘quick twitch’ receiver who will rely on his technical route running and ability to create separation right off the line of scrimmage to make plays on intermediate routes. He has room to add some weight and will continue to grow his game if he can work on becoming a downfield threat to add to the current strengths of his game.
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9:35 a.m.: The in-state offensive lineman is staying home as four-star Amir Herring is officially a Wolverine.
Recruiting story: The in-state product was coached by Michigan wide receivers coach Ron Bellamy in high school before Bellamy made the jump to the Wolverines, so the connection between Herring and Michigan was there from day one. Nebraska started to enter the picture in his recruitment gradually, but Sherrone Moore and the rest of the staff reassured Herring he was wanted in Ann Arbor and secured his commitment in mid June.
Outlook: At 6-foot-3, 281 pounds, Herring projects to the interior line at the college level, which will be an adjustment since he played tackle at West Bloomfield, but has what it takes to make the adjustment. He plays with good balance and is technically sound in his blocking fundamentals as well.
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9:25 a.m.: Another Ohioan makes his way to Ann Arbor as three-star ATH DJ Waller is officially a Wolverine.
Recruiting Story: Waller, a former Toledo commit, picked up his Michigan offer in the middle of November. Shortly after, Waller took an unofficial visit to Ann Arbor to see the Wolverines in person for their game against Illinois on Nov. 19, a weekend that turned out to be a big recruiting weekend for the staff. Just a few days before Signing Day, Waller announced his pledge to Michigan.
Outlook: At 6-foot-3, Waller has the size and length to be able to contest balls in the air and has the overall athleticism to be moved around in multiple spots on defense as someone who played both sides in high school. His commitment was a big one for the Wolverines, who were looking for another addition in the secondary.
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9:15 a.m.: Michigan secures one of its top commits as four-star defensive lineman Enow Etta makes it official.
Recruiting Story: Etta was the last of five four-star prospects to commit to Michigan in the month of July. The Covenant Christian Academy standout was a top priority for defensive line coach Mike Elston, who played a big role in the Wolverines beating out other schools like Michigan State for his pledge. Etta committed to Michigan over many top schools like Alabama, TCU, Tennessee, LSU, USC, Oklahoma, and many more.
Outlook: Etta will come in raw, but the ceiling is certainly very high. Etta possesses a lot of power and quickness for a 6-foot-5, 260+ pound defensive lineman, and could be a long-time starter and draft pick with some seasoning from the strength and conditioning staff.
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9:10 a.m.: Another Bell has officially become a Wolverine as three-star ATH Kendrick Bell makes it official.
Recruiting Story: One month after receiving an offer from Michigan, Bell was on campus not only supporting his older brother Ronnie, but visiting as a recruit. A big win over Penn State and a weekend with the staff was enough to seal the deal for Bell, who made it apparent that he would be ready to help the Wolverines in any way possible upon arrival in Ann Arbor.
Outlook: Bell does not have the offer sheet that you may expect, but has no shortage of potential and is willing to be a swiss army knife in order to help Michigan win. It will be interesting to see the kind of player that Bell can turn into with the Wolverines.
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8:58 a.m.: Michigan gets another talented defensive lineman into the fold with four-star Roderick Pierce making it official.
Recruiting Story: 6-foot-3, nearly 300-pound defenders are usually some of the most sought-after prospects in every recruiting cycle, which can be seen in Pierce's offer sheet that includes the likes of Auburn, Texas, Kentucky, Minnesota, and more. After his decommitment from Wisconsin, the Michigan staff quickly stepped in and secured his commitment.
Outlook: Pierce has a high motor and good athleticism for his size, and uses his quickness and agility to get a step on his blockers and wreak some havoc in the backfield. Pierce continues to improve in different aspects of the game and will be in a good spot heading into Ann Arbor.
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8:46 a.m.: Michigan secures another offensive weapon in three-star tight end Deakon Tonielli, who makes it official.
Recruiting story: Tonielli committed to Michigan in June just a couple days after taking a visit to Ann Arbor. The Wolverines extended an offer to the 6-foot-5, 215-pounder in August of 2021 and beat out the likes of Illiois, Purdue, Cincinatti and others.
Outlook: Tonielli is a pure pass catcher who is a vertical threat in the passing game. He has great size and length and uses that to haul in passes over defenders in multiple different ball locations. Tonielli will need to grow in the area of on-the-ball blocking if he is used as a traditional tight end in Michigan’s offense, but his pure playmaking ability makes him an exciting prospect.
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8:36 a.m.: Another Ohio player is officially in the fold as four-star defensive back Cameron Calhoun makes it official.
Recruiting Story: Michigan instantly seemed like a front-runner for four-star defensive back Cameron Calhoun following his decommitment from Cincinnati in mid-November. He quickly got on campus for the Illinois game, and was also in attendance for The Game against Ohio State before committing to Michigan shortly after. Calhoun quickly developed relationships with the Wolverine staff and other prospects in the 2023 class.
Outlook: Our Lucas Reimink believes that Calhoun could turn into a Day 1 NFL Draft caliber player if he can improve upon his foot speed and COD ability when in a D1 strength & conditioning program. Calhoun has strong ball skills, good speed, and physicality.
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8:26 a.m.: Michigan dips back into Ohio as three-star ATH Jason Hewlett makes it official.
Recruiting Story: Another former Cincinnati commit, Hewlett was a great, late flip for the Wolverines. Like defensive back commit Cameron Calhoun, Hewlett was quickly on campus for the Illinois game following his decommitment, and committed a couple of days after Calhoun over offers from Kentucky, NC State, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, and more.
Outlook: Hewlett is a versatile defender who can play linebacker, on the edge, and in the back end at safety, so he’ll be able to move around in defensive coordinator Jesse Minter's defense. Due to his versatility and athleticism, there’s a lot of different ways that Hewlett could turn into a big piece of the Michigan defense and an NFL-caliber player.
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8:16 a.m.: The Wolverines announce that defensive lineman Brooks Bahr has made it official.
Recruiting story: Bahr was the fourth player to commit to Michigan’s class of 2023 and the first defensive lineman amongst a position group that turned out to be solid this cycle. Bahr committed to Michigan over the hometown team Illinois and had offers from several other Big Ten schools, such as Iowa, Minnesota, Purdue and Wisconsin.
Outlook: Bahr is a physical force at 6-foot-6 and 250 pounds. In Michigan’s 3-4 scheme, he can play more of a run-stopping/support defensive end but has the strength and power to hold his own on the interior line as well. He will continue to work on his burst to be able to grow his ability as a pass rusher, but Bahr is a player who will not be pushed around physically and is tough to move off the line of scrimmage.
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8:06 a.m.: Local star running back Cole Cabana is officially in the fold.
Recruiting story: The in-state product was the first of two running backs in this class for Michigan to commit when he did back in February. 10 months is a long time to hold a commitment for a player of Cabana’s caliber, but Cabana has stated that he’s always felt at home at Michigan and never really had to reconsider anything.
Outlook: Cabana is a dynamic running back who can do a little bit of everything. He is elusive in the open field and has good vision in the running game to be able to find small creases to burst through. He is also a good pass catcher with soft hands and can be lined up as a receiver and exploit mismatches in the passing game. Just an overall ability to make defenders miss in the open field, and he’s also not afraid to put a shoulder down and get tough yards between the tackles when he needs to.
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7:56 a.m.: Four-star linebacker Semaj Bridgeman makes it official and is in the fold.
Recruiting story: Bridgeman also announced his pledge to the Wolverines on July 1 after visiting the weekend of June 10. Bridgeman had offers from Alabama, LSU, Florida, Penn State, Michigan State, Tennessee and several others, but linebackers coach George Helow and the Wolverines were able to win out in his recruitment.
Outlook: Bridgeman is a versatile linebacker who can play sideline to sideline and possesses good instincts to be able to make plays all over the field. The 6-foot-1, 220-pounder has the ability to pursue the quarterback in the backfield coming off the edge, while also possessing the skills to tackle in open space.
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7:45 a.m.: NLI's are coming in fast and furious as four-star offensive lineman Evan Link is officially in the fold.
Recruiting Story: The second offensive lineman to commit to Michigan’s 2023 class was four-star prospect Evan Link. Link was a highly-touted offensive tackle, who ultimately chose the Wolverines over many other power five suitors like Miami, Penn State, South Carolina, Virginia Tech, Stanford, and more. According to Rivals, Link is a top 30 offensive tackle in the class.
Outlook: Link was a great pickup and could turn into a core piece of the O-line with some continued gains in technique and overall athleticism. He has solid size, strength, and traits that already make him a college-ready tackle who will be impactful in both the run and pass game.
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7:38 a.m.: Michigan gets local kicker Adam Samaha in the fold officially.
Recruiting story: Samaha was Michigan’s very first commit of the class back on Nov. 21, 2021 after being offered by the Wolverines a few months before that.
Outlook: Samaha’s commitment gives Michigan another kicker in the fold as Jake Moody’s career as a Wolverine winds down. Samaha recently played in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl alongside fellow Michigan commit Semaj Morgan. Samaha drilled a 49-yard field goal in that game and was 11-of-14 on field goal attempts in high school this season and was 37-of-37 on extra points.
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7:30 a.m.: Ohio-based three-star ATH Breeon Ishmail is next to be announced by the program.
Recruiting Story: Michigan extended an offer to Ishmail in October, and he visited Ann Arbor for the final home game of the season against Illinois before ultimately making his commitment to the Wolverines over schools like Tennessee, NC State, Pittsburgh and Louisville.
Outlook: Anytime you get a linebacker who also played wide receiver in high school, you know you’re getting an athlete. Of course, he has needed to stay slim to be effective in the pass game for Princeton High School, so Ishmail will need to add some weight before he sees serious playing time as a linebacker in the Big Ten. Still, Ishmail possesses good speed as a defender and is a sure tackler as well.
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7:22 a.m.: Four-star wide receiver Semaj Morgan is officially in the fold.
Recruiting story: Morgan is one of the two players from West Bloomfield in the class alongside high school and now college teammate Amir Herring. Morgan committed to Michigan a year ago to date and has been all about the Wolverines since day one. Having his former high school coach Ron Bellamy now as his position coach in college is about a perfect scenario for Morgan,
Outlook: At 5-foot-10, 181 pounds, Morgan is not a big receiver, but has a tremendous first step off the line of scrimmage and has a sudden burst to him. When he gets the ball, Morgan has the ability to rack up yards after catch and beat defenders with speed in space, especially if the defender doesn’t take a perfect angle to him. Morgan has the intangibles to be effective even while being a smaller receiver and can do a lot of damage in space.
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7:15 a.m.: Michigan's second NLI is in for the day, this time three-star running back Ben Hall is in.
Recruiting story: Hall committed to the Wolverines in March behind the recruiting efforts of running backs coach Mike Hart. He chose the Wolverines over South Carolina, Boston College, Minnesota and more. Michigan extended an offer to the running back in January.
Outlook: At 5-foot-10, 225 pounds, Hall is a bigger running back who has the power and strength to run between the tackles. At North Cobb, he has also shown the ability to be able to get to the edge on stretch plays and win with speed in the open field, as well as the ability to make the first man miss on inside run plays. He is a patient and physical runner who is hard to bring down on first contact. This past season at North Cobb, he lost out on some playing time and ended up behind some other running backs on the team, so it will be interesting to see how Hall responds to that as he begins his chapter at Michigan.
7:08 a.m.: Michigan is keeping its eye out for a handful of announcements to be made today, which could add to the 2023 class. You can find that announcement guide here.
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6:30 a.m.: Michigan is kicking things off bright and early as Aymeric Koumba, defensive lineman from France, is officially in the fold.
Recruiting Story: The Wolverines went overseas to land defensive lineman Aymeric Koumba out of France. The staff really liked what they saw from Koumba’s film and workouts, and won his pledge over offers from Vanderbilt, East Carolina, Connecticut, and Buffalo.
Outlook: Koumba is sitting around 6-foot-5, 230 pounds with an 85-inch wingspan, a 4.7 40-yard dash, and a 10'2" broad jump, so he has the tools to be a threat at the highest level of college football. It is hard to judge the level of competition he has faced to this point, but he certainly has the intangibles to be an impact player with time.
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