Parents Of Top Michigan Recruits Give Big Visit Weekend High Marks
To say Michigan attacked the weekend of Sept. 10 with an enthusiasm unknown to mankind would be an understatement.
Aside from a 31-10 throttling of a Washington team expected to contend for the Pac-12 title this season, Michigan played host to more than 50 recruits, including several five-star prospects as well as top targets in the 2022, 2023 and 2024 recruiting classes.
Led by Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh and bolstered by an upgraded recruiting department featuring experienced and energetic staffers Courtney Morgan and Christina DeRuyter, the Wolverines put on a show for prospective student athletes and their parents.
From meetings with the staff to facility tours to an electric pregame atmosphere to a spellbinding halftime show to the victory itself, the weekend was undoubtedly one to remember.
Just ask Deon Johnson, ex-Wolverine, father of five-star Michigan cornerback commit Will Johnson and an ambassador for parents of other recruits this cycle.
“This weekend was a good look for the current state of Michigan football,” Deon said. “The coaches, operations, support staff, former players that came back for the game and fans all did a great job of leaving a lasting impression on the recruits and their families. The coaches did a good job of taking time to spend with the recruits and their families before and after the game.
“They played a really good game and the atmosphere at The Big House was great. Hopefully, this will show the guys that are being recruited that Michigan is the place for them.”
Deon spent extended time with one parent in particular — Randy Jackson, father of five-star USC defensive back commit Domani Jackson, who joined Will on his official visit this weekend.
The Johnson and Jackson families have bonded quite a bit throughout the recruiting process. Randy hung out with Deon on their self-guided tour in Ann Arbor last fall, and Deon returned the favor by taking Will out to Los Angeles, where the families connected at the Jackson residence this summer.
With USC recently firing head coach Clay Helton and Michigan having a monster weekend, the Wolverines have a very realistic shot at flipping Domani. And Randy, an Ohio native and lifelong Michigan fan, made it clear last weekend went a long way towards that effort
“The visit was everything we could ask for and more,” Randy said. “The college environment, academics, and set up for life after football was presented to us extremely well.”
Will and Domani weren’t the only two five-star recruits on campus. The Wolverines also played host to elite defensive tackle Walter Nolen, the No. 2 ranked overall recruit nationally, his mother Youlunda and his two younger brothers — 2025 offensive lineman Warren Nolen and 2027 athlete Waylon Nolen.
Yolunda has never been shy about expressing her love for Michigan. Her parents live in the Detroit-metro, and she has U-M alums in her family. Yolunda was recently on campus for Walter’s official visit over the summer and absolutely loved her return trip for last weekend’s game.
“As always, I enjoyed my experience in Ann Arbor,” Yolunda said. “It is a beautiful place with wonderful people. The experience in The Big House was amazing. The boys and I had a really good time. The 9/11 tribute, the maize out and the light show at halftime all made our experience even better. The 31-10 win was the icing on the cake. Let’s go blue.”
Some parents, like Josh Conerly Sr, father of Rivals100 offensive lineman Josh Conerly, wished the trip would have been even longer.
“It was fun,” Josh Sr. said. “We had a great time. I wish we had one more day just to hang out. From the time we landed to the time we left, there was always something. It was non-stop. Meet here, lunch here, dinner here… it was a busy weekend. The highlight of our trip was going in the next morning and watching film with Coach (Sherrone) Moore. He and Joshua picked each other’s’ brains on play designs. I thought that was really special. I’m happy with Coach Moore. I like what he has going and what he’s doing with the line.
“It’s been open arms since Day 1. The same feeling that we’ve felt was felt on this trip — maybe even more. I know it was crazy and hectic as a parent, so I can only imagine what the staff went through. We felt the love. It was definitely a good trip.”
Conerly is one of Michigan’s top overall priorities this cycle. The Wolverines impressed him with dominant offensive line play and a running game that racked up more than 300 yards against his home state team.
Of course, the atmosphere in The Big House moved the needle as well. A Seattle Seahawks fan, Josh Sr. likened the environment to Century Link field, which is widely considered the loudest stadium in the NFL.
“I’m a Seattle Seahawks fan, and it’s a bit louder at the Seahawks’ stadium, but as far as the energy and the fans, it was just jumping — from kickoff to the end of the game,” he said. “I thought it was really cool. I’m glad we came out to The Big House. With the maize out and energy, it was impressive.”
The weekend also gave commits and their parents a chance to come closer together. This class is a little spread out as the Wolverines hold verbal pledges from all over the country. The parents enjoyed a tailgate with parents of current players before the game, while the commits themselves hung out at the facilities.
Overall, this weekend helped make sure Michigan’s 2022 recruiting class is locked in moving forward.
“Every time that we are at Michigan, it reinforces that Tyler made the right choice by committing to U-M,” said Shirley Morris, mother of Rivals100 U-M wide receiver commit Tyler Morris. “We were able to tailgate with the parents of the current players, and we loved the family atmosphere. This was our first time being in The Big House for a game, and it was unbelievable. The 9/11 tribute, the jet flyover, the entire maize stadium was something you cannot prepare yourself for.
“The fans were incredible and being a part of that experience was amazing. Not to mention, I loved watching the players interactions because they were having such a good time. We’re looking forward to getting back up there for another game soon.”
Travis Jones, father of three-star Michigan offensive line commit Connor Jones, shared similar sentiments.
“It was awesome,” Travis said. “The environment was absolutely electric. Every time we’re in Ann Arbor, it’s a great experience and the people are awesome. It was great to see the coaches and staff again. We’re definitely solid with Connor’s decision and super happy.”
Added Greg Pollard, father of four-star Michigan cornerback commit Myles Pollard:
“The weekend was awesome. We got a good feel for the game day flow and how the team prepares. The family tailgate area was really cool, but the game was everything. Watching 108,000 fans cheer on the team when they ran out of the tunnel was unbelievable. I loved the way the defense played — fast and unpredictable with a lot of defensive backs in rotation.”
While Morris, Jones and Pollard have been considered some of the most solid commits in the class, there have been a few question marks about four-star defensive back commit Kody Jones, who made visits to Illinois and Tennessee and earned an offer from Florida this summer.
However, Jones and his family have now been to Michigan three times over the last four months, and this past weekend blew away his father, Keith.
“We had a great time in Ann Arbor,” Keith said. “We arrived Saturday morning, and it was on from there. The tailgating was off the chain. There were so many people out there partying, cooking, eating, playing games and just having a good time all wearing the same color — maize. Also, the Michigan staff was very welcoming and inviting. Once we got inside the stadium and walked around the field, it was amazing.
“There were so many fans’ yelling and calling the kids’ names. The pregame was electric and unbelievable. It never died throughout the game. We had a fantastic time in Ann Arbor.”
The big visit weekend wasn’t just about the 2022 recruiting class. Michigan also hosted a number of elite level underclassmen, including 2023 Rivals100 quarterback Dante Moore.
An in-state prospect and arguably the most important recruit on Michigan’s board for next cycle, Moore is a true must-land. Moore took in the game with his father, Otha, who was impressed with the team’s performance as well as the game day atmosphere.
“It was an electrifying atmosphere,” Otha Moore said. “More games should be played at night. I wanted to see more of the offense, but the offensive line carried the run game. That Blake Corum kid is fast.”
Rivals250 offensive lineman Amir Herring was another highly touted in-state 2023 recruit on campus last weekend. Michigan is considered the early favorite, and his mother, Chris, gave their visit high marks.
“It was an awesome experience,” Chris said. “Just getting to be back in an environment with fans and seeing how the stadium was erupting with excitement was just an awesome experience. Michigan has a family environment. They always make you feel very comfortable when you’re on campus. The pregame, the game and talking to the coaches after the game, it’s everything.”
Jeanne Senda, mother of 2023 in-state offensive lineman Dylan Senda, the No. 2 ranked center nationally, was equally as impressed.
“We had a great experience at the Michigan game,” Jeanne Senda said. “The coaches welcomed us with open arms as soon as we got there. The atmosphere and energy were exciting and positive. It was a huge victory for Michigan against a great opponent. Overall, it was an outstanding visit.”
Michigan also made a splash with parents of top out-of-region underclassmen. Rivals100 Many (La.) High linebacker Tackett Curtis has now been on campus twice over the last four months, and his father, Jess, loved every minute of it.
“We had a great visit,” Jess said. “It was great for Tackett to spend time with Coach Mac (Mike Macdonald) and Coach (George) Helow. Coach Harbaugh was great to the family as well. To cap it off with great game day atmosphere was pretty cool stuff.”
Harbaugh always preaches family during the recruiting process. And nothing exemplified that more than the big visit weekend.
The next step for the staff is closing with recruits and making sure the Michigan family grows with some talented members.
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