A trip to the Southeast allowed The Wolverine to see a number of top Michigan underclassmen recruiting targets in game action.

Things got started on Thursday as Pinson Valley (Ala.), home of Rivals100 recruit Ga'Quincy McKinstry, took on Huntsville (Ala.) Lee.

Ranked as the top athlete in the country in the 2021 class, McKinstry was on a snap count as Pinson Valley rolled in a 47-0 blowout win to close out the regular season. The goal, of course, was to keep McKinstry healthy for the playoffs.

Still, McKinstry showed flashes of his ranking.

The four-star prospect shut down his side of the field when he lined up at cornerback ad did not allow any receptions. McKinstry has an athletic build, is extremely fluid and plays with great technique.

McKinstry also lined up at wide receiver and has seen action on the offensive side of the ball all year long. However, his future is definitely on defense.

In fact, McKinstry is completely sold on being a cornerback at the next level. With his size and athleticism, McKinstry has a chance to be a can't miss prospect at the position and be an immediate impact player at the next level.

McKinstry was one of the first 2021 prospects Michigan reached out to on Sept. 1, the date college coaches were permitted to contact high school juniors. While he will be a tough pull out of SEC country, McKinstry has some interest in the Wolverines.

On Friday, I had the opportunity to see several targets as Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy took on Hoover (Ala.) in a battle of national powers. The game was a dud as IMG Academy won in blowout fashion, but Michigan targets certainly impressed.

The Wolverines have offered six underclassmen at IMG Academy, and the best of the bunch was 2021 Rivals250 prospect JC Latham. He is listed as a defensive end but strictly played offensive tackle.

Latham's profile position needs to change as soon as possible because this dude is definitely going to be a tackle and a damn good one.

At 6-foot-6, 285 pounds, Latham is a towering, physical tackle that loves to get nasty in the trenches. He has great length and kept defenders at bay all night long. His athleticism and feet stood out as well.

With Latham fully focused on being an offensive tackle, his potential is through the roof. On top of that, he's going to get some of the best coaching in the nation at IMG Academy. I wouldn't be surprised if he moves into the Top 100 when it's all said and done.

As far as his recruitment goes, Latham is taking it slow early on, but Michigan is definitely a school high on his mind.

Even though I thought Latham was the best prospect on the field, the best player was actually 2022 IMG Academy running back Kaytron Allen.

Allen was downright explosive as he racked up close to 200 yards on the ground. He has great balance and vision for a sophomore and once he gets past the first level, he has the burst to take it the distance.

Allen also showed some good power and wiggle. Here is one of three touchdowns he scored on the night.

Allen has half a dozen offers and will be one of the most recruited running backs in his class. He is a special talent with a lot of room to grow. It will be exciting to see what he turns into a couple of years from now.

Michigan hoped on Allen early, and a trip to Ann Arbor is a possibility.

One of the main reasons I made my way to Birmingham was to see 2021 Rivals250 wide receiver Dekel Crowdus, who is one of Michigan's top overall targets for next cycle.

And if you follow me on Twitter, you may have noticed that I didn't tweet out any videos of him.

That certainly wasn't by choice. Crowdus didn't get in on offense until garbage time and received a grand total of zero touches. You can only do something with opportunities, and Crowdus didn't get any.

On the hoof, Crowdus isn't the most impressive looking prospect. He's shorter than his listed 5-foot-10 and may barely weight 170 pounds, but the dude has speed to burn and can be downright electric with the ball in his hands.

Crowdus showed flashes of his ranking on two kick returns, where he flew past the first wave of defenders and made a couple of guys miss. If anything, Crowdus will be an effective return man at the next level.

Right now, my evaluation of Crowdus is simply incomplete. There really wasn't anything to go off of over the weekend.

Going back to the trenches, Michigan recently hosted 2021 four-star Notre Dame offensive line commit Greg Crippen for an unofficial visit. There have been whispers of Crippen's status with the Irish, and Michigan can take advantage if it pushes.

Crippen has played guard for his entire career but made the switch to center this season. Crippen looks a little smaller than his listed 6-foot-4, 270 pounds and will definitely be a center at the next level.

Crippen was solid from a technical standpoint and helped IMG really overpower Hoover in the trenches. Crippen also showed a high football IQ and helped his line make proper adjustments.

I don't think I would take Crippen over a guy like Raheem Anderson, but he is a very solid option at the position.

Michigan also has an offer out to three-star 2021 offensive lineman Weston Franklin. Right now, Franklin is listed as a tackle, but I definitely seem him sliding inside to guard.

At 6-foot-3, 300 pounds, Franklin is a beefy prospect with athletic limitations. He does a great job, however, of using his brute strength to drive defenders back. Franklin opened some big holes in the run game and was physically impressive.

Overall, Franklin may not attract the hype that some of his teammates do, but he has multi-year starter upside as an interior offensive lineman.

Lastly, Michigan jumped in the mix early on for big-time 2022 defensive tackle Tyler Booker.

For an underclassman defensive lineman, Booker is pretty advanced from a development standpoint. He has a great looking frame (6-4, 280), is quick off the ball and uses his hands well.

While he didn't notch a ton of tackles, Booker was very active in the trenches and forced run plays to collapse. Usually big kids his age are a little lazy, but I was impressed with his motor.

Honestly, Booker is one of the more impressive sophomore defensive linemen I've ever evaluated. He could very well be a national Top 50 prospect in the 2022 class when the initial rankings come out.

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