The Week In Michigan Wolverines Football Recruiting: Nov. 7
Here is a look back at the last week of action involving the Maize and Blue’s recruiting efforts:
• With the class filling up, Hot Boards are being updated bi-weekly now. The offense is the latest side of the ball to be reviewed, and a few big targets still remain. The most recent defensive Hot Board can be found linked here.
• Michigan now has 24 commits in the 2019 class (ranked No. 9 nationally) and five in 2020 (No. 13), and all of them have seemingly done something special this fall. A few of them are already wrapping up their seasons, while others are just getting started in postseason action. Here’s a look back at who has done what so far on the gridiron.
• Almost 100 prospects made their way to Ann Arbor and got a chance to watch U-M shine against an overmatched Penn State team. The Wolverines rolled the Nittany Lions, making for an unforgettable experience for the recruits in attendance. Here’s what some of them had to say about their visit.
• There were a lot of big-time recruits in Ann Arbor for Michigan’s win over Penn State, but five-star Quavaris Crouch was one of the few that was using the weekend as an official visit. The Charlotte (N.C.) Harding University star senior gave the visit rave reviews.
• Savannah (Ga.) Islands four-star senior outside linebacker Kalen DeLoach is a Florida State commitment that is still taking visits. Auburn and Michigan sent coaches to watch the senior, and both schools are still in pursuit. DeLoach was in Ann Arbor last weekend, he visited the Plains in September and he is going to be at Alabama this weekend for his third official visit. Schools are not giving up on DeLoach, who said his trip to Michigan was a "great visit."
• Michigan hosted a contingent of top in-state 2020 prospects last week for their home contest against Penn State. For Detroit Martin Luther King four-star wide receiver Rashawn Williams, it was his first Michigan game visit of the season and he found himself imagining how it would feel to suit up in maize and blue.
• West Bloomfield (Mich.) High four-star safety Makari Paige was in the house for U-M’s beat-down of Penn State on Saturday and enjoyed every aspect of the visit. The 6-3, 185-pound junior filled his day with food, friends and football, and left Ann Arbor in a great mood.
• West Bloomfield (Mich.) High three-star inside linebacker Cornell Wheeler committed to Michigan in late September and is as solid as can be. The 6-0, 229-pound junior was in Ann Arbor last weekend for Michigan’s rout of Penn State and couldn’t have had a better time. Since he is committed, his experiences during a game-day visit are pretty low-key and very enjoyable.
• Milton (Mass.) Academy four-star outside linebacker Kalel Mullings got a visit from defensive coordinator Don Brown while U-M was on its bye week in something that's become a bit of a tradition. Brown was not able to sit down and talk with the 6-2, 210-pound junior per NCAA rules, but the visit still left an impact.
• Ever since Michigan offered Suwanee (Ga.) North Gwinnett four-star junior wide receiver Joshua Downs back in May, the staff has been making him feel like top priority. The 5-9, 160-pounder has been very receptive and is high on the Wolverines because of it.
• Michigan sent out a few offers a couple of weeks ago, including to Rivals250 cornerback Brandon Jones, out of Harbor City (Calif.) Narbonne High. Jones has had a strong junior campaign, helping lead Narbonne to a season that is still going. The 5-11, 170 pounder has more than 20 Division I offers, including the likes of Georgia, Arizona, Cal and Oregon, but said Kansas State, Arizona State, Stanford and Vanderbilt have been the most involved for him thus far. He is intrigued by Michigan and recently spoke about what it means to him.
• Everett (Mass.) High three-star athlete Mike Sainristil committed to Michigan after taking in the Penn State game. He picked up a Michigan offer while committed to Virginia Tech, but immediately gave U-M a hard look. The senior snuck in a quiet official visit to Ann Arbor and left town knowing he would eventually be a Wolverine. At 5-9, 175 pounds, Sainristil plays all over the field in high school and has the potential to do the same at Michigan. Rivals.com recruiting analyst Adam Friedman has seen Sainristil in person and really likes his versatile skill set.
• Rivals.com Midwest analyst Josh Helmholdt filmed and scouted five-star Michigan commit Daxton Hill at a recent game, and has a fresh take on the Tulsa, Okla., senior.
• Miami Monsignor Pace athlete Jaheem Joseph picked up his Michigan offer back in June and he has been on campus since then. The 5-10, 170-pounder is on U-M’s radar, but may not be one of the top targets in the 2020 class. Still, the Miami native is glad to have contact with U-M and looks forward to building up relationships moving forward.
• Bay City (Mich.) Central three-star wide receiver Devell Washington has already caught two games at Michigan this fall and was back last weekend for the Penn State matchup. The 6-4, 205-pound junior definitely feels like a priority for U-M and wants to make sure the coaches know he is just as interested in them as they are in him.
• Ashburn (Va.) Broad Run three-star running back Tim Baldwin also committed to the Wolverines after watch U-M thrash Penn State. Friedman caught up with Baldwin after his commitment and the junior broke down why U-M is the right choice for him and why now is the right time.
• Michigan has a couple of commits in the 2019 class who could play the viper position, but the staff is always looking for more versatility to add to the defense. One such way they could add that is with Waterford (Mich.) Mott senior athlete Kobe Myers. At 6-1, 190 pounds, Myers has been to Michigan multiple times this season and is still looking for an opportunity to join the class. While he has yet to add an offer from the Wolverines, things are looking up and the Michigan native feels good about his chances.
• Aurora (Ill.) West Aurora four-star defensive tackle Denver Warren announced via Twitter that he decommitted from Michigan. Warren said in his tweet that the Michigan staff let him know that playing time and room along the defensive line would be very tight by the time he arrived in 2020. Defensive line coach Greg Mattison let Warren and his family know that it may be in his best interest to look at opportunities elsewhere. There is a little more going on with Warren’s decommitment, which should be good for both parties.
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