Jackson (Mich.) athlete Antonio Bass has been tough to reach over the last several weeks, but his coach has been talking. Recently, Jackson head coach Jack Fairly said Bass returned from his Michigan visit on cloud nine, having been hosted by Michael Hart, and hinted it could be just a matter of time before Bass is a Wolverine.

It was clear at the Michigan – Notre Dame basketball game Saturday that the pressure was being turned up, with Bass spending plenty of time with several U-M players and coaches, including Lloyd Carr. That seemed to leave an impression, Fairly told the Detroit News. In fact, Bass came home so upbeat his coach asked him if he was ready to commit.

“He said he wants to see how the visit will go at MSU [this weekend],” said Fairly. “He felt very comfortable at Michigan. He liked the players … he met with Braylon Edwards and, overall, he was really impressed by everything.”

Bass, a first-team all-state selection by the News, played quarterback in high school, but said he would likely play wide receiver if he chooses Michigan. He was slated to visit Notre Dame in addition to MSU, but probably won’t now that Tyrone Willingham has been fired.

LSU and Virginia Tech have also received visits and are also in the mix. However, it appears the Wolverines will be tough to beat at this point. Bass and his family grew up Michigan fans, and there are several U-M influences around him. Former Michigan running back Russell Davis-- a standout fullback on Bo Schembechler's teams of the 70s -- is the athletic director at Jackson High.

Fairly has stated in the past that it could be a U-M vs. Tech battle, with Tech’s promise that he could play quarterback there a big selling point.

Watch for more on Bass in the days to come …