Under The Lights: Previewing Big Games For Michigan Commits

Football season is in full swing as high schools across the country are getting into the meat of their schedules.

Several of Michigan’s commits are set to be back in action this weekend. The Wolverine’s EJ Holland is also ready to hit the road to see Wolverine pledges and top targets.

Below you will find a preview of weekend games featuring Michigan commits as well as our own whereabouts on the recruiting trail.

Get a free 60-day trial to TheWolverine.com with promo code Blue60

After stops in Nashville, Detroit, Tulsa, Los Angeles, Seattle, Dallas and Denver, The Wolverine is set to make its way to Boston this weekend.

Michigan has been recruiting hard in the Northeast, and the trip will allow us to see several commits and targets.

Our jam-packed weekend starts on Friday as I will be stopping at Shrewsbury (Mass.) St. John's for practice. St. John's was originally supposed to take on Shrewsbury (Mass.) High on Friday night. However, the game was rescheduled.

St. John's wide receiver and Michigan commit Eamonn Dennis is one of the most versatile prospects in the Wolverines' 2020 class. Dennis is coming off a five-touchdown performance that saw him rush for three scores and take two kicks to the house. While St. John's has been up and down this year, Dennis has been lightning in a bottle.

Since the St. John's game got rescheduled, I will be making my way to Dedham (Mass.) Noble & Greenough vs. West Roxbury (Mass.) Roxbury Latin. Noble & Greenough features two 2021 Michigan offers in Rivals100 offensive lineman Drew Kendall and three-star inside linebacker Casey Phinney.

Kendall is very high on Michigan early on. He visited Ann Arbor this offseason and plans to make a return trip soon. Michigan offered Phinney early and is a major player in his recruitment as well.

I will be at multiple games on Saturday, starting off with a morning clash between Needham (Mass.) St. Sebastian's and Groton (Mass.) Lawrence Academy.

St. Sebastian's is home to four-star 2021 tight end Louis Hansen, who has an offer in hand from the Wolverines, and is a big target for next cycle. Hansen visited Michigan over the summer and is looking to make a return trip.

Meanwhile, Lawrence Academy features rising 2021 running back Tony Muse. Michigan was the first school to extend a scholarship, and he has high interest in the Wolverines.

Next up is a tilt between Cambridge (Mass.) Buckingham Browne & Nichols and Belmont (Mass.) Hill.

Buckingham Browne & Nichols is highlighted by four-star 2020 Michigan offensive line commit Zak Zinter, who made a a verbal pledge in May. Zinter is a massive mauler and was a big land for the Wolverines in the trenches.

Michigan is already after Zinter's teammate — 2022 inside linebacker Tyler Martin, who will be on the of the top overall recruits in his class. Martin has visited Michigan on several occasions and loves the Wolverines.

On the other side of the ball, will be 2021 defensive line target Ikenna Ugbaja. Michigan offered the three-star prospect early on, and it's clear the Wolverines are around the top of his list.

The third game of the day will see four-star 2020 Michigan linebacker commit Kaleel Mullings and Milton (Mass.) Academy take on Braintree (Mass.) Thayer Academy.

A Rivals250 recruit, Mullings is one of Michigan's best defensive commits and will have a chance to make an early impact in Ann Arbor. Mullings picked the Wolverines over the summer and is completely solid.

Lastly, The Wolverine will make the short drive over to the state of New Hampshire to see Suffield (Conn.) Academy battle with Exter (N.H.) Phillips Academy.

Suffield Academy is led by 2021 Rivals250 defensive lineman KeChaun Bennett, who holds an offer from the Wolverines. Michigan was actually the first to offer Bennett, so the Wolverines have a special place in his recruitment.

1. OL Zak Zinter, Cambridge (Mass.) Buckingham Browne & Nichols

As mentioned, Zinter and the Buckingham Browne & Nichols offensive line have a tough task as they will be matched up against 2021 Michigan defensive line target Ikenna Ugbaja of Belmont (Mass.) Hill. Zinter is a true mauler and will need to control the line of scrimmage against Ugbaja in order for Buckingham Browne & Nichols to come away with a win. The weather forecast says cold and rainy, so this should be an extremely tough battle in the trenches.

2. DL Braiden McGregor, Port Huron (Mich.) Northern

McGregor has been a beast on the defensive side of the ball for Northern this year and even caught a touchdown pass while playing tight end last week. This Friday, Northern will face cross-town rival Port Huron (Mich.), which should create for a fun atmosphere. Port Huron is 5-1 and boasts an offense that has scored more than 30 points in all five of its wins. McGregor will need to lead a strong defensive effort.

3. OL Jeffrey Persi, San Juan Capistrano (Calif.) JSerra

Persi and JSerra are gearing up for a colossal clash against one of the best teams in the country in Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco, which is loaded with DI talent on both sides of the ball. The key for JSerra will be slowing down the game and controlling the trenches. And that starts with Persi, who will need to pave the way for JSerra's run heavy offensive scheme.

OL Reece Atteberry, Eaglecrest (Colo.) — vs. Aurora (Colo.) Overland 10/10

TE Nick Patterson, San Antonio (Texas) Christian — vs. Austin (Texas) Hyde Park 10/10

DB Andre Seldon, Belleville (Mich.) — vs. Livonia (Mich.) Stevenson 10/11

WR AJ Henning, Lincoln Way (Ill.) East — vs. Lockport (Ill.) 10/11

OL Giovanni El-Hadi, Stevenson (Mich.) — vs. Township (Mich.) Chippewa Valley 10/11

DL Braiden McGregor, Port Huron (Mich.) Northern — vs. Port Huron (Mich.) 10/11

DL Kris Jenkins, Olney (Md.) Good Counsel — vs. Washington (D.C.) Gonzaga 10/11

LB Cornell Wheeler, DB Makari Paige, West Bloomfield (Mich.) — vs. Bloomfield Hills (Mich.) 10/11

QB JJ McCarthy, Nazareth Academy (Ill.) — @ Chicago (Ill.) Marist 10/11

DL Aaron Lewis, Williamstown (N.J.) — @ Marlton (N.J.) Cherokee 10/11

TE Matt Hibner, Lake Braddock (Va.) — vs. Fairfax (Va.) Robinson 10/11

WR Roman Wilson, Honolulu (Hawaii) St. Louis — @ Wai'anae (Hawaii) 10/11

QB JD Johnson, Phoenix (Ariz.) Pinnacle — vs. Glendale (Ariz.) Mountain Ridge 10/11

DB RJ Moten, Delran (N.J.) — @ Trenton (N.J.) Ewing 10/11

OL Jeffrey Persi, JSerra (Calif.) — vs. Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco 10/11

LB William Mohan, Brooklyn (N.Y.) Erasmus Hall — @ Brooklyn (N.Y.) Lincoln 10/11

LB Kalel Mullings, Milton (Mass.) Academy — vs. Braintree (Mass.) Thayer Academy 10/12

OL Zak Zinter, Cambridge (Mass.) Buckingham Browne & Nichols — vs. Belmont (Mass.) Hill 10/12

DB Jordan Morant, Oradell (N.J.) Bergen Catholic — vs. Montvale (N.J.) St. Joseph 10/12

WR Eamonn Dennis, Shrewsbury (Mass.) St. John's — vs. Shrewsbury (Mass.) 10/12

RB Blake Corum, LB Osman Savage, LB Nikhai Hill-Green, OL Micah Mazzccua, Baltimore (Md.) St. Frances Academy — Open

---

• Talk about this article inside The Fort

• Subscribe to our podcast on iTunes

• Learn more about our print and digital publication, The Wolverine

• Follow us on Twitter: @TheWolverineMag, @EJHolland_TW, @JB_ Wolverine, @AustinFox42, @Balas_Wolverine and @DrewCHallett

• Like us on Facebook