What Raylen Wilson's decommitment means for Michigan
Following an official visit to Ann Arbor, news came out on Tuesday that 4-star linebacker Raylen Wilson was decommitting from Michigan. Wilson is a top-100 prospect, and his removal from Michigan's class dropped the program to #60 in the national team recruiting rankings.
On the field, Wilson could have been a good approximation of former star linebacker Devin Bush, a 1st round pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Bush played for the Wolverines from 2016-2018 and wowed Michigan fans with his hitting ability and sideline-to-sideline speed. So Wilson's departure from the class is significant.
Off the field, one big concern for Michigan fans right now is how much Michigan's stance on Name, Image, and Likeness is impacting the program's ability to recruit top-flight prospects. Wilson's decommitment won't alleviate those concerns.
WHERE DOES MICHIGAN GO FROM HERE?
A school like Michigan is always going to be given a look, so all is not lost in linebacker recruiting. Here are a few options for the Wolverines:
Baton Rouge (LA) University Lab 4-star Jaiden Ausberry officially visited Michigan last weekend. While he's more of an outside linebacker, the #80 overall prospect had a good time on his visit and could bring some talent to the second of Michigan's defense.
Philadelphia (PA) Imhotep's Semaj Bridgeman took an official visit to Ann Arbor and also visited Georgia and Rutgers. He's a 4-star and the #12 inside linebacker in the class. Coming out of his visit to Michigan, buzz for Michigan started to grow and the Wolverines lead in the FutureCast.
Altamonte Springs (FL) Lake Brantley brothers Andrew Harris and Michael Harris were slated at one time to officially visit Michigan in June, but that visit was canceled. Andrew is a 3-star and the #17 inside linebacker, while Michael is a 3-star and the #28 inside linebacker. While a visit cancellation isn't a good sign, it wouldn't be the first time that a seemingly fizzled recruitment could be heated back up. The Harrises have officially visited Maryland and Michigan State, so they're not afraid to come north.
Perkasie (PA) Pennridge 4-star and #11 inside linebacker Phil Picciotti took an official visit to Michigan earlier in June and also visited Auburn, Nebraska, and Oklahoma. He has one remaining official visit to potentially use later in the cycle. The FutureCast has him going to Oklahoma, but he's been to Ann Arbor twice.
Michigan has thrown its hat in the ring for Cleveland (OH) Glenville 3-star Arvell Reese, who also has offers from Ohio State, Penn State, and USC. Whlie the Wolverines have yet to get Reese on campus, there's hope that he can be convinced to give them a shot. Glenville is typically an Ohio State pipeline, but the Buckeyes can't recruit nationally and eat up every in-state player, too. Glenville players have found success at Michigan in the past with defensive end Frank Clark and defensive tackle Willie Henry.
As for unoffered prospects, there are a couple other guys I wouldn't mind seeing recruited by Michigan if some of the above options don't pan out.
The first is Chicago (IL) Kenwood's K'Vion Thunderbird. Aside from having an awesome name, Thunderbird is an aggressive, speedy thumper. At 6'1" and 205 lbs., he's a little bit undersized, but teams like Auburn, Michigan State, Oregon, and Tennessee have all offered.
The second is Tappahannock (VA) Essex athlete Kamren Robinson. Robinson is a 6'2", 215-pounder with offers from Florida State, Pitt, South Carolina, and Virginia Tech. Ranked as a 3-star and the #21 inside linebacker, he has intriguing talent and plays wide receiver for his high school team. Here are some of Robinson's highlights:
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