Four-Star Offensive Lineman Raheem Anderson II Commits To Michigan, Pushes U-M Class Into Top 10

The Michigan Wolverines’ 2021 recruiting class moved into the top 10 nationally when highly coveted Detroit (Mich.) Cass Tech four-star center Raheem Anderson II committed to U-M on Easter Sunday.

#NewProfilePic pic.twitter.com/1X5mPiW6Lk
— Raheem Anderson II (@Heem_62) April 12, 2020

From a ratings standpoint, Anderson is viewed as the No. 3 center in the nation according to 247Sports.com, and he also checks out as one of the top 10 junior prospects in the state of Michigan. His commitment now gives the Wolverines three offensive line commits, all of which are of the four-star variety.

Michigan entered Anderson’s recruitment early, extending an offer to the 6-3, 305-pound recruit over two years ago. Since that time, the two sides have built a rapport, and Anderson has taken trips to nearby Ann Arbor on several occasions.

With a focus of building a stockpile of interior offensive lineman, Michigan now has two commits that could play center in college if need be. Greg Crippen, who hails from IMG Academy, plays center for his team but also has experience lining up at guard, so his versatility will be an added bonus for the Michigan staff.

Anderson, on the other hand, is built like a prototypical center in the sense that he is not exceptionally long, though he moves well, keeps a low base and shows competency in both run and pass blocking. Overall, Anderson has the skill set that will help shore up Michigan’s interior O-Line for years to come.

During his recruitment, Anderson picked up offers from Georgia, LSU and a host of other Big Ten programs. Regardless of his appeal as a national recruit, Anderson will be staying in-state when he dons a winged helmet later in his career.

With Anderson as part of U-M’s 2021 group of pledges, Michigan’s class now ranks No. 9 in the country and No. 3 in the Big Ten according to 247Sports.com. U-M’s commits now sport a .9092 average rating on 247Sports.com, which is

Shortly after Anderson pledged to Michigan, several of his now-fellow commits took to Twitter to express their excitement in the recent U-M pickup including five-star quarterback J.J. McCarthy.

LETS GO MY BOY!!!!!! We are going to do big things!! #LoveMyHogs https://t.co/4RXDnxiAdS
— J.J. McCarthy (@jjmccarthy09) April 12, 2020

Shortly after news broke, McCarthy shared his reaction with Wolverine Digest.

“He is a monster,” McCarthy said. “Can’t wait to roll with him.”

This sentiment was echoed by Middletown (N.J.) Mater Dei defensive end commit Dominic Giudice, who said “great stuff [is] happening” in Ann Arbor. Crippen also added that he is “super excited” for the offensive line group that is forming at Michigan.

For those interested in Anderson’s film, direct your attention to the powerful blocker’s junior highlight tape, which can be viewed on Hudl. This will help provide a glimpse into the hard-nosed style of blocking that can be expected under the coaching of U-M offensive line coach Ed Warriner.

Cass Tech was once thought of to be a pipeline for future Michigan talent, but that reputation has subsided in recent years. Last week, in fact, two Cass Tech prospects with Michigan offers— Kalen King and Kobe King — committed to Penn State, but U-M is working to maintain its presence at the school. Picking up a pledge from Anderson will help do just that.

With Anderson in the fold, U-M has one of the top-10 classes in the country and one of the best groups of OL commits currently assembled. How would you spread the wealth of riches across the OL with both Anderson and Crippen having potential to play center? What should Warriner’s alignment be? Let us know!