2022 In-State Offensive Lineman Ka'Marii Landers Picks Up U-M Offer
On Saturday, 2022 Dearborn (Mich.) Fordson three-star Ka'Marii Landers picked up an offer from Michigan, his eighth scholarship to date. All eight of these offers have come in the last two months, so the quarantine period has certainly been eventful for the 6-4, 290-pound prospect.
At the moment, Landers holds offers from Michigan, West Virginia, Oregon, Toledo, Buffalo, Kentucky, Cincinnati and Michigan State, and the Spartans were actually offer No. 1 for the in-state player.
Of those college opportunities, Landers took particular notice of his Oregon offer and spoke highly of the Ducks program after receiving a scholarship to the school.
As it pertains to Michigan, the Wolverines are getting a head start of the 2022 class and have issued 23 offers to offensive lineman, but Landers is the first in-state OL to receive a scholarship. However, Landers still has two years to develop before reaching college, so his position at the next level is not set in stone.
On tape, Landers lines up on both sides of the offensive line and even chips in as a defensive tackle when needed to. Landers does a sound job in creating running lanes for Fordson running backs, and he looks to be a bit more refined in rush blocking as opposed to pass blocking, but that is a common trait for players at his stage.
But on film, Landers looks like he could project as an offensive guard at the next level due to his build and footwork. Landers shows the mobility to pull and act as a lead blocker at times, and this trait lends itself well to the guard position.
However, Michigan has yet to land a pledge at defensive tackle in the 2021 class and did not take a player at that position in 2020 either, so it stands to reason that U-M could be aggressively pursuing defensive tackle for the considerable future. Landers has the size and strength to create pressure along the defensive line, and his future could be on the defensive side of the football depending on how he develops. In either condition, having versatility is an important tool for high school players, and Landers certainly has that.
Landers is the 10th in-state prospect in the 2022 cycle to pick up an offer from Michigan.
So far, Michigan has picked up 17 commitments in the 2021 class, and three of those players are from within the state of Michigan-- offensive tackle Giovanni El-Hadi, center Raheem Anderson and kicker / punter Tommy Doman, though that number is expected to grow by the end of the cycle.
How do you feel about Michigan's in-state recruiting as of late? Are the Wolverines neglecting what is a fertile recruiting ground in favor of taking commitments from players in other parts o the country? Let us know!
