Michigan Surging For Bryson Nesbit And Jayden Thomas
After picking up two four-star commits on defense over the weekend, Michigan is trending up with a pair of 2021 recruits— three-star tight end Bryson Nesbit and four-star wide receiver Jayden Thomas.
Hailing from Charlotte (N.C.) South Mecklenburg, three-star tight end Bryson Nesbit holds 24 offers but recently cut the list down to 14, revealing his select schools on Twitter.
Nesbit included Michigan in that list. Although the Wolverines already have one tight end committed in Needham (Mass.) St. Sebastian’s four-star tight end Louis Hansen, a player who is an accomplished receiver and a plus-athlete at his position, but U-M appears to be in the market to add another tight end in the ’21 cycle.
At 6-6 and 220 pounds, Nesbit is a bit of a hybrid tight end in the sense that he is an active receiving threat for his high school team. Nesbit frequently lines up split out wide, connected to the line of scrimmage or even in the backfield, and he runs routes out of all three spots. Nesbit has the size to create mismatches, but he is not quite fast enough to translate to wide receiver at the next level.
As a result, many teams, including Michigan, are looking at Nesbit as a tight end. The Wolverines extended a scholarship to Nesbit within the past month, as did Michigan State and Ohio State, so his recruitment is still evolving as the college football world navigates through the quarantine. And although a list of 14 schools does not necessarily put Michigan in official visit territory for Nesbit just yet, U-M is still in the mix for when that time comes down the line.
Moving from tight end to wide receiver, the Wolverines currently hold one pledge at that position in Clayton (Ohio) Northmont three-star wide receiver Markus Allen. In an effort to add other talented receivers into the fold, U-M has put in some work recently with Atlanta (Ga.) Pace Academy four-star Jayden Thomas.
Back in February, Thomas released a list of his top 11 schools, and Michigan made the cut. Since that time, the U-M coaching staff has worked to sell Thomas on what a future in Ann Arbor would look like for the four-star product, and the Michigan coaches have done an effective job in doing so.
According to a source close to Thomas’ recruitment, the high profile wide receiver is most carefully considering Notre Dame and Michigan at this point. Both schools have let Thomas know that he is a priority for them in this cycle, and Thomas actually took a visit to South Bend last year to check out the Notre Dame campus.
Thomas reportedly enjoyed his visit to Notre Dame, but he has also visited several other schools in his top group, such as Alabama and Georgia, so the Fighting Irish and Wolverines have firm competition in order to earn his pledge.
Whichever team is able to land the dynamic prospect will be landing a recruit that is not only a dangerous weapon to utilize on offense but also a game-changer in special teams. Thomas has experience returning both punts and kicks, and he does so with a certain flair for the dramatics. Thomas has quick change of direction to pair with his long-range speed, so his athleticism shines clear no matter which position he is used in.
With 15 prospects already committed, Michigan is working on the final touches for its 2021 recruiting. The Wolverines are looking to add another tight end and one (possibly two) wide receivers to the haul. Where do Bryson Nesbit and Jayden Thomas rank on your list? Let us know!
