Michigan Targeting Talent-Rich Areas In 2021

All throughout the 2021 cycle, Michigan has leaned heavily on the relationships it has established at several powerhouse schools across the country.

Many programs, such as Detroit (Mich.) Cass Tech produce Power Five prospects on an annual basis, and the Wolverines have traditionally done quite well recruiting at the in-state school. Other locations, such as Clayton (Ohio) Northmont have a particularly strong class, and as such the school has become a focus for the Wolverines en route to what is currently a top 10 recruiting class.

IMG Academy

Each season, a slew of top prospects choose to play football at Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy, which is a testament to the quality of coaches and fellow players that are a part of the program. Back on March 25, Michigan landed a pledge from Greg Crippen, a four-star offensive lineman that has positional flexibility along the interior line. Crippen is poised to anchor IMG's offensive line at center this season, but he will be flanked by elite tackle prospects J.C. Latham and Tyler Booker, both players that sport U-M offers.

Additionally, Michigan has long held a commitment from five-star quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who played last year at La Grange (Ill.) Nazareth Academy, but McCarthy recently transferred to IMG during the offseason and will be taking snaps from Crippen this fall.

Northmont

Several months back, Michigan identified Clayton (Ohio) Northmont three-star wide receiver Markus Allen as an intriguing pass-catching prospect, and the Wolverines pursued him as such. Not long after, U-M extended an offer to his teammate, safety Rod Moore. Together, the two were set to run track for Northmont to help boost their speed and offseason conditioning, but the spring season was canceled due to the coronavirus.

Allen committed to Michigan on April 28 and Moore followed suit on May 10. Both players cited a strong connection with the U-M coaching staff as a reason behind their pledges, and they've picked up the mantle as recruiters for the Wolverines on social media, singing the praises of what Michigan can offer other recruits.

St. Thomas Aquinas

Much like at IMG, St. Thomas Aquinas is a powerhouse school that fields a star-studded lineup on each side of the football. For the 2020 season, the Raiders' defense is poised to rank as one of the top in the state with multiple three and four-star recruits in the starting lineup.

In particular, Michigan liked the speed, instincts and play-making ability of cornerback Ja'Den McBurrows. As a result, U-M defensive coordinator Don Brown and linebackers coach Brian Jean-Mary traveled down to Aquinas to help convince McBurrows to join Michigan's class. Jean-Mary specializes in Florida as one of his recruiting areas, and his pre-existing relationship with the program was a help asset in landing McBurrows.

More recently, four-star inside linebacker Jaydon Hood issued his pledge to Michigan, and he is excited to start his collegiate career.

“Me and Coach [Don] Brown and Coach BJ [Mary], we watch film all the time,” Hood told Wolverine Digest. “We are always dissecting Michigan's football season, all the plays and how they do things and how they see me playing. They love it. I love it. It's going to be a good couple years there.”

St. Thomas Aquinas is also the home of four-star defensive end Dallas Turner, and he is a prospect that is nearing his decision, and the Wolverines are in heavy pursuit of his talent.

Noble and Greenough School

On April 3, Dedham (Mass.) Noble and Greenough School three-star inside linebacker Casey Phinney committed to Michigan, and he kick-started what was a highly successful two-month recruiting stretch for Michigan. Phinney is located in Coach Brown's recruiting area, and the legendary defensive mind was a pivotal factor in this recruitment as well.

Phinney is teammates with four-star offensive lineman Drew Kendall, a player that projects on the inside as a guard at the next level. Kendall is a strong, mobile and athletic lineman who could be a quality fit as a pulling guard at Michigan down the line. Both Coach Brown and offensive line coach Ed Warriner are working to land Kendall once its time for him to commit.

By invoking this strategy of selectively targeting a few schools that have multiple Michigan-caliber players on their roster, Michigan can sell the opportunity for recruits to play with their current teammates at the next level. This helps add a sense of familiarity as U-M commits will be entering college side by side with a player they've taken the field with before.

Additionally, there are few better recruiting tools for Michigan than to have a current U-M commit constantly in the ear of their teammate pitching the positive aspects of life as a Michigan player. Plus, these high school coaches have developed a relationship with the Michigan staff as well, so they have a comfort factor to contribute to the situation too.

Are there any schools where Michigan already has one commit and you are hoping they add another? Either in this class or in the next? Let us know!