Five Standout 2022 Prospects Michigan Will Land

Michigan is already in good shape with several big time 2022 prospects.

Michigan is on the verge of signing a top five class in 2021 and may be poised to do it again in 2022. The Wolverines are in great shape with several top-notch prospects from around the country and, as usual, are really making an impact in Michigan, the rest of the Midwest and the northeast.

All five prospects listed below are in the top 250 nationally per the 247 Sports Composite and are very realistic targets for the Wolverines. In fact, if they were all deciding today, I think each prospect would pick the maize and blue. 

Chicago St. Rita wide receiver Kaleb Brown

At 5-11, 177 pounds, Brown looks more like a running back than he does a wide receiver, and he plays out of the backfield quite a bit. That's what makes him so dynamic after catching the ball — he's got great speed, fantastic open field moves and terrific hands. He's actually a lot like 2020 Michigan signee and fellow Illinois standout AJ Henning in that regard. 

Like Henning, Brown is perfect for Josh Gattis' speed in space approach and, as a Chicago area kid, is very familiar with Henning as well as 2021 Michigan commit JJ McCarthy, which gives the Wolverines a couple feathers in its cap. 

Brown is considered the No. 44 player and No. 6 wide receiver nationally. Brown has at least 16 offers from some big time programs like Ohio State, Alabama, Florida and Notre Dame.

Oradell (N.J.) Bergen Catholic cornerback Jaeden Gould

At 6-2, 190 pounds, Gould has great size for a cornerback but also possesses very quick feet and fluid hips. Because of that combination he's considered the No. 147 player overall and the No. 16 cornerback in the country. 

Michigan once owned the state of New Jersey and, while that has changed a bit, the Wolverines still have a strong presence in The Garden State and have made a very solid impression on Gould over the last couple of years. 

What prospects do on social media doesn't always mean a lot, but Gould seems to pay very close attention to what's going on with the maize and blue. Just a few days ago when 2022 linebacker Tyler Martin committed, Gould took notice. He retweeted Martin's commitment pledge, threw up "M" emojis on another and is sporting a Michigan shirt and gloves in his Twitter profile picture. That doesn't mean he's going to pick the Wolverines, but I actually think he will.

Gould has more than 30 offers from schools like USC, Florida, Florida State, Mississippi State, Notre Dame, Penn State, Tennessee, Texas A&M and more.

Grosse Pointe (Mich.) South cornerback Will Johnson

As an in-state kid, Johnson is a must get for the Wolverines. 

The 6-3, 190-pounder is considered the No. 8 prospect and No. 3 cornerback in the entire country. He's long, smooth and extremely sticky and physical in coverage. He's the kind of player that can lock down half the field. He's very instinctive and always seems to be in the right place at the right time. Combine that with his ball skills and length and he's a prototypical cornerback. 

He's also a Michigan-caliber kid off the field and in the classroom. He's everything U-M tries to land in student-athletes and is extremely high on U-M's board. 

He's nearing 30 offers and can basically go wherever he wants. Alabama, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State, LSU, USC, Florida, Florida State, Oklahoma, Tennessee and others all want him.

La Grange Park (Ill.) Nazareth Academy wide receiver Tyler Morris

Morris is another Chicago area kid with even more of a bond with U-M commit JJ McCarthy as the quarterback's former teammate. At 6-0, 175 pounds, he's another speed in space athlete who can get open, make tough grabs and then pick up yards after the catch. He's considered the No. 69 overall player nationally and is the No. 11 wide receiver in the country. 

Morris has more than 20 offers from Missouri, Northwestern, Penn State, Iowa, Nebraska, Notre Dame, West Virginia and Wisconsin among others.

West Bloomfield (Mich.) High athlete Dillon Tatum

Behind only Johnson, Tatum is also a must get from within the state. As a West Bloomfield player, Tatum is at a pipeline school and would fit in well at Michigan because of his skills, academic acumen and bond with former teammates and current Wolverine freshmen Cornell Wheeler and Makari Paige. 

He shines at both running back and in the secondary and Michigan has recruited him as such. He's bonded well with both Jay Harbaugh and Mike Zordich throughout the process and seems to be very interested in the Wolverines. Tatum is listed as the No. 243 player overall and the No. 25 running back nationally.

He holds more than 30 offers from schools like Arizona State, Baylor, Florida, Georgia, Miami, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Ole Miss, Penn State, Texas A&M, USC and Wisconsin among others.