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Michigan Lands Commitment From Physical Linebacker Casey Phinney
After picking up two commitments in the 2021 class on Thursday, Michigan landed the pledge of Marshfeld (Mass.) Noble and Greenough School three-star linebacker Casey Phinney on Friday morning.
“I had a video call with Coach Harbaugh and Coach Brown a couple days ago,” Phinney told Wolverine Digest. “They made it clear that they were really interested in me and wanted me to be one of their three or so linebackers, so I talked to my family over the past couple days and we think Michigan is the best for me. I didn’t want to waste any more time.”
Before the coronavirus put a halt on recruiting visits, Phinney was slated to take a trip to Ann Arbor last weekend. Though that visit did not materialize, the 6-1, 225-pound linebacker has utilized other methods to learn about the U-M campus.
“They have sent me one of Schembechler Hall, which was pretty crazy,” Phinney said. “I had looked up some YouTube videos, like a tour of the rest of campus, and I had an idea of that. Schembechler Hall is crazy too, it’s ridiculous. It was nothing like I have seen before. They have everything you could want there and more. As a football player, I want to be the best football player I can be, and there is no other place to go than Michigan.”
These images had to serve as the bulk of Phinney’s vision for the campus, but the Michigan coaching staff, which includes defensive coordinator Don Brown, have done a quality job of selling Phinney on the far-from-home location.
“Having not been on Michigan’s campus, usually people say once you get on a campus somewhere you know,” Phinney said. “I love the coaches, and I love what I’ve seen with the culture. The facilities there are great. I felt like I knew even though I haven’t been there, so I thought that was obviously enough to make my commitment.”
In order to learn more about the school, Phinney employed the assistance of current U-M offensive lineman Zak Zinter.
“He just brought me through what it’s like being a student there, the classes and everything that goes along with being a football player there,” Phinney said. “So, that helped a lot too in my decision.”
After committing to Michigan, Phinney says that he is only taking one official visit, and that trip will be to Ann Arbor. Phinney would like to visit campus as soon as he possibly can, but that timeline is unclear at the moment.
With Phinney in the fold, Michigan now has six commitments in the 2021 class. Phinney is the school’s second pledge on the defensive side of the ball, joining defensive end Dominick Giudice from Mater Dei in New Jersey.
According to 247Sports.com, Phinney ranks as the No. 37 inside linebacker in the country.
Michigan now has three commitments in two days and five in the last week and a half. What would you like to see next out of U-M on the recruiting trail? Where should the staff focus their efforts? Let us know!
