IMG Academy
Offensive Line Could Be A Strength Of Michigan’s 2021 Class
Earlier in the week, Wolverine Digest took a look at each position in the 2021 recruiting class and expanded on who U-M would most like to land if conducting a fantasy draft of sorts for the cycle.
Here is an overview of where U-M stands at the position:
“At this juncture, Michigan already has a very strong start at what is looking like a quality haul along the offensive line. As the first commit for the class, Sterling Heights (Mich.) Adlai Stevenson four-star offensive lineman Giovanni El-Hadi is anchoring U-M’s class of blockers, and he recently was joined by Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy four-star offensive lineman Greg Crippen, a player with versatility at either guard or center.”
Take a look at eight other players to keep an eye on in the 2021 class:
| Name | Hometown | Height | Weight | Stars | 247Sports.com Composite Ranking (by position) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rocco Spindler | Clarkston, Michigan | 6-5 | 295 lbs. | 4 | No. 2 |
David Davidkov | Winnetka, Illinois | 6-6 | 295 lbs. | 4 | No. 19 |
Garrett Dellinger | Clarkston, Michigan | 6-6 | 280 lbs. | 4 | No. 12 |
J.C. Latham | Bradenton, Florida | 6-6 | 305 lbs. | 4 | No. 6 |
Tristan Leigh | Fairfax, Virginia | 6-5 | 275 lbs. | 5 | No. 4 |
Tristan Bounds | Bethesda, Maryland | 6-8 | 283 lbs. | 3 | No. 58 |
Bram Walden | Scottsdale, Arizona | 6-4 | 270 lbs. | 4 | No. 14 |
Nolan Rucci | Lititz, Pennsylvania | 6-8 | 289 lbs. | 5 | No. 3 |
On in-state four-star lineman Rocco Spindler:
Adding to an already talented group, Michigan has pushed hard for Clarkston (Mich.) High four-star Rocco Spindler, who checks in at a substantial 6-5 and 295 pounds. According to 247Sports.com, Spindler is the No. 2 offensive guard in the country, and the Wolverines are using a coach-and-commit tandem strategy to recruit him to Ann Arbor. Though he has interest in Notre Dame, Ohio State and Oklahoma, Spindler will not leave the state for college if U-M has any say in it.
Also high on Michigan’s board is Spindler’s teammate on the Clarkston offensive line, Garrett Dellinger. Standing at 6-6 and 280 pounds, Dellinger is ranked as a four-star prospect and the No. 10 offensive tackle in the nation, slotted at No. 75 overall.
Dellinger sports offers from powerhouse programs such as Alabama, LSU, Notre Dame and Auburn, and 100% of the current 247Sports.com crystal ball selections have Dellinger pegged as a future LSU Tiger. Still, the Wolverines are hoping to convince Dellinger to stay closer to home even though that may be an uphill battle.
On U-M target and four-star prospect David Davidkov:
After that, Winnetka (Ill.) New Trier four-star David Davidkov is another player who Michigan has been surging with in recent months. Davidkov is hearing from the top schools in the Big Ten, but U-M has made its interest clear and is vying for the pledge of the top-15 offensive tackle.
With Crippen already as a Michigan commit, U-M may not be done recruiting IMG Academy as the school is also home to four-star prospect J.C. Latham, a player that has logged a rating as the No. 4 offensive tackle by 247Sports.com’s composite scale.
Latham already offers college size at 6-6 and over 300 pounds, and the brick wall of a lineman has a band of interested suitors as a result. Right now, Latham has over 20 offers with programs such as Michigan, Alabama, Auburn, Ohio State, LSU and Florida in the mix. Last fall, Latham took a visit to Ohio State’s campus, and the Buckeyes are set to host Latham on an official visit when doing so is permitted. Currently, OSU is Latham’s crystal ball leader with 11 total predictions lodged.
As another future offensive tackle in college, Fairfax (Va.) Robinson Secondary five-star Tristan Leigh is one of the most coveted blockers in the nation, and he ranks high on Michigan’s wish list as well. Ranking as the No. 4 composite offensive tackle in the 2021 cycle, Leigh has landed 35 offers up to this point.
As the saying goes, sometimes it is best to watch where recruits visit as opposed to what they say, and that theory makes it difficult to derive a leader with Leigh. In the last six months, the blue-chip lineman has made stops at Virginia, Clemson, Penn State, LSU and Ohio State, and his current crystal ball is divided between three schools. He may be a difficult pull, but the U-M staff is working hard to convince him to join a growing Wolverines 2021 class.
Another player who might be part of that class is Bethesda (Md.) Choate Rosemary Hall three-star Tristan Bounds. Right now, Bounds mentioned that he hears from U-M offensive line coach Ed Warriner every day. And while many prospects are intrigued by Michigan’s academic, Bounds confirmed that he is only considering committing to schools with a strong academic program.
Regarding his interest in Michigan, Bounds touched on what he likes about the Wolverines program.
“It’s a great academic environment,” Bounds told Wolverine Digest. “I love what coach Harbaugh’s message is about how the guys are truly student athletes. The success of their program speaks for itself. They’re a powerhouse in college football. Playing in the Big House would be crazy. That’s a lot of people.”
Standing at 6-8 and 283 pounds, Bounds is quite literally one of the largest recruits on Michigan’s board.
Two other prospects that have Michigan firmly interested as well are Scottsdale (Ariz.) Saguaro four-star Bram Walden and Litiz (Pa.) Warwick five-star Nolan Rucci. At this stage, the only crystal ball prediction for Walden has the highly touted lineman heading to Oregon, and Rucci’s predictions are split 75-25 between Penn State and Clemson respectively. However, a lot of time exists between now and National Signing Day for the U-M staff to potentially add these two monster recruits as part of the 2021 class.
Which of these linemen is a must-get for the Wolverines in your eyes? What would your ideal haul on the offensive line be for the 2021 cycle? Let us know!
