Recruiting Notebook: New Offers Out In 2021 Class

Michigan has scoured the country as of late in search of players to add to its 2021 class. Recently, U-M has offered a pair of promising athletes, and one already has Michigan in his top 10.

After landing a commitment from four-star center Raheem Anderson II, Michigan’s 2021 recruiting class has risen into the top 10 nationally according to 247Sports.com. However, the U-M staff has remained thoroughly active over the past few days in an effort to continue its recent surge on the recruiting trail.

4-star ATH Will Latu puts Michigan in Top 10

Hailing from the West coast, Spanaway (Wash.) Bethel four-star athlete Will Latu recently named his top nine schools, but a Michigan offer on Monday forced the top 20 athlete to reevaluate his recruitment.

After learning of his U-M offer, Latu clarified that Michigan had turned his previous top nine into a new top 10. Other schools in the four-star’s top group include: USC, Washington, Washington State, Oregon State, Nebraska, Arizona State, Tennessee, Colorado and Utah.

Standing at 6-3 and 220 pounds, Latu offers quite a bit of versatility for his high school squad. On offense, Latu lines up at running back and shows a shifty running style with plenty of broken tackles on his Hudl tape. Latu can catch the ball out of the backfield or when lined up in the slot and has the size to continue running after contact. Defensively, Latu is a safety who can drop back into coverage or enter the box and make plays near the line of scrimmage. Right now, he looks more like a running back at the next level.

Offer reaction from 3-star OT Diego Pounds

On the opposite coast, U-M offensive line coach Ed Warriner is continuing to prove his worth as an ace recruiter and has recently been working on Raleigh (N.C.) Millbrook lineman Diego Pounds.

Over the weekend, Pounds picked up an offer from Michigan, and the 6-6, 305-pound converted former defensive tackle has been working to learn more about the school since that time.

“I’ve been getting updates from the offensive line coach,” Pounds told Wolverine Digest. “He’s been sending me videos and telling me about their school.”

Pounds was a bit surprised to land his U-M offer and didn’t even know he was on Michigan’s radar.

“I know they have a nice campus and they have nice facilities,” Pounds said. “I don’t know much about them from a football standpoint, but I just know it’s real cool up there.”

While the quarantine has interrupted recruiting for several prospects, Pounds says it has given him more time to communicate with college coaches. In fact, a couple days before Michigan entered the fray with an offer, Pounds received an offer from Alabama as well.

“They have been such a good program for the past years,” Pounds said. “Coach [Nick] Saban is a really respectable coach. It was amazing to get that offer.”

Once recruiting has resumed, Pounds is looking to take visits to LSU, Alabama, Florida and Michigan. Pounds had planned on taking trips to Florida State, Penn State, Syracuse and Louisville before the quarantine, and it is unknown at this time if he will reschedule those trips.

Pounds is planning to commit before the start of his senior season.

4-Star ATH Malik Nabers nets U-M offer

Though the Wolverines’ ’21 class is coming together quickly, especially on the offensive side of the ball, U-M is yet to reel in a wide receiver commit among the bunch. In pursuit of a player to fill that position, Michigan issued an offer to Lafayette (La.) Comeaux four-star Malik Nabers.

At 6-1 and 190 pounds, Nabers busts several plays open due to his shear speed. He is a threat in the return game that returned several punts and kicks for touchdowns last season, and his athleticism shines as he glides past opposing defensive backs.

With offers from schools such as Georgia, Miami, Oklahoma, Penn State and Oregon, Nabers has a plethora of college options.

On Twitter, the dynamic prospect indicated that Michigan had offered him on both sides of the ball, leaving open the possibility that he could be used in the secondary if he winds up in Ann Arbor.

2021 defensive end Tobechi Okoli lands Michigan offer

After making headway on the West coast, East coast and down South, Michigan rounds out its recent recruiting efforts in the Midwest by offering 2021 Kansas City (Mo.) Lincoln College Prep three-star defensive end Tobechi Okoli on Monday.

With nearly 20 offers to his name, Okoli is hearing from Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Tennessee, Iowa and Minnesota, and the strong-side end can add the Wolverines to that list.

Okoli is relatively new to the football field, but that only raises his potential after exhibiting a strong junior season, and at 6-5, 255 pounds, the strong recruit has the tangible tools to be a force along a collegiate defensive line.

Michigan is looking to fill its 2021 class with players from across the country. Which of these prospects do you think U-M has the best shot with? Which would you like for the Wolverines to prioritize? Let us know!