Michigan Football Recruiting Class 2020: The Highlights

Best Prospect: The highest-ranked recruit on the 247Sports.com composite, which takes into account multiple recruiting sites, is wide receiver AJ Henning, ranked No. 92 overall. However, defensive end Braiden McGregor (No. 108) appeared to generate the greatest buzz when he committed to the Wolverines May 24.

The 6-6, 260-pound McGregor has drawn comparisons to current U-M sophomore Aidan Hutchinson, similarly sized and both in-state prospects. McGregor had offers from Notre Dame, Florida, Alabama, Clemson, Florida State, LSU, Ohio State, Miami and others (36 reported offers).

Most Likely To Play Early: Even though Michigan brings back its top two rushers from 2019 in Zach Charbonnet and Hassan Haskins, and even though Chris Evans is set to return to the team after a year out of school, tailback Blake Corum could be the first Wolverine from the 2020 class on the field. The 5-8, 193-pounder (ranked No. 119) is lightening quick, with an ability to make defenders miss in tight spaces. He also possesses the one thing both Charbonnet and Haskins lack - breakaway speed.

A player with Corum's skill set could be a valuable addition as Michigan looks to become even more explosive offensively in 2020.

Prospect To Watch For In 2021: U-M continues to reload at the cornerback position and next year redshirt freshman Vincent Gray is poised to become an even bigger contributor with the departure of Lavert Hill. In another year, Ambry Thomas will exit, leaving a starting job open. While current freshmen Jalen Perry and DJ Turner II will also vie for playing time, four-star signee Andre Seldon possesses the strong mental makeup that has defined the cornerbacks under position coach Mike Zordich.

Though not very big, at 5-8, 154, Seldon is a fighter that will not cede routes to wide receivers, and relishes making a play on the ball in the air. With a year in the weight room, he should be able to add the physical size necessary to compete to fill Thomas' shoes.

Biggest Fish That Got Away: Like any program, Michigan had its share of misses, but the most disappointing came earlier this month when four-star tight end Theo Johnson of nearby Windsor, Ont., 45 miles across the United States/Canadian border pledged to Penn State. U-M had Johnson's last visit (Nov. 16 when the Wolverines hosted Michigan State) and had been one of his finalists.

Some feel Johnson's commitment to PSU was an indication of what top uncommitted prospects thought of Michigan's 9-3 season, including another loss to Ohio State. Others just chalked it up to the unknowns of recruiting.

Still In Play: Michigan is still looking for a quarterback commitment and has its sights set on three-star Dan Villari of Massapequa, N.Y. Flying under the radar for this recruiting cycle, the 6-4, 215-pounder visited Ann Arbor last weekend. If he earned an offer, which has been suggested but not confirmed, it's hard to believe he passes on a scholarship to Michigan for UMass (reportedly his leader prior to the U-M visit).

Four-star defensive end Van Fillinger is expected to choose home-state Utah but if he doesn't announce today, U-M, thought to be runner-up to the Utes, could get a longer look from him before the late signing period in February.

Finally, four-star cornerback Darion Green-Warren, ranked the No. 184 prospect in the class, is thought to be leaning towards the Wolverines over Southern Cal. He visited Michigan Dec. 6 and reportedly has a great relationship with Zordich and tight ends coach Sherrone Moore.

Position Coach That Killed It: Speaking of Moore, he was one of the two primary recruiters on seven of Michigan's commitments, including four-stars Henning, McGregor, Makari Page and Roman Wilson.

Overall Grade: B+

Michigan signed four high-end skill players that should help in Josh Gattis' spread offense, four defensive backs that increase the athleticism and speed of the secondary, and replenished the linebacker corps with six signees. The Wolverines also added some developmental prospects for offensive line coach Ed Warriner to mold.

However, to get an 'A' U-M needed a greater haul at defensive tackle, both in terms of quantity and quality. The Maize and Blue landed a single recruit projected to play DT, and at 6-4, 239, three-star Kris Jenkins has a long way to go to be big enough to help Michigan inside.