Recruiting Rundown: Sept. 16, 2021
Most of the Recruiting Rundown this week is going to revolve around the Washington game. The Wolverines hosted a very large and talented group of recruits for the game and that turned out to be a very smart decision. The Maize Out was absolutely incredible and the wolverines put on a dominant performance winning by 21 over Washington, The student section was full and fired up the whole game, the pom poms were going and the music was blasting. It was an absolutely perfect, perfect evening on the 20th anniversary of September 11. It just made for a really, really special night. The flyover, the halftime show, everything.
Combine all of that with prospects trimming lists, recapping their visits and competing for their high school teams, and there's plenty to talk about.
Mason Graham Commitment
One of the visitors that was in town during the Washington game was Boise State defensive tackle commit Mason Graham out of Anaheim, Calif. The 6-4, 295-pounder out of Servite High school picked up his Michigan offer just a couple of weeks before that game. Then seeing that atmosphere, being around for that type of performance and seeing what the defensive line was able to do really blew him away and, a little bit earlier today, he pulled the trigger and flipped his commitment from Boise to Michigan.
That gives Michigan its first true interior defensive line commit in the 2022 class. Michigan now has 16 players committed and the class is currently sitting at No. 16 in the country according to Rivals.com. Graham is a high floor kind of guy. He's a much better athlete than people think and at nearly 300 pounds, he's only going to get better.
Impact Of Washington Game Visits
The Washington game obviously had a big impact on Graham as he's now part of Michigan's 2022 recruiting class, but it was a phenomenal experience for everyone in attendance. Michigan may now lead for five-star offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr. and defensive tackles Deone Walker and Kenneth Grant. The Wolverines also made a big impact on Notre Dame pledge Amorion Walker. The 6-3, 170-pounder is listed as an athlete, but Michigan likes him on defense. Michigan may also pace the pack for safety Damani Dent after the weekend visit. To say things went well with the most serious 2022 targets would be a pretty big understatement.
The visit was also productive with 2023 prospects. Detroit quarterback Dante Moore was in the house and undoubtedly loved the atmosphere. He probably wasn't blown away by Cade McNamara's play, but Moore knows everything there is to know about Michigan and is definitely a very realistic target for U-M. West Bloomfield wide receiver Semaj Morgan is obviously very familiar with safeties coach Ron Bellamy, which is good for both parties. Morgan doesn't feel like a top target necessarily, but he's talented and seems very realistic as well. Morgan's teammate, offensive guard Amir Herring, feels like a lock to end up in the class. He's a Michigan kid through and through and it would surprise a lot of people if he didn't end up in Ann Arbor.
The impact of an atmosphere like that and a 21-point win over another Power 5 team is huge. Michigan is riding a wave of momentum right now and more wins will add to it. Once the schedule tightens up we'll see, but for now, the trail is a nice place to be for the U-M staff and coaches.
The Domani Jackson Saga
If you follow Michigan recruiting, you know all about Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei five-star cornerback Domani Jackson. If you don't, here's the gist...
He's currently committed to USC but has always been high on Michigan. He was in Ann Arbor for an official visit this past weekend and had a great time with friend and Michigan commit Will Johnson. A couple of days later, USC head coach Clay Helton gets fired. Now, it looks like U-M has a real shot at flipping the speedy corner.
That's basically the long and short of it. You can find a more complete breakdown HERE, but as of right now everyone is waiting to see what he decides to do.
Raylen Wilson Puts Michigan In Top 5
Most Michigan fans probably don't know who Tallahassee (Fla.) Lincoln linebacker Raylen Wilson is but now that U-M is in his top five, they'll want to. Auburn, Georgia, Penn State and Oregon round out his top group.
Wilson checks in at 6-2, 213 pounds and can really play any linebacker position. He's big, rangy and very athletic, which makes him a natural fit at outside linebacker, but he also has the kind of frame that could carry a lot more weight making him a future inside linebacker.
He's expected to be at Michigan for the Northwestern game, which could do a lot for U-M in its pursuit of him. As a Florida kid with no Florida schools in his top five, his recruitment feels wide open.