Recruiting Rundown: Sept. 30, 2021
With Michigan playing away from the friendly confines of The Big House for the first time this weekend, there's obviously no visitors to be concerned with but U-M did land a couple targets over the past week and there may be more on the way.
Dillon Tatum commits to Michigan State
At one point, it looked like West Bloomfield (Mich.) High athlete Dillon Tatum was destined to be a Wolverine. Now, he's a spartan.
The 5-11, 190-pounder was once quite high on Michigan's board, but recently the staff in Ann Arbor started prioritizing other recruits. Tatum is a very solid player, and MSU should be very happy to have him, but Michigan did back off just a bit over the past few months.
Damani Dent has a commitment date
One reason Michigan cooled on Tatum is because of the emergence of Jacksonville (Fla.) Terry Parker safety Damani Dent. The 6-0, 175-pounder was originally planning to commit on Oct. 10, but he postponed that. Now, he'll be making his decision on Oct. 18 and U-M is believed to be in the pole position.
Michigan picks up a pair of commitments
Michigan being 4-0 and No. 14 in the country has paid off in the form of two new commits. Over the last week, Michigan added Madison (Ala.) Madison Academy athlete Deuce Spurlock and Merrillville (Ind.) High defensive tackle Kenneth Grant to its 2022 class.
Spurlock checks in at 6-2, 200 pounds and will play linebacker at Michigan despite play all over the field on both offense and defense in high school. Michigan landing him is a big deal because he picked up an offer from in-state Auburn just two days before officially visiting the Wolverines.
Grant checks in at 6-4, 335 pounds and fulfills a big need as a true defensive tackle. Landing him is a nice win on the trail as he had committable offers from both Ohio State and Wisconsin among others.
Notre Dame commit sporting Michigan gloves
Michigan is also interested in Ponchatoula (La.) High athlete Amorion Walker, who is currently committed to Notre Dame. The 6-4, 175-pounder is listed as a wide receiver on 247 Sports, but Michigan likes him on defense. Earlier tonight, Sam Spiegelman, who covers recruiting in the south for Rivals, posted this picture of Walker rocking Michigan gloves during his game.
Sam Spiegelman/Rivals
That doesn't necessarily mean a flip is imminent, but these kids know what they're doing. I covered recruiting exclusively for a long time and, while gloves and other forms of team gear don't guarantee anything, they don't mean nothing either. Walker has real interest in Michigan and the gloves are just one small sign of that.