Early Signing Period Primer
Tomorrow marks the start of the Early Signing Period, which has pretty much turned into the official National Signing Day. Some prospects still wait until February, but about 3/4 of recruits will put pen to paper starting tomorrow morning.
Michigan's late-season success has the Wolverines involved with several high-profile, uncommitted prospects and several of them appear to be U-M leans heading into tomorrow. Here's a breakdown of where things stand with different groups of prospects ahead of NSD.
Commits
Michigan currently has 20 prospects committed in the 2022 class and the group is hovering right around No. 10 nationally depending on where you look. As of right now, all but one are firmly planning on signing with Michigan tomorrow.
Only Lawndale (Calif.) Leuzinger edge rusher Kevonte Henry is waiting until February.
The 6-4, 225-pounder is extremely close with former Michigan director of player personnel Courtney Morgan who is now at Washington. Henry hasn't decommitted from Michigan, but he's obviously having second thoughts and Morgan and UW are a big part of that. The fact that he's waiting until February is probably a good thing for U-M, but there's a pretty strong belief right now that he's going to end up elsewhere.
Targets Deciding
For a while, Clemons was viewed as an Oregon lock, but when head coach Mario Cristobal left for Miami, the 6-3, 205-pounder's recruitment blew wide open. Clemons was in Ann Arbor last weekend for an official visit and is now viewed as a U-M lean. Clemons has a rare blend of size and speed and picked up more than 35 offers throughout the recruiting process because of it.
As an in-state, versatile athlete, Entringer is an in intriguing prospect. Michigan has been heavily involved as of late but he doesn't necessarily feel like a U-M lean. Wisconsin and Iowa are both viewed as very realistic possibilities for him and might be slightly ahead of Michigan as his decision approaches tomorrow.
Moore is another interesting prospect. Michigan got re-involved in a big way down the stretch and now feels like the favorite to land the St. Frances product. But that's where it gets interesting. Because of former St. Frances Biff Poggi's current role on U-M's staff, Moore has to jump through a few hoops to become part of Michigan's class. If it were simple, he'd be viewed as a lock. Since it's not, Oklahoma is a very real contender for him.
Coaching attrition has worked in Michigan's favor during this recruiting cycle and it might in a big way with Sabb. The former Clemson commit opened things back up after Brent Venables departed for Oklahoma and is now viewed as a pretty heavy Michigan lean. The No. 9 safety in the country would be a huge addition to U-M's class and a sign of what Michigan can truly do on the recruiting trail with elite-level success.
As an in-state kid at a position of need, Walker is a pretty high priority. The Wolverines were high on him, and then faded and are once again in hot pursuit. The big fella was in Ann Arbor last week for a mid-week official visit and then capped off his OVs over the weekend at Kentucky. Then, the Detroit native stopped by U-M one more time on Sunday night after his visit to Lexington just ahead of the dead period. The Wolverines have done a great job here but so has the Kentucky staff.
Flip Candidates
Michigan already has one quarterback committed in the class in Apple Valley (Calif.) High's Jayden Denegal so adding another isn't necessarily a high priority, but Orji was in Ann Arbor last weekend for an official visit. Denegal is a true pocket passer, while Orji is a much better athlete and natural runner at 6-2, 226 pounds. He's built more like a running back and could be a true threat with his legs while also having the ability to pass. He'd be a nice compliment to Denegal, but doesn't necessarily feel like Michigan lean at this point.
Walker, on the other hand, is much more likely to flip to Michigan and many experts in the field feel like it's all but done at this point. At 6-4, 175 pounds, Walker has a unique skill set. He's listed as a wide receiver, and Michigan likes him there, but they're intrigued by his abilities at cornerback as well. He's been committed to the Irish since March, but yet again, a head coaching departure could work in Michigan's favor in a big way come tomorrow morning.