No. 2 SDE In 2022 Class Puts Michigan In Top Group
After picking up a pledge from Acton (Mass.) Buckingham Browne & Nichols School linebacker Tyler Martin within the last week, Michigan is already turning to the 2022 class and is building another collection of promising recruits.
For a while now, Michigan has held a pledge from Essexville (Mich.) Garber defensive tackle Alex VanSumeren, so that gives the Wolverines two stout four-star prospects in the front seven already, but U-M is seeing its stock improve with another high level defenders as well.
At this early juncture, Owings Mills (Md.) McDonogh School defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton is already ranked as one of the top 20 players in the country by Rivals.com, and that service has the 6-6, 240-pound strong-side defensive listed as the No. 2 player at his position in the country. On Friday, Dennis-Sutton chopped his list of offers from nearly 30 down to seven, and Michigan was one of the schools included.
Dennis-Sutton placed Michigan in his top group along with Alabama, Tennessee, Oklahoma, USC, Texas A&M and Penn State, so the Wolverines have a lot of quality competition in this recruitment. However, it is worth pointing out that none of those schools are from Dennis-Sutton's home state of Maryland, so it looks like the blue chip defensive end is not considering distance from home as a mitigating factor.
Last season, Dennis-Sutton's school used him all over the defensive line, but he's currently projected as a strong-side player, a spot where Michigan has offered six players in the 2022 class. Right off the snap, Dennis-Sutton doesn't have the quickest reaction and he tends to stand upright pretty quickly, but the Michigan target sure can build a head of steam once he gets moving.
With his length at 6-6, Dennis-Sutton often succeeds at setting the edge on run plays, but he also impacts the passing games with active hands that he throws into passing lanes whenever possible. Other times, Dennis-Sutton dips into his deep bag of pass rushing moves and works his way into the backfield for sacks and quarterback pressures.
Overall, Michigan defensive line coach Shaun Nua has done a quality job in recruiting the D-Line in the 2022 cycle, and VanSumeren's pledge along with Dennis-Sutton's top group are evidence of that. Additionally, offered four-star Trussville (Ala.) Hewitt-Trussville SDE Justice Finkley and four-star Indianapolis (Ind.) Brebeuf Jesuit SDE Joe Strickland have all spoken highly about Michigan, so the Wolverines have already made inroads with a few prospects at that position, setting up for what could be a superb DL haul in the 2022 class.
How has Michigan's defensive line recruiting gone under Shuan Nua in your opinion? Have any defensive ends in the 2022 class stood out as prospects that are must-land in your opinion? Let us know!