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Recruiting Roundup: New 2022 LB Offer, Two Targets Pick Other Big Ten Schools
With the contact period open for the 2022 class, Michigan has wasted no time in identifying its main targets for the cycle. One of the newer players to pop up on the U-M radar is Jackson (Miss.) Madison-Ridgeland Academy inside linebacker Stone Blanton, a 6-3, 220-pound thumper who picked up an offer from the Wolverines on Thursday.
According to his Twitter account, Blanton is currently committed to Mississippi State for baseball, so it shows that he's a talented all-around athlete. From a football perspective, Blanton has a lot of the qualities that are desirable for linebackers at the next level: he moves well, is a hard hitter and keeps his motor running through the whistle. Because of those traits, the Michigan target has secured offers from 17 other schools, such as Arkansas, Mississippi State, Michigan State, Nebraska, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Oregon, Tennessee, South Carolina and Texas A&M.
According to Rivals.com, Blanton is listed as a three-star prospect but holds the designation as the No. 10 inside linebacker in the country.
SI All-American Candidate Nolan Rucci pick Wisconsin
For quite some time, Michigan has remained in the hunt for 2021 Lititz (Penn.) Warwick offensive tackle Nolan Rucci, and the Wolverines rested in the four-star's top five heading into his college announcement on Tuesday. Rucci had a final group of Michigan, Penn State, Wisconsin, Clemson and Notre Dame
Out of that batch of schools, Rucci chose Wisconsin, so the Wolverines will have to go up against Rucci at least a couple times during his collegiate career. Rucci's brother, Hayden, is a tight end with Wisconsin, so that played a big role in his decision as well. His family has grown close with the Badgers' coaching staff by now, so his decision ultimately makes a lot of sense.
2022 DE Ken Talley stays at home and picks Penn State
Moving ahead to the 2022 class, some prospects are beginning to come off the board as players are adjusting to a new version of recruiting during the extended dead period. Without in-person visits on the table, Michigan has had to recruit prospects like Philadelphia (Penn.) Northeast defensive end Ken Talley in a new way when he otherwise would have been able to visit Ann Arbor over the summer.
According to Rivals.com, Talley is ranked as the No. 15 athlete in the country and the No. 169 player overall in the '22 cycle, but many programs see him as a weak-side defensive end at the next level who can also drop back and provide a bit of coverage as well. Michigan was competing for Talley's pledge against Rutgers, Penn State, West Virginia, Texas A&M, Arizona State and Tennessee as the Wolverines landed in his top seven three weeks ago, but the Pennsylvania native decided to stay close to him and eventually committed to the Penn State Nittany Lions.
With Talley off the board, Michigan is still sits in good position with a bevy of 2022 defensive ends. Shaun Nua has worked hard in recruiting that position already, and some names to keep in mind at the DE position are Philadelphia (Penn.) Imhotep prospect Enai White, Sicklerville (NJ) Timber Creek's Jihaad Campbell, Trussville (Ala.) Hewitt-Trussville four-star Justice Finkley and Indianapolis (Ind.) Brebeuf Jesuit lineman Joe Strickland. There are lots of options along the defensive line for Michigan to pursue moving forward.
What do you think of players choosing to commit right when their junior season starts? Do you think those players are usually more solid or are they more likely to go through a change of heart later down the line? Let us know!