Michigan football had a monstrous recruiting weekend following the Wolverines’ spring game with multiple commits and batches of encouraging news.
As if Michigan football‘s spring game on Friday night wasn’t enough, the Wolverines got a lot of great recruiting news over the weekend.
Related Story: Recruits who were at the spring game
Michigan has received three commitments since March 31 (one day before the spring game) and has also been named the No. 1 choice of the country’s top center prospect in 2017.
Three-star inside linebacker/fullback Chase Lasater (Jacksonville, Florida) made his pledge on Thursday, and I think if you watch his tape, he may instantly become your favorite player in the class. He’s a grinder at 6-foot-2, 238 pounds and is easily the most physically imposing player on the field.
Lasater will probably be able to strap up on both sides of the football, though it isn’t immediately clear where he’ll fit in best at Michigan. Scout.com was told it’s likely that Lasater starts his collegiate career at fullback.
On Friday Michigan got great news from one of the top players in the 2018 class when four-star do-it-all man Leonard Taylor (Springfield, Ohio) pledged to the Wolverines. Taylor could end up playing tight end, defensive tackle or defensive end. It’s too early to tell, but he’s a very versatile player on the line.
MORE: Ten things to do to kill time this offseason
Michigan is going to have a large, big-time athlete to enjoy. (Leonard clocks in at 6-foot-6, 258 pounds) What position(s) he ends up playing in college seems arbitrary at this point. He could add a little weight and play on the edge, or he could add significant weight and go inside to tackle. There’s of course the tight end option too.
On Saturday the Wolverines landed 2017 three-star defensive tackle Phillip Paea (Berrien Springs, Michigan), ranked by 247Sports as the No. 13 player in the state of Michigan. Paea chose Michigan over Michigan State, Notre Dame and Oregon. According to 247Sports, Paea is done with the recruiting process.
Remember when Jim Harbaugh wrestled that recruit? That was Paea.
Paea can be described similarly to Lasater. Paea, though listed as a defensive tackle, could easily be seen on the other side of the ball at center or guard. He has the physical tools to move around.
Perhaps the biggest pickup over the weekend was 2017 four-star running back O’Maury Samuels (Los Lunas, New Mexico), ranked as the No. 1 player in New Mexico and the No. 21 running back in the country. What Michigan is getting in Samuels is a very powerful running back who, judging from his tape, doesn’t have to use it very often. He’s got great speed and quick feet to make a number of moves on defenders.
Michigan is obviously very committed to being able to run the ball—just look at who the Wolverines are going after on the recruiting trail—and Samuels fits the mold perfectly.
In non-commit news, the No. 1 center in the 2017 class, Cesar Ruiz (Bradenton, Florida), named Michigan his top choice on Sunday night.
More wolverines: Spring game takeaways
The 247Sports Crystal Ball gives Michigan an 88 percent chance to land Ruiz, but the Wolverines have a long time to be fending off Alabama.
Add us as a preferred source on Google