Michigan Football: Key notes from Wolverines recruiting BBQ

Michigan football hosted its annual recruiting BBQ Saturday and with some key targets in attendance, along with two commitments, it was a busy day.

The annual recruiting BBQ for Michigan football has come and gone and as it always does, it offered some exciting news out of Ann Arbor.

Most of the time, that kind of thing happens after the BBQ but yesterday, news broke before it about the commitment of top-100 safety RJ Moten, who announced his commitment to Michigan football via his Twitter account.

Moten was one of the top remaining targets for Michigan in the 2020 class and while he was long thought to be leaning towards the Wolverines, he made it official Saturday.

The 6-foot, 200-pound safety made a big leap in the recent 247 sports network rankings, moving all the way up to the No. 93 prospect overall, as well as the sixth-best safety. The 247 composite rankings list him 287th overall and 26th among safeties but it’s clear Michigan football is getting a player on the rise. He also could be a running back or receiver in addition to being a safety.

Moten is the commitment that got the attention Saturday, however, another, lesser-known recruit also pledged to become a Michigan football player and that’s a long snapper, Gregory Tarr.

Tarr isn’t going to move the needle at all and he’s not going to take up a scholarship, yet he could wind up being a key special teams cog for the Wolverines. While you won’t find Tarr on any 247 sports rankings, there is a separate set of rankings for long snappers and on that list, Tarr is sixth.

Cam Cheesman is on the roster for now and has done a good job for the Wolverines. But when his time runs out, Tarr could be the next in line and even though long snappers are underappreciated, it’s a position you can’t overlook if you want to win championships.

Overall, the BBQ seemed to be a pretty big success. In addition, commits from 2020 and 2021 were in attendance, as well as some key targets, especially on the offensive and defensive lines. Here is a summary of social media responses by Isaiah Hole of WolverinesWire.

The other key tidbit that came out Saturday had to do with Makari Paige, the four-star safety from the state of Michigan. Paige has been back and forth with Michigan football and Penn State, but lately, the Wolverines have pulled ahead.

He was in attendance over the weekend and said he would make his decision July 30. Since that is three days after he was at the Big House and Michigan football owns every crystal ball prediction by 247 sports, Paige to the Wolverines seems like a sure thing.