Michigan Football: Wolverines are set for the future at safety

Michigan football got commitments from three versatile defensive backs in the last month which makes the prospects of the safety position very exciting for the future.

The Michigan football program has been on a roll when it comes to recruiting defensive backs over the past month — over the past year really and it has the Wolverines set up really well.

Jordan Morant was the first domino to fall in the 2020 class as he committed back on June 23. Morant is listed by 247 sports as the No.10 safety and a top-200 prospect overall. He’s 5-foot-11 and he gives Michigan football another long-term option next to Daxton Hill.

Hill, of course, was the Wolverines top recruit in 2019. The five-star safety that has blazing speed, should be the cornerstone of the defense for the next few seasons, along with some of the guys surrounding him in the secondary.

Two others that committed to join the 2020 class this past week where RJ Moten and Makari Paige. Both players offer tremendous versatility and Moten, who could just as easily play offense for Michigan football, had this to say about all the additions at safety, via Brice Marich on Twitter:

“Me, Makari and Jordan in the backfield and Daxton Hill would be crazy. Nobody would score on us. We would be special.”

Moten is ranked 287th overall in 2020 according to the 247 composite rankings but in the 247 network rankings, he is listed much higher. Moten is the No. 93 player overall and is sixth-best at safety.

Paige is a really unique player at 6-foot-3 and around 185 pounds. He’s long, athletic and physical. He’s also one of the top players in the state of Michigan and ranks 243rd in the 247 composite, as well as 22nd at safety.

Getting three of the top 22 safeties in the 2020 recruiting class is great for depth purposes, but is there any way these guys can play together? What about alongside Hill?

It’s actually more reasonable than you might think. Hill might be starting out at safety, but his best position could be nickel going forward. Much like Jabrill Peppers in 2015, Michigan football could play almost entirely out of a nickel defense with Hill playing in the slot.

That would leave Morant and possibly Moten to start at safety. Morant is probably the most traditional safety, although he and Moten are probably interchangeable between free safety and rover.

Where things get interesting are with Paige. He has played nickel corner and safety, however, he also has experience as a viper. Former Michigan football player Ron Bellamy is the head coach at West Bloomfield High School and that experience could help Paige slide into that role in college.

There will be plenty of competition, even from fellow 2020 recruit William Mohan, who is another ideal candidate for viper. But if Paige can add some weight to his frame, it’s certainly possible he enters the fray at viper too.

If not, he will just add more quality depth to safety and nickel corner. And the truth is, no matter how it plays out, Michigan is going to have an embarrassment of riches in the secondary.