Michigan Football: Tank Wright already recruiting for Wolverines
There really is no doubt that Tank Wright is the new assistant coach for Michigan football, especially not after he was on the recruiting trail this week.
If there was any doubt that Tenarius “Tank” Wright is the new linebackers coach for Michigan football, there shouldn’t be.
That’s not just because head coach Jim Harbaugh said the staff was finalized this week or because Wright updated his Twitter account, although those were both very good indications.
The best sign that it’s a done deal is the fact that Wright was recruiting for Michigan football this week, contacting four-star linebacker Jamari Buddin, who is one of the top players in the state for the 2021 cycle.
According to Steve Lorenz of The Michigan Insider ($), Wright contacted Buddin Friday at midnight when the dead period ended.
Budding is from Belleville, Michigan and he is one of the Wolverines top targets in the 2021 class. Not only is the 6-foot-2 outside linebacker the No. 9 prospect in the state of Michigan, but he’s also ranked No. 281 overall according to the 247 composite rankings, while also ranking 21st among outside linebackers.
It’s also significant that Wright made contact because Anthony Campanile, who recently departed to the Miami Dolphins, was the primary recruiter for Buddin along with Sherrone Moore.
Buddin has a string of power-5 offers including from a number of Big Ten schools such as Penn State, Michigan State and Minnesota. Florida State has also offered him a scholarship, but his crystal balls on 247 sports are all pointing for the Wolverines right now with four experts projecting him to Michigan football.
While the fact that Wright is making contact with recruits should help solidify the idea that he has been hired onto the coaching staff, it’s not clear what position he is coaching, even if linebackers would be the assumption.
The thinking is that he would take over for Campanile and the other newcomer, Bob Shoop, the former Mississippi State defensive coordinator, would coach the safeties or in the secondary as he once did under Don Brown at UMass.
Of the two hires, you get the feeling that Johnson may be more impactful on the recruiting trail. Shoop isn’t known for being dynamic there, but neither was Ed Warriner before Michigan, so that can change.
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Johnson already has a good rep with players and soon, he will probably hear about him having that same rapport with recruits too.