Michigan football has been working hard on recruiting, despite not being able to visit recruits and here are five 2021 targets the Wolverines can land.
It’s been impressive to watch the Michigan football coaching staff recruit during this dead period, which lasts at least until April 15.
That means coaches can only contact recruits electronically or by writing them letters and through some innovations, Michigan football has done a pretty solid job recruiting the past few weeks, even landing two commitments this week from offensive lineman Greg Crippen and defensive end Dominick Giudice.
That gives Michigan football four commitments total for the 2021 class, which isn’t a ton. However, that should number should start increasing soon. The spring and summer have been when the Wolverines make a strong push in recruiting and with other teams, such as Ohio State landing a bunch of commitments lately, the Wolverines aren’t alone.
So with that in mind, here’s a look at five key recruiting battles that not only do the Wolverines need to win, but that they actually can win, starting with an in-state linebacker.
Jamari Buddin
Jamari Buddin has been a key priority for the 2021 class for some time and he was reminded of that by the staff this week as head coach Jim Harbaugh and others reached out to him according to The Michigan Insider ($) and here’s what Buddin said:
"“Lets just say I feel like I’m pretty important to them. Means a lot coming from the head man. Great school, great people, so just have to see where this goes.”"
Right now, Michigan appears to be in a strong position for the four-star linebacker from Belleville that ranks ninth in the state according to the 247 sports composite rankings and 261st overall, as well as 21st among outside linebackers.
He’s a guy that projects more to the inside at Michigan, but he can play a traditional outside linebacker role too and right now, the Wolverines own all seven of his crystal ball projections.
How does Michigan fare with some other key targets? Here are four others the Wolverines have a realistic chance to land.
Top target at running back
It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that Donovan Edwards is quite possibly that top target left on the board for Michigan football out of the guys that aren’t yet committed.
Not only is the No. 2 player in the state of Michigan according to the 247 sports composite rankings, but he also ranks 38th overall in the entire 2021 class and is the third-ranked running back.
The fact that his high school head coach Ron Bellamy played for the Wolverines and that he plays at West Bloomfield, Michigan, gives the Wolverines an added advantage.
Yet, for a time, Ohio State was surging. But with the addition of another running in Evan Pryor and maybe another, Edwards recruitment seems more up in the air. Michigan was viewed as the contender at one point, but right now, the Wolverines are tied with Ohio State with 40 percent of his crystal ball projections.
Georgia has 10 percent but the Bulldogs seem to be coming on strong. The key is for Michigan and offensive coordinator Josh Gattis to sell Edwards on what he can do in the speed-in-space offense. He can be a great player at Georgia or Ohio State, but he probably won’t be the feature guy like he could be for the Wolverines.
Quintin Somerville
Everyone knows that in order to have a good defense, you need to have some quality pass rusher and the Wolverines have been lucky to have quite a few over the years with guys like Josh Uche, Chase Winovich and others.
In the 2021 recruiting class, Quintin Somerville is the top pass rusher on Michigan football’s board and he’s a guy they have been working on for a long time, especially Shaun Nua who actually had a relationship with Somerville from his days at Arizona State, where he was his primary recruiter.
Somerville is the 70th-ranked prospect in 2021 according to the 247 sports composite rankings and he’s the fourth-ranked strongside defensive end, as well as the top player in Arizona.
Thankfully, Michigan football has done well in the state and Nua’s presence has certainly helped with Somerville as U-M offered the DE shortly after Nua, quickly becoming one of the Wolverines’ most dynamic recruiters, came on board.
This past week, Michigan kept up the pressure according to The Michigan Insider ($):
“Michigan is definitely in my top 5 schools in mind,” Somerville said to TMI. “They’re going to be hard to beat with the mix of both education and sports. The culture at Michigan is unlike any in the country and it’s a place I’d love to play in.”
Georgia could be one of the top contenders and New Mexico, where his brother coaches, could be a darkhorse, but Michigan is definitely in the mix and that’s good cause someone like Somerville is much needed.
4-star Jay Toia might be the best option at DT
Michigan football has been very focused on defensive lineman and for good reason. The Wolverines were pushed around a little last year against some elite teams and unlike when Harbaugh came to Ann Arbor when the Wolverines were loaded with D-lineman, the stockpile upfront has gotten a little low.
One thing that definitely has been missing is the big run-stuffing defensive tackle. Michigan used some undersized guys last season and while Chris Hinton and Mazi Smith could change that this year, the Wolverines need more big bodies at defensive tackle, no doubt about it.
And that’s a good thing for 2021 because there are a number of interesting prospects. Of course, Damon Payne, the top prospect in the state is one option, but he doesn’t seem as interested as the Wolverines. Tywone Malone is another target from New Jersey, but Michigan might be trailing Ohio State in that one. Greg Schiano and Rutgers are pushing hard too.
So the most realistic option might be Jay Toia, a four-star defensive tackle that has been committed to USC. The 6-foot-1, 300-pound tackle is ranked 192nd overall and 12th at defensive tackle in the 247 composite rakings.
Toia put out a top eight recently and USC was on the list, but so was Michigan and if he was a hard commit, why would he do that anyway? It’s a little strange and makes you think the Wolverines have an opening.
Rocco Spindler
Of all the elite prospects left on the board, Rocco Spindler, who ranks 49th overall in the 2021 class, might be Michigan football’s best chance of landing another to go along with five-star QB J.J. McCarthy.
Edwards is a top-50 recruit and Michigan has a legit chance of getting him but as of right now, it feels like Michigan has a better chance of landing Spindler, an offensive guard that could also play defensive line for the Wolverines.
At nearly 6-foot-5 and 295 pounds, Spinder is a beast and he’s a guy that could make immediate contributions at the college level. His 247 sports scouting profile compared him to Zach Martin, but again, he could play defensive tackle, just as easily.
The Clarkston, Michigan prospect has six of his eight crystal ball projections going to the Wolverines and Notre Dame seems to be the main competition.
Michigan feels like the team to beat, but with many of these battles, it’s far from over.