Michigan Football: Latest on Donovan Edwards, other key in-state recruits

Michigan football is working hard to land critical in-state recruits who are all ranked in the top 100. Here’s the latest on Donovan Edwards and others.

When it comes to the 2020 recruiting class, Michigan football really has a special opportunity to clean up, especially with the number of high-ranking prospects in the state.

One of the top players in the state is four-star running back Donovan Edwards, who just might be the top target on Michigan football’s recruiting board for the 2021 class. Edwards is the No. 2 prospect in the state and 38th overall, as well as the No. 3 running back.

He’s a dynamic player and one that could change the fortunes for Michigan football, at least on the offensive side of the ball. Imagining Edwards, flanked by five-star quarterback J.J. McCarthy is exactly how the Wolverines can start to compete with Ohio State.

Michigan needs those elite talents and Edwards is one of them. He’s a great runner but he’s also an exceptional receiver and he could do special things under offensive coordinator Josh Gattis.

His recruitment has been complicated though. At one time, Michigan seemed to be in the lead. Then, it felt like Ohio State was in the lead, before the Buckeyes took two other high-ranking backs. That may not exclude OSU, but Georgia is also making a strong push and others such as Notre Dame and Michigan State are in the mix too.

But head coach Jim Harbaugh has personally invested quite a bit in this and Sam Webb of The Michigan Insider ($) detailed another FaceTime meeting between Harbaugh and Edwards and he reported, “It was one of the best sessions so far.”

Apparently, Harbaugh was sharing stories about what he told Bo before his last Ohio State game. But this next passage has to be the most interesting:

"“I’m told the talented youngster stated plainly that he wanted to be a part of a class with some ballers in it  because if I do decide I coming to Michigan, I’m coming here win a national championship and put Michigan back on the map. I hear that one fired Harbaugh up.”"

Hopefully, Edwards comes because he and McCarthy in the same class would make a tremendous difference. Along with McCarthy, Michigan has four other commits from four-star recruits, as well as 13 overall.

Two others the Wolverines are still pushing hard for are the talented pair of lineman from Clarkston, Rocco Spindler and Garrett Dellinger. Michigan leads in crystal ball projections with Spindler, holding 60 percent to 40 percent for Notre Dame, but the Irish have momentum and it feels like a true 50/50 battle.

Dellinger, on the other hand, a four-star tackle, whereas Spindler is a guard, has all of his projections sending him to LSU. However, he released a top four Wednesday and included the Wolverines. Allen Trieu of 247 sports also noted Michigan is closing the gap with the Tigers.

In a recent edition of the Notorious BIG Podcast Trieu does with fellow recruiting expert Steve Lorenz, they addressed Dellinger and how U-M is gaining ground on LSU:

"“I do think the Tigers are still the team to beat there, but that’s not a huge lead or something that can’t be overcome. I actually am starting to think that of the big ten schools that are in this, it might be Michigan that has the best chance to overtake LSU here. I think he is looking to set up an official visit with the Wolverines. They were the first school to offer a scholarship to his younger brother Cole, and that happened when the two of them were on campus and on a visit.”"

Trieu also offered this about Spindler:

"“I feel pretty good about it being one of those two schools, but I think Notre Dame has definitely made me question whether or not that’s going to be Michigan.”"

This was back on the May 8 episode but it gives you some idea of where things are at. It has felt like Michigan was gaining momentum with Dellinger but also losing with Spindler. The Wolverines are also the favorite to land four-star guard Drew Kendall, out of Massachusetts, who isn’t ranked in the top 100 but is close, ranking 111th in the 247 composite rankings.

That means out of the two, Dellinger would probably be the priority. But with Dellinger, Spindler and Edwards, the good news is Michigan seems to have a realistic shot with all three. Now, Harbaugh and company just have to close the deal.