Michigan Football: Top 2021 target gets crystal balled elsewhere

Michigan football’s 2021 recruiting class is running low on targets and another may be trending elsewhere. More on that in our latest recruiting update.

In a pattern that has come a little too familiar of late, a top Michigan football target in the 2021 class was given a crystal ball for another top contender.

The recruit in question is four-star cornerback Ceyair Wright out of Los Angeles. His recruitment has been really wide open and sort of under the radar, even though he’s a top-100 recruit.

The 6-foot-1, 175-pound corner is ranked 70th overall in the 247 composite rankings and fifth at his position.

The Wolverines were in his recent top list and they may have been a contender if Wright was able to actually visit, but now that the dead period has been extended, USC picked up a crystal ball.

The first was from Greg Biggins on Wednesday and then another came in on Thursday from Brandon Huffman. Both are national analysts and neither was particularly confident, logging their picks with a confidence level of five on a scale of 1-10.

Looking back to the 2020 cycle, Darion Green-Warren was crystal balled to USC at one time, but things are totally different and he was able to take visits.

Michigan football has kept recruiting Wright and cornerbacks coach Mike Zordich has a solid rapport with him. He even heard from Jim Harbaugh recently.

But without the ability to get him on campus, there’s almost no shot of turning this around in Michigan’s favor. He’s in no rush, but I’d probably put him in the long shot category now.

Michigan football’s 2021 board is shrinking

If Wright ends up off the board, the Wolverines will still be searching for another cornerback. They are going to stand pat at safety if Daymon David chooses Oregon, so it’s possible there could only be two defensive backs in this class.

At some point though, you have to think Michigan will expand its board at cornerback. Kamari Lassiter was offered recently but that feels like it will be a tough pull.

The hope of course is to land the three top guys left on the board, which are Donovan Edwards, Rayshaun Benny and George Rooks. Beyond, Jayden Thomas may be the other realistic target, although there hasn’t been much U-M buzz there, even since Markus Allen decommitted.

Unless the board is expanded, it really seems like getting to 25 may be a challenge.