Michigan Football: Wolverines facing high stakes on Early Signing Day

Michigan football’s top target left in the 2021 class, running back Donovan Edwards will announce his decision next week on Early Signing Day.

Early signing day is Dec. 16 and unlike some signing days in recent years, there will be high drama for Michigan football.

Two of the Wolverines top recruits for the 2021 class, Xavier Worthy and Donovan Edwards will each make their decisions known that day.

Worthy is a Michigan football commit, but has started to waiver with all the uncertainty surrounding Jim Harbaugh. He also took a self-guided visit to Alabama. Soon after that, he announced that he would decide between Michigan and Bama Dec. 16.

Obviously, since he is technically committed, it’s not a great sign. But the crystal balls haven’t started trending to Alabama yet. He does have a strong connection to Josh Gattis, who along with Harbaugh, may not be back next year.

So there’s a lot up in the air, but Michigan doesn’t seem out of the running yet and with Harbaugh and the staff doing virtual “in-home visits” according to EJ Holland of Rivals, it’s possible he can shore up questions about his contract.

Edwards isn’t committed to Michigan football, but the Wolverines have been the crystal ball leader for months and still control 100 percent of his expert picks at 247 and 93 percent at Rivals. The only non-Michigan pick was for Ohio State last summer and the Buckeyes aren’t in the mix.

The confidence level from 247 isn’t super high though at just a five. The other contenders are some heavy hitters such as Georgia, Oklahoma, Alabama, Notre Dame, LSU and Penn State.

But Edwards didn’t end up taking any self-guided visits to Georgia or Oklahoma during the dead period, although he did visit the Bulldogs before, so that’s a positive for Michigan.

Notre Dame seems like the biggest threat at this point and it’s understandable considering the Irish are ranked in the top four and just beat Clemson. But Edwards didn’t take any last-minute visits there either.

Edwards is the No. 2 player in the state of Michigan and the fourth-ranked running back in the nation, as well as 44th overall. It also sounds like he really loves Michigan, from what his head coach, Ronald Bellamy, a former Wolverine, told the Michigan Insider Podcast this week:

"“One thing about Donovan he has a strong love and admiration for the University of Michigan. And one of the reasons is he’s from the state of Michigan. Donovan is very well versed in Michigan football history. And he understands that Michigan has not had a top back in the state that has went to the University of Michigan.”"

And Bellamy admitted Edwards is looking at everything that is happening with Michigan, but he said Donovan has told him it’s not just about the head coach. Here’s more from Bellamy:

"“And Donovan has come in and he’s told me… he’s told me for years, ‘I would be a player for the University of Michigan, not for particular coach. I would represent the university.”"

At this point, there are probably reasons to feel good if you are a Michigan fan, but if you are Notre Dame or Georgia, other places he has visited, there is a legitimate chance too.

Out of the schools not in the region in the mix, Georgia has always felt like the most consistent threat and after his visit there, it felt like the Bulldogs pulled ahead.

Another factor is J.J. McCarthy. Certainly, some Michigan recruits are wavering some, but McCarthy isn’t and neither is the top defensive commitment Junior Colson. So there is big-time talent coming in this class and if the Wolverines could land McCarthy and Edwards, that would be a game-changer.

It would also make me feel much more optimistic about the future with Harbaugh or even someone else as head coach.