Michigan Football: 3 Thoughts on commitment of DT Davonte Miles

Michigan football used its momentum from early signing day and landed an in-state commitment in 2022 from DT Davonte Miles. Here are three thoughts.

While we still don’t know if Jim Harbaugh is going to remain the head coach of Michigan football long term, if the activity on the recruiting trail is any indicator, he’s not going anywhere.

Not only did the Wolverines put together a really solid early signing day on Wednesday, as Michigan football signed 20 recruits, including 11 four-star prospects and five who ranked in the top 100 of the 247 sports composite rankings for 2021, but now they added to the 2022 class too.

In recruiting, there is no time to rest. The Wolverines are working to add more recruits in late signing period in 2021 and also will look to the transfer portal. Yet, there is also a shift towards the 2022 class, which on Friday, added its fourth commitment.

This pledge came from Davonte Miles, an in-state defensive tackle out of River Rouge. Obviously, with no true defensive tackles signed in the 2021 class, it’s a position of focus for the Wolverines and Miles, at 6-foot-5, 275 pounds will meet that need for size on the defensive interior.

Michigan offered Miles back in May and he wound up choosing the Wolverines over a number of other Big Ten programs. Michigan State offered him in March, right after Iowa State, which offered him first. Kentucky, Indiana, Pitt, West Virginia and Syracuse were all in the mix, but Michigan was the favorite all along and he made the decision Friday.

Here are three thoughts.

What Wolverines are getting in Miles

Davonte Miles is a solid three-star prospect who ranks 23rd in the state of Michigan for the 2022 class according to the 247 composite rankings and No. 671 overall, as well as the No. 48 defensive tackle.

However, there is a lot to like about Miles. For one, it’s always good to grab some in-state recruits early in the class and Michigan has done a better job of getting guys early, which paid off here. MSU beat Michigan on the offer by a couple of months, but the early investment paid off.

With Miles, who formerly played defensive end before moving to defensive tackle, his weight will be huge and since he’s 275 now, there’s reason to think he could get into that 290-300 pound range. Beyond that, he moves pretty well from his time on the edge and he’s a guy that could even play some five technique, a al Carlo Kemp. Here’s what he told 247 sports about his position:

“Coach Nua sees me playing as an athletic interior guy, but some plays I can be a true defensive end,” Miles said. “He said I can fit a few places with my height and weight.”

That versatility is key, but ideally, Miles will grow into the 300-pound defensive tackle Michigan desperately needs in this class.

Defensive tackle is a focus

There’s no question that defensive tackle is a position of need for the Wolverines and so far in the class of 2022, that focus has paid dividends.

Alex VanSumeren, a 6-foot-3, 285-pound athlete from Essexville, Michigan, is expected to play defensive tackle for the Wolverines and since his commitment to Michigan, he just keeps growing into the part, which is probably why teams like Alabama have been offering him.

Miles will only add to that momentum at the position and if he continues to grow and put on weight, it’s not a stretch to think he can add that 25 pounds, at least by the time he starts contending to actually play at U-M.

It would be great if the Wolverines could swoop in and add Rayshaun Benny to the 2021 class, but that’s not something we should expect to happen.

So the best path right now for Michigan is adding some talent in the transfer portal and then building up for the future with more kids like Miles.

What this mean for 2022 and beyond

While there was a reported meeting between Jim Harbaugh and Warde Manuel after signing day, there hasn’t been anything announced or finalized from a contract perspective and even though the Wolverines got Miles, it’s not a tenable situation for 2022 recruiting.

Michigan football is actually off to a pretty solid start in 2022, ranking 10th nationally before Miles committed. The Wolverines have VanSumeren and Tyler Martin, two four-star defenders and also three-star tight end Marlin Klein out of Georgia, who I really, really like.

But if Michigan wants to keep building on this momentum, it needs to get something hammered out with Harbaugh sooner rather than later.

For instance, Miles referenced Shaun Nua in his comments to Allen Trieu of 247 sports, but there’s been a lot speculation that Nua won’t be back next year. The same goes for Don Brown and even cornerbacks coach Mike Zordich, who has been very involved with 2021 corner Ceyair Wright.

However, just as we learned with the 2021 class, the University of Michigan is still a big draw for kids and even if Harbaugh isn’t around, kids still want to wear the winged helmet.