Michigan Football: Wolverines a contender for 2022’s No.1 DT
Michigan football just had one of its top recruits in the 2022 class decommit at defensive tackle but there’s still good news at the position.
It’s been a whirlwind few weeks for Michigan football recruiting. Most of the news has been positive as the Wolverines closed the 2021 recruiting class out strong and then added two commitments to the 2022 class just last week.
But as great as it was to see four-star defensive backs Kody Jones and Taylor Groves, both out of the state of Tennessee commit to the Wolverines and new cornerbacks coach Maurice Linguist, U-M has also lost out a pair of 2022 commitments as Tyler Martin and most recently, Alex VanSumeren re-opened their recruitments.
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Martin had a strong connection to former defensive coordinator Don Brown and isn’t likely to be return to being part of the class. VanSumeren isn’t likely coming back either. His recruitment has been going more national and his brother, Ben VanSumeren, just entered the transfer portal today.
While losing Martin didn’t seem like a huge blow, simply because he might not fit as well in the new defensive scheme, losing VanSumeren was a huge blow to the 2022 class.
Not only was VanSumeren a top-5 recruit in the state of Michigan, he was a 300-pound defensive tackle, something Michigan has desperately needed.
The Wolverines still have Davonte Miles who is going to be a 300-pounder, but’s he’s a three-star recruit and has a lot more developing to do.
Michigan makes top 10 for No. 1 DT in 2022
Yet, the news isn’t all bad in terms of defensive tackle recruiting in 2022 as the Wolverines made the top 10 list of Walter Nolen Friday, who is the top DT recruit in the entire 2022 class, as well as the No. 2 overall prospect.
Nolen is 6-foot-4, 300 pounds and out of Cordova, Tennessee. The Wolverines have made a strong push in that state recently, also landing Junior Colson, a top recruit in the state in 2021 and they have also made an impression on Nolen, who told 247 sports he wants to visit Ann Arbor.
Our @SWiltfong247 may be on vacation, but he still checked in with a piece on 5-star DT @WalterNolen4 naming his top 10. From dad: "Me personally I'm curious to go to Ann Arbor, I'm curious to go out West, I really want to see all of them." - https://t.co/NFKpYFYAsh pic.twitter.com/bSuCczamB7
— Sam Webb (@SamWebb77) February 12, 2021
Having a recruit want to visit, which will be able to happen officially soon, is always a positive thing. But, there are some big-time programs in this recruitment, in fact all the blue bloods such as Clemson, Ohio State, LSU, Bama, Oregon, Tennessee, USC, Florida and Auburn.
Honored and blessed to say at this moment to have named my top ten schools at the moment recruitment is still fully open @Hayesfawcett3 @ChadSimmons_ @YONO96933567 @BigWalter79 @Coach_WallsSBA @dzoloty @ESPN3ALLDAY pic.twitter.com/An8GLk8v5G
— Walter Nolen9️⃣🏈🏈 (@WalterNolen4) February 12, 2021
It continues to feel like Michigan football will be a real threat in this recruitment and even though I wouldn’t bet on the Wolverines actually winning it, as of right now, they at least have a shot.