Michigan Football: Wolverines gaining with key D-line targets in 2022

Michigan football is starting to gain more traction with Deone Walker and also four-star defensive end Mario Eugenio. Here’s the latest. 

When it comes to the defensive line, Michigan football‘s recruiting is starting to take shape in terms of some of the top targets on the board.

One of those guys is clearly in-state defensive tackle Deone Walker, who has been hearing a lot from the Wolverines lately according to what he told Clayton Safie of Rivals:

"“It’s been a lot of contact recently. Their whole defensive staff wants to talk to me now, we all chop it up. Coach Bellamy, Coach Nua.”"

Walker is out of Detroit Cass Tech and is a huge man at 6-foot-6, 304 pounds. He’s ranked as the 29th-best defensive tackle prospect in 2022 according to the 247 sports composite rankings, and he’s the 11th-ranked player in the state of Michigan.

The addition of Ron Bellamy from West Bloomfield also seems to have made a positive impact with Walker, who is also building a solid relationship with defensive line coach Shaun Nua.

Fans were unhappy with Nua’s recruiting not long ago, but that’s before he helped Michigan football land a slew of defensive tackles at the end of the 2021 class, including key in-state prospect Rayshaun Benny, a late flip from MSU.

The Wolverines were Walker’s first offer but recently, he’s been offered by Georgia, LSU, Texas, and a ton of teams in the Big Ten, so his recruitment is going national.

But Michigan football could have another feather in its cap, thanks in part to a recommendation of Walker’s.

Michigan football gaining ground with DE

Nua and the U-M staff recently offered Mario Eugenio, a four-star defensive end out of Florida, and did so, in part, based on what Walker told Nua about him.

Walker suggested that the Wolverines offer Eugenio, Nua did his homework and extended an offer to the 6-foot-4, 240-pound end out of Florida ranked 304 overall in 2022. Here’s what Walker said to Rivals about it:

"“Coach Nua, he’s really genuine, and he believes in what I say. Like, he’ll look at whatever I send him. I showed him one of my friends who’s really good. He looked at it, saw what’s good and he ended up offering him, Mario Eugenio. That means a lot to me. I like that. He really trusts and believes in my eye.”"

Eugenio is out of Clearwater, Florida, and received a crystal ball projection to Iowa State back in February, however, the Wolverines recently made his top list and he also announced he will take an official visit to Ann Arbor in June.

As far as pass-rushing threats in the 2022 class for Michigan, Eugenio is among the best. He posted 30 sacks and six forced fumbles over the past two seasons. He and Joshua Josephs are emerging as top threats on the edge and landing both would be exceptional.

Miami, which is close to home, made the cut, as did Oregon, another school that offered recently. Iowa State and Indiana are in the mix as well, along with SEC schools Missouri, Arkansas, and Mississippi State. Cincinnati and Arizona State are finalists too.

Still, Michigan football is trending in the right direction here. There’s also been talk of Eugenio and Walker teaming up, which could very well happen in Ann Arbor.