Michigan Football: New crystal ball prediction for 2022 class
Michigan football picked up a new crystal ball prediction on Monday for 2022 defensive lineman Hayden Schwartz.
Looking ahead to the 2022 recruiting class, Michigan football has seven recruits committed but just one defensive lineman so far.
That’s Davonte Miles, a three-star, in-state recruit who committed back in December. He’s going to be a defensive tackle at U-M.
But another 2022 defensive lineman, Hayden Schwartz, is another the Wolverines have been gaining momentum with and on Monday, Steve Lorenz of The Michigan Insider entered a U-M prediction (subscription required) with a confidence level of six.
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Schwartz is listed as a three-star recruit according to the 247 sports composite rankings and is No. 544 overall. He’s also ranked 44th among defensive tackles in the composite rankings.
247 sports has him rated in their specific rankings as the No. 25 defensive tackle, but at the end of the day, I don’t know that he’ll be a defensive tackle at Michigan.
He’s listed at 6-foot-4, 244 pounds, and when you watch him play, he plays more of a defensive end role, although it’s not that different from defensive tackle. Essentially, he would probably fit best as a five-technique.
That’s the kind of player that you want to be around 6-foot-4, 290-300 pounds. Basically, the Wolverines are going to want a nose tackle and then two defensive tackle/defensive end types. A three-technique type works, which is what Chris Hinton and Donovan Jeter are.
Over the past two seasons, Schwartz has notched 117 tackles and 12 sacks. He shows a knack for taking on double teams, but also putting pressure on the quarterback.
At any rate, whether he plays more on the inside or as a five-technique, Schwartz is an exciting guy who I could see moving up in the rankings. He’s from Jacksonville and once he takes a visit in June, which is his only scheduled visit, he could be a candidate to commit.
Another 2022 defensive lineman, Jordan Phillips, has also been trending with crystal ball picks for U-M. Essentially, outside of some 300-plus nose tackles, Michigan needs big (and long) defensive lineman. Those can be defensive ends or defensive tackles in high school.
Some of the projection is based on how they grow and fill out. But Schwartz and Phillips would be nice additions alongside Miles. It would at least be a solid place to start.
Another prediction for transfer DT
Lorenz also joined Sam Webb of The Michigan Insider in projecting defensive tackle transfer Jordan Whittley to the Wolverines.
The 6-foot-1, 358-pound defensive tackle has two offers: Michigan and UAB, although some other programs, including some from the SEC have expressed interest.
Next. 3 candidates to commit next in 2022. dark
U-M has a glaring need in the middle of the defense, especially when it comes to the depth at nose tackle, so his addition would make a big difference — literally.