Michigan Football: Latest on Wolverines 2022 QB pursuits

Michigan football is looking at few different quarterback recruits in the 2022 class and here’s the latest as we head into official visits. 

Recruiting the quarterback position has been a bit of an adventure for Michigan football in the 2022 class and as we head towards the summer, U-M is still without a commitment at the position.

Looking back to the 2021 class, at this point, J.J. McCarthy had been committed for nearly a year. Obviously, having a five-star quarterback signed in the previous class could make it a little tougher to attract another top talent, but Ohio State, Bama, and others don’t seem to have issues with that.

Early on, Michigan football was in it with a number of highly-ranked four-star prospects. However, nothing really came to fruition and with the dead period ending June 1, the quarterback board is still tough to figure out.

Nate Johnson felt like the top target not long ago. The three-star quarterback from Clovis, California is a dynamic athlete and a true dual-threat option. New quarterbacks coach Matt Weiss has even compared him to Lamar Jackson.

Johnson even picked up some expert projections to the Wolverines. One of those came from Sam Webb of the Michigan Insider, who said he’s now less confident in the pick. Not because the Wolverines have lost momentum with Johnson, but due to the evalution of other targets.

"“I lodged a Crystal Ball for Nate Johnson (earlier in the spring), which is why I mentioned it. Things were really, really trending up for Michigan in that recruitment. And it’s not to say that things have died down. It’s just that if I start out at a crystal ball of six, I’m ready to drop that down to maybe a four because (Michigan’s quarterback) board has opened up and. Conner Harrell is an interesting comparison because Nate Johnson’s abbreviated season was up and down.”"

Conner Harrell is the Wolverines most recent offer at the position and it came down just in the last week. He’s a three-star recruit from Alabama, but is ranked more than 300 spots higher than Johnson and is a more polished passer.

While Harrell isn’t the athlete Johnson is, he still runs a 4.5 in the 40 and is a dual-threat option. He also threw 42 touchdowns this past season playing 7A football in Alabama. Webb also reported that he will be taking an unofficial visit. Johnson is visiting officially.

The Wolverines have also shown interest in four-star quarterback Justyn Martin, who is currently committed to Cal. If Michigan football offers though, it seems like a flip is a realistic possibility.

It feels as though Michigan is still trying to determine which recruit to prioritize and that’s something to watch in the next month as more 2022 recruits move towards decisions.