Michigan Football: Wolverines need momentum in 2022 recruiting class

Losing Jay Toia to UCLA was like a punch in the gut for Michigan football fans. As soon as he entered the portal, the Wolverines felt like the instant favorite.

But recruiting is always hard to predict and you should never count your eggs before they hatch. Toia wanted to stay close to home and it’s been a theme from a few California recruits.

Zach Charbonnet and Giles Jackson both transferred to the West Coast. Some of that could have been due to the depth chart and playing time but both would have had roles next season if they stuck around.

That doesn’t mean Michigan shouldn’t recruit California anymore. In fact, it’s my hope that the Wolverines get their 2022 quarterback from the state and I’m not talking about Justyn Martin.

I really like the throwing ability of the Cal commit. But he has a crystal ball to Ole Miss and keeps saying he’s committed to Cal. There’s some interest there, but with Michigan moving towards more of a dual-threat quarterback under Matt Weiss, Nate Johnson seems like a perfect fit.

He’s a three-star recruit with big-time upside and performed really well at the Elite 11 Regional in California, a competition based on throwing. He’s a track star and runs a legit 10.5 in the 100, so even if he doesn’t play quarterback, Michigan should get him in this class.

Michigan needs momentum

Johnson is visiting Ann Arbor soon and the Wolverines should push for a commitment. It might be a little harder because Utah has made a move and just hosted Johnson too.

It seems like a two-horse race and really, Michigan needs to win this one. But more than anything, it just needs some momentum.

Four-star commitment Kody Jones is taking a visit to Illinois; Five-star commit, Will Johnson is going to visit USC and no verbal pledges have come out of the first wave of official visits.

There still seems to be a strong bet for guys like Hayden Schwartz, Micah Pollard, and Dillon Bell. Michigan is also in a good spot with Dillon Tatum, although it’s a legit recruiting battle with the Spartans for his commitment.

Four-star receiver Kaleb Brown, a top-100 recruit who once had crystal ball projections to Michigan, committed to Ohio State the same day he visited Columbus. It was expected as he had been trending to OSU, but it was still a blow.

Dante Moore, the top target for Michigan in 2023 and a five-star quarterback, is visiting Columbus later this month and an offer from the Buckeyes could change his recruitment.

The Wolverines need a win. Toia would have been a nice momentum boost, but it didn’t happen and now, it will need to come from some commitments in 2022 or at least one good get soon to turn the tide.