5 questions facing Michigan Football recruiting in 2022

Michigan football has a lot of work to do in the 2022 recruiting class and with signing day about six months away, here are five questions facing the Wolverines.

There is a long way to go in the 2022 recruiting class. But right now, Michigan football has some serious questions regarding its class with just seven commitments and a group that ranks 21st overall.

It’s way too early to worry too much about the team rankings. But when you look at Michigan’s prospects as a whole in the 2022 class, it’s not a super rosy picture at times.

Its top two commitments on defense are taking visits with other schools as Kody Jones is going to Illinois and Will Johnson is going to USC. And if you lose the commitment of Johnson, this class could be a complete disaster.

Michigan football has three four-star prospects committed and a five-star in Johnson. It’s in the mix with a ton of kids including the No. 2 prospect in the country in Walter Nolen, who will be taking a visit to Ann Arbor later this month.

But can the Wolverines close and build a top-10 recruiting class? That’s our first topic.

Can Michigan build a top-10 class?

Last year, Michigan football signed 12 recruits rated as four stars or better in a class of 22 prospects total. That was good enough for 13th in the country and second in the Big Ten according to the 247 sports team rankings.

There has been talk of schools signing smaller classes this year due to extra scholarships leftover from COVID-19, but it’s really hard to say. Either way, Michigan is going to need double-digit four-star commitments and that might not be easy to do.

Looking at four-star targets, Michigan is probably in the best position with Dillon Tatum and Justice Finkley. Deone Walker should become a four-star defensive tackle too and the Wolverines are probably in the pole position there, but all three of those recruitments are far from finished.

Mario Eugenio, a defensive end close to Walker is another one Michigan football fans can feel good about, as well as Beau Atkinson. But as far as this group being a top-10 class, it’s really hard to see unless the Wolverines have an impressive run of four-star commitments.

U-M should definitely get into double-digits, which would require six four-star commitments, but having a plus-50 in the blue-chip ratio might be a stretch.