Michigan Football: Big recruiting weekend planned for Wolverines

.Some key recruiting targets in the 2022 class will be visiting Michigan football this weekend and here’s a breakdown of the top visitors. 

Since the dead period was lifted on June 1st, Michigan football has not picked up a commitment yet. It is not all doom and gloom since it has only been a week and a half and many recruits are taking visits for the first time in over a year.

However, Michigan football could use some momentum to get things rolling on the recruiting trail. This weekend will provide that opportunity for Michigan as eight official visitors will make their way to Ann Arbor. Some notable names on the visit list include top targets CB Myles Pollard, QB Nate Johnson, and TE Jack Velling, commit ATH Kody Jones and EDGE Beau Atkinson.

Breaking down the impact of Michigan football visitors

ATH Kody Jones

Jones committed to the Wolverines back in February without visiting. Since he gave his pledge, his primary recruiter and expected position coach Maurice Linguist left to become the head coach at Buffalo. Last weekend, Jones took his official visit to Illinois. It would be a surprise if Michigan football lost a commit to Illinois, however in-state Tennessee is pushing as well. This weekend will provide an opportunity for the Wolverines to stem the tide and allow Jones to experience campus for himself. Jones is projected to play cornerback at the next level.

DB Myles Pollard

The other Tennessee defensive back that will be in town this weekend is Myles Pollard, who has been a top target of the staff for quite some time now. This will be his second visit to Michigan after a dead period visit back in March. He has Michigan as his leader, a position that may be strengthened by the hiring of new DB coach Steve Clinkscale. I don’t expect a commitment this weekend because he still has visits planned to Oklahoma and Auburn the following two weekends. However, if the Wolverines are able to seal the deal this weekend, Pollard will be a huge commitment. Though he is listed as a three-star for now, I don’t believe that will be the case by the end of this recruiting cycle. Pollard will be a big-time commitment at a major position of need.

QB Nate Johnson

Michigan is still looking for a quarterback for its 2022 class and Johnson just may be the guy. Johnson is a favorite of the GBMWolverine team as Chris Peterson and I both want him in the class. He is a perfect fit as Michigan attempts to shift its offense to favor a dual-threat QB under quarterback coach Matt Weiss. Johnson took an official visit to Utah last weekend and at this stage, it looks like a Michigan-Utah battle for his services.

CB Jahlil Florence

Jahlil Florence is a late bloomer that is starting to blow up. He’s a multi-sport athlete who ran 11.01 100 M this spring. 247sports already lists him as a four-star. Michigan football will be his first official visit and he will visit Syracuse on June 25. Washington and Oregon are also involved and I would be surprised if other big programs didn’t get involved. So it would be in Michigan’s best interest to get him in the fold before that happens.

TE Jack Velling

In the last few cycles, Michigan has secured a tight end early in the process but was unable to secure a second one to pair them with. In 2022, the Wolverines already have Marlin Klein in the fold and Velling is among one of their top remaining targets at the position along with Oscar Delp. Michigan will be the second official visit for Velling after he spent last weekend at Oregon State. He is also considering Minnesota and Utah. This feels like a recruitment Michigan should win depending on how things stand with Delp after his own visit to Ann Arbor.

EDGE Beau Atkinson

Being 6’6 240 lbs and having the versatility to play on the edge and across the defensive line has made Atkinson a top target for Michigan. If that sounds familiar, Aidan Hutchinson is the comparison Michigan’s coaching staff has made for Atkinson. He is hearing from Virginia (June 18) and Cal (June 25) where he will take his next two trips. He has interest from Clemson but does not have an offer according to 247 sports ($), which could completely change his recruitment. If Michigan football is able to blow Atkinson away this weekend, it might be difficult for Clemson to catch up if the offer does come.

LB Jeremy Patton

After some transfers and early departures to the NFL Draft, linebacker is quietly a big need for the Wolverines. The new defensive staff seems to be targeting athletic linebackers that they can develop and Patton fits that mold. In fact, he actually plays RB and WR for his high school team. This will be a pivotal visit for Michigan’s chances in this race as it will be Patton’s first trip to campus. Michigan is also the only out-of-region school on his list (Texas, Baylor, LSU, and Oklahoma State). The three-star Texas native has received crystal balls to Texas, Oklahoma State, and Baylor. That kind of split would appear to indicate that Patton is wide open in his recruitment.

ATH Tyler Banks

Speaking of athletic linebackers, Banks is another one that linebackers coach George Helow has been pursuing. Banks has one crystal ball prediction to Virginia Tech but he appears to be pretty open in his recruitment. Michigan will be his first official visit and he will officially visit Vanderbilt next weekend. He has also been hearing from South Carolina and Kentucky.