Michigan football added two recruits to its 2022 class on Saturday and here’s a look at how they fit with the Wolverines.
Michigan football entered “Victors Weekend” with seven commitments in its 2022 class. With other schools around the country picking up commitments, it may have seemed like the Wolverines were in a drought with its last commit coming in April.
However, Michigan football has already seen its class grow to nine and the weekend is not over yet. Three-star running back CJ Stokes became Michigan’s eighth commitment when he went public with his pledge on Saturday afternoon.
Stokes is from Columbia, South Carolina and you don’t see Michigan go into South Carolina too often. Stokes will be the first Wolverine player from South Carolina since DT Quinton Washington graduated in 2013.
Shortly after, three-star LB Aaron Alexander committed to the Wolverines. Alexander plays at Belleville High School, which has one of the most talented rosters in the state of Michigan.
Alexander is the fourth in-state commitment for the Wolverines, joining five-star cornerback Will Johnson, four-star wide receiver Tay’shawn Trent, and three-star defensive lineman Davonte Miles.
With the commitments of Stokes and Alexander, the Wolverines are starting to pick up some much-needed momentum on the recruiting trail and now hold the 20th-ranked class according to the 247 sports team rankings for 2022.
With that in mind, here’s a breakdown of both of the recent pledges from Stokes and Alexander.
RB CJ Stokes
Size: 5-foot-11 190 lbs
Ranking: Three stars- #704 nationally, #59 running back, #9 player in South Carolina via 247sports composite
Notable Offers: Tennessee, Missouri, Penn State, Florida State, Colorado, Vanderbilt, West Virginia, Minnesota, and Louisville.
The Player: Stokes does not have one elite trait to his game, which is probably why he currently has a three-star rating. However, he has a well-rounded and versatile game. The first thing that stuck out to me when watching his film is he has good vision, the most important trait in a RB. He is decisive when he wants to cut upfield. That split-second decision can be the difference in turning in a five-yard run into a 65-yard touchdown.
Stokes has long runs littered over his highlights and he’s got 4.41 speed. He does have good lateral quickness and he can make defenders miss in the open field. He can also run through defenders, runs with toughness, and has good contact balance. Stokes is a good receiver out of the backfield, both with the ability to catch the ball underneath or on vertical routes. In some ways, he reminds me of 2021 running back signee Tavierre Dunlap.
The Fit: Thanks to a free year of eligibility in 2020, Hassan Haskins will have two years of eligibility remaining. However, with 2021 being his fourth year in the program, he may look to move on to the NFL after this season. If he does, Michigan will have Blake Corum in his third year with the program and Donovan Edwards and Tavierre Dunlap in their second years when Stokes arrives.
Assuming good health, Michigan football will have the ability to bring Stokes along slowly should it choose. As a freshman, Stokes will probably get carries in mop-up time and special teams duties in the 4 games or less to maintain his redshirt.
Ideally, Stokes would be a good back to have in a tandem as an upperclassman. Michigan wants two backs in 2022 anyway.
The top remaining target is top 100 running back George Pettaway, who is also taking his official visit this weekend. However, I think Stokes is good enough to start in the B1G. If you give him a good offensive line (which Michigan should have), I can see Stokes being a 1,000 yard back.
LB Aaron Alexander
Size: 6-foot-2 205 lbs
Ranking: Three-star- #78 athlete and #23 player in Michigan via 247 sports
Notable Offers: Marshall and Eastern Illinois
The Player: Some Michigan football fans may scoff at Alexander’s low rankings positionally and in the state of Michigan. However, there is a different number that caught my attention: 4.4.
Yes, that is right, Alexander runs a 4.4 forty while playing linebacker. His speed is what earned him a Michigan offer after he worked at Michigan’s camp last week and it also pops off the screen when you watch his film.
Michigan fans have seen what an advantage it is to have linebackers that can run such as Ian Gold, Shaun Crable, David Harris, and recently with Devin Bush Jr. and Cameron McGrone.
I think Alexander has the potential to develop into a high-level starter. His speed will allow him to roam sideline to sideline, be an asset as a blitzer and in coverage.
At 6-foot-2, Alexander has the length to defend TEs as well, as modern offenses are moving to more spread to emphasize more speed on the field and exploit mismatches, Alexander is the kind that can stay the field on all three downs and hold his own.
Evaluating prospects is an area where the Michigan coaching staff has excelled in. There have been many cases where the coaching staff extended an early offer to a prospect with a profile similar to Alexander only to see them in the rankings before the cycle ends. I think Alexander could be the next example.
The Fit: If Don Brown was still Michigan’s defensive coordinator, it would be easy to slot Alexander as a viper. In fact, my comp is Alexander is current Michigan linebacker, Michael Barrett. Like Barrett, Alexander also plays offense for his high school team. Barrett played quarterback while Alexander plays running back. I think having defenders that played both ways in high school is beneficial because they tend to find their way to the football team and often times take it away.
In Michigan football’s new 3-4 scheme, I project Alexander as an inside linebacker. However, I could see him in a hybrid safety/linebacker role as well. I think Alexander could be a special teams ace early on in his career before earning his place in the starting lineup. That will also give him some time to bulk up, probably to the 230 lb range. The added strength will allow him to hold up better against the run and be a complete linebacker.
Michigan football will lose Josh Ross to graduation. Michael Barrett could move on as well, though he will also have two years of eligibility beyond this season.
Also at inside linebacker, the Wolverines will have Junior Colson in his second year, Kalel Mullings and Nikhai Hill-Green in their third years, and Anthony Solomon in his fourth year. I think Alexander could crack the starting lineup by his junior year if not sooner.
I would expect Michigan to try to add 2-3 more inside linebackers to its class. Top targets at the position include three-star Jeremy Patton and four-star Landers Barton.