Michigan Football: Analyzing recent trends with top 2022 targets

While Michigan football got some good news Sunday and is expected to get more on Monday, there are some top targets trending the wrong way. 

Michigan football picked up a really solid commitment on Sunday as Colston Loveland, an underrated recruit out of Idaho announced his pledge.

Loveland is the second tight end commitment in 2022 and he will likely be the last unless Oscar Delp decides to commit too.

The next decision, however, is going to come from a defensive lineman as four-star target, Mario Eugenio is expected to commit to the Wolverines on Monday evening.

Eugenio is the 13th-ranked edge rusher according to the 247 sports composite rankings in 2022 and his addition to the class should help U-M with Deone Walker, a defensive tackle from the state of Michigan who is another vital recruit.

Things are trending in the right direction with Eugenio and Walker, who has picked up a number of crystal ball predictions to Michigan, but that’s not the case with every D-line target.

Pair of top targets trending in the wrong direction

In a bit of a surprise, four-star defensive lineman, Justice Finkley, who received crystal ball predictions to Michigan, left the Wolverines off his top three list which included Alabama, Texas, and Colorado.

More from GBMWolverine

• 3 things to watch for Michigan football vs. Rutgers
• Michigan football vs. Rutgers: Prediction, Odds, Spread and Over/Under for College Football Week 4
• Michigan Wolverines news: Jim Harbaugh wants J.J. McCarthy ‘gunslinging’, plus a drop in recruiting rankings
• Grades, game balls for Michigan football vs. Bowling Green
• Michigan Wolverines news: Jake Moody is money in the NFL, plus more

Finkley, who is from the state of Alabama, and is ranked in the top 200 overall, would have been a huge get by the Wolverines, but according to Sam Webb of the Michigan Insider (subscription required), the staff and Finkley disagreed on his position and now, U-M is out of his recruitment.

Michigan football has also picked up a crystal ball projection for three-star defensive lineman Hayden Schwartz, a recruit out of Florida, but on Monday, Steve Lorenz of The Michigan Insider dropped his confidence level down to a one.

Whether there is less interest on the side of Michigan or Schwartz, it seems much less likely that he will be part of the class.

Michigan is still in a strong position with multiple recruits such as Walker, Eugenio, and others. The Wolverines also made the top three for cornerback Jahlil Florence on Sunday and recently made the top list for linebacker Jeremy Patton.

So things aren’t all bad and even though missing out on Finkley is a bummer, there are still some solid alternatives out there — plus good news is coming.