Michigan Football: Top target sets decision date, plus more on 2022

Ta’Kobi Albert, a top recruiting target for Michigan football, announced a decision date earlier this week. More on that and other 2022 tidbits. 

Michigan football doesn’t have any commitments at the safety position in the 2022 recruiting class but the Wolverines are hoping that will change on August 4.

That’s when another top target, Ta’Kobi Albert who is out of Fairfield, Alabama, will announce his commitment and his recruitment is a two-team race between Michigan and Auburn.

When he released his final three it also included Maryland, but the Terps don’t feel like much of a contender here. Since that list was released, both Michigan football and the Tigers have received crystal ball projections for Albert, with Auburn currently holding two compared to one for U-M.

It was actually a Maryland expert for 247 sports who first predicted Albert to Michigan and none of the Michigan reporters have put in a projection either way.

Both Futurecast picks for Albert at Rivals are also in favor of the Tigers but EJ Holland, Michigan’s reporter for Rivals hasn’t put in a projection yet, so we’ll see what happens.

According to 247 sports, Auburn has really locked in on Albert who has some impressive athletic traits and just turned 16. The 5-foot-11, 175-pound athlete can also play wide receiver and has impressive ball skills.

Albert is ranked 358th overall in the 2022 class according to the 247 sports composite rankings and is 23rd among athletes. He’s also the 15th-best player in the state of Alabama where Michigan has been really making a push under Aashon Larkins.

I don’t feel overly optimistic here, but a lot of key recruiting experts have yet to weigh in, so there might still be time for Michigan to come out on top and with Dillon Tatum wavering between the Wolverines and Spartans, Albert would be a nice addition to the class.

Sebastian Cheeks making one last visit

Another top target is deciding soon and that’s Sebastian Cheeks, a linebacker out of the state of Indiana. He’s a four-star target and he’s been trending with predictions to North Carolina, but EJ Holland is reporting he will make one last visit to Ann Arbor, so who knows?

If Cheeks doesn’t commit, Michigan will be looking to add either Jeremy Patton or Deuce Spurlock to the class but neither will be a sure thing. Patton is deciding soon too and has crystal ball projections to Texas, Baylor, and Michigan.

Spurlock has been projected to both Michigan football and Mississippi State, so there’s a lot still up in the air with linebacker recruiting.

Holland also dropped a nugget (subscription required) on five-star target Walter Nolen, saying that Nolen intends to stay in Tennessee to play high school football instead of moving to Detroit.

That obviously would have been sweet for Michigan’s recruiting efforts. But now, that could help Tennessee, although I personally view Alabama or Florida as the favorite.