Michigan Football projected to flip a commitment from Florida

Michigan football is trending up with four-star athlete Aaron Gates in the 2023 recruiting class and is expected to flip a Florida commitment. 

Michigan football fans are desperate for the Wolverines to start building some momentum on the recruiting trail in the 2023 class and with an expert projecting U-M to flip a commitment from Florida, there is at least something positive in the works.

The recruit in question is Aaron Gates, a four-star defensive back at 6-foot, 180 pounds, and he’s ranked as the No. 281 athlete overall according to the On3.com consensus rankings, as well as the 13th-best athlete. Additionally, he’s ranked 28th in the state of Georgia.

Gates committed to the Gators back in August before the new coaching staff took over, and while he hasn’t de-committed yet, Gates visited Michigan football during the spring game and things seemed to go well.

Now, EJ Holland of The Wolverine has put in a prediction for the Wolverines to flip this commitment, which has bumped Michigan football up to a 40 percent chance to win this recruitment according to the On3.com prediction machine.

Steve Clinkscale has been leading the way as the top recruiter and the two had a relationship from when Clink was still at Kentucky.

The Wolverines have also tried to expand their presence in the state of Georgia. Mike Macdonald had strong ties to Georgia and Jesse Minter, the new co-defensive coordinator also coached Georgia State before and landing Gates would be another solid addition.

Here’s his scouting report according to Gates’ 247 sports profile:

"“Appears to possess ideal size for his position. Two-way player. Flashes good athleticism on both sides of the ball. Zone corner that displays good ball skills and production. Has instincts at the position. Shows the ability to find and play the ball consistently in the air. Appears to have above-average play speed. Transitions in and out of breaks quickly. Instinctual in the short to intermediate part of the field. Willing tackler at the point of attack. Will add value to special teams. Could ultimately project to the safety position depending on speed and man to man coverage ability.”"

No crystal ball projections have flipped but since Michigan doesn’t have any secondary commitments yet in 2023, Gates would be a good place to start and Holland is confident the Wolverines will win out in the end.