Michigan Football: Key targets in 2024 get rankings bump
Some key Michigan football targets moved up in the On3.com rankings for the 2024 recruiting class.
There has been a bunch of talk about how Michigan football squandered its momentum from the 2022 season on the recruiting trail this spring.
Recruiting has been slower than expected after a playoff berth in the 2023 class. But Michigan is starting to build some momentum and the Wolverines also lost both of their primary coordinators last season, while Jim Harbaugh did have a long flirtation with the NFL.
The fact that Michigan football doesn’t really play the NIL game as down and dirty as others hasn’t helped either, although the Wolverines are legitimately upping their game (legally).
On top of all that, one of the things under the radar is that the Wolverines are in a solid position with a number of top 2024 recruits.
Top targets in 2024 move up
Michigan football fans are focused on CJ Carr and rightfully so in 2024, but the Wolverines are the mix for a number of elite prospects, as EJ Holland details here (subscription required), just as DT Justin Scott, EDGE rusher Dylan Stewart and defensive back Bryce West.
The Wolverines don’t lead any of those recruitments right now according to the On3 prediction machine but they are heavily in the mix and all are ranked in the top 50 in On3’s recent update.
Speaking of quarterback, Michael Van Buren is one to watch for the Wolverines in 2024, especially if things don’t work out with CJ Carr. Van Buren was rated as a three-star before according to the On3 consensus rankings and now he’s firmly in the four-star rankings at No. 141 overall.
He’s 5-foot-11, 185 pounds but is more of a dual-threat than Carr and has a ton of potential. And with Biff Poggi on the staff, the former head coach at St. Frances Academy, where Van Buren plays, Michigan has a strong in.
Penn State is the projected leader right now according to On3 but much of that could depend on what happens with Michigan football and Carr. The Wolverines lead with CJ but Notre Dame is coming on strong, as well as a number of SEC programs.
Van Buren is out of Maryland and if things go south with Carr, he would be a great option. Holland even opined in the link above that he has a higher upside.
Another key target that got a big bump is Jacob Oden, a recruit Michigan fans should know well. The 6-foot, 185-pound safety from Harper Woods is ranked fourth in the state of Michigan for the 2024 class and moved up to 145th overall and 14th among safeties in the On3 consensus rankings.
Next. 5 bold predictions for Michigan football in 2022. dark
Holland projected Oden to Michigan football back in December and there haven’t been any new expert projections yet. Notre Dame and Michigan State are also pushing, yet the Wolverines have a better than 90-percent chance right now according to the On3 prediction machine. They just need to close and you never know, maybe Oden could be 2024’s first commitment?