Michigan Football: More Jadyn Davis Buzz and positive recruiting trends

Michigan football had a huge recruiting weekend with a number of key targets in the 2023 class last Saturday and there is a lot of positive buzz about Jadyn Davis. 

Not only did Michigan football notch an important rivalry win over Michigan State, getting the Paul Bunyan Trophy back where it belongs, but it was also a huge recruiting weekend for the Wolverines and in that aspect, it seems like they hit a home run.

On Sunday, just one day after the fourth visit of five-star quarterback Jadyn Davis, one of the top recruiting experts in the industry, Steve Wiltfong, put in a crystal ball projection for Davis, the No. 16 overall prospect in the 2024 class and No. 2 QB (according to On3 consensus) to land with the Wolverines.

EJ Holland put in a projection over the summer and a number of Michigan experts at Rivals have done the same thing following two visits over the summer and now two during the fall.

But after Georgia took a quarterback and now that Alabama is poised to land the commitment of Julian Sayin, it looks like Clemson, North Carolina, LSU, and Tennessee are the top contenders.

Chad Simmons of On3.com also added to the optimism as he reported on Tuesday (subscription required) that a decision from Davis could come within the next 4-6 weeks. He also reported that Michigan once again knocked it out of the park with Davis and is the clear favorite in his recruitment.

If Davis winds up sticking to that timeline, that’s going to be great for Michigan football and it really feels like they are on the verge of landing the second five-star QB of the Jim Harbaugh era.

More positive recruiting trends for Michigan football

For years it seems, we have talked about how Michigan needs to get a foothold again in Ohio. The addition of Rod Moore only proves it.

Of course, the dominance of the Buckeyes over the last decade has made things pretty tough. Yet, Michigan is turning things around. U-M won the Big Ten last season and beat Ohio State. The impact hasn’t been seen quite yet in 2023, but the 2024 class is the one to watch.

Davis would be a great momentum-builder if the Wolverines landed him before the year ended but another key target that Michigan is trending with is Luke Hamilton, a 6-foot-5 offensive tackle out of Avon, Ohio.

Hamilton is ranked as the No. 12 offensive tackle according to the 247 sports composite rankings and is No. 210 overall. It’s possible he could play tackle or on the interior, but going into Ohio and landing a top-10 recruit (No. 8 in 2024) would be a big win and four experts between 247 sports and On3 have predicted it in the last few days.

Michigan has also gotten a slew of projections for in-state 2024 tight end Brady Prieskorn. The 6-foot-6, 215-pounder is from Rochester, Michigan, and is ranked 63rd overall according to the 247 sports composite rankings in the 2024 class and No. 2 in the state of Michigan. He’s the No. 3 tight end overall in the entire 2024 class.

EJ Holland put in a projection for him and two crystal balls have also been placed in favor of the Wolverines who have over an 85-percent chance to win his commitment according to the On3 prediction machine.

So to recap, the Wolverines have become the clear leader for a five-star QB (Jadyn Davis), a top-100 tight end and top-3 player in the state of Michigan, and a top-8 recruit in Ohio, over the course of one weekend.

I’d call that a success.