Michigan Football will be hosting key 2023 targets for Illinois game

There has been a lot of positive buzz about Michigan football recruiting in the 2024 class, but what about 2023? Here are some visits to watch this weekend. 

The 2023 Michigan football recruiting class isn’t what we hoped it would be at this point. I also think it’s better than the rankings project it to be.

For instance, I love what Michigan football has in terms of EDGE commitments in the 2023 class. That position group has been a home run.

So was the commitment of Cole Cabana, another kid that was a three-star when Michigan landed him and is now well inside the top 200 of the 247 sports composite rankings for the 2023 class.

The offensive line haul has multiple four-star commitments already and there are definitely some things to like. But there are some major needs to fill and the area that needs the most focus is the secondary.

Michigan football doesn’t have a single defensive back committed in the 2023 class and since it’s the middle of November, that’s a little concerning.

Kendrick Bell could play defensive back at some point or wide receiver like his brother Ronnie Bell, but it seems like he will get a chance to play quarterback too, which is where he played in high school.

So where does that leave Michigan in the secondary? It has some top targets still on the board and the good news is that according to EJ Holland, some of them are going to be on campus this weekend for the game against Illinois.

Holland reported that Jyaire Hill is going to make another visit to Michigan football this weekend, along with linebacker Arion Carter. He’s a Memphis commit and a linebacker but SEC schools like Alabama and Tennessee are also heavily in the mix.

This will be Hill’s fourth visit to Michigan football. The 6-foot-2, 185-pound corner out of Kankakee, Illinois is ranked 215th overall according to the On3 consensus rankings. He’s also been a top target since this summer but Illinois became the favorite at some point.

The On3 prediction machine gives Illinois an 88-percent chance of winning his commitment right now. The Fighting Illini have hosted him five times, including two weeks ago. However, Illinois has also lost back-to-back games and a Michigan win might help.

Either way, getting him on campus is a good sign and we’ll see where it leads. Hill is also far from the only 2023 defensive back headed to Ann Arbor this weekend.

More 2023 targets visiting for Illinois

Another name that has moved up Michigan’s board recently is three-star cornerback Cameron Calhoun out of Ohio. He was committed to Cincinnati but decommitted over the weekend.

Kentucky is a team to watch here and we know from experience that the Wildcats can be tough to beat for kids in Ohio. The Wildcats also don’t have Clink anymore and he’s the guy making the push on the Michigan football side of things.

While Kentucky is the leader according to the prediction machine (and the favorite) Calhoun tweeted on Monday that he would be visiting Michigan football this weekend, which is a big deal for the Wolverines, who get their own chance to sway him.

It’s Clink against his old Kentucky staff and we’ll see who gets the final leg up. The fact that Michigan was able to get him to campus is a good sign. Kentucky just hosted him for a visit before he decommitted, that’s why they are the favorite, but clearly, this recruitment isn’t over.

Calhoun isn’t the only player from Ohio that will be visiting Michigan football this weekend. I’ve been saying for years the Wolverines need to make a stronger push in the Buckeye state and it’s starting to happen.

Things look even better in 2024, but in the 2023 class, the Wolverines threw their hat in the ring with three-star safety D’Juan Walker out of Youngstown.

Clink is from Youngstown so there is a connection there. Walker is a low three-star right now (1,583 overall) and just decommitted from Toledo. West Virginia offered last month, so Michigan isn’t the first power-5 offer but it’s still a big offer compared to the others on the list.

And Walker is going to visit for the game this weekend, which is a good sign for the Wolverines if they feel good about taking his commitment, and why offer at this stage if you don’t?

Lastly, four-star cornerback Daniel Harris, a top-100 prospect who has been committed to Georgia, just re-opened his recruitment. Holland reported that Michigan is making a push.

He was high on the board earlier and did take an official visit during this cycle. Penn State seems to be the leading contender but if Harris got back on campus, who knows?

It’s another name to watch though in terms of 2023 defensive backs.