With the NCAA dead period coming to an end, schools like Michigan are once again able to host prospective recruits on campus for visits. With the Wolverines already having a string of visits set up, we take a look at the five most likely to commit this month.
The Michigan football team is in the middle of spring practices, with the ultimate conclusion coming in the form of Michigan’s annual Spring Game on April 1st.
However, March will also be filled with a litany of recruiting visits, as prospects have been lining up to come tour Ann Arbor and see what the back-to-back Big Ten champions are all about.
In fact, some prospects are already on campus, such as West Bloomfield four-star defensive lineman Brandon Davis-Swain.
And each weekend from here until the Saturday of the Spring Game, Michigan football is set to host anywhere from four to over a dozen prospects on each weekend. Thus, we take a little dive into which of the numerous visitors are most likely to commit to Michigan either on or shortly following their visit this month.
Now, one small note, there are numerous prospects who have indicated that they are taking a visit to Michigan football “sometime this spring”, but do not have a date locked in for said visit, such as five-star quarterback Jadyn Davis.
This list will include a few of them, but again, the actual visit date is either up in the air or simply not announced or reported publicly yet and so could end up occurring in April following the Spring Game.
Linebacker Aaron Chiles (MD)
Arguably the most likely prospect to give the Wolverines a verbal commitment, Michigan has been trending up in this recruitment significantly over the last month.
The 6’3, 220 linebacker is also being recruited by some significant programs, such as Alabama, Penn State, and Notre Dame. Even after the Wolverines replaced his former primary recruiter, George Helow, his replacement, Chris Partridge, has done an excellent job holding the lead here.
With this being his first chance to connect with Chris Partridge in person at Michigan, this could potentially be the final hurdle needed to land Chiles’ commitment. The Wolverines have all the momentum here and could score a huge victory if they are able to land a commitment from him following this weekend’s visits.
Wide receiver Channing Goodwin (NC)
One of the handful of talented Providence Day prospects the Wolverines are courting, Goodwin is set to visit this upcoming weekend, March 10th-12th. He’s already been on campus several times at this point and has a special connection to Michigan football as a legacy recruit.
While it seems likely that the remainder of the Providence Day crew could be joining Goodwin on the trip, Goodwin is the only one with a specific date announced.
Michigan football has long been considered the leader for Goodwin, a four-star ranked 98th overall by 247Sports. The main competition here appears to be regional teams such as North Carolina and potentially North Carolina State and Kentucky.
However, the Wolverines appear to be in command, and this visit could be the one that seals the deal for Ron Bellamy and the Michigan staff.
Wide receiver I’Marion Stewart (IL)
A 6’1, 180-pound wideout from Bolingbrook, Illinois, Stewart has been a very high priority for wide receivers coach Ron Bellamy, attending Michigan’s big junior day earlier in January. He has been up to visit Michigan a couple of additional times too, and, like Goodwin, could be ready to pull the trigger on a commitment.
Michigan football is up against some tougher competition here, however, as suitors such as Tennessee and Oregon could give Stewart enough pause to hold off.
However, Michigan appears to be firmly in the lead, evidenced by a pair of 247Sports Predictions in Michigan’s favor, and a 93.6% prediction on the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine for the Wolverines. Another excellent visit could be enough to wrap up Stewart’s recruitment, landing him in Ann Arbor.
Offensive tackle Caleb Brewer (PA)
Brewer is currently ranked as just the 41st-best tackle in the class according to 247Sports, however, interest from Michigan, Notre Dame, and Penn State all indicate he’s a much more coveted prospect than you would likely anticipate for a three-star.
A 6’5, 290-pound offensive lineman who wrestles and throws shot put, he’s a very high upside player who, like Michigan left tackle Ryan Hayes, spent some of his high school snaps at tight end due to his athleticism.
Brewer has a string of visits lined up this month, with him planning to visit Pittsburgh on March 18th, followed by Notre Dame on the 31st, and then the next day making his way up to Ann Arbor to take in Michigan’s Spring Game on April 1st.
With an OL coach change-up at ND, and Michigan getting the final visit on his current schedule, the Wolverines appear to be in a strong position to land a commitment from the rising tackle if he’s ready to make one.
Offensive Tackle Joe Roebuck (OH)
Michigan football has made a big push in the Buckeye state lately, largely due to their renewed standing after easily dispatching the in-state power in each of their last two contests.
Michigan already pulled in four-star OH lineman Luke Hamilton and has made Roebuck another priority from the state. Roebuck, like Davis, has indicated a desire to return to Michigan for another visit this spring but has not publicly announced a specific weekend or date he will be on campus.
Measuring in at 6-7, 320 pounds, Roebuck has elite size and compares (personal evaluation) quite favorably to former All-Big Ten Michigan offensive tackle Andrew Stueber, which would make him an excellent addition.
Should Roebuck schedule a March visit, and especially if joined by his friend Luke Hamilton, a commitment to the Wolverines would not be surprising at all, given Michigan’s consistent pursuit of the mauling offensive tackle.
Quarterback Jadyn Davis (NC)
The never-ending saga continues with its latest chapter this spring, as Davis has indicated that he plans to return to Michigan for another visit. And this one will be quite significant, as the changing of QB coach, from Matt Weiss to Kirk Campbell, means Davis will certainly need an opportunity to meet his would-be position coach in person before committing.
However, given the strong endorsement that current Michigan football QB J.J. McCarthy has given Campbell, and Campbell hitting the ground running in recruiting, there is plenty of hope that Campbell will be able to convince Davis to shut down his recruitment and finally commit to the Wolverines.
Landing their star quarterback prior to this summer would be a terrific outcome for the Wolverines, not only due to Davis’ significant talent but also because it would give Michigan a very high-profile commitment at a position that tends to draw interest from other talented recruits wanting to join forces with elite quarterback prospects.
Davis, as mentioned, has indicated a desire to visit this spring, but does not currently have a date announced, though that is not too surprising given the more low-key nature Davis has held throughout his recruitment. With Davis’ teammate, Channing Goodwin, set to visit this upcoming weekend, Davis could easily opt to join him in making the journey up from Charlotte.