Official visit season is soon upon us, with top prospects able to set up official visits beginning in June. Michigan is battling for the #1 overall class, and will attempt to add to its strong start this upcoming month. We take a look at eleven prospects who could easily join the fold.
The Michigan Wolverines have been on a recruiting tear throughout the spring, landing a handful of impact commitments, and positioning themselves very well for a significant summer as well. We break down a handful of names and prospects that could potentially pull the trigger and commit to Michigan football following upcoming official visits this month.
CB Aaron Scott (Springfield, OH)
There may not be a bigger target left on Michigan’s board than the top-rated player in the state of Ohio, Aaron Scott.
Raiding the state of its top overall prospect would cause concern for many Ohio State fans over the program’s future as Michigan football has seemingly asserted itself atop the Big Ten these days, and a Scott commitment to Michigan would show that it extends into recruiting as well.
Scott is currently ranked as the 36th overall prospect in the class of 2024 on 247Sports, just a few precious spots away from five-star status. Michigan is battling Oregon as well as Ohio State here, as Scott actually grew up rooting for the Ducks, and is not a lifelong Ohio resident, giving Michigan a bit of an advantage here.
With an anticipated commitment coming sometime this Summer, the Wolverines staff will almost certainly be pushing to get Scott on campus for another visit, either official or unofficial, before that decision is made. There has been significant buzz that Michigan football may lead in this one, but it’ll be one that the Wolverines need to remain highly diligent in nonetheless.
LB Jeremiah Beasley (Belleville, MI)
The Wolverines have not had much success with Belleville High School as of late, but that seems to be changing as Michigan football has been pushing hard for Beasley, as well as Belleville’s star quarterback, Bryce Underwood in the 2025 Class.
With linebackers coach Chris Partridge and wide receivers coach Ron Bellamy leading the charge here, Michigan figures to be in great shape for the in-state prospect. A handful of 247Sports Crystal Ball projections have flooded in over the past month or two, all in favor of the Wolverines as far as recent predictions go.
Beasley is rumored to be either at or near the top of Michigan’s linebacker recruiting board, thanks to his elite athleticism and running back background (which is a notable factor for Partridge when evaluating and projecting linebackers at the next level).
At 6-1, 210 pounds, Beasley brings the speed and explosiveness needed to be a three-down linebacker in modern football. He would be a terrific schematic piece (WILL) to pair alongside Michigan’s current room of Cole Sullivan (SAM), Zach Ludwig (MIKE), and potentially Aaron Chiles (MIKE or SAM) as well.
Beasley currently has a commitment date set for June 29th at the end of this upcoming month and has additional visits scheduled for Michigan State (June 2nd), Illinois (June 9th), Michigan (June 16th), and Missouri (June 23rd). Look for Michigan to strike a win here with the in-state prospect.
WR Gaitlin Bair (Burley, ID)
With ace recruiter Jay Harbaugh leading the charge on a top Idaho prospect, this one feels quite familiar to the Wolverines’ pursuit of tight end Colston Loveland, whom Bair’s high school coach, Cameron Anderson, actually coached at Gooding High School. Bair is a track star as well, putting up some elite times in track meets on a regular basis.
Bair recently named a top five, and it included the Wolverines, along with Nebraska, Oregon, Boise State, and TCU. Oregon sticks out as the biggest threat to the bunch, though Nebraska’s head coach Matt Rhule is certainly giving this one his best effort and is a strong recruiter himself.
Bair is expected to visit Michigan football on the weekend of June 23rd. Bair is an elite prospect nationally, ranked as the ninth-best wide receiver in the nation according to 247Sports.
LB Aaron Chiles (Olney, MD)
Chiles has been a prospect heavily connected to Michigan football since the Wolverines crushed it on his earlier visits. An enticing middle linebacker prospect with the requisite size (6-3, 220 pounds) and athleticism to become an All-Big Ten stud, Michigan has been steadily trending here, with reports even that Chiles was ready to commit to the Wolverines on his previous visit, but his parents encouraged him to be patient.
However, after spending a few months thinking through the decision, and setting up a couple of official visits, such as one to Florida, Chiles still appears to have Michigan atop his recruitment, with the Wolverines set to receive his final official visit on June 23rd
. A commitment (or announcement of a commitment date) fresh off his official visit would not come as any surprise at this point, as Michigan linebackers coach Chris Partridge has done a phenomenal job keeping Michigan on top here.
EDGE Jacob Smith (Chesire, CT)
Brother of a current Michigan commitment, DT Jerod Smith, Jacob Smith seems like a solid bet to land with the Wolverines as well, though the brothers have been clear that they are not necessarily a package duo.
However, Michigan football will get first crack at impressing Jacob Smith during the official visit in June, as he is set to visit for the first weekend available that month, according to 247Sports’ Brian Dohn, with his brother Jerrod joining him.
Following that visit, Smith is also lined up with visits to Nebraska and Kentucky, though Michigan is a clear tier above either program at the moment. And with his brother in the fold at Michigan, along with their excellent track record of developing quality pass rushers under Jim Harbaugh, this is a very winnable recruitment for the Wolverines.
If the 6-4, 230-pound pass rusher’s visit goes well at the start of June, his committing and canceling the remaining visits would not be much of a shock. Michigan football is sitting pretty in this recruitment no doubt.
CB Ondre Evans (Nashville, TN)
A four-star cornerback on the 247Sports Composite Rankings, Evans recently scheduled an official visit for the weekend of June 9th per The Michigan Insider’s Brice Marich. Evans is a talented prospect in the secondary, with offers from a handful of Power 5 suitors such as Ole Miss, Virginia Tech, Missouri, Louisville, Illinois, Duke, Tennessee, Arkansas, and North Carolina State.
Evans also just recently visited Michigan football unofficially, and seems to be gaining some steam here. NC State appears to be Michigan’s chief competition here, with a June 23rd official visit set up for Evans to visit the Wolfpack.
Michigan’s top target at cornerback this cycle is Ohio’s Aaron Scott, but Evans fills out a very promising group of additional prospects the Wolverines would also love to add to the mix, looking to take a couple of defensive backs, with some, such as current commitment Jacob Oden, being versatile prospects who could play cornerback, nickel, or safety as needed.
EDGE Dominic Nichols (Ijamsville, MD)
Another longer edge rusher coming in at 6-4, 250 pounds or so right now. Nichols ranks as a four-star prospect on the 247Sports Composite, the 13th-ranked player in Maryland. Like Smith, Nichols is also set to officially visit early in June, the weekend after Smith, however, June 9th. Nichols has a trip to Wisconsin scheduled for the week prior, though if recent Crystal Ball predictions serve as an indicator, Michigan football is likely in the lead here, with The Michigan Insider’s Steve Lorenz laying down a prediction.
The Wolverines are battling Wisconsin and likely Kentucky and Penn State here, though Nichols has a fairly significant offer list which includes the defending national champs down in Georgia. A promising player with quality bend and first-step, Nichols would fill a need in Ann Arbor for pressure coming off the edge.
OT Bennett Warren (Sugar Land, TX)
A towering offensive tackle prospect at 6-7, 315 pounds, there was some buzz that Warren was about ready to pull the trigger on a commitment to Michigan coming off of his previous visit, but held off. Michigan football will get another opportunity to wow the Texas prospect again this summer, with Warren scheduling an official visit for June 9th.
And while going first is not often ideal, in Warren’s case it may be helpful, as the Wolverines already have five offensive line commits, leading to a little bit of pressure for Warren to claim his place in the class quickly, or risk losing it to another prospect, such as fellow Texas tackle Michael Uini or Max Anderson.
Following his visit to Michigan the second weekend in June, Warren is set to visit Oklahoma and Oregon, two programs that have done a quality job producing some NFL offensive linemen in recent years. Michigan clearly has competition here but seems to be in great shape in adding a sixth offensive lineman to their class.
EDGE Darien Mayo (Olney, MD)
Teammate of the aforementioned Aaron Chiles, Mayo is a very high upside prospect, with elite size (6-7, 250 pounds) and power to his game, along with quality burst.
Mayo will be joining his teammate in Ann Arbor later in June, the 23rd to be exact, and represents another visit where Michigan football gets the final crack before the August dead period when a lot of prospects try and commit by.
Mayo will not, however, be an easy win, as the Wolverines do have some stiffer competition for the talented Maryland pass rusher, with Clemson (June 2nd) and Ohio State (June 9th) also set to receive official visits.
Again though, Michigan gets the final visit, and that tends to be a very good spot to be in provided a prospect is patient with the process and is not rushing to commit on one of their earlier official visits. Michigan is in decent standing with Mayo and is well positioned to capitalize if Mayo is looking to make a decision prior to his senior season of high school football.
DT Deyvid Palepale (Landisville, PA)
Cousin of Detroit Lions starting right tackle Penei Sewell, Palepale is quite the football player himself. While criminally underrated on the 247Sports Composite as the 735th-best prospect in the nation, that has not stopped some major programs like Michigan, Penn State, and Miami from pursuing the 290-pound defensive tackle. He also has interest from Notre Dame, Ohio State, and USC, though the latter two do not possess much in terms of their defensive acumen. Rest assured, however, Palepale will certainly be moving up the rankings.
Palepale recently set up an official visit to Michigan football for the weekend of June 9th and then follows that up with an official to Penn State. The Miami Hurricanes loom somewhat large in this recruitment, as he recently took an unofficial visit there, and has another visit coming up in June for an official, and not to mention the recruiting prowess of Miami’s defensive line coach, Joe Salave’a. If Michigan can make a strong enough move on the early June visit, this remains a very winnable recruitment for the Wolverines.
DT Jordan Thomas (Ramsey, NJ)
Thomas was a prospect we mentioned could receive further interest in once Michigan hired former New Jersey high school football coach Chris Partridge back to their staff this offseason, and that prediction has certainly come true. A big, burly interior defender at 6-5, 295 pounds, Thomas would have the ability to play either the 3-technique or add some more weight and play nose tackle in Jesse Minter’s defense.
Michigan faces some significant competition here, as the Georgia Bulldogs are also interested in Thomas, and seem to be getting just about anyone they want right now on the trail. Georgia is set to host Thomas on an official visit on June 9th, though Michigan is right on deck with a June 16th official visit scheduled per Dohn. He follows that one up with an official visit to South Carolina, which is aiming to sell some momentum off their 8-5 season last fall with Shane Beamer leading the charge.
While this one is no shoo-in, Michigan is certainly in the thick of it and is clearly prioritizing Thomas as one of their top options at defensive tackle. If the Wolverines can win this one, it would be a very impressive notch in Mike Elston’s belt.