Friday turned into one hell of a day for Michigan football on the recruiting trail as the Wolverines flipped not just one, but two commitments in the 2025 class.
Benny Patterson, a three-star defensive lineman who is one of the fastest-rising prospects in the 2025 class, flipped his commitment from Cincinnati to U-M.
Yet, there was even bigger news on Friday night as Shamari Earls, a 6-foot-2 cornerback out of Virginia ranked 87th overall, flipped from Georgia to Michigan football in a massive win for the Wolverines.
BREAKING: Elite 2025 CB Shamari Earls has Flipped his Commitment from Georgia to Michigan, he tells me for @on3recruits
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) November 2, 2024
The 6’2 205 CB from Chester, VA had been Committed to the Bulldogs since July
“Trusted in the Man above & finally found home. Go Blue!”… pic.twitter.com/pogj0b9g6B
NIL probably played a role but Will Johnson is heading to the NFL draft after this season and Michigan football has surely been selling Earls on the chance to be his repacelment and I believe he can be. Remeber, Will took some time to get ready as a freshman, but Earls is as important as any commitment in the 2025 class so far.
Key Michigan football players will miss Oregon game
Speaking of Will Johnson, the former five-star cornerback will be out on Saturday against top-ranked Oregon. Johnson has been dealing with injuries since the USC game, but Sherrone Moore did say he expects Johnson back -- maybe after the bye week. Matt Zenitz of 247 Sports was the first to report that Johnson would miss the game on Friday.
Zenitz also reported on Saturday that defensive lineman Rayshaun Benny, a key backup at defensive tackle for Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant and a starter in the 3-4 defense will also be out. That's a big blow because the defensive line is one of Michigan's only advantages in this game against No. 1 Oregon and the Wolverines just lost one of their top players on that unit.