Meet The Commits: An overview of Michigan's 2023 recruiting class
The Michigan Wolverines’ 2023 football recruiting class now has 13 pledges and is currently ranked as the No. 25 haul in the country. We’ve provided background info on each commit below (in chronological order from the newest pledge to the oldest) and will update as the cycle continues.
Washington (D.C.) Gonzaga OL Evan Link
Height: 6-6
Weight: 290
Quick Biography: Link surprised many when he picked Michigan over Penn State and Stanford this summer. After all, Link was considered a heavy Penn State lean for the majority of the cycle and canceled his June official visit to Michigan. However, Michigan quietly got Link on campus for the BBQ at The Big House and earned his commitment on the spot. Link may start in the interior early on in his collegiate career but projects as more of a true tackle. Link is the second highest ranked commit in U-M’s class. He checks in as the No. 11 tackle and No. 125 overall prospect nationally.
Paris, France EDGE Aymeric Koumba
Height: 6-4
Weight: 230
Quick Biography: Koumba camped in front of Michigan defensive line coach Mike Elston twice this summer and committed shortly after earning an offer. A three-star prospect, Koumba picked Michigan over offers from Colorado, Ole Miss, Vanderbilt and UConn. Koumba plays at the club level in France and helped lead his Paris Pionniers de Touraine team to a national title this season. Koumba works closely with former NFL player Brandon Collier of PPI Recruits. Elston and Collier have a strong relationship dating back to the former’s time at Notre Dame.
Colleyville (Texas) Covenant EDGE Enow Etta
Height: 6’5
Weight: 260
2021 Stats: 124 tackles, 41 tackles for loss, 22.5 sacks
Quick Biography: Michigan won this head-to-head recruiting battle over Michigan State. While the Spartans pitched NIL hard, Etta valued Michigan’s ability to develop players for the next level as well as its elite academics. A Top 150 prospect, Etta is the highest rated recruit in Michigan’s 2023 recruiting class. Etta has only been playing football for three years and has a tremendous ceiling.
Rancho Santa Margarita (Calif.) High EDGE Collins Acheampong
Height: 6’8
Weight: 254
Quick Biography: Acheampong committed to Michigan over Miami in a highly-contested recruiting battle. Miami made a huge NIL push, but at the end of the day, Acheampong sided with U-M’s transformational process. A native of Ghana, Acheampong originally moved to the United States to play basketball. He only has one year of football experience under his belt, making him a high upside take.
West Bloomfield (Mich.) High offensive lineman Amir Herring
Height: 6’3
Weight: 290
Quick Biography: Herring committed to Michigan over offers from Nebraska, Michigan State, Missouri, and others. There were some ups and down in this recruitment but Michigan cleared up any issues or discrepancies on his official visit. Herring is a big get for Michigan, not only for being an offensive lineman, but landing another elite in-state talent.
Warminster (Penn.) Archbishop Wood linebacker Semaj Bridgeman
Height: 6’1
Weight: 235
Quick Biography: Bridgeman picked the Wolverines over offers from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Michigan State, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas A&M and a number of other major programs. Bridgeman has an impressive build at 6-foot-1, 235 pounds (height isn’t concerning for inside backers) with long arms. He doesn’t look slow at his weight. In fact, Bridgeman moves well in space and shows adequate speed. Bridgeman possesses the traits necessary to excel in this scheme.
St. Louis (Mo.) Cardinal Ritter wide receiver Fredrick Moore
Height: 6’0
Weight: 180
2021 Stats: 41 receptions, 1,010 receiving yards, 12 receiving touchdowns
Quick Biography: Bridgeman picked the Wolverines over offers from Boston College, Illinois, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Texas A&M, West Virginia, Wisconsin and others. On film, Moore is a good pass catcher, does a good job of high pointing the ball, shows good speed, good route running ability and looks good in both the slot and the outside. Good, good, good. Moore is good at everything but not great at any one thing. He is a very solid, productive football player that put up more than 1,000 yards receiving last year and also made plays as a return man. Moore is a guy that can quietly string together very solid performances at the next level and be a contributor in the rotation.
Oswego (Ill.) High tight end Deakon Tonielli
Height: 6’5
Weight: 200
2021 Stats: 25 receptions, 440 receiving yards, 3 touchdowns
Quick Biography: Tonielli picked the Wolverines over offers from Cincinnati, Illinois, Iowa State, Michigan State, Minnesota, Tennessee and others. On the hoof, Toniellli is an impressive looking athlete. He is a legit 6-foot-5 and is definitely filling out well. While he’s listed at 200 pounds, Tonielli is heavier than that and has a good build in his upper and lower halves with room to add weight.
Kennesaw (Ga.) North Cobb running back Benjamin Hall
Height: 5’10
Weight: 227
2021 Stats: 95 carries, 543 rushing yards (5.7 ypc), 8 touchdowns
Quick Biography: Hall chose the Wolverines over offers from Boston College, Minnesota, NC State, Purdue, Virginia, Wisconsin and others. Hall is a well built back with a thick lower half. Hall had a lower production year in 2021 due to the passing game of his offense. His 2022 season is set up to be much higher production.
“They said I would most likely fill the shoes of (Hassan) Haskins in terms of my versatility as well as my size. Harbaugh thought very highly of Haskins, so he thought very highly of me as well,” Hall said.
Wilmette (Ill.) Loyola Academy defensive lineman Brooks Bahr
Height: 6’6
Weight: 265
2021 Stats: 46 total tackles, 8 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 9 QB hurries, 1 forced fumble
Quick Biography: Bahr picked the Wolverines over offers from Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Northwestern, Purdue, Vanderbilt, Wisconsin and others. Along with an athletic frame, Bahr already has plenty of power, and that will only get better once he gets into Michigan’s strength and conditioning program and adds the necessary weight. He’s a smart kid in the classroom, was a coach’s favorite and had a really fun personality.
Dexter (Mich.) High running back Cole Cabana
Height: 5’11
Weight: 170
2021 Stats: 1,688 rushing yards, 2,187 all-purpose yards and 28 total touchdowns
Quick Biography: Dexter (Mich.) High’s Cole Cabana is a speedy running back with a recorded 4.34 40-yard dash time to his name. Pairs elite high end speed with impressive acceleration and stop-start ability. Shows to be an effective pass-catcher and could even play some slot receiver if needed. Cabana landed an offer from Michigan in January after the staff visited Dexter and he quickly shut his recruitment down in early February to commit to the Wolverines, despite growing up a Michigan State fan. Cabana ranks as the No. 436 prospect and No. 32 running back in the country, as well as the No. 7 prospect out of Michigan in the On3 Consensus Rankings. He ranks as a three-star prospect in the On300.
West Bloomfield (MI.) wide receiver Semaj Morgan
Height: 5’9
Weight: 178lbs
2021 Stats: 61 receptions for 1,015 yards and 13 receiving touchdowns along with 10 kick returns for 291 yards and one touchdown in 13 games
Quick Biography: Morgan committed to Michigan on Dec. 1 over eleven offers, including Missouri, Ole Miss and Memphis. Morgan visited Michigan for multiple games in the 2021 season.
“Michigan has always been on top because they never disappoint me,” Morgan said. “Every time I’m there, I enjoy it. I have a strong bond with Coach Bell (Ron Bellamy) and Coach (Jim) Harbaugh, too. They try to create a bond with me.”
Morgan is not currently ranked by On3 or the On3 Consensus.
Ann Arbor (MI.) Huron kicker Adam Samaha
Height: 6’0
Weight: 170lbs
Quick Biography: The first member to join the 2023 class, Adam Samaha is ranked as the nation’s top kicking prospect by Kornblue Kicking. Michigan was the first and only school to extend an offer to Samaha. The Wolverines hosted him for an unofficial visit for the BBQ at The Big House and immediately became the frontrunners in his recruitment. Samaha gave the Wolverines a verbal pledge on Thanksgiving Day.
“Thanksgiving is a holiday, where you show thanks and gratitude for everything you have. It was a perfect time to commit to the University of Michigan,” Samaha said. “There are great things that come with the University of Michigan such as the great academics and the great football program.”
