National Signing Day Central: Live Michigan Recruiting Updates
National Signing Day is officially here. We will be updating this thread all day with recruits that sign with Michigan football as well as the latest news and more.
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Live Updates
5:32 PM EST: Michigan’s class is finished for the Early Signing Period, with 23 players inked to the Maize and Blue.
5:18 PM EST: Defensive lineman Derrick Moore from St. Frances Academy (MD.), who committed earlier Wednesday afternoon, was announced just after 5:15 p.m. local time. One commitment remains to be announced in Belleville LB Aaron Alexander.
Moore is an intriguing late addition that could fill multiple roles for the Wolverines. Right now, Moore is a bit of a tweener. In one scenario, he could add weight and be an athletic three-technique. In another scenario, Michigan could keep him at around what he’s at right now and use him as an edge rusher. While he doesn’t have ideal length there, he is very comfortable getting after quarterbacks. Either way, Moore is a high-end prospect that Michigan will figure out what to do with.
5:03 PM EST: Defensive back Will Johnson out of Grosse Pointe South (Mich.), the highest-rated commit in class, was announced by Michigan late in the afternoon.
The crown jewel of Michigan’s 2022 recruiting class, Johnson is a five-star prospect that checks a ton of boxes. At 6-foot-3, 195 pounds, Johnson has the height, length, athleticism, physicality, ball instincts and technique you want in a lockdown corner. Johnson is more than capable of taking away his entire side of the field. Johnson also has experience playing safety and is a guy that can play multiple spots early in his career. He should get on the field as a true freshman. The biggest question mark with Johnson is his speed, but I’m not very concerned. He’s plenty fast for his size.
4:54 PM EST: The Wolverines got a commitment from On300 WR Darrius Clemons earlier in the afternoon and Michigan announced his signature just before 5 p.m. local time.
It’s hard to find 6-foot-3, 205 pound outside wide receivers with 4.37 speed. It’s even harder to find them at the high school level. Michigan is getting a special athlete in Clemons, who should be able to make an early impact in Ann Arbor. That size on the outside is something Michigan is lacking. Clemons has the ability to be a great red zone threat as well as stretch the field. The Wolverines did a terrific job of getting back in this race and eventually winning him over. He is one of the best signees of the class.
4:28 PM EST: Michigan defensive line commit Kenneth Grant (Merrillville, Ind.) is now official.
A mammoth 340-pounder, Grant is exactly what Michigan needed as a nose. Grant is powerful in the middle of the defense and is a terrific run stuffer. But he’s more than just that. Grant is a dancing bear in the sense that he has extremely quick feet and has experience playing all over the defensive line. He has killer spin and swim moves and consistently got after quarterbacks as a senior. Once one of the most underrated prospects in the country, Grant made a big jump in the rankings. And rightfully so. He’s a huge land.
3:30 PM EST: Michigan has landed a commitment from 2022 St. Frances Academy (MD.) four-star edge rusher Derrick Moore
3:24 PM EST: Michigan’s signature from quarterback commit Jayden Denegal is now official.
Denegal committed to Michigan with no other viable P5 offers. However, he does have a big arm and is gradually getting better under the tutelage of quarterback guru Danny Hernandez, who trained Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young. Denegal needs to keep working on his touch and accuracy, but again, the arm strength is there. Denegal is also capable of making plays with his legs and is a load to tackle when coming downhill. I would project him as a serviceable backup that can grow into a late career starter.
Wolverine TV: Breaking down Moore’s decision to commit to Michigan
3:08 PM EST: Three-star Walled Lake Western ATH Koen Entringer has committed to Iowa over Michigan, Wisconsin and Boston College
3:00 PM EST: Michigan has landed a commitment from 2022 Westview four-star WR Darrius Clemons
Wolverine TV: Breaking down Clemons’ decision to commit to Michigan
1:24 PM EST: Despite announcing earlier in the week that he will wait until February to sign, Madison (Ala.) Academy three-star linebacker Deuce Spurlock has signed with the Maize and Blue.
Spurlock is the lowest rated commit in Michigan’s class but will almost certainly outplay his ranking. He is built like a tank, especially in his lower half and is extremely physical. At 6-foot-2, 225 pounds, Spurlock is also athletic and at his best playing sideline-to-sideline. He looked very comfortable in pass coverage when I saw him in-game and also made some plays on the offensive side of the ball as an H-Back. Spurlock’s ceiling is extremely high, which is why some other big name programs made late runs.
1:20 PM EST: Germantown (Tenn.) High four-star Michigan defensive back commit Kody Jones has signed with Michigan.
12: 41 PM EST: Jones is sticking with the Wolverines. He had three hats — U-M, Tennessee and Illinois — on the table during his ceremony but reaffirmed his pledge and will send in his Letter of Intent.
12:34 PM EST: After flipping his commitment from Virginia Tech to Michigan earlier in the day, four-star quarterback/athlete Alex Orji has signed with Michigan.
12:30 PM EST: TheWolverine.com team is LIVE on YouTube for the next hour, discussing the day so far and taking questions from Michigan fans! Watch below.
11:23 AM EST: After announcing his flip from Notre Dame to Michigan, four-star wide receiver Amorion Walker has officially signed with Michign
11:04 AM EST: Four-star tight end Colston Loveland has signed with Michigan
Loveland is one of the more underrated recruits in the class. Michigan tight ends coach Jay Harbaugh did an excellent job of identifying him fairly early and making him a top prospect. I went all the way out to Idaho in the fall and came away extremely impressed. Loveland is an excellent pass catcher that has experience playing the Y as well as an H-Back role. He is a very willing blocker that lives in the weight room. His frame/strength is extremely impressive considering a lack of facilities in Idaho. Loveland can be the next great tight end at Michigan.
11:03 AM EST: Four-star quarterback/athlete Alex Orji has committed to Michigan, flipping from Virginia Tech.
A big dual-threat quarterback, Orji is one of the more intriguing takes this cycle. Like Jayden Denegal, Orji still needs to improve on his accuracy, but he has the arm strength and is a better athlete than his counterpart. Orji could eventually grow into a dangerous signal-caller. The potential is certainly there. However, his best projection might be on the defensive side of the ball. Orji is build extremely well and could be a bigger safety, linebacker or edge rusher. Both of his brothers actually plays linebacker at Vanderbily.
10:51 AM EST: Four-star defensive back Keon Sabb has committed and signed with Michigan over Georgia and Ohio State
Sabb is a big safety that could eventually play a hybrid linebacker role. Either way, Sabb is a freak athlete and one of the best lands for Michigan this cycle. Sabb can play deep safety and uses his length and size to be an enforcer on the back end. He is very comfortable in the box and loves to hit. I first saw Sabb live in 7v7 as a sophomore and immediately fell in love with his ability. Michigan essentially flipped him from Clemson, making this one arguably the most impressive of them all.
10:41 AM EST: Four-star Servite (CA.) defensive lineman Mason Graham has signed with Michigan
Graham was one of the most productive defensive linemen in the country this season in arguably the toughest high school lead in America. While you can argue that his ceiling is limited, I’ll take what Graham is right now all day. And that’s a dominant force in the trenches. Graham is a monster three-technique that wrecks havoc in opposing backfield. Despite limited length, Graham is a high level pass rusher from the three. Like Grant, he has an arsenal of spin and swim moves and knows how to beat opposing offensive linemen with finesse. At the same time, he can use his power and strength to bully people.
10:40 AM EST: Four-star Cass Tech defensive lineman Deone Walker spurns Michigan to sign with Kentucky
10:27 AM EST: Four-star, top-100 defensive back Zeke Berry has signed with Michigan.
Berry is one of my favorite recruits in the class. A special athlete, Berry will fill the Dax Hill role at Michigan. He comes downhill in a hurry and loves to smack people. Berry is also a technician in the secondary with elite ball skills. A special athlete, Berry made several tackles, caught a touchdown and even threw a touchdown when I saw him live this fall. The On300 prospect was a huge rankings riser this fall, and it’s not hard to see why. He’s a stellar land for the Wolverines.
10:23 AM EST: Four-star Littleton (Colo.) Columbine offensive lineman Andrew Gentry, who originally signed with Virginia in the 2020 class before embarking on a two-year mission trip, has signed with the Wolverines. Gentry committed to Michigan last week and will join the team next summer.
10: 12 AM EST: Four-star Ponchatoula (LA.) wide receiver Amorion Walker has flipped from Notre Dame to Michigan
10:00 AM EST: Big hour ahead for Michigan. Keon Sabb, Amorion Walker and Alex Orji all making decisions within the next hour.
9:41 AM EST: Four-star Nazareth Academy (Ill.) wide reciever Tyler Morris signs with Michigan
People forget just how good Morris was before his injury. This is a kid that was considered a Top 100 recruit nationally across the board. When healthy, Morris is one of the best route runners in America. He understands how to create seperation and get open. He also has enough speed to get vertical. A former Junior Olympian. Morris is severely underrated as a pure athlete. Morris reminds me a lot of future first round NFL Draft pick Garrett Wilson. If he can make a full recovery, he will be a big impact player in Michigan’s offense.
9:23 AM EST: Four-star Austin (TX.) Westlake edge rusher Ethan Burke flips from Michigan to Texas.
9:06 AM EST: Three-star Palmer Ridge (CO.) offensive lineman Connor Jones signs with Michigan
Jones has a great frame at 6-foot-7, 280 pounds. He lives in the gym and will continue to progress physically at Michigan. Right now, Jones works closely with former NFL offensive lineman Matt McChesney and is far along from a technical standpoint. Jones isn’t super athletic, and I want to see more of him in pass sets. But he is an aggressive, physical run blocker that loves to put people in the dirt. Jones grew up a fan of Michigan and bleeds maize and blue. He will be one of the hardest workers in the class.
9:00 AM EST – Three-star Ravenwood cornerback Myles Pollard signs with Michigan
Pollard is your typical tall, long corner. While he lacks verified speed, Pollard makes up for it by frustrating opposing wide receivers with his aforementioned length. He plays with a ton of physicality when jamming and is also known for laying some big hits. All of this is coming without a college ready frame. Pollard is still skinny in both halves and needs to add weight/strength. He reminds me of Michigan cornerback Gemon Green as a recruit. Pollard also has the potential to play safety early on in his career.
8:24 AM EST – Four-star Marist (Ill.) LB Jimmy Rolder signs with Michigan
A former Illinois baseball commit, Rolder is one of the true steals of this recruiting cycle. Rolder did not start playing football full-time until the spring and has blossomed into one of the best at his position nationally. The Chicago native is your typical Big Ten inside backer at 6-foot-3, 225 pounds. He controls the middle and loves to come downhill and smack people. He was a tackling machine as a senior. With that said, Rolder is also athletic enough to play in space. He could be an early contributor in Ann Arbor.
8:06 AM EST – Three-star Bartram Trail (FL.) LB Micah Pollard signs with Michigan
Pollard is a bit of a tweener. Michigan took him as an edge rusher, but he could end up in more of a traditional linebacker role once he adds weight to his frame. Pollard played his senior year around 208 pounds, so that will be a big point of emphasis once he arrives on campus. Pollard does play with great technique thanks to the coaching he’s received at Jacksonville powerhouse Bartram Trail. He also happens to be the nephew of former Michigan star Braylon Edwards. Like many prospects in this class, Pollard is a high ceiling take.
7:51 AM EST – Three-star Terry Parker (FL.) DB Damani Dent signs with Michigan
Outside of Aaron Alexander, Dent might be the most raw prospect in this class. However, his ceiling is sky high. Dent is extremely physical when playing in the box, but he also has a knack for making plays on the ball and creating turnovers. Dent may still need to add some weight, but he’s definitely a striker as a deep safety. Dent can move around in the secondary, though, and reminds me of Michigan freshman Rod Moore.
7:40 AM EST – Three-star Hammond School (SC.) RB CJ Stokes signs with Michigan
Stokes is a prospect that Michigan running backs coach Mike Hart identified early and made a serious push for. While he’s on the shorter side, Stokes has a really stocky build in both his upper and lower halves. He has the ability to play on all three downs and be a quality complement to Donovan Edwards in the future. Stokes needs to keep working on his vision. While not amazing at any one specific thing, Stokes has adequate power, speed, elusiveness and receiving abilities. Hart should be able to get the most out of Stokes in Ann Arbor.
7:18 AM EST – Four-star Rabun Gap-Nacocoochee (GA.) TE Marlin Klein signs with Michigan
Klein started his high school career out as a wide receiver. Right now, he is more of a flex end than anything. He is comfortable lining up wide and running routes. He has really good speed for his size and has no issues getting in and out of breaks. Klein is continuing to shape his body and learn the intricacies of playing tight end from the in-line spot. He did, however, take a big step in that regard as a senior. Remember, Klein is originally from Germany and has only been playing tight end for a couple of years. He has a really high ceiling.
7:11 AM EST – The Loomis Chaffe School (CT.) OT Alessandro Lorenzetti signs with Michigan
Lorenzetti is a bit of a mystery in this class. I did not get to see him live as he suffered a shoulder injury as a senior. Lorenzetti did impress the Michigan staff at a camp this summer, and he has the flexibility to play right tackle or guard at the next level. Lorenzetti is originally from Canada but has really progressed as a prospect since enrolling at boarding school in the Northeast. He’s a big, strong kid that will be developed under Sherrone Moore.
Get ready for National Signing Day:
Best Case, Worst Case Scenarios For Michigan On Early Signing Day
