The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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JANUARY 2021 THE WOLVERINE 35 MICHIGAN RECRUITING Michigan ranks 11th in the Rivals.com national team recruit- ing rankings coming out of the early signing period, but the Wolverines are not done quite yet. Michigan still has a handful of available scholarships remain- ing, with a couple of big targets left on its recruiting board. For the Wolverines, the late period push will start up front, where the team is in need of a defensive tackle. Of the early defensive line signees, only Monmouth (N.J.) Mater Dei Prep's Dominick Giudice projects as a three- technique tackle. However, the two-star Giudice is the lowest-ranked prospect in the class and more of a player that will contribute in year four or five with the program. In order to compete at an elite level, U-M needs top-level prospects in the trenches. The Wolverines accomplished that along the offensive line — where the squad inked a quartet of four stars — but not necessarily along the defensive line. Three-star Mansfield (Mass.) High's TJ Guy has upside and four-star Suffield (Conn.) Academy's Kechaun Bennett is a borderline top-250 recruit — but that's not enough. Michigan lost four-star Scottsdale (Ariz.) Saguaro defensive end Quintin Somer- ville on signing day, and it's clear defen- sive line coach Shaun Nua needs to step up. After all, of the three defensive linemen that the Wolverines signed during the early period, Nua was the primary recruiter only for Giudice. Nua has played an integral role in the recruitment of four-star Oak Park (Mich.) High defensive tackle Rayshaun Benny, the No. 97-ranked overall prospect in the country, and flipping him from rival Michigan State before the traditional signing day comes in February is a top priority. The Wolverines were considered the favorite for Benny before things started to crumble for U-M this fall. With stability ques- tion marks surrounding Jim Harbaugh's coaching staff and a terrible year on the field, Benny decided to give a verbal pledge to new Michigan State head coach Mel Tucker in November. However, it appears Benny is having some second thoughts. The Rivals100 prospect did not sign with MSU during the early period and is the top overall target on U-M's board heading into the final push for recruits in the 2021 class. Relationships are already strong in this recruitment. Along with Nua, everybody from Harbaugh to area recruiter Sherrone Moore to director of recruiting Matty Dudek has been heavily involved. Flipping a recruit late is tough, but getting Benny is definitely realistic. Again, he was very high on the Wolverines early on, plus the way Michigan kept in-state prospects like three-star wideout Andrel Anthony and four-star offensive lineman Raheem An- derson, and made a splash with the signature of Rivals100 running back Donovan Edwards will only help. Benny isn't the only defensive tackle still on the board. The Wolverines are also pushing hard for Rivals250 Jersey City (N.J.) St. Peter's Prep defensive tackle George Rooks, the No. 225-ranked over- all prospect nationally. Rooks has been one of the most dif- ficult recruits to read. He has continually pushed back his decision every month since August. He was even scheduled to announce in the early signing period, but opted not to do so. Had Rooks committed when initially scheduled, Michigan would have likely been the pick. He visited U-M more than any other school before the dead period and also returned to Ann Arbor for a self- guided tour just before the season. Rooks also has a connection to the university through his sister, Taylor, who played bas- ketball for the Wolverines as a graduate transfer in 2018-19. Still, Michigan has faded over the last several months. Boston College rose to the top of the list just before the early signing period. Now, Penn State appears to have momentum. The fact is, no one really knows with Rooks. He is prone to change his mind fre- quently, and Michigan will look to make a move. While defensive tackle is a priority, U-M will also look to add another cornerback. The Wolverines signed just one prospect at the position in three-star Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas product Ja'Den McBurrows. U-M's corners struggled on the field this year, and there is an opportunity for early playing time. That's something the Wolverines have sold to Los Angeles Loyola cornerback Ceyair Wright, the No. 102-ranked overall prospect in the country. Wright made a self-guided visit to Ann Arbor in November for the big visit weekend and really enjoyed hanging out with Michigan's class. U-M is a dark horse in his recruitment, but they appear to be running behind hometown USC and Notre Dame, which also received a recent visit. It's clear Wright is the No. 1 cornerback on the board, but the Wolverines could make a run at Minnesota commit Avante Dickerson, who was a top target for U-M earlier in the cycle. The four-star Dickerson, the No. 232-ranked overall prospect nation- ally, did not sign with the Gophers in December. Of course, Michigan will also evaluate the transfer portal as it continues to explore all options to beef up its roster. — EJ Holland The names are less notable on the defensive side of the ball, but U-M inked plenty of talent there, too, with Brentwood (Tenn.) Ravenwood four- star linebacker Junior Colson being the gem of the group. "He's one of those linebackers that can cover, come downhill in the gap, rush the quarterback extremely well and has high energy pursuing the foot- ball," Harbaugh said. "He's never out of a play. "One of the real things about a line- backer I love is showing up in the pic- ture when you look at film. You always see Junior running, and he's got really great size, too. He's 6-2, 230 [pounds], makes tackles for loss, sacks, is always near the football, covering the ball or causing fumbles." — Clayton Sayfie What's Left In The 2021 Recruiting Class Four-star defensive tackle Rayshaun Benny of Oak Park (Mich.) High is the top overall target on Michigan's recruiting board heading into the traditional National Signing Day in February. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM