The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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JUNE/JULY 2021 THE WOLVERINE 57 MICHIGAN RECRUITING At The Wolverine, we pride ourselves on hitting the recruit- ing trail and seeing prospects Michigan is recruiting live at games and various events. Over the month of April, I traveled across the country and got a look at several commits and targets. Here are the five best I saw: 5. LB Sebastian Cheeks, Evanston (Ill.) Township Cheeks, the No. 12 outside linebacker and No. 109 overall prospect nationally, doesn't fill up the stat sheet with a ton of tackles, but he has such an impact on game flow at the high school level. Evanston Township uses the Rivals250 prospect as an edge rusher, and opposing teams spend 95 percent of the time running away from him or reading him. Still, in the game I saw him in, he made a couple of nice backside plays and also recorded a sack for a safety. The 6-2, 210-pounder is a plus athlete as well. He looked comfortable in pass coverage and even had a few big runs while playing running back. Cheeks has a muscular build and plays physical, so I would love to see him as an inside backer at the next level. Michigan continues to be a strong contender here. 4. CB Domani Jackson, Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei A five-star prospect, Jackson is ranked as the No. 2 overall player in the country this cycle. The 6-1, 180-pounder cer- tainly showed glimpses of that ranking. He used his elite closing speed to break on balls in a hurry, had a couple of impressive pass breakups and also made plays on the offen- sive side of the ball at the Pylon 7v7 Las Vegas tournament. Jackson loves to get physical at corner, but sometimes that gets him in trouble. He looks like a really good corner, but I love him as a safety. Either way, he's a top-tier defensive back with versatility. Jackson is committed to USC, but Michigan is still trying to win him over. 3. ATH Kaleb Brown, Chicago St. Rita It was an easy day at the office for Brown when I saw him in-game last month. He racked up more than 150 yards of total offense and scored a touchdown on limited touches. The 5-11, 183-pounder's most impressive play came in the third quarter when he took a simple handoff and dashed 70 yards to the end zone. The nation's No. 4 athlete and No. 72 overall prospect is one of the most explosive and electric playmakers this cycle. He did most of his damage at running back but has the chance to be a lethal slot at the next level. He is the perfect model for Josh Gattis' speed in space concept. There is so much you can do with Brown, and he's extremely dangerous in the open field. Michigan is a top contender, but there is work to do. 2. LB Liona Lefau, Kahuku (Hawaii) High (2023) Lefau is certainly not a household name, but he had a coming out party at the Pylon 7v7 Las Vegas tournament last month. An unranked recruit in the 2023 class, the 6-1, 200-pounder was the most impressive player on the field in every game he took part in … as a linebacker. Lefau flew to the football, recorded several stops, notched a few interceptions and made play after play on the of- fensive side of the ball at receiver. Lefau led his team to the tournament championship and was named the game's MVP. Following the event, Lefau has added offers from Arizona State, Oregon and Washington. Michigan offered early and is making him a priority. 1. CB Will Johnson, Grosse Pointe (Mich.) South A five-star Michigan commit, Johnson flew out to Las Vegas for the Pylon 7v7 tournament and completely shut things down. In five games, the No. 4 cornerback and No. 13 overall prospect nationally allowed just one reception. He was almost never targeted throughout the event and overwhelmed opposing wide receivers with his length and physicality when playing press man. But the 6-2, 182-pounder didn't just rely on that. He also displayed excellent technique and patience. Simply put, Johnson is everything you want in an outside corner. He excels on an island and will have every oppor- tunity in the world to play as a true freshman in Ann Arbor. — EJ Holland Five-star Michigan commit Will Johnson shut opponents down at the Pylon 7v7 tournament in Las Vegas, allowing just one reception in five games. PHOTO BY EJ HOLLAND The Five Best Recruits The Wolverine Saw On The Road In April