The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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OCTOBER 2021 THE WOLVERINE 47 FOOTBALL RECRUITING considered the NFL's loudest stadium. "I'm a Seattle Seahawks fan, and it's a bit louder at the Seahawks' stadium, but as far as the energy and the fans, it was just jumping — from kickoff to the end of the game," he said. "I thought it was re- ally cool. I'm glad we came out to The Big House. With the maize out and energy, it was impressive." The weekend also gave commits and their parents a chance to come closer together. This class is a little spread out since the Wolverines hold verbal pledges from all over the country. The parents en- joyed a tailgate with parents of current players before the game, while the com- mits themselves hung out at the facilities. Overall, this weekend helped make sure Michigan's 2022 recruiting class is locked in moving forward. "Every time that we are at Michigan, it reinforces that Tyler made the right choice by committing to U-M," said Shirley Morris, mother of Rivals250 U-M wide receiver commit Tyler Morris. "We were able to tailgate with the parents of the current players, and we loved the fam- ily atmosphere. "This was our first time being in The Big House for a game, and it was unbe- lievable. The 9/11 tribute, the jet flyover, the entire maize stadium was something you cannot prepare yourself for. The fans were incredible and being a part of that experience was amazing. Not to mention, I loved watching the players' interactions because they were having such a good time. We're looking forward to getting back up there for another game soon." Travis Jones, father of three-star Mich- igan offensive line commit Connor Jones, shared similar sentiments. "It was awesome," Travis Jones said. "The environment was absolutely elec- tric. Every time we're in Ann Arbor, it's a great experience and the people are awe- some. It was great to see the coaches and staff again. We're definitely solid with Connor's decision and super happy." Added Greg Pollard, father of four-star Michigan cornerback commit Myles Pol- lard: "The weekend was awesome. We got a good feel for the game day flow and how the team prepares. The family tail- gate area was really cool, but the game was everything. Watching 108,000 fans cheer on the team when they ran out of the tun- nel was unbelievable. I loved the way the defense played — fast and unpredictable with a lot of defensive backs in rotation." While Morris, Jones and Pollard have been considered some of the most solid commits in the class, there have been a few question marks about four-star de- fensive back commit Kody Jones, who made visits to Illinois and Tennessee, and earned an offer from Florida this summer. However, Jones and his family have now been to Michigan three times over the last four months, and the Washington week- end visit blew away his father, Keith. "We had a great time in Ann Arbor," Keith Jones said. "We arrived Saturday morning, and it was on from there. The tailgating was off the chain. There were so many people out there partying, cook- ing, eating, playing games and just having a good time all wearing the same color — maize. "Also, the Michigan staff was very wel- coming and inviting. Once we got inside the stadium and walked around the field, it was amazing. There were so many fans yelling and calling the kids' names. The pregame was electric and unbelievable. It never died throughout the game. We had a fantastic time in Ann Arbor." The big visit weekend wasn't just about the 2022 recruiting class. Michigan also hosted a number of elite-level under- classmen, including 2023 Rivals100 quar- terback Dante Moore, the No. 35 overall prospect nationally. An in-state prospect and arguably the most important recruit on Michigan's board for next cycle, Moore is a true must-land. He took in the game with his father, Otha, who was impressed with the team's performance as well as the game- day atmosphere. "It was an electrifying atmosphere," Otha Moore said. "More games should be played at night. I wanted to see more of the offense, but the offensive line carried the run game. That Blake Corum kid is fast." Offensive lineman Amir Herring, the No. 249 overall prospect nationally, was another highly touted in-state 2023 re- cruit on campus that weekend. U-M is considered the early favorite, and his mother, Chris, gave their visit high marks. "It was an awesome experience," Chris Herring said. "Just getting to be back in an environment with fans and seeing how the stadium was erupting with excite- ment was just an awesome experience. Michigan has a family environment. They always make you feel very comfortable when you're on campus. The pregame, the game and talking to the coaches after the game, it's everything." Michigan also made a splash with par- ents of top out-of-region underclassmen. Rivals100 Many (La.) High linebacker Tackett Curtis — the No. 42 overall pros- pect nationally — has now been on cam- pus twice over the last four months, and his father, Jess, loved every minute of it. "We had a great visit," Jess Curtis said. "It was great for Tackett to spend time with Coach Mac [defensive coordina- tor Mike Macdonald] and [linebackers] Coach [George] Helow. Coach Harbaugh was great to the family as well. To cap it off with a great game-day atmosphere was pretty cool stuff." Harbaugh always preaches family dur- ing the recruiting process. And nothing exemplified that more than the big visit weekend. The next step for the staff is closing with recruits and making sure the Michigan family grows with some tal- ented members. ❏ On The Web For regular reports on Michigan football recruiting plus videos of U-M commitments and targets visit TheWolverine.com. Offensive tackle target Josh Conerly, the nation's No. 47 overall prospect in the class of 2022, and his father "felt the love" and enjoyed their time in Ann Arbor. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN