The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1438965
50 THE WOLVERINE JANUARY 2022 MICHIGAN RECRUITING MICHIGAN'S EARLY SIGNEES LISTED AS A TOP-10 GROUP Michigan currently boasts a 23-man class, with 23 of their 24 commits — all except four-star edge rusher Kevonte Henry — making it official on National Signing Day Dec. 15. After picking up five commitments on NSD alone, Michigan now ranks as the No. 8 recruiting class in the country per the On3 Consensus team rankings. The Wolverines are listed with the No. 3 class in the Big Ten, behind No. 4 Ohio State and No. 7 Penn State. Michigan's No. 8 class would mark its highest finish in the consensus rank- ings since 2019, when the Wolverines finished with the No. 7 group. Per the On3 Consensus, which evenly weighs all four major outlets in the in- dustry, Michigan garnered signatures from one five-star in Grosse Pointe (Mich.) South cornerback Will Johnson, 14 four-stars, six three-stars and two without consensus rankings (offensive linemen Andrew Gentry and Alessandro Lorenzetti). Three signees rank within the top 100 — Johnson (No. 23), Baltimore St. Frances Academy defensive end Derrick Moore (No. 87) and Portland Westview wide receiver Darrius Clemons (No. 98). The Wolverines have a chance to add another five-star and climb even higher in the class rankings with elite Seat- tle Rainier Beach offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr. not signing until February. The No. 22 prospect in 2022 per the On3 Consensus is deciding between Michi- gan, USC, Washington and Oregon. U-M was one of just 14 schools to sign a five-star recruit in the 2022 cycle. Of the programs ranked ahead of Michigan, only two (Notre Dame and Ohio State), had less signees than the Wolverines. Michi- gan had a 70 percent blue-chip rate — the program's best since 87 percent in 2017 — with a class score of 90.98 per On3. In addition to the high school signees, Michigan flipped offensive tackle An- drew Gentry, who originally signed with Virginia in the 2020 class and was rated a top-150 prospect nationally by all three major outlets. He is a member of the Latter-Day Saints church and spent the past year-plus on a mission, but flipped his pledge after Bronco Men- denhall's sudden resignation as head coach of the Cavaliers. Michigan still has space to add two or three more to the class, and they could be high school recruits or prospects out of the transfer portal. The Wolverines will likely hold a spot for Conerly, in case he chooses to commit to Michigan, and could look to add another offensive skill player, an edge rusher and/or an offensive lineman to close out the class. — Tim Verghese REPORT CARD: HOW MICHIGAN FILLED ITS NEEDS Twenty-three players inked Letters of Intent with Michigan Dec. 15. Here's an evaluation of how the new members of the program fill the team's needs. Note that all star rankings are from On3 unless otherwise indicated, and an asterisk (*) indicates a player who is not expected to return for next season despite remaining eligibility. Quarterback — B On The Roster: Redshirt junior Alan Bowman, redshirt sophomore Cade McNamara, third-year sophomore Dan Villari, sophomore J.J. McCarthy Signees: Four-star Jayden Denegal, four-star Alex Orji Michigan is set at the quarterback po- sition with McNamara and McCarthy … for now. Bowman and Villari haven't shown anything to prove they'd be ready to step into a starting (or even primary backup) role if called upon, meaning the Wolverines are one injury or transfer away from being in a dicey spot. Denegal and his physical traits im- pressed the Michigan staff when he came in for a summer workout, but there are still questions as to whether According to the On3 Consensus rankings, Baltimore St. Frances defensive end Derrick Moore was the second-highest-ranked signee in the Wolverines' class, checking in at No. 87 nationally. PHOTO COURTESY ON3.COM 2022 Michigan Signee List Player Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown (High School) Zeke Berry DB 6-0 195 Concord, Calif. (De La Salle) Darrius Clemons WR 6-3 205 Portland (Westview) Jayden Denegal QB 6-4 215 Apple Valley, Calif. (Apple Valley) Damani Dent S 6-0 190 Jacksonville, Fla. (Terry Parker) Andrew Gentry OL 6-8 310 Littleton, Colo. (Columbine) Mason Graham DL 6-3 292 Anaheim (Servite) Kenneth Grant DL 6-4 335 Merrillville, Ind. (Merrillville) Kevonte Henry* DE 6-4 208 Lawndale, Calif. (Leuzinger) Will Johnson DB 6-3 190 Detroit (Grosse Pointe South) Connor Jones OL 6-7 285 Monument, Colo. (Palmer Ridge) Kody Jones DB 5-11 175 Memphis, Tenn. (Germantown) Marlin Klein TE 6-6 215 Cologne, Germany (Rabun Gap [Ga.] Nacoochee) Alessandro Lorenzetti OL 6-6 285 Montreal, Quebec (Windsor [Conn.] Loomis Chaffee School) Colston Loveland TE 6-5 230 Gooding, Idaho (Gooding) Derrick Moore DE 6-4 250 Baltimore (St. Frances Academy) Tyler Morris WR 6-0 175 Bolingbrook, Ill. (Nazareth Academy) Alex Orji QB 6-2 226 Sachse, Texas (Sachse) Micah Pollard LB 6-3 200 Jacksonville, Fla. (Bartram Trail) Myles Pollard DB 6-2 185 Brentwood, Tenn. (Ravenwood) Jimmy Rolder LB 6-2 220 Orlando Park, Ill. (Marist) Keon Sabb DB 6-2 200 Glassboro, N.J. (Bradenton [Fla.] IMG Academy) Deuce Spurlock LB 6-2 220 Madison, Ala. (Madison) CJ Stokes RB 5-11 190 Columbia, S.C. (Hammond School) Amorion Walker WR 6-4 180 Ponchatoula, La. (Ponchatoula) * Committed but not signed