The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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54 THE WOLVERINE FEBRUARY 2022 MICHIGAN RECRUITING national powerhouse Concord (Calif.) De La Salle to a 10-3 record. Berry, who is ranked as the No. 60 overall prospect nationally by On3, signed with the Wolverines on National Signing Day and will enroll in June. Berry was slated to take part in the All-American Bowl Jan. 8, but tested positive for COVID-19 upon arrival in San Antonio and was quarantined. Consensus five-star Michigan offen- sive tackle target Josh Conerly also racked up some hardware as he received the An- thony Munoz Lineman of the Year Award. Conerly, who is ranked as the No. 55 overall prospect nationally by On3, was a dominant force in the trenches as a senior and led Seattle Rainier Beach to a 6-4 record and an appearance in the Washington state playoffs. Conerly released a final six of Michi- gan, Oregon, Washington, USC, Miami and Oklahoma this week. He is expected to pass up on the February signing period and make a decision later in the spring. — EJ Holland WILL JOHNSON SEMIFINALIST FOR MAXWELL HONOR Consensus five-star Michigan defen- sive back signee Will Johnson has been named a semifinalist for the Maxwell Club National High School Defensive Player of the Year award presented by Adidas. He is coming off a stellar senior sea- son that saw him star on both sides of the ball as well as special teams en route to leading Grosse Pointe (Mich.) South to the second round of the Michigan state playoffs. Johnson projects as a cornerback at the next level but played everything from safety to wide receiver to wildcat quarterback to kick and punt returner in his final high school season. Johnson is the son of former Wolverine Deon Johnson, and has been the face of the Wolverines' class this cycle. The early enrollee will have an opportunity to make an immediate impact as a true freshman. At 6-3, 190 pounds, Johnson is ranked as the No. 3 cornerback and No. 21 over- all prospect nationally per the On3 Con- sensus. He is the highest-rated recruit in Michigan's 2022 recruiting class, which currently features 23 signees. The Maxwell Football Club has been recognizing excellence at all levels of football since 1935. The semifinalist list is comprised of 16 seniors from across the U.S. The formal presentation of the honor will take place at the 85th Maxwell Awards Gala, held March 18 at Harrah's Casino Resort in Atlantic City, N.J. — EJ Holland Nearly 600 underclassmen from all over the country competed in the All-American Bowl Underclassmen National Combine in San Anto- nio in early January. Here are five notable Mich- igan targets that stood out at the AlamoDome: 2023 OL Sam Pendleton, Pfafftown (N.C.) Reagan Pendleton made his way down to San Antonio to show off his talent against national compe- tition after a breakout junior season. He put together a strong day taking reps at tackle and along the interior of the line. Though he plays tackle in high school, he projects to slide inside at the next level. He's looking to make a commitment in February, and Michigan is at the top of his list. Clemson is making a late run and Pendleton will visit the Tigers in late January. As it stands, all signs point to Pendleton joining the Wolverines' 2023 class in February. 2023 OL Logan Reichert, Kansas City (Mo.) Raytown Reichert had a dominant day. The Michigan target finished with multiple pancakes in one-on-ones and impressed with his aggressiveness and strength. Despite checking in at 6-6, 367 pounds, he moves really well and more than held his own against faster defensive linemen. He visited for the Wolverines' win over Ohio State, and Michi- gan offensive line coach Sherrone Moore visited Reichert's school ahead of the dead period. Oklahoma, Missouri and Georgia are among the other schools pushing for him. 2024 QB CJ Carr, Saline (Mich.) High Carr solidified his status as an elite recruit by dominating at the Underclassmen National Combine, winning MVP of the entire Combine and earning an invitation to the 2024 All-American Bowl. He has a very smooth throwing motion and particularly im- pressed on downfield throws, placing balls into some tough windows all afternoon. The Michigan native and grandson of former U-M head coach Lloyd Carr is extremely high on the Wolverines and could make a decision sooner rather than later. 2023 DB Dwight Bootle, Miami (Fla.) Killian Bootle had a strong day and turned heads in testing, then held his own in one-on-ones, win- ning the majority of his reps against receivers from all across the country. The South Florida native visited U-M last summer and plans to re- turn to Ann Arbor at some point this offseason. He's being recruiting by Michigan safeties coach Ron Bellamy, which indicates the Wol- verines best see Bootle as a safety or nickel at the next level. Michigan is one of a couple Big Ten schools pushing for him, along with a handful of SEC schools and Florida programs. 2024 OL DeAndre Carter, Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei Carter projects to be one of the top offensive linemen in the 2024 cycle and showed why — he impressed with his brute strength and overall movement ability at his size. He is still getting acclimated to the recruiting process but already holds an offer from Michigan. Carter hopes to hear more from the Wolverines in the coming months and wants to make a visit to the campus when possible. — Tim Verghese For regular reports on Michigan football recruiting plus videos of U-M commitments and targets visit TheWolverine.com. Michigan Targets Impress At National Underclassmen Combine U-M 2024 quarterback target CJ Carr, the grandson of for- mer Michigan head coach Lloyd Carr, earned MVP honors at the Underclassmen National Combine in early January. PHOTO BY TIM VERGHESE