The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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FOOTBALL RECRUITING cornerback Will Johnson is the gem of the class as a whole, while Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy four-star Keon Sabb, Concord (Calif.) De La Salle four- star Zeke Berry, Germantown (Tenn.) High four-star Kody Jones, Brentwood (Tenn.) Ravenwood three-star Myles Pollard and Jacksonville (Fla.) Terry Parker three-star Damani Dent are also tremendous talents. Johnson committed to U-M in Febru- ary 2021 and was relentless in helping the Wolverines reel in other prospects. "He's been fantastic — one of our best recruiters," Harbaugh said. "He's a Michigan legacy, and everything you want in a corner in terms of length and movement skills, traits. Fantastic." Johnson's skill and leadership chops were an attractive selling point, and it's no surprise other defensive backs followed. "Keon Sabb is a tremendous player," Harbaugh said of the multipurpose de- fender. "Kody Jones might be the best one, might be the most versatile — cor- ner, nickel, could play safety. Zeke Berry comes from a tremendous program. You talk about a guy that could play both offense and defense — has done that in high school. A real skilled football player. "[Myles] Pollard — just turn on the first play of his highlight tape, the very first one. He looks like Jack Tatum, coming up there to hit somebody. The movement skills are really outstanding. "Damani Dent, he's a guy I've really gotten so close to in the class. It's kind of like looking in the mirror — the enthu- siasm, the love of football. He just re- ally stands out to me that way. Tough as you'd ever want a defensive back to be." — Clayton Sayfie MICHIGAN FINISHES WITH TOP-10 CLASS, COULD STILL ADD ANOTHER With the second signing period now in the rearview mirror, Michigan boasts a 23-man class. There were no new ad- ditions to the Wolverines' class on the Feb. 2 National Signing Day, but one departure in four-star edge Kevonte Henry, who flipped to Oklahoma. Once the dust settled nationally, Michigan boasted the No. 9 recruiting class in the country, per the On3 Con- sensus team rankings. The Wolverines' signees hold an average rating of 90.06. Michigan has the third-best class in the Big Ten, behind No. 4 Ohio State and No. 7 Penn State. Michigan's No. 9 national showing is the highest finish since 2019, when the Wolverines inked the No. 7 group. Michigan signed one five-star in On3's Chad Simmons, Charles Power and EJ Holland all weighed in on Michigan's 2022 signing class. Simmons is On3's director of recruiting, Power is On3's director of scout- ing and rankings, and Holland is the recruiting insider for TheWolverine.com. Which signee do you consider the biggest recruiting win? Simmons: "I could go a few different ways because I really like the way Michigan closed. I will go with wideout Darrius Clemons. A big part of his recruitment was based on relation- ships, so for Michigan to come in late and get him away from Auburn — who he was very close to — said a lot. "He is a top-100 talent with the ability to make a lot of plays in Ann Arbor." Power: "The two signing day additions of Darrius Clemons and defensive back Keon Sabb stick out to me, but I'll go with Clemons. Pulling arguably the top receiver on the West Coast after not being at the forefront of his recruitment until very late is notable. "I think Michigan benefitted some from the turnover at Or- egon. But that's good, resourceful recruiting — putting your- self in position to take advantage of opportunities. I'm high on Clemons' ability and think he brings a vertical element to the table that Michigan could take advantage of." Holland: "Keon Sabb. Michigan was completely out of it for Sabb before assistant Ron Bellamy convinced him to come in for an official visit. While Michigan fell short against Clemson at that point in the process, Bellamy once again worked his magic and got Sabb back on campus for The Game. "Bellamy avoided a late run from Georgia and closed with Sabb on signing day." Who was the most important addition? Simmons: "Cornerback Will Johnson is that guy for me. I could have said him for the first question, but he is a legacy, so he is expected to end up at Michigan. He is a true top cornerback with a great frame and the ability to make an im- mediate impact." Power: "I'll go with Will Johnson here. Any time you land the top in-state prospect, that's significant. Johnson makes it two straight years where the Wolverines have landed the top prospect in Michigan, with Donovan Edwards being the top one in the 2021 cycle. "Just look at Aidan Hutchinson — the top in-state prospect in the 2018 cycle. Having those top local players as founda- tional pieces of your roster is so important." Holland: "Kenneth Grant — Michigan transitioned to a new defensive scheme under Mike Macdonald and needed to find a true nose this cycle. Michigan got a special one in Grant, who is a massive prospect at 6-4, 335 pounds. "Grant can completely stuff the middle, but he also moves extremely well for his size and can get after quarterbacks." Which signee is the most likely to have an instant impact? Simmons: "Will Johnson is an easy answer here as well. He has been around the team a lot already and will have a head start on all of his peers when he enrolls in January. "Michigan is losing a number of defensive backs and after a full offseason in the program, Johnson should be ready to contribute as a freshman." Power: "Safety Zeke Berry is so heady and instinctive, I think he finds a way to get on the field. He's one of the best pure football players in the cycle and is obviously well coached coming from De La Salle. "I don't see his transition being quite as big of a leap as some others, given his skills and where he's coming from." Holland: "Will Johnson. Michigan's highest-rated signee is ex- pected to come in and play right away in the secondary. Johnson projects as a shutdown outside corner, but he did play a lot of safety as a senior and can line up there if needed. On3 Experts Break Down Michigan's Class 28 THE WOLVERINE MARCH 2022