The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1451622
FOOTBALL RECRUITING Grosse Pointe (Mich.) South cornerback Will Johnson, 12 four-stars and eight three- stars. Offensive lineman Alessandro Lorenzetti was not given an On3 Consensus ranking, while fel- low blocker Andrew Gentry was not moved into the 2022 listing, staying with his original 2020 class, where he checked in at No. 64 overall, based on an evenly weighted average of the major recruiting out- lets at the time. Gentry is a member of the Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints church and spent the past two years on a mission trip. He flipped from Virginia to Michigan after Bronco Mendenhall's sudden resignation as head coach of the Cavaliers. U-M was one of just 14 schools to sign a five-star recruit in the 2022 cycle. Of the schools ranked ahead of Michigan in the team rankings, only three (Notre Dame, Oklahoma and Ohio State) had fewer signees than the Wolverines. Michigan had a 59 percent blue-chip rate with a class score of 91.054. Three signees ranked within this cycle's On3 Consensus top 100 in the Johnson (No. 18), Baltimore St. Frances defensive end Derrick Moore (No. 37, just five slots shy of consensus five-star status) and Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Acad- emy safety Keon Sabb (No. 89). The Wolverines still have a chance to add another four-star in Seattle Rainier Beach offen- sive tackle Josh Conerly Jr., who is not announcing his decision until March. He is picking be- tween Michigan, USC, Wash- ington, Miami and Oregon. In addition to the 22 tradi- tional high school signees and Andrew Gentry, Michigan also landed former Virginia center Olusegun 'Victor' Olu- watimi, who was one of three finalists for the 2021 Rimington Award given to the nation's top center, from the trans- fer portal. He earned Football Writers Association of America, Action Sports Network, Phil Steele and Pro Football Network second-team All-America honors in 2021. — Tim Verghese "Johnson actually started practicing with Michigan in Decem- ber and has been observing practices on a weekly basis through- out the season. His familiarity with the program and advanced skill set makes him an easy pick here." Who was the biggest steal? Simmons: "Amorion Walker is a guy not enough talk about. I saw him live this fall, and he is long, rangy and athletic. He is a guy who is a true athlete that could be a red-zone weapon at wide receiver or develop into a great defensive back. "I like what Walker brings to the table when talking upside." Power: "Nabbing Alex Orji late is a good get for Michigan. He's a very good athlete and is one I think could make an impact at a number of spots. He would be one of the more dynamic rushing quarterbacks in the cycle. "We saw Michigan incorporate some of the Ravens' run-game stuff this year and Orji would excel in that role if that's where they want to use him. He also has a lot of positional versatility if quarterback doesn't work out." Holland: "Darrius Clemons. Michigan was completely out of the mix for Clemons heading into December. However, the aforementioned Bellamy never stopped contacting Clemons and his family. With wins on the field and Bellamy leading the way, Clemons made an official visit to Michigan just days before signing day. "The Wolverines wowed him and knocked off Auburn for his ser- vices. In Clemons, Michigan gets a big wideout with 4.37 speed." Which U-M signee has the most potential? Simmons: "I like a guy like Micah Pollard here. Others have high ceilings and potential in this class, too, but he is ranked a little lower with the ability to add weight and be a weapon off the edge. "I am not saying he has the most potential when it comes to being the top draft pick in this class, but one who has a lot of room to grow and develop at Michigan." Power: "There's a lot of ones you could tab here, but I'm going with Kenneth Grant. He has some unique movement skills for a prospect of his size. I'm interested to see what he looks like after a few years in Michigan's strength program. "Michigan has very strong player development, so I think you have to feel pretty good about his chances there. Ideally, you'd want him to be a disruptive nose tackle who works as the ful- crum of the defense." Holland: "Alex Orji, who flipped from Virginia Tech Dec. 15 to give the Wolverines one of the more intriguing prospects of the cycle. Orji is a dangerous dual-threat quarterback that can make plenty of plays with his feet but still has a lot of work to do mechanically. "If quarterback doesn't work out, Orji has a super-high ceiling as a linebacker or edge rusher." — Tim Verghese MARCH 2022 THE WOLVERINE 29 MICHIGAN'S FINISH IN 2022 RECRUITING CLASS RANKINGS Outlet National Rank Big Ten Rank On3 Consensus 9 3 On3 9 3 ESPN 8 3 Rivals 9 3 Sports Illustrated 10 3 247Sports 9 3 The Wolverines earned a big steal on the recruiting trail when they flipped Ponchatoula (La.) High three-star wide receiver Amorion Walker away from Notre Dame. PHOTO BY EJ HOLLAND