The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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THE WOLVERINE 2022 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 157 FOOTBALL RECRUITING An On300 prospect (No. 17 offensive tackle and No. 174 overall player in the country), Babalade was a big riser in the lat- est rankings release and rightfully so. Michigan entered the mix late for Ba- balade and is working to secure one of his final official visits. 6. DL Kayden McDonald Suwanee (Ga.) North Gwinnett At 6-foot-3, 325 pounds, McDonald is a mammoth nose tackle prospect and is ex- tremely impressive on the hoof. McDonald is a natural run stuffer, who is surprisingly quick for his size and uses his hands really well. I saw McDonald go through spring practice at North Gwinnett, which is another Division I machine in the Peach State, and he domi- nated the one-on-one portion of the day. McDonald can reshape his body and build more stamina, but he's a perfect fit for U-M's defense. He made an unofficial visit to Michi- gan in June and will be back on campus for the BBQ at The Big House on July 31. Rated as the No. 46 defensive lineman na- tionally by On3, he is a priority along the defensive line for the Wolverines. 5. EDGE Dylan Stewart Washington (D.C.) Friendship (2024) Stewart made his way to the Midwest for the Ray Lewis camp in May and was one of the top performers at the event. He was impressive going through individual and pass rushing drills, but what really moved the nee- dle for me was his ability in coverage. Stewart (6-5, 235) is a pure edge rusher, yet he was phenomenal in one-on-ones and zone concept drills. He has fluid hips and covers a ton of ground. His length is fantastic, and he's pretty well put together. It's no surprise On3 rates him as the na- tion's No. 1 edge player in the next cycle as well as the No. 4 overall player in the class of 2024. Michigan is looking to get him on campus this summer. 4. CB Daniel Harris Miami Gulliver Prep Harris was a top performer at his spring game, starring on both sides of the ball. The top-100 prospect lined up at wide receiver and took a short pass to the house with U-M assistants Ron Bellamy and Steve Clinkscale looking on. At his standard cornerback posi- tion, Harris completely took away his side of the field. While Gulliver Prep scrimmaged a more run-heavy team, it was still impressive to see Harris use his length and speed on an island on the outside. Harris, who made an official visit to Mich- igan in June, checks a lot of boxes. On3 rates him as the No. 4 cornerback and No. 39 overall player in the 2023 class. 3. EDGE Bai Jobe Norman (Okla.) Community Christian This was a no-brainer evaluation. I was actually watching Jobe at his spring practice along with an SEC coach, who happens to be a good friend of mine, and he called Jobe a rare athlete and a freak off the edge. And that's certainly the best way to describe him. Whether it was outrunning skill position players, catching balls with one hand or going through defensive end work, Jobe looked like the ultimate athlete. It's crazy he's only been playing the sport for a few years. A native of Senegal, Jobe (6-5, 225) ini- tially moved to the United States in pursuit of a college basketball scholarship. The No. 6 edge and No. 25 overall prospect nationally per On3, he does need to add some weight but the upside here is tremendous. Michigan was included in Jobe's top eight schools, but there is plenty of work to do. The Wolverines are on the lower half of that list. 2. WR Jalen Brown Miami Gulliver Prep Brown likely would have been at the very top of the list had he not suffered an injury in the second quarter of his spring game. Before that, Brown was having a dominant day. He made several plays, including taking a short pass and exploding for a touchdown in front of the Michigan staff. Brown reminds me a ton of former Ala- bama wide receiver DeVonta Smith, who I covered when he was in high school. The On3 Consensus five-star is definitely on the skinny side, but he has tremendous speed, runs smooth routes and is simply a game- changing prospect. Brown is set to make an official visit to Michigan this summer and is Bellamy's top overall target at the wide receiver position. On3 rates him as the No. 4 wide receiver and No. 22 overall player in the 2023 class. 1. LB Aaron Chiles Olney (Md.) Good Counsel (2024) The fact that a 2024 prospect topped this list tells you just how impressed I was with Chiles. I saw him at the Ray Lewis camp and again at Good Counsel's spring show- case. "The Maryland Monster" is extremely well built at 6-foot-3, 220 pounds and plays with an attacking mentality. A top-100 pros- pect in the On3 Consensus (No. 6 linebacker and No. 56 overall player nationally in his class), Chiles is a speedy backer that gets sideline-to-sideline in a hurry. He's also extremely comfortable in pass coverage and loves to get physical. Think of a taller Raylen Wilson (top-100 2023 Michi- gan linebacker commit). Chiles would be an absolute playmaker in U-M's defensive scheme, and it's no surprise the Wolverines are making him an early pri- ority for the next cycle. ❏ Jalen Brown of Miami Gulliver Prep — a five-star talent, and the No. 4 wide receiver and No. 22 overall player in the country according to On3 — has drawn comparisons to former Alabama and current Philadelphia Eagles star pass catcher DeVonta Smith. PHOTO COURTESY ON3.COM