The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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50 THE WOLVERINE OCTOBER 2022 PREP PROFILES Michigan hosted a sizeable number of high-profile underclassman recruits for its annual BBQ at The Big House event at the end of the summer, including pri- ority 2024 wide receiver target I'Marion Stewart. The On300 prospect out of Boling- brook (Ill.) High enjoyed his first-ever trip to Ann Arbor and got an in-depth look at the program and facilities. "The Big House literally stands for everything Michigan embodies — big energy and academics," Stewart said. "Coach [Ron] Bellamy is so chill and transparent. Overall, it was a great visit. I had a great time, and my family did as well." At 6-foot, 165 pounds, Stewart is an explosive pass catcher that can line up in the slot or on the outside. He first caught the attention of Bellamy, Michi- gan's wide receivers coach, during the spring evaluation period and earned an offer from the Wolverines after the lat- ter visited his school. The scholarship immediately caught his attention. "I wasn't expecting the offer," Stew- art said. "It was pretty exciting. I'm a receiver, so I started to research the re c e ive rs t h ey 've had and how many they've put in the draft. I like that and the offense that they run. It was a big of- fer." Since then, Bel- l a my h a s ke p t i n close contact, and the two had a chance to really bond during Stewart's time on campus. "I really have a good connection with him," Stewart said. "It's like talking to my pops when we chop it up. He's covering everything I need to know on my journey — from academics, busi- ness, life, family, the game and life after the game. That's the type of energy that stands out to me." Stewart also knows several players on the Michigan roster; the Wolverines have recruited Chicagoland extremely hard over the last few cycles. "I'm probably the closest with Ty- ler [Morris]," Stewart said. "We played youth football to- gether in the same organization. Tyler [McLaurin] was my teammate. J.J. [Mc- Carthy] was a part of Boom. I know A.J. [Henning]. I really like that they are recruiting hard out here." Along with Michigan, Stewart holds offers from Arizona State, Missouri, Ne- braska, Ole Miss, Penn State, Tennessee, Washington, Wisconsin and others. He is set to return to Michigan for an unoffi- cial visit on Oct. 29 when the Wolverines host rival Michigan State. Stewart is ranked as the No. 36 wide receiver and No. 286 overall prospect nationally in the 2024 recruiting class, per On3. — EJ Holland Jordan Anderson was another one of the many highly touted underclassmen that visited Michigan for the BBQ at The Big House this summer. And it's safe to say the On3 Consen- sus four-star 2024 wide receiver out of Long Beach (Calif.) Millikan enjoyed his first-ever trip to Ann Arbor. "I had a blast from the moment I stepped on cam- p u s ," A n d e r s o n said. "The coaches made it feel like h o m e . We go t a chance to work out w i t h C oa c h Ro n [Bellamy] and do drills he does, so that was good for me to see as well. "Everything stood out to me, man — from the hospitality to the food to the photo shoot. The Big House is definitely a good place to play." As Anderson mentioned, the visit gave him the chance to bond with Mich- igan wide receivers coach Ron Bellamy, who has been making him a top target this cycle. "He's a great coach," Anderson said. "He told me he was always going to be there throughout my recruitment, which he has. He's a really good guy to talk to. I'm excited to keep building that relationship with him." Anderson also has a growing rela- tionship with Michigan wide receiver commit Semaj Morgan. The two played on the same travel 7v7 team this off- season and led their team to the Pylon National Champi- onship. " S e m a j i s m y g u y," A n d e r s o n sa i d . " We p l aye d in a couple of tournaments together and have been balling out. He's been recruiting me — just telling me to join him up at Michigan and things like that." A California native, the 6-foot, 160-pound Anderson has been keep- ing a close eye on conference realign- ment and is excited about the way the Big Ten has been shaping up with the recent additions of Pac-12 programs UCLA and USC for the 2024 season. "It's crazy," Anderson said. "I just got re-offered by USC, and I think it's a good move for them. They are going to play some really good teams like Michigan. People want to play in the Big Ten. With USC and UCLA going over there, I defi- nitely think more 'Cali' people will play in the Big Ten." So where does Michigan stand early on? "Michigan has always been a school in my top choices," Anderson said. "I have family out there. I love everything about Michigan, especially the offense. I saw a couple of games last year. I also like the big rivalry games they play in." Along with Michigan, Anderson has offers from Arizona State, Georgia, Ne- braska, Oregon, Tennessee, USC, Wash- ington and others. Anderson is ranked as the No. 32 wide receiver and No. 199 overall prospect nationally and a four-star per the On3 Consensus, a proprietary algorithm that compiles ratings and rankings from all four major recruiting services. — EJ Holland 2024 Chicagoland Receiver Has Michigan Connections 2024 California Receiver Is Excited About U-M, Big Ten Expansion ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ Bolingbrook (Ill.) High Bolingbrook, Ill. Class: 2024 Ht.: 6-0 • Wt.: 165 On3 R ank ings: No. 4 player in Illinois, No. 36 wide receiver and No. 286 overall prospect nationally. I'Marion Stewart ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ Millikan High Long Beach, Calif. Class: 2024 Ht.: 6-0 • Wt.: 160 On3 Rankings: No. 36 player in California, No. 67 wide receiver nationally. Jordan Anderson