The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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OCTOBER 2022 THE WOLVERINE 53 MICHIGAN RECRUITING verines. Carter was especially impres- sive in Chicago, where he was arguably the top overall player at event. Carter is just a three-star on On3 right now, but I would expect him to shoot up the rank- ings this fall. 1. WR SEMAJ MORGAN, 5-9, 185 West Bloomfield (Mich.) High I saw a ton of elite p ro s p e c ts t h ro u g h o u t the summer, but the top spot on this list goes to three-star Michigan wide receiver commit Semaj Morgan. No, he doesn't have the size or the verified track times, but the dude is an absolute dog. Mor- gan never stopped competing this off- season, attending event after event and impressing at each stop. Morgan was a top performer at the Overtime 7v7 tournament and again at the Pylon 7v7 National Championship. He toasted de- fensive backs ranked much higher than him and continuously found himself in the end zone. Morgan proved he can take the top off a defense and was espe- cially dangerous in short space. He has the biggest heart in U-M's 2023 class, which will serve him well in Ann Arbor. Morgan is tearing it up in his high school season this fall, most recently with 300 all-purpose yards and 3 touchdowns in a 42-23 win over Rochester Hills (Mich.) Stoney Creek. KAYDEN McDONALD IS U-M'S LONE OFFICIAL VISITOR VS. HAWAI'I Michigan had just one official visitor on campus through the first two weeks of the season, and it was a big one — literally. Massive Consensus four-star Suwan- nee (Ga.) North Gwinnett defensive lineman Kayden McDonald (6-2, 325) is one of Michigan's top priorities this cycle and enjoyed getting an in-depth look at the program. "It was a really great visit," McDon- ald said. "The Big House at night was insane. Chilling with Coach [Jim] Har- baugh and watching some of the NFL games on Sunday was the best part. Detroit-style pizza and the Reuben at Maize and Blue Deli go crazy, too." Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh may have been busy prepping for the Wolverines' contest against Hawai'i, but he made sure to spend extended time with McDonald and his family dur- ing their time in Ann Arbor. As McDonald mentioned, Harbaugh watched NFL games on Sunday. The two also had an individual meeting and even played each other in a game of Madden. "Coach Harbaugh is low-key funny," McDonald said. "He was making me laugh. I chilled with him for a little while and chopped it up. We watched football and played video games. I'm close to Coach Harbaugh." Michigan defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, defensive line coach Mike Elston and analyst Dylan Roney also played key roles on McDonald's visit. "Coach Minter and Coach Elston picked us up from the airport," McDon- ald said. "I'm close to Coach Elston, Coach Minter, Coach Roney and really the whole staff." McDonald visited Michigan in the summer, but this trip was especially important for his mother. Distance has been considered a factor in this recruit- ment. However, it appears both Mc- Donald and his mother are comfortable with the idea of McDonald playing far- ther away from home. "My mom had a good time," McDon- ald said. "She talked to the Zinters [the family of Michigan junior offensive guard Zak Zinter]. They're good friends with Jayson Gilliom's family, who was my North Gwinnett teammate and is now at Kansas State. She went to the parent tailgate. We saw the Turners [family of Michigan defensive back D.J. Turner, also from Suwanee], too." Overall, Michigan remains a strong contender in this race ahead of McDon- ald's Halloween decision date. "Michigan has been recruiting me for a long time," McDonald said. "I have genuine love for them, and they have genuine love for me. I love the culture. The coaches know how to run a defense and put guys in the NFL. That's why Michigan is high in my recruitment." McDonald made an official visit to Florida over the summer and will make an official visit to Ohio State next week- end. He added that he is also planning official visits to Clemson and Okla- homa. At 6-foot-2, 325 pounds, McDonald is ranked as the No. 43 defensive lineman and No. 310 overall prospect nationally, per the On3 Consensus. EVAN LINK REFLECTS ON HIS U-M COMMITMENT Michigan offensive line commit Evan Link is off to a dominant start to his se- nior season. On3's No. 125 national prospect (and Michigan offensive line commit Evan Link — On3's No. 125 national prospect and No. 11 offensive lineman — has been a force in the trenches for Washington (D.C.) Gonzaga, which was undefeated through its first three games. PHOTO COURTESY ON3.COM