The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1482097
52 THE WOLVERINE NOVEMBER 2022 BY EJ HOLLAND M ichigan played host to a number of highly touted prospects during its top-10 showdown with Penn State Oct. 15. The Wolverines manhandled Penn State 41-17, amassing 418 yards rushing against the vaunted Nittany Lions defense. Here are notes, quotes and observa- tions from this big recruiting weekend. • The most important recruit at the game was On3 No. 200 overall prospect Kankakee (Ill.) High defensive back Jyaire "Suga" Hill, who is U-M's No. 1 target at the corner position. Hill has been torn be- tween U-M and Illinois for several months with no decision date set. This visit helped move the needle with Hill and his family. "It was a great atmosphere," Hill said. "I've never been around so many people before. It was crazy to see 100,000-plus. I like how the fan base was coming for Michigan. I also liked seeing the celebri- ties like Michael Phelps and Tee Grizzley and all the police officers around." • U-M also had a surprise visitor in for- mer Auburn commit receiver Karmello English. The Wolverines are looking to take one more wideout this cycle, and the four-star has ascended to the top of the board. He enjoyed his time on campus and is already looking to make a return trip. "I loved everything about it — from the game to the fans," English said. "It was better than I thought it would be. It was very exciting. I'll be back up there again before Signing Day." • Michigan had another high profile 2023 visitor on the offensive side of the ball in On3 Consensus four-star Sandy (Utah) Alta lineman Taliafi Ta'ala, who remains a bit of a mystery this cycle. Ta'ala doesn't do many interviews and keeps his recruitment close to the vest. However, U-M is clearly rising up as a true contender here and is set to host him for an official visit closer to the early signing period in December. • Several of 2023 commits made their way to The Big House and enjoyed watch- ing the Wolverines dominate Penn State. "It was a great win," four-star Dexter (Mich.) High running back Cole Cabana said. "I almost predicted the score right, too. I was confident in the offense to put up big-time points, and 40 points shows that. The atmosphere was amaz- ing, and it was a great time." Consensus four-star West Bloomfield (Mich.) High offensive lineman Amir Herring also enjoyed his visit. "It was a great game," Herring noted. "Both sides executed very well. The of- fensive line played extremely well. The running backs played extremely well, too." Elite Ann Arbor Huron kicker Adam Samaha shared similar sentiments: "It was a huge win for Michigan," Samaha said. "I'm super proud of the complete game we played — incredible run game as well. I saw a lot of recruits and got to talk to a lot of great families." • There was no shortage of under- classmen talent at the game. A num- ber of top 2024 targets made their way to campus for unofficial visits — some even as far as the Pacific Northwest. Consensus four-star Bellevue (Wash.) MICHIGAN RECRUITING Prospects Watch Wolverines Run Roughshod Over Penn State Four-star cornerback Jyaire "Suga" Hill from Kankakee (Ill.) High was one of several top recruits in The Big House to watch Michigan's lopsided victory over Penn State Oct. 15. PHOTO BY EJ HOLLAND 2023 Michigan Commitments Player Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown (High School) Collins Acheampong Edge 6-8 254 Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif. (Santa Margarita Catholic) Brooks Bahr DL 6-6 265 Wilmette, Ill. (Loyola Academy) Kendrick Bell ATH 6-2 170 Kansas City, Mo. (Park Hill) Semaj Bridgeman LB 6-1 235 Philadelphia (Imhotep Charter) Cole Cabana RB 5-11 180 Dexter, Mich. (Dexter) Enow Etta Edge 6-4 260 Colleyville, Texas (Covenant Christian Academy) Benjamin Hall RB 5-10 227 Kennesaw, Ga. (North Cobb) Amir Herring IOL 6-3 290 West Bloomfield, Mich. (West Bloomfield) Aymeric Koumba Edge 6-4 230 Paris, France (Pionniers de Touraine/PPI) Evan Link OL 6-6 290 Washington, D.C. (Gonzaga) Zack Marshall TE 6-4 220 Carlsbad, Calif. (Carlsbad) Frederick Moore WR 6-0 180 St. Louis (Cardinal Ritter College Prep) Semaj Morgan WR 5-9 185 West Bloomfield, Mich. (West Bloomfield) Adam Samaha K 6-0 170 Ann Arbor (Huron) Deakon Tonielli TE 6-5 200 Oswego, Ill. (Oswego) 2024 Michigan Commitments Player Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown (High School) Mason Curtis LB 6-2 190 Nashville, Tenn. (Ensworth) Manuel Beigel DL 6-5 282 Frankfurt, Germany (Choate Rosemary Hall [Conn.])