The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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NOVEMBER 2022 THE WOLVERINE 55 PREP PROFILES Michigan hosted several talented re- cruits for its top-10 showdown against Penn State, including four-star corner- back Jyaire Hill. The Kankakee (Ill.) High product is one of Michigan's most important re- maining targets this cycle, and he en- joyed his first-ever game in The Big House. "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 like seeing the celebrities like Michael Phelps and Tee Grizzley." Hill paid close attention to the Michi- gan defense throughout the game and was impressed with the way the Wol- verines shut down the Penn State of- fense. "The defense did an outstanding job executing," Hill said. "They only had a little slip-up with the quarterback run, but they played really well. I feel like the players in the secondary moved around a lot. I feel like I can fit into the scheme." Aside from taking in the game, Hill had a chance to meet with the Michigan staff for the third time in the last five months. And the Wolverines weren't shy about their intentions. "They wanted me to make it official," Hill said. "They were trying to pressure me to commit a little bit. I spent time with Coach Clink [Steve Clinkscale] and Coach [Ron] Bellamy. I really like their vibe a lot. They're cool. I got to play beanbag toss, but I lost the match to Coach [Jesse] Minter. It was luck, though [laughs]." Michigan wide receiver commit Fred- rick Moore also did his best to help the Wolverines recruit Hill. "Fred is like my best friend," Hill said. "He told me to stop playing and to come to Michigan. It would be good to have competition like him and make myself better. I talked to a few of the players, and they put in a good word for Coach Clink." While Michigan impressed Hill and his family over the weekend, the Wol- verines remain in a heated battle with Big Ten bunkmate Illinois. "It's tight," Hill said. "What I needed to see from Illinois is the winning and the record. They are doing amazing right now. Coming from everybody say- ing that's not the school that's going to do well to what they are doing now is amazing." Hill has no commitment date set at this time. He also has no other visits scheduled. At 6-2, 170 pounds, Hill is ranked as the No. 22 cornerback and No. 200 overall prospect nationally, per On3. — EJ Holland Rodney Lora is back on the open mar- ket. The three-star 2023 defensive line- man from Woodberry Forest (Va.) High recently backed out of his verbal pledge to Virginia and is now talking to a num- ber of new programs. "I opened my recruitment back up be- cause I only played three games last year [due to injury]," Lora said. "I felt like I limited myself and rushed myself. I'm looking for the best option. I've been talking to Michigan and Penn State. Tennessee has shown some interest. I'm talking to West Virginia, Virginia Tech and Syracuse as well." Michigan extended an offer to Lora back in the spring. However, the Wol- verines focused on other targets upfront, and Lora eventually made a commit- ment to his home state program. A lot has changed during the last few months, though. Lora is looking around, while Michigan still has a need for an- other defensive lineman this cycle — the Wolverines hold just one pledge at the position in three-star Chicagoland prospect Brooks Bahr. "Michigan is starting to pick up their interest again," Lora said. "Coach [Mike] Elston has been staying in contact. I like how they play their defensive linemen. I want to play end, and he sees me as an end. Most schools see me as a defensive tackle. That's a big difference." Elston, Michigan's defensive line coach, is leading the way in this recruit- ment, and Lora has been impressed with him so far. "Coach Elston is great," Lora said. "He's trying to set up an official visit for me and maybe get down here to see me. I think he's a great coach. He was at Notre Dame for 12 years, and now he's at Michigan. He has a lot of experience, and I think he does a great job with his defensive linemen." The next step is getting Lora on cam- pus. While he does not have an official visit set just yet, Lora is looking forward to getting his first-ever look at Ann Arbor. "I'm really hoping to go out there," Lora said. "I want to see how they play, how the coaching staff interacts and just the environment. Michigan seems to- tally different from other schools." Lora plans to make his decision at some point before the early signing pe- riod in December. At 6-3, 260 pounds, Lora is rated as the No. 64 defensive lineman nation- ally and the No. 15 player in Virginia, per On3. — EJ Holland Illinois Corner Has Great Visit And Remains A Priority Target Virginia Defensive Lineman Reopens His Recruitment Hill "They wanted me to make it official. They were trying to pressure me to commit a little bit." ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ Kankakee High Kankakee, Ill. Class: 2023 Ht.: 6-1 • Wt.: 170 On3 R ank ings: No. 2 player in Illinois, No. 22 cornerback and No. 200 overall prospect nationally Jyaire Hill ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ Woodberry Forest High Woodberry Forest, Va. Class: 2023 Ht.: 6-3 • Wt.: 260 On3 Rankings: No. 15 player in Virginia, No. 64 defensive line- man nationally Rodney Lora