The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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46 THE WOLVERINE ❱ APRIL 2023 BY EJ HOLLAND F our-star Charlotte (N.C.) Providence Day quarter- back Jadyn Davis has named Michigan in his five finalist schools ahead of his planned March 31 decision. Clemson, North Carolina, Tennessee and Ohio State were also included on the list. Davis has made five unofficial visits to U-M, most recently on the weekend of March 18. Michigan is considered the heavy favorite in the race for Davis, who is ranked as the No. 4 quarterback and No. 26 overall recruit nationally, per the On3 Industry Ranking. Michigan holds a 90.3 percent lead on the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine. Clemson is a very, very dis- tant second with a 2.3 percent chance of landing the talented signal-caller, per the On3 RPM. Five separate On3 recruiting experts have logged predic- tions in favor of Michigan. "All those guys [on Michi- gan's staff have been on NFL staffs — coaches in the NFL and played in the NFL," Davis told The Wolverine in the fall. "Coach [Jim] Harbaugh was a 14- year veteran. The quarterback position is the hardest position to play. It's great to have Coach Harbaugh there. Michigan is a great school." Michigan has made the 6-foot-1, 190-pound Davis its lone quarterback target throughout most of the 2024 re- cruiting cycle after landing project takes in back-to-back cycles. Last year, the Wolverines reeled in three-star Kansas City (Mo.) Park Hill athlete Kendrick Bell, who will get a shot at quarterback but may project best as a wide receiver or defensive back. As a junior, Davis led Providence Day School to a 12-1 record and the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association Division I state champion- ship while passing for 3,425 yards and 43 touchdowns in 2022 and completing 221 of 305 attempts (72.5 percent). Davis earned state Player of the Year honors from Gatorade, MaxPreps and High School Football America. If Davis picks Michigan, he will be- come the highest-ranked prospect in the class so far. FATHER OF U-M COMMIT FROM OHIO HAPPY WITH SON'S DECISION Michigan has been making a con- certed effort to pull more recruits out of enemy territory and has blitzed the state of Ohio. The Wolverines kicked off their run of buckeye state commitments in the 2024 cycle by landing four-star Avon (Ohio) High offensive lineman Luke Hamil- ton on Nov. 27, the day after their vic- tory over Oho State, and followed up by earning a verbal commitment from three-star Cincinnati St. Xavier defen- sive lineman Ted Hammond in late January. "As a parent, you want your kid to go to a great academic school, and Michigan is up there," said Hammond's fa- ther, Chris. "Even if he wasn't playing football, we'd be thrilled that he was going to Michigan. "Since he's playing football, playing for a historic power- house is obviously huge. It's close to home. We're only three hours and 15 minutes away. "A f te r m e e t i n g a l l t h e coaches — Coach [Jim] Har- baugh, Coach [Mike] Elston and Coach Herb [Ben Her- bert] — we were extremely comfortable with the coach- ing staff. One, they are really good, but two, I feel like I'm turning over my kid, and I trust they will guide him to become a better man. "If you look at academics, proximity, strength of team and strength of coaching staff, you're not going to get any better than Michigan." While Ohio State did not offer Ham- mond, the Buckeyes did show interest and may have pulled the trigger later in the cycle. Hammond's older sister, Kristen, is a rower at Ohio State, and there are plenty of scarlet and gray flags around the neighborhood. His decision, however, was never go- ing to be influenced by any of it. "We actually bought Kristen a Michi- gan shirt," Chris Hammond said. "Her friends think it's really cool. We've done visits to Ohio State, and all her friends were jealous she got to be on the field. "She knows Ted is charting his own course. Michigan is his course. I feel like it's where he's supposed to be. It's all Big Ten. I love it. It's the best conference in the country sports-wise and academic- wise. "If you drive through our neighbor- hood, the flags are Ohio State and Cin- cinnati. A lot of those folks are disap- ❱ MICHIGAN RECRUITING NOTEBOOK Top Quarterback Target Names Finalists Four-star quarterback Jadyn Davis from Charlotte (N.C.) Providence Day School listed Michigan among his five finalists. He was scheduled to announce his commitment live on ESPN's "SportsCenter" at 1:30 p.m. on March 31. GRAPHIC COURTESY ON3/HAYES FAWCETT