The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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APRIL 2023 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 47 ❱ MICHIGAN RECRUITING NOTEBOOK pointed, but they said they're still going to root for Ted." Hammond, who is listed as the No. 45 defensive lineman and No. 490 overall prospect nationally per the On3 Indus- try Ranking, has an intriguing frame at 6-foot-4, 265 pounds and the potential to play multiple spots along Michigan's defensive front. Hammond racked up 41 tackles and 4 sacks as a junior at Cincinnati power- house St. Xavier, and the family is ex- cited to see what he can become under Elston's tutelage. "I think Coach Elston is perhaps the best defensive line coach in the country, and he's just a really good guy to know," Hammond's dad said. "He's very gen- uine. He's very interested in all of the kids. When you sit with him, you feel like he cares about every person. He's just a really nice guy. "At the same time, if you look at his track record, he was turning the de- fensive lines around at Cincinnati and Notre Dame. This is a huge opportunity for Ted. You're working with the best of the best." Along with being a physical presence upfront, Hammond is also an under- rated athlete. Like a lot of high-level prospects, he grew up playing baseball and basketball. But what really makes him different from most is his back- ground as a swimmer. "My oldest was an All-American swimmer," his father said. "Ted got lumped in. Next thing you know, he's rocking a little Speedo, and he's break- ing all these records. He actually has 13 swimming records going back to age 8. "He's a very good butterflier, free- styler and breaststroker. He's in a sum- mer pool league and still wins his events even though he just shows up to swim. "We kept him busy. There were days where he would have a swim meet, a baseball practice and a basketball game all in the same day." Now, Hammond will be fully locked in as a football player at the University of Michigan. — EJ Holland WHO'S LEFT IN OHIO? A LOOK AT REMAINING TARGETS After earning commitments from four Ohio na- tives in the 2024 class already, Michigan is off to a great start in the rival state en route to a top-10 recruiting class, according to the On3 Industry Rankings. The Wolverines hold verbal commitments from Cincinnati Archbishop Moeller four-star running back Jordan Marshall (No. 6 RB prospect nationally according to On3 Industry Ranking), four-star Avon High interior offensive lineman Luke Hamilton (No. 23 interior offensive lineman nationally), three-star Lakewood St. Edward offensive tackle Ben Roebuck (No. 40 in the country at his position) and Cincin- nati St. Xavier defensive lineman (No. 45 DL in the land) Ted Hammond. Here is a look at several key remaining 2024 targets in enemy territory: • CB Aaron Scott Jr., Springfield High — Michi- gan hosted Scott, On3's No. 2-ranked cornerback nationally, for the second time this offseason in March. The No. 1 recruit in the state of Ohio made his first-ever trip to Ann Arbor in late January. U-M co-defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach Steve Clinkscale is working overtime in an attempt to steal Scott away from Ohio State, which has been the leading favorite for several months. Scott has said that his viewpoint of Michigan has changed now that he watched a practice and has connections with the aforementioned four home-state commits. • C B B r y c e We s t , Cleveland Glenville — The No. 63 overall pros- pect and No. 7 cornerback nationally in the On3 In- dustry Ranking, West attended the Northwestern basketball game at the Crisler Center in January with Clinkscale and U-M defensive back commit Jacob Oden. Since his February commitment, Oden has ex- pressed his desire to play next to his close friend in college. Clinkscale has made West a top corner- back option on the board with their communica- tion taking place every single day. • Edge Brian Robinson, Austintown Fitch — The No. 146 prospect and No. 11 edge nationally in the On3 Industry Ranking, Robinson has visited Michigan more than any other school during his recruitment process. He's been on campus twice this year alone after multiple game-day visits last season, the annual BBQ at The Big House and a June camp. Robinson and his father have close ties to Clink- scale, who grew up one street over from the eldest Robinson in Youngstown, and they talk often with staffer Dylan Roney, defensive line coach Mike Elston and defensive coordinator Jesse Minter. Robinson is the only prospect on this list who has received On3 predictions to land at Michigan. • OTs Deontae and Devontae Armstrong, Lake- wood St. Edward — The Armstrong brothers were offered by U-M in November and made their first visit to Ann Arbor for Michigan's Junior Day event right before the February dead period. Clinkscale and offensive coordinator/line coach Sherrone Moore are trying to make the Armstrong twins a package deal with their St. Edward teammate Ben Roebuck, who verbally committed to Michigan in March. Ohio State jumped in the picture for both broth- ers in mid-January and appears to be a heavy favorite at this moment. On3 rates both as four- stars, with Deontae as the No. 194 prospect and No. 19 offensive tackle nationally and Devontae at No. 247 and No. 25, respectively. • IOL William Satterwhite, Akron Archbishop Hoban — U-M coach Moore told the four-star tar- get (No. 222 nationally and No. 16 IOL) that he was a top priority along the interior for the Wolverines. The 6-foot-4, 295-pound Satterwhite has had a relationship with Clinkscale for more than a year. He was able to finally meet Moore in person on his first visit to Michigan in March. Satterwhite is impressed by back-to-back Joe Moore Awards for the U-M offensive line and his growing relationships with the coaching staff. He Cincinnati St. Xavier defensive lineman Ted Hammond is rated No. 32 nationally at his position and as the No. 15 recruit in the Buckeye State by On3. His sister, Kristen, rows on the Ohio State crew team. PHOTO BY ZACH LIBBY Rk. School Commits 1. Georgia 11 2. Alabama 4 3. Florida 4 4. Ohio State 4 5. Notre Dame 8 Rk. School Commits 6. Florida State 9 7. South Carolina 5 8. Michigan 9 9. Tennessee 5 10. LSU 11 ON3 2024 TEAM RECRUITING RANKINGS As of March 27