The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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46 THE WOLVERINE ❱ JUNE/JULY 2023 ❱ FOOTBALL RECRUITING Michigan and have visited the school this offseason. In fact, Campbell brought in five sophomores to campus during spring camp, all of whom are ranked highly. The group includes Saunders; Belleville (Mich.) High's Bryce Underwood, On3's No. 1-ranked sophomore in the country; Nashville (Tenn.) Brentwood Academy's George MacIntyre, the No. 3 signal caller and No 16 overall prospect in the 2025 class; Lexington (Ky.) Christian Acad- emy's Cutter Boley, the No. 4 QB and No. 30 player nationally; and Findlay (Ohio) High four-star Ryan Montgomery, the No. 162 overall prospect and No. 11 quarter- back nationally. The Wolverines were the first Power Five program to formally offer Montgom- ery back when he was in middle school, and he has maintained a high interest in U-M ever since. Living a little over an hour away from Ann Arbor has allowed Montgomery and his family to schedule regular trips north. The No. 5 overall prospect in the state of Ohio according to the On3 Industry Ranking, he was in attendance for two games at The Big House this past fall and also returned in March. "When we were in the room with Kirk, he had a lot of cut-up film on NFL guys and was saying things like 'Ryan, you're like Josh Allen because he gets the job done,'" Ryan's father, Mike Montgomery, told The Wolverine. "Kirk did a really good job of showing Ryan that his goal is to develop him as a human being. But big picture, they're going to help send Ryan to the NFL if that's what he wants to do. "Michigan is going to try everything in their power to run a pro-style offense. Of course, they'll be run heavy until some- one stops them, but that's how every of- fense should be. I don't think that style has ever been seen as a disadvantage to Ryan." Montgomery's older brother, 2023 of- fensive lineman Luke Montgomery, was recruited by Michigan before eventually signing with Ohio State. The close rela- tionship between the coaching staff and the Montgomery family has gone on for several years. The addition of Campbell to the fold has resulted in an uptick in how much the family hears from Michigan. He was the first to watch the youngest Montgomery work out at his school during the spring evaluation period this year and calls him weekly. There was a relationship formed be- tween former Michigan quarterbacks coach Matt Weiss and the Montgom- erys before January, but the transition to Campbell has gone on without a hitch. "Kirk is an advantage for them," Mont- gomery said. "I think Matt was extremely strong in the X's and O's and a nice guy. But I think Kirk matches the X's and O's side, which we got to see on the spring visit, both on the field and in meetings afterward. "He also has a great personable touch. In my opinion, based on some of the schools who are recruiting Ryan, there's no reason why a quarterbacks coach wouldn't have both at such a high level. Kirk is a great fit for where he's at." As a father, Montgomery is doing his own homework on the men who could potentially coach his son at the next level by traveling on visits with Ryan to schools across the country. Their March campus visit to Michigan also included individual meetings with Campbell. "I like Kirk. He's super easy to talk to, and he's a very trustworthy guy," the elder Montgomery said. "He's an authentic guy. We're really impressed with what he brings to the table. It just seems like Kirk gets it. "I expect this from a coach at Michigan. Kirk is the perfect blend of a human being and a coach. My read is that Michigan is very fortunate to have him. "I think Jim [Harbaugh] made the right move, and I know J.J. McCarthy was pushing for him as well. That speaks volumes." ❏ ❱ Mike Montgomery, father of 2025 QB prospect Ryan "Kirk is the perfect blend of a human being and a coach. My read is that Michigan is very fortunate to have him." Campbell came to Michigan in 2022 after spending two seasons as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Old Dominion. Prior to that, he served as an offensive analyst for Penn State from 2017-19. PHOTO BY ZACH LIBBY