The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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THE WOLVERINE 2023 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 157 FOOTBALL RECRUITING area recruiter Jay Harbaugh. Michigan is high on his list along with Colorado, Florida State, Penn State, Washington, Texas A&M and others. OL DAVID SANDERS Charlotte (N.C.) Providence Day Michigan offensive line coach Sherrone Moore has plenty to sell on the re- cruiting trail with his U-M unit capturing back-to- back Joe Moore Awards. Elite prospects in the trenches are paying at- tention to what Moore has done in Ann Arbor, including Sanders, the No. 1 of- fensive tackle and No. 3 overall recruit nationally per the On3 Industry Ranking. A couple of program ties should help Michigan here. Ex-Wolverine Jonathan Goodwin serves as Sanders' offensive line coach at Providence Day. On top of that, Sanders is a teammate of 2024 Michi- gan commits Jadyn Davis and Chan- ning Goodwin. Sanders (6-foot-5, 250) is looking to make his first visit to U-M soon. Michigan is in the race for this five-star offensive lineman but will have to battle the likes of Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, LSU and South Carolina. DL ETHAN UTLEY Nashville (Tenn.) Ensworth Michigan has had plenty o f s u c c e s s re c r u i t i n g Nashville thanks in large part to area recruiter Steve Clinkscale, who dipped into the Music City and came away with a com- m i t m e n t f ro m O n 3 0 0 athlete Mason Curtis in 2024. Now, Michigan is looking to land his teammate, Utley, the No. 17 defensive lineman and No. 160 overall prospect na- tionally in the On3 Industry Ranking. Utley visited Michigan for its win over Penn State last October, and he is look- ing to make a return trip at some point this summer. At 6-foot-3, 275, he had 25 tackles as a sophomore last fall including 10 for loss and 4.5 sacks. Utley's recruitment has an SEC fla- vor to it with Auburn, Florida, LSU, Ole Miss, South Carolina,and Tennessee all involved here, but Michigan is certainly making an impact. And having Curtis on the roster will only help. EDGE ZAHIR MATHIS Philadelphia Imhotep Charter Michigan is reinvesting resources in the North- east and will head back to Imhotep Charter to work on Mathis, the No. 5 edge and No. 39 overall pros- pect nationally in the On3 Industry Ranking. Remember, the Wolverines landed a commitment from four-star Imhotep Charter linebacker Semaj Bridgeman a year ago, which should help in this re- cruitment. Mathis looks up to Bridgeman as a mentor, and the two have developed a close friendship. Mathis (6-foot-5, 230) is gearing up to make his first visit to Michigan this simmer and has the Wolverines high on his list along with Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Penn State, USC and a handful of others. U-M has had plenty of edge production as of late, which should be an easy sell here. Mathis already has received an invite to the 2025 Under Armour All-American game. LB RILEY PETTIJOHN McKinney (Texas) High Pettijohn, the No. 8 linebacker and No. 67 overall recruit nation- ally in the On3 Industry Ranking, is a perfect fit for Michigan's scheme. The Texas prospect has bulked up to 215 pounds on his 6-foot-3 frame this offseason and shares a similar skill set as Michigan linebacker Junior Colson. Pettijohn fills gaps in a hurry, is com- fortable dropping back into coverage and can get sideline-to-sideline. Pettijohn made his first visit to Michi- gan for its spring game and recently said the Wolverines are in his top group early in the process. New Michigan linebackers coach Chris Partridge is already making a big impact in his mission to pluck Pettijohn out of the Lone Star State. Michigan will have to battle with Florida State, Oregon, Texas, Texas A&M, USC and others. DB BLAKE WOODBY Baltimore St. Frances Michigan has created a p i p e l i n e to n a t i o n a l powerhouse St. Frances in recent cycles, landing the likes of edge Derrick Moore in 2022 and star running back Blake Co- rum in 2020. Now, the Wolverines are looking to land another top St. Frances prospect in Woodby, the No. 9 cornerback and No. 99 overall recruit nationally in the On3 Industry Ranking. The 5-foot-10, 180-pounder is a speedy, athletic corner that ran a blazing verified 4.43 seconds in a laser-timed 40-yard dash this offseason. Woodby, who starts both ways at the high school level, would have a chance to be an immediate difference maker at a position of need and bring a different type of skill set to Ann Arbor. Woodby grew up idolizing Corum and even visited Michigan as a middle schooler. He is looking to make his first-ever trip as an actual recruit this summer. Along with Michigan, Woodby holds offers from Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Ohio State, Penn State, USC and others. ATH MARQUISE DAVIS Cleveland Heights Looking for a big Mich- igan-Ohio State battle in 2025? Davis is your a n swe r. T h e ve rs a t i l e 5-foot-11, 200-pounder has terrific film as a run- ning back but also has the build and skill set to play linebacker or defensive back at the next level. Area recruiter and co-defensive coor- dinator Steve Clinkscale is leading the way in this recruitment and is quickly establishing a strong relationship with Davis, On3's No. 12 athlete and No. 107 overall recruit nationally. The four-star prospect has already vis- ited Ohio State four times, and the Buck- eyes are considered the leaders. However, Michigan is prepping to host him for the first time this summer and is poised to move the needle. Notre Dame, Penn State and Wisconsin are also in the mix. ❑ 2025 Michigan Commitments Player Rating* Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown / High School Chris Ewald HHHH CB 5-11 161 Miami/Chaminade-Madonna Prep Mantrez Walker NR LB 5-11 215 Buford, Ga./Buford *On3 ratings as of June 20