The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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50 THE WOLVERINE ❱ OCTOBER 2023 ❱ MICHIGAN RECRUITING NOTEBOOK bell and Underwood also involves Dooley, whose extensive knowledge of the quar- terback spot has opened up a dialogue between him and the Michigan coach. There isn't a wall constructed for information not to be shared. Instead, Dooley has noticed that Campbell is treasuring the quarterback coach fra- ternity for the betterment of the players. "As a coach, it's Kirk's ability to con- tinuously learn the position," Dooley said. "He never acts like he knows it all. "He asks me questions about the position and what I believe in, along with other quarterback coaches. He is building that ecosystem that empowers quarterbacks to win on Saturdays." — Zach Libby MICHIGAN SELF-IMPOSES VISIT BAN FOR TWO GAMES Michigan did not host recruits for its first two home games of the season. The Wolverines opted to host a two- game visit ban for the contests against East Carolina and UNLV, stemming from the suspension of head coach Jim Harbaugh. Michigan did not comment on the matter due to NCAA guidelines. Harbaugh was suspended by Michi- gan for the ECU, UNLV and Bowling Green games for his response to alleged recruiting violations. "I've heard people comment that 'it's a slap on the wrist.' It's more like a base- ball bat to the kneecaps or to the shoul- der," Harbaugh said before U-M's Sept. 2 opener. "I equate everything to football. I've never missed three games unless it was for a broken arm or dislocated shoulder. "As a college player, I had my arm broken and missed six games I think it was. As a pro player, I don't think I ever missed three in a row, and I had all kinds of injuries. The ribs, broken fin- gers, things like that. Concussions never kept me out of the game. I had an MCL that I put a brace on and played, and a shoulder separation. I think that might have been two games, might have been three. It was at the end of the season. It would have been more." Recruits returned to The Big House for U-M's win over Bowling Green in Week 3. — EJ Holland SMITH BROTHERS FLIP FROM U-M TO HOME STATE KENTUCKY Michigan's 2024 recruiting class took a hit on Sept. 15. Four-star defensive lineman Jerod Smith and his twin brother, four-star edge Jacob Smith, backed out of their verbal commitments to Michigan and flipped to Kentucky following weeks of wavering. Jerod committed to Michigan in April, while Jacob gave his verbal pledge this summer. However, the twin brothers recently transferred from Cheshire (Conn.) Academy to Corbin (Ky.) High. The move back to their home state opened the door for Kentucky to make a push. "It always felt like Kentucky was going to be a finalist for the Smith twins [be- fore they committed]," On3's Kentucky Sports Radio beat writer Nick Roush told The Wolverine. "But you weren't sure how much traction or pull Kentucky was going to get if they stayed in prep school in Connecticut. "[UK assistant coach] Scott Woodward has connections in Connecticut, but there's not a very strong UK recruiting pipeline in that area. So, you always thought it would be difficult. But for the twins to return to the home state might be enough for them to consider Kentucky." Both Jerod and Jacob visited Kentucky twice in July — right before the recruit- ing dead period — and started trending toward the Wildcats. The Smith twins were back again in Lexington Sept. 2 for Kentucky's season-opening 44-14 win against Ball State. Jerod is ranked as the No. 26 defensive lineman and No. 250 overall recruit nationally, while Jacob is ranked as the No. 18 edge and No. 270 overall recruit nationally, per the On3 Industry Ranking. Michigan has now lost three commits in this class. Four-star edge Elias Ru- dolph was the first to go, flipping his commitment to Miami in August. U-M is now left with two edge commits in this 2024 cycle — On300 Brandy- wine (Md.) Gwynn Park prospect Devon Baxter and three-star Ijamsville (Md.) Oakdale prospect Dominic Nichols. Michigan will need to fight to keep Nichols in the class since Clemson, Florida State and Wisconsin have continued to recruit him. Baxter remains fully locked in. Michigan now has 25 commits remaining in its 2024 recruiting class, which fell to No. 15 nationally (from No. 11), per the On3 Industry Ranking following the Smiths' departure. The Wolverines are looking to flip Rudolph back from Miami and are now taking a look at senior risers to help fill the void left by the Smith twins. — EJ Holland GEORGIA LINEBACKER DECOMMITS FROM U-M'S 2025 CLASS Mantrez Walker, a three-star 2025 linebacker from Buford (Ga.) High who originally committed to Michigan in February 2023, recently announced a change of direction. "First off, I would like to thank the Michigan staff for allowing me to represent their university as a student-athlete," Walker wrote on X (formerly Twitter) on Sept. 11. "After lots of talks with my mom and dad, I have come to the decision to an- nounce that I will be decommitting from the University of Michigan." On3 ranks Walker as the No. 48 linebacker nationally and No. 53 prospect in Georgia. A 5-11, 215-pounder, he holds offers from more than 20 schools. The On3 Re- cruiting Prediction Machine now lists SEC schools South Carolina and Arkansas as the two leading contenders for his services. — Zach Libby