The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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54 THE WOLVERINE ❱ NOVEMBER 2023 ❱ MICHIGAN RECRUITING NOTEBOOK tionships with Harbaugh and Herbert. "It's great," Sprague said. "I love watching Coach Moore coach and love talking to him. He's a great dude. Coach Herb is awesome. He's kind of scary at times, but I love him, and I know he's going to develop me really well. Coach Harbaugh is a great dude and a great coach. He really turned the program around and created an amazing culture. He's the best coach in college football." Sprague was the third 2024 offensive lineman to announce a pledge to Michi- gan, with On300 tackle Blake Frazier and three-star center Jake Guarnera fol- lowing suit in April. They joined four- star interior lineman Luke Hamilton and three-star tackle Ben Roebuck on the offensive line. Now, all five consider themselves to be best friends. "I feel really comfortable around those guys," Sprague said. "I feel like some kids might get scared going to col- lege and leaving their friends and family behind. "I'm just really happy I made connec- tions with the guys. I feel like our bond is because of our common interests and common goals. All of us have similar lives off the field, too." Sprague will enroll at Michigan in June. He'll begin training once the win- ter rolls around so that his progress mir- rors the 2024 commits who early enroll. "I still want to get a lot stronger and focus on my technique," Sprague said. "Then, come ready and prepared for June." At 6-foot-8, 295 pounds, Sprague is listed as the No. 88 overall prospect and No. 5 offensive tackle in the country, according to the On3 Industry Rank- ing, a weighted average that utilizes all four primary recruiting media services. On3's analysts have him rated as the No. 123 prospect nationally and the No. 11 offensive tackle. He's also the No. 5 player in Missouri in both rankings. — Zach Libby STANFORD LINEBACKER COMMIT VISITS MICHIGAN When Michigan hosted targeted re- cruits for the game against Rutgers last month, an in-state linebacker commit- ted to Stanford was among the visiting athletes. Rising 2025 Grand Rapids (Mich.) Forest Hills Central standout Maxwell Richardson was familiar with The Big House before his visit, but not in the capacity he experienced on Sept. 23. "I've been to many games with my family before because it's so close," Richardson told The Wolverine. "But that was the first game I've been to there as a recruit." The visit was Richardson's opportu- nity to jump-start connections with key figures on Michigan's staff. "I thought it was great," Richardson said. "I thought the staff was really ac- commodating. They were great people and were very kind to me. "Nothing beats a home game at Michigan. You get over 100,000 fans at every game, and they're all in tune to the action. It's a great place to be." Before the team walked the play- ers and their families down the tunnel for warmups, they laid out a detailed presentation on what football players should expect in their daily lives while in Ann Arbor, which left a big impres- sion on Richardson. "The thing that wowed me the most was the parent meeting," he said. "I thought that was very unique and something I haven't seen on many other visits. I think it gave my parents great insight into what it's like. "As adults, they sometimes have a better view than the players on what's happening. It also gave a great perspec- tive to the players on what happens be- hind the scenes." R i c h a rd so n 's pa re n ts we re a l so floored by the presentation and their overall time on campus. "My parents loved it," Richardson said. "They loved the people who came around. We had a recruiting staff mem- ber who sat down with us while we ate breakfast. They've been to Michigan games before, so they knew what the atmosphere was going to be like, but they loved it." The visit was the first time Richard- son had met with linebackers coach Chris Partridge in person. Michigan is eyeing Richardson as either a Mike or Will linebacker at the next level. "Coach Partridge was great," Rich- ardson said. "He sat down and talked to me and my family for probably 10-15 minutes and got to know us. He con- nected well with my parents. "He was really nice and a standup guy. I think he's very personable. Obviously, he's an intense guy, and you have to be when you're coaching at that level. I re- ally respect him with how he treats the players, how he motivates them and gets them going." Richardson first got on Michigan's radar when defensive line coach Mike Elston visited Forest Hills Central dur- ing the spring evaluation period. "I think Coach Elston is a great guy as well," Richardson said. "It's different because he's not my position coach, but he recruits the area. We didn't have as deep a conversation [as with Partridge], but it was great for him to make it out in the early spring." The Wolverines didn't offer Richard- son on the visit, but communication will continue. "I'm just going to hang out, stay in contact and see where it goes from here," Richardson said. At 6-foot-3, 210 pounds, Richard- son is currently unranked by On3 and the On3 Industry Ranking. Committing to Stanford in June over other notable offers like Minnesota and Boston Col- lege, Richardson is listed as the No. 73 linebacker nationally and No. 14 overall prospect in Michigan by 247Sports. — Zach Libby Maxwell Richardson, a linebacker from Grand Rapids, Mich., committed to Stanford over the summer, but the junior visited U-M for the Rutgers game Sept. 23. PHOTO BY ZACH LIBBY