The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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FEBRUARY 2024 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 55 ❱ MICHIGAN RECRUITING NOTEBOOK Penn State, Wisconsin and Virginia Tech. He plans to trim down the list again in the spring before scheduling official vis- its and going public with a commitment. The On3 Industry Recruiting Ranking's No. 7 player in Maryland traveled to Ann Arbor for the first time in May 2023. On3's scouts rate him as the No. 5 recruit in Maryland, and the No. 17 running back and No. 200 overall player in the land. T'ANDRE WAVERLY TE • 6-4 • 215 Mukilteo (Wash.) Kamiak On3 Industry Ranking: No. 11 tight end and No. 209 overall Coaches and recruiting analysts have labeled T'Andre Wa- verly as a freak ath- lete. He's clocked in a 10.5 100-meter dash and starts on offense, defense and special tea m s fo r h i s h i g h school. He's listed as a tight end by On3, how- ever, but carries the speed to be an out- side threat. Michigan tight ends coach Grant Newsome and Waverly are building a close bond, with the latter flying to Ann Arbor last April for a multi-day unof- ficial visit. The Wolverines have a 2025 tight end commit in three-star Eli Owens, but he's considered to be an H-back, similar to Max Bredeson, which means Waverly could fill the role of a Colston Loveland. At 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds, Waverly is listed as the No. 2 player in Washing- ton by the On3 Industry Ranking. AVERY GACH IOL • 6-4 • 270 Birmingham (Mich.) Wylie E. Groves On3 Industry Ranking: No. 11 interior offensive lineman and No. 203 overall Michigan missed out on the No. 1-ranked 2025 in-state pros- pect in quarterback B r yc e U n d e r wo o d , who pledged to LSU, but the Wolverines are making efforts to land Avery Gach, the No. 2 overall in-state prospect. A mauler who loves to finish blocks, Gach also is garnering interest from Ohio State, Penn State, Georgia, Wis- consin, USC and others. Michigan hosted the 6-foot-4, 270-pounder on three game-day visits last season, including twice in November for the games against Purdue and Ohio State. Gach and his family enjoy the prior- ity feel every time they step on campus from the recruiting staff and offensive line coach Sherrone Moore, who's lead- ing the way in this recruitment. Winning the Joe Moore Award twice in three years and a track record of excellent player development under Moore has piqued Gach's interest. MARQUISE DAVIS ATH • 5-11 • 200 Cleveland Heights (Ohio) High On3 Industry Ranking: No. 9 athlete and No. 177 overall Michigan signee Jordan Marshall is the reigning Ohio Mr. Foot- ball Award winner after posting nearly 2,000 all-purpose yards and 21 touchdowns as a se- nior. Finishing second was Marquise Davis, who rushed for 2,228 yards and 35 touchdowns last season. Conversely, Davis beat out Mar- shall for Gatorade Player of the Year in the state of Ohio. On defense, Davis notched 63 tackles and 3 interceptions and also is being looked at by colleges as a linebacker or safety. Michigan offered Davis during the spring evaluation period last year and got him on campus for the first time for the win against Ohio State. Academics and relationships are two significant factors in Davis' search, with Clinkscale and Hart meeting with him at The Big House in the fall. At 5-foot-11 and 200 pounds, Davis is also rated as the No. 8 prospect in Ohio in the On3 Industry Ranking. JAYLEN WILLIAMS EDGE • 6-6 • 280 Palantine (Ill.) High On3 Industry Ranking: No. 24 defensive lineman and No. 239 overall Michigan has landed at least one prospect from Chicagoland in every cycle since 2019, and Jaylen Williams could be next. He listed the national champions as his leader following the Ohio State game. Defensive line coach Mike Elston and pass rush specialist Dylan Roney have es- tablished a close connection with Wil- liams, who's the No. 6-ranked player in Illinois. On3 projects Williams as a defensive lineman, but Michigan views the 6-foot-6 and 280-pounder as an edge rusher on the outside. He made his first-ever visit to Ann Arbor for the annual late July BBQ at The Big House last year. CHRIS EWALD CB • 5-11 • 161 Hollywood (Fla.) Chaminade-Madonna On3 Industry Ranking: No. 9 cornerback and No. 74 overall Chris Ewald was the first prospect in the 2025 recruiting class to commit to Michi- gan back in December 2022. But he recently b a c k e d o u t o f h i s pledge on Jan. 15, with Georgia, Miami, Florida State and Au- burn all in hot pursuit. Ewald was the highest-ranked com- mit for the Wolverines in the cycle, and was a vocal recruiter for the class while committed. He traveled to Ann Arbor for eight unofficial visits, the most out of any school on his offer sheet. Ewald's father confirmed that Michi- gan remains a contender and is still at the top of the list. The family's relation- ship with Clinkscale remains as strong as ever, and it's believed that they'll continue scheduling campus visits to U-M. Ewald was previously pitched as the face of Michigan's 2025 class. His lock- down ability in the secondary could re- sult in early playing time for the South Florida native wherever he goes. ❑ ❱ On The Web For regular reports on Michigan football recruiting plus videos of U-M commitments and targets visit TheWolverine.com.