The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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THE WOLVERINE 2024 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 155 offseason. His official visit took place the first weekend of June after previously attending the April spring game at The Big House. He's gotten close with assistant coach Ron Bellamy and head coach Sherrone Moore, and is good friends with a number of rostered players like wideouts Tyler Morris and I'Marion Stewart. Micah Ka'apana, the incoming freshman running back, was Meadows' teammate at the Las Vegas prep power- house. Meadows, who has relatives living in the Detroit area, is planning a September commitment following other official visits to LSU, Notre Dame, Alabama and Georgia. Last season, Meadows finished with 15 recep- tions for 391 yards and 8 touchdowns. He was also named to the Nevada Preps All-Southern team by the Las Vegas Review-Journal. TOP 100 CB Shamari Earls Chester (Va.) Thomas Dale Earls is verbally committed to South Carolina and made his decision public on April 20 of this year. But Michigan is working diligently to secure a flip from the Virginia native listed No. 69 overall in the country, per On3. The junior and his family have built a consistent line of communication with U-M assistant LaMar Morgan this offseason, and the group met at Thomas Dale HIgh during the spring evaluation period. Earls is also coming off his first unofficial visit to Ann Arbor, which was a multi-day stay on campus in mid-June. Outside of a summer official visit taken to South Carolina, Earls was at Georgia and Virginia. The Wolverines will look to bring the No. 8 cornerback in the country back to campus in the fall. At 6-foot-1, 180 pounds, Earls was an all-metro and all-state selection by the Richmond Times-Dispatch, finishing last season with 25 total tackles and 2 inter- ceptions, along with 30 receptions for 720 yards and 8 touchdowns. TOP 100 LB Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy During the winter contact period, U-M head coach Sherrone Moore traveled to IMG Academy and sat down with Owusu-Boateng, which led to the ju- nior linebacker making his way to Michi- gan for the first time this past April. He planned to officially visit the reigning national champi- ons on Victors Weekend June 21-23. Other prominent suitors include USC, Florida, Ohio State and Notre Dame. The Trojans hosted Owusu- Boateng on an official May 31-June2, and he was in South Bend and Columbus on June 7-9 and June 14-16, respectively. Owusu-Boateng's elite athleticism at the position, has made him a top priority for new U-M linebackers coach Brian Jean-Mary. Their relationship dates back to when Jean-Mary was an assistant at Tennessee. In his first season at IMG Academy last fall, Owusu-Boateng made 45 total tackles, including 6 for a loss. At 6-foot-2, 210 pounds, he's listed as the No. 74 overall prospect and No. 5 linebacker in his class, and the No. 10 player in Florida, according to the On3 Industry Ranking. Notably, Owusu-Boateng is the younger brother of Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, who starred at Notre Dame and is currently entering his fourth season in NFL with the Cleveland Browns. Jeremiah was named to the Pro Bowl at linebacker in 2023. TOP 100 TE Andrew Olesh Center Valley (Pa.) Southern Lehigh Michigan has targeted Olesh as its top priority on the tight end board this cy- cle. The No. 78 overall prospect and the No. 3 tight end nationally, according to On3, Olesh first explored Ann Arbor in April and returned for Victors Weekend June 21-23 on an official visit. New U-M tight ends coach Steve Casula is building a rapport with On3's No. 4-ranked recruit in Pennsylvania this offseason. During the spring evaluation period, the assistant and the rest of the offensive staff ventured to Southern Lehigh to meet with Olesh. The influence tight ends have had on Michigan's offense in recent history and the success of projected NFL Draft first- rounder Colston Loveland have gained his attention. Alabama got the first official visit from Olesh on May 31-June 2, and he also was at Florida (June 7-9) and Penn State (June 14-16). He's been to the Nittany Lions' campus nine times. Olesh, who stands 6-foot-5, 215 pounds, finished with 53 catches for 973 yards and 10 touchdowns last season, along with 45 total tackles, 3 interceptions, 2 pass breakups and 2 fumble recoveries. TOP 100 DB JaDon Blair Winston-Salem (N.C.) Mount Tabor Michigan has vaulted to being pen- ciled in among the leading contenders for Blair, who traveled to Ann Arbor for a second time this offseason the week- end of June 14-16. Blair's first trip to U-M occurred in late March for spring practice. A productive official visit could positively affect the Wolverines' positioning for Blair even further, with Notre Dame currently standing as the RPM leader and Penn State gaining traction, too. The Nittany Lions got his final official visit on June 21- 23. Florida State also hosted Blair on June 18-20, and Notre Dame had him on campus June 11-13. Three significant factors will be the basis of Blair's future commitment — development, relationships and academics. The Wolverines have pitched all three facets well, with defensive backs coach LaMar Morgan and defensive coordinator Wink Martindale keeping in contact often. Blair is ranked as On3's No. 85 overall prospect and No. 8 safety in the country, and the No. 4 player in North Carolina, As a junior, Blair recorded 56 total tackles, including 3 for a loss, 4 interceptions and 1 forced fumble. The 6-foot-4, 195-pounder was named Defensive Player of the Year for the Central Piedmont 4-A Confer- ence. His commitment is expected to be announced on July 5. TOP 100 RB Jordon Davison Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei The highest-ranked running back scheduled to make an official visit to Michigan in June is Davison, who's al- ready been to Ann Arbor on three unof- ficial visits dating back to his freshman year. He returned to Ann Arbor on June 7-9 with his family while on an official visit. He had visited Michigan in late March, a couple of weeks after new running backs coach Tony Alford was hired from Ohio State. A preexisting relationship be- tween Davison and Alford dates back to the assistant's tenure in Columbus, and their constant communication carried over swiftly to the reigning national champions. Davison is currently trending toward the Buckeyes, per the RPM. As the No. 91 overall prospect and No. 5 running back in the country, and the No. 8 player in California, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, Da- vison also took an official visit to Oregon on June 14-16. At 5-foot-11, 220 pounds, Davison compiled 662 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns on 101 carries this past season, along with 6 receptions for 77 yards and a score. He received Football 11 All-California Inter- scholastic Federation-Southern Section honors last fall. ON300 EDGE Marco Jones Danville (Calif.) San Ramon Valley Jones was among the five marquee 2025 recruiting targets who appeared in Ann Arbor the weekend of May 31- June 2 for an official visit. It was a return trip for Jones — the No. 151 overall prospect and the No. 20 EDGE nationally according to the On3 Industry Ranking — who took in the April 20 spring game at The Big House. Networking and avenues to succeed off the field were among the features of the official visit that Jones learned more about in-depth and truly piqued his interest. A decision regarding a possible commit- ment could be made on or around July 2, which will also come after official visits to Texas A&M (June 7-9) and Texas (June 14-16). At 6-foot-4, 242 pounds, Jones was the 2023 Ju- nior Defensive Player of the Year for Cali Hi Sports and was a first-team All-East Bay Athletic League selection. As a junior, Jones posted 166 total tackles, includ- ing 15 for a loss and 2.5 sacks, plus 3 interceptions and 3 forced fumbles. The On3 Industry Ranking also lists Jones as the No. 15 recruit in California. ❑