The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1526802
OCTOBER 2024 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 47 ❱ MICHIGAN RECRUITING NOTEBOOK end and did a great job of rushing the passer. This was all against a Charlotte (N.C.) Providence Day offensive line with a pair of Top 100 recruits, making his perfor- mance that much more impressive. Har- ris looks like the ideal three-technique in Michigan's defensive scheme. He made his first visit in the summer and is looking to get back this fall. 1. TE ELI OWENS ALCOA (TENN.) HIGH Owens, Rivals' No. 7 tight end in the land, is one of Michigan's lowest-ranked commits, but he was the easy choice for the No. 1 spot. The three-star prospect had a really impressive in-game showing, racking up more than 100 yards receiving on offense and double-digit tackles on defense. Owens also delivered multiple pancake blocks, showing why he's drawn comparisons to current Michigan tight end Max Bredeson. Owens, however, offers more as a pass catcher and has a chance to be an ex- tremely valuable weapon as an H-back for the Wolverines down the line. He is completely locked in with U-M and is set to enroll early. MIAMI COMMIT LOOKING HARD AT MICHIGAN Michigan linebackers coach Brian Jean- Mary is still focused on landing Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy's Nathaniel Owusu- Boateng, the No. 84 player and No. 6 line- backer in his class, per the On3 Industry Ranking. However, with Owusu-Boateng taking his recruitment deep into the pro- cess, Jean-Mary has slowly started to ex- pand the board. Jean-Mary recently offered Central Florida commit Cameron White, ESPN's No. 24 linebacker in the country from Riverview, Fla., as well as North Carolina commit Anthony Kruah of Marietta, Ga., the nation's No. 48 linebacker according to On3. Now, Jean-Mary is working on another linebacker committed elsewhere — four-star Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Acad- emy prospect and Miami pledge Gavin Nix. "[Jean-Mary] has talked to me about the dynamic of the linebacker room," Nix said. "They have a few guys that could be on the verge of leaving. They're going to have an opportunity for guys to come in and play early. I knew Coach BJ from Ten- nessee, so that's why our communication picked up." While Nix is a teammate of Owusu- Boateng, that will not affect Jean-Mary's pursuit of either prospect — Michigan would probably take both if they wanted in together. Nix picked up an early offer from Mich- igan when the previous defensive staff was in Ann Arbor. He already has a strong relationship with Jean-Mary. "He's a great dude," Nix said. "He's very intense. I love the way he coaches. I built a great relationship with him when I was at Tennessee. He's been recruiting me hard at Michigan, so the main thing is just get- ting up there to see it for myself." And yes, an official visit could happen later this fall. "I'm going to come up for a game in November for sure," Nix said. "I want to see the life after football aspect. I know Michigan is a great school, and they have a lot of connections. That means a lot to me. That's something I value along with scheme fit and things of that nature." Michigan should also get a boost from Nix's high school teammates — 2025 U-M commits Donovan Johnson and Kaden Strayhorn. "They're recruiting me," Nix said. "They talk about Michigan every day. If they could, they would get the whole IMG team up there . I've been able to get a little inside information from him." Overall, Nix said he "loves the dy- namic" with Miami but added that his "recruitment isn't closed for a reason." At this point, it's safe to say that Michigan definitely has his interest. "Michigan is hard-nosed, tough foot- ball," Nix said. "When I think of Michi- gan, that's the first thing that comes to mind. They put guys in the league. If I were to go there, I would go up against the best every day in practice just like at IMG. I would also have an opportunity to pursue my dreams for the NFL." Nix said Florida State and Oregon are two other programs working to flip him away from Miami. At 6-foot, 225 pounds, Nix is ranked as the No. 15 linebacker and No. 156 overall prospect nationally, per the On3 Industry Ranking. GEORGIA COMMIT VISITS MICHIGAN Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy junior cornerback Dominick Kelly gave USC an early commitment before flipping his ver- bal pledge to Georgia in July. While Kelly is happy with the Bulldogs, he made it clear that he is not shutting down his recruitment. "Obviously, I made that decision for a reason," Kelly said. "But this is an experi- MICHIGAN'S 2025 COMMITMENTS Name Rating Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown (High School) Avery Gach HHH IOL 6-4 270 Franklin, Mich. (Wylie E. Groves) Julius Holly HHHH EDGE 6-3 230 Alpharetta, Ga. (Alpharetta) Donovan Johnson HHHH RB 6-1 210 Savannah, Ga. (IMG Academy [Fla.]) Bobby Kanka HHH DL 6-4 263 Howell, Mich. (Howell) Andrew Marsh HHHH WR 6-0 175 Fulshear, Texas (Katy Jordan) Andrew Olesh HHHH TE 6-5 215 Center Valley, Pa. (Southern Lehigh) Eli Owens HHH TE 6-1 215 Alcoa, Tenn. (Alcoa) Jasper Parker HHHH RB 6-1 200 Marrero, La. (Archbishop Shaw) Jayden Sanders HHHH CB 6-2 175 Kilgore, Texas (Kilgore) Carter Smith HHHH QB 6-3 190 Fort Myers, Fla. (Bishop Verot) Kaden Strayhorn HHH IOL 6-3 285 Novi, Mich. (IMG Academy [Fla.]) Chase Taylor HHH LB 6-3 201 Stockbridge, Ga. (Stockbridge) Ivan Taylor HHHH S 6-1 180 Winter Garden, Fla. (West Orange) Jaylen Williams HHHH DL 6-6 255 Palatine, Ill. (Palatine) Kainoa Winston HHHH S 5-10 184 Montgomery Village, Md. (Gonzaga [D.C.]) Jacob Washington HHHH WR 6-3 180 New Orleans (Archbishop Shaw) MICHIGAN'S 2026 COMMITMENTS Name Rating Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown (High School) Brady Hart HHHH QB 6-5 185 Indialantic, Fla. (Cocoa) Brody Jennings HHH CB 6-1 175 Jacksonville, Fla. (Mandarin)