The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1527978
50 THE WOLVERINE ❱ NOVEMBER 2024 ❱ FOOTBALL RECRUITING BY EJ HOLLAND I t may be hard to believe, but the high school football season is halfway finished. I traveled across the country during the last couple of months, seeing several Michigan commits and top recruiting targets in game action. As of Oct. 13, the Wolverines have 16 verbal pledges in the 2025 class as well as two in the 2026 class. Michigan is looking to close strong this cycle and continue to build on an excellent start next cycle, which means there are a lot of targets on the board as well. Getting to see everyone live is a daunting task, but I've done my best to evaluate as many as possible. Here are my midseason road awards. Best Offensive Commit ELI OWENS I've seen all three of Michigan's Top 100 offensive commits — quarterback Brady Hart, tight end Andrew Olesh and wide receiver Andrew Marsh — this sea- son, but the best in-game performance came from three-star tight end pledge Eli Owens. The Alcoa (Tenn.) High product racked up more than 100 yards receiv- ing and had an insane Odell Beckham- like one-handed grab that went viral, showing that he's a true threat as a pass catcher and not just a straight in-line player. On top of that, Owens was a devastat- ing blocker, which is no surprise con- sidering the comparisons to Max Brede- son. He also notched a dozen tackles on defense. Owens, Rivals.com's No. 7 tight end nationally, is a throwback football player and really embodies Michigan football. He is set to enroll early this winter. Best Defensive Commit KAINOA WINSTON On300 Washington (D.C.) Gonzaga safety Kainoa Winston, the No. 10 safety and No. 109 overall recruit nationally in the On3 Industry Ranking, entered the season as my highest-graded Michigan commit on the defensive side of the ball, and that hasn't changed. Winston is on the smaller side at 5-foot-10, 184 pounds, but he plays much bigger than his size. He loves to get physical against the run and spends a lot of his time around the line of scrimmage. Winston recorded half a dozen tack- les in a close win over Richmond (Va.) Benedictine and came away with an in- terception — it was the only pass thrown in his vicinity the entire game. He also rushed for 95 yards and a touchdown while playing offense. Winston is a high-floor recruit who could get on the field early in Ann Arbor. He will be a regular enrollee, arriving on campus in June. Best Offensive Target SAVION HITER I saw Winston in an afternoon game and rushed over to see Top 100 2026 Mineral (Va.) Louisa County running back Savion Hiter for a night kickoff. The game began at 7:30 p.m., and I was on the field at 7:47 p.m. That means I didn't miss much in just 17 minutes of real time, right? Wrong! Hiter, who is rated by On3 the as No. 4 running back and No. 44 overall prospect nation- ally, had already rushed for 100 yards and 2 touchdowns by the time I got there. He added another 150 yards of total offense and 2 touchdowns after my arrival. Hiter is a powerful runner between the tackles and is also a terrific pass MIDSEASON ROAD AWARDS ROAD AWARDS The Wolverine's Top-Performing Commits And Targets This Fall Washington (D.C.) Gonzaga safety Kainoa Winston, the No. 10 safety and No. 109 overall recruit nationally in the On3 Industry Ranking, is a high-floor commit who could get on the field early in Ann Arbor next fall. PHOTO BY EJ HOLLAND