The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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APRIL 2025 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 41 ❱ MICHIGAN RECRUITING NOTEBOOK If Michigan pushes for Christian, the Wolverines should have a shot with the 6-foot-3 wideout, who is rated as the No. 296 player and No. 51 wide receiver in the land. There's a lot working in the Wolverines' favor here, including family connections. Wide receivers coach Ron Bellamy wants to increase the size of the receiver room, and adding Christian to the class certainly wouldn't hurt U-M's flip ef- forts with Alexander. However, playing together in college is not a requirement for the brothers. Both Ward siblings picked up Michi- gan offers in January. The Wolverines also offered four-star safety Blake Stewart, the No. 266 prospect and No. 22 player at his position in the country, and emerging safety Kealan Jones the same month. The defensive backs from Georgia were planning to visit Ann Ar- bor in March. Stewart had locked in a two-day trip to Michigan in mid-March. Shortly af- ter picking up the offer, the 6-1 safety from Fairburn (Ga.) Woodward Acad- emy was hoping to officially visit the program, too. He did not have a spring trip sched- uled as of a couple weeks ago, so this visit date is a significant step in the right direction. Michigan sat in a favorable position with him even before he sched- uled the unofficial trip. "They're up there," Stewart said in February. Jones heads into the spring unranked, but he's one of the fastest-rising de- fensive backs in the state. He picked up his first offer Jan. 8 and has since added scholarship offers from Michi- gan, Georgia, Ole Miss and many others. In-state schools Georgia Tech and Georgia appear to hold the early mo- mentum here. The Marietta (Ga.) Sprayberry High standout explained what he will be looking for during his March 20 trip to Michigan. "I just want to see what all they have to offer and why they feel they're better for me than any other schools," Jones said. Several other Georgia recruits are expected to spend time with the Wol- verines this spring. On300 corner- back Dorian Barney, the No. 120 player and No. 14 CB in the nation; four-star wide receiver Nalin Scott, the No. 278 prospect and No. 45 WR (April 5 visit); four-star linebacker Anthony Davis, the No. 269 player and No. 19 LB (April 1); and three-star offensive tackle Wilson Zierer, the No. 34 OT in the land, (March 29) have all locked in trips to Michigan. U-M LOOKS TO GROW PIPELINE TO PROVIDENCE DAY SCHOOL Michigan's connections with Char- lotte (N.C.) Providence Day School run deep. The Wolverines have recruited the North Carolina private powerhouse for years and notably invested a ton of time and resources into current rising sophomore Michigan quarterback Jadyn Davis' recruitment just a couple of years ago. Jim Harbaugh used to stop by the school to recruit the quarterback per- sonally. He committed to building gen- uine relationships there, and all of the U-M coaches did the same. Even after the Wolverine staff underwent a com- plete overhaul and most of the players they recruited graduated, the Michi- gan-to-Providence Day connection re- mained intact. Providence Day head coach Chad Grier has only been to Ann Arbor once, long before he was leading the perennial state championship contender. Grier believes there's a strong reason his play- ers gravitate toward Michigan. "Our kids like it there, because it feels like here," Grier told The Wolverine. "It feels like there's relationships, and it's family oriented. We're going to be good at ball, we're going to compete, you'll work hard, but we're going to build re- lationships. I think that's what they've done a good job of." On300 prospects Leo Delaney and Gordon Sellars of Providence Day are each priority targets in the 2026 class. Both of them have official visits locked in with the Wolverines and have put U-M in their respective top groups. It wouldn't be surprising to see either coveted recruit commit to Michigan. They have strong enough relationships with the program to rival regional pow- erhouses like Georgia, Tennessee and Clemson. The Wolverines offer Delaney, the No. 128 prospect and No. 6 interior of- fensive lineman in the country per the On3 Industry Ranking, the tight-knit culture Grier believes he desires. "I think he wants — which is what Michigan provides — a football family atmosphere," Grier said. "Strong aca- demics matter to him and his family. He wants a place he'd call home." This evolving connection between the Wolverines and Providence Day stretches back years and starts with Charlotte (N.C.) Providence Day standout Gordon Sellars is the No. 186 overall player and No. 24 wide receiver in the country in the On3 Industry Ranking. His former prep teammates Channing Goodwin and Jadyn Davis are rising sophomores with Michigan. PHOTO BY CHAD SIMMONS/ON3