The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1533441
42 THE WOLVERINE ❱ APRIL 2025 ❱ MICHIGAN RECRUITING NOTEBOOK Future Wolverines Move Up In On3 Rankings Michigan defensive back commit Brody Jennings was one of the biggest risers in the latest On3 rank- ings update for the 2026 recruiting class. Jennings moved up 133 spots from No. 265 to No. 132 nationally. He also is ranked as the No. 15 cornerback in the country. Jennings' rankings bump comes after a strong junior season at Jacksonville (Fla.) Mandarin High. Jen- nings transferred to the Florida powerhouse last offseason and proved to be one of the top defensive players in the Sunshine State. At 6-foot-1, 185 pounds, Jennings is a tall, rangy corner with plenty of upside. He saw his recruiting stock blow up last month when schools like Alabama, Georgia and Ole Miss all put offers on the table. Jennings has been committed to Michigan since last summer. He was set to make an unofficial visit to U-M on March 22 and will return for his official visit on June 20. With that said, Jennings also has unofficial visits scheduled with Florida and Florida State and will make summer official visits to Alabama and Georgia. "I'm taking it all in," Jennings said. "I'm building relationships with other coaches, but my strongest relationships are still with Coach [Sherrone] Moore and Coach [LaMar] Morgan. I'm going to play at a high level, and if others want to offer me, I'm grateful. But I'm locked in with Michigan. I'm 100 percent Michigan." Jennings is one of two Michigan commits who received a bump in the latest ranking update. The other is Dallas Parish Episcopal wide receiver Jaylen Pile, who remained a three-star prospect. Pile, however, did move up 21 spots in the wide receiver position rankings. He was previously the No. 154 wide receiver nationally and is now slotted No. 133 at the position. Pile is coming off back-to-back solid performances at two major offseason events — Under Armour Dallas and The Sevens. He also had a productive junior season that saw him log 63 receptions for 1,367 yards (averaging 21.7 yards per catch) and 19 touchdowns. Pile committed to Michigan in October and has been solid ever since. He was set to make an unofficial visit on March 20 and will return for his official visit on June 20. "I don't want to burn bridges, and nothing is ever official until you sign on the dotted line," Pile said. "But I'm pretty locked in. You can feel the love from Michigan. It's like a family. Everybody wants to see everybody win. I want to be at Michigan. I can see myself thriving there." — EJ Holland one man— Jonathan Goodwin, a for- mer Michigan standout and NFL of- fensive lineman, who coached for the Charlotte prep powerhouse while his son and eventual U-M signee Channing Goodwin grew into a heavily recruited receiver prospect in the 2024 cycle. "There's always a positive vibe around Michigan because everybody loves Jonathan," Grier said. Harbaugh spent plenty of time in Charlotte recruiting Grier's school, and he ended up poaching one of the pro- gram's coaches. Goodwin now coaches for the Los Angeles Chargers. His son was one of the leaders of the wide receiver room during Sellars' early years in high school. He developed into a priority Michigan target as well and has only heard positive things from Channing about the program. Sellars, the No. 186 overall player and No. 24 wide receiver in the country in the On3 Industry Ranking, is friends with both Goodwin and Davis, which helps Michigan's recruiting pitch. Of- fensive coordinator Chip Lindsey has been in contact with Grier recently, and it sounds like the younger Goodwin is really starting to take off as a player. "Channing is blossoming up there and doing really well from everything I've heard," Grier said. Davis is also enjoying his time in Ann Arbor, Grier shared. They had some mature conversations over Christmas after Michigan brought in five-star- plus quarterback Bryce Underwood. He's on pace to graduate early, and get- ting a U-M degree is important to him. On the field, Davis is ready to compete, and he's happy to be a Wolverine. "It's no secret, you pay someone in the class behind him $10, $12 million, whatever it is, Jadyn can't just beat him out. He has to knock him out. … Jadyn is such a solid human," Grier said. When a recruit sits down with Grier to ask him about Michigan, the head coach urges him to do his own research. And that's an easy task. Anyone in the program can reach out to either of the Goodwins or Davis. Michigan even had a Providence Day alumnus on staff as a student manager. Grier's own appreciation for the Wol- verines starts with the people running the program. While Harbaugh left a Michigan defensive back commit Brody Jennings was one of the biggest risers in the latest On3 rankings update for the 2026 recruiting class, moving up 133 spots to No. 132 nationally. He is now ranked as the No. 16 cornerback in the country. PHOTO BY JEREMY JOHNSON/ON3