The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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MAY 2025 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 45 ❱ MICHIGAN RECRUITING NOTEBOOK sus Christ of Latter-day Saints. That means Lyons won't enroll at the school of his choice until 2027. "The big thing with him is speed of the game," Bellaire said. "If you step away from the game for 18 months, that's 18 months without getting live reps. That's 18 months without prac- t i c i n g . T h a t's 1 8 m o n t h s w i t h o u t working out with your teammates. Generally, the mission disrupts growth within that program. "The mission helps him grow as a human being. That's always a good thing, especially since there are a lot of things that go into being a college athlete outside of the football facili- ties. But when it comes to developing as a player, especially as a quarterback, that could deter his growth and devel- opment. "If you're missing out on live bullets for 18 months, that's going to affect you and stunt your growth. It's not a killer by any means. But it is a concern and does raise a flag, especially when he's already behind from a processing and diagnosing standpoint." While that may be true, Michigan doesn't seem to be concerned. Other quarterbacks like Tanner McKee (Stan- ford, Philadelphia Eagles) and Taysom Hill (BYU, New Orleans Saints) re- turned from missions, had successful careers at the college level and are now in the NFL. Lyons, who made his first Michigan visit in April, will look to follow the same path. MaxPreps named him to its 2024 California All-State first team after he completed 211 of 310 passes for 3,011 yards and 46 touchdowns, while also running for 585 yards and 14 scores. MICHIGAN'S PUSH FOR TOP IN-STATE RECRUIT CJ Sadler has been a national recruit for a long time, and Michigan has been one of his top schools throughout the process. The dynamic athlete is ready to dive into decision making this sum- mer and plans on making a commit- ment before the fall. He's the top-ranked recruit in the state of Michigan's 2026 class and the No. 5 athlete nationally. Sadler still needs to take some visits, but the Top 100 prospect wants to wrap up his re- cruiting process before he pursues an- other state title with Detroit Cass Tech this fall. "I've still got to take a lot of my OVs, and I'm finishing getting those set up so I can be focused on the season. I want to be committed before the season starts," Sadler said. "I want to get around to all the schools, see what it's like, take my family with me, see how they like it and go from there." Michigan offered Sadler more than three years ago. This relationship has been building for a long time. He's in the process of locking in his U-M official visit and is also interested in taking trips to Oregon, Colorado, North Carolina, Penn State and Maryland. The 5-foot-9 slot receiver/defensive back wants to play both sides of the ball in college just like he does for Cass Tech. Wide receivers coach Ron Bellamy is his primary recruiter with Michigan, and they have a consistent pitch for him. "Lock in on one, dominate that and let's trust you for the next one," Sadler said. "But as a player, I feel like I'm al- ways ready to play both sides. I've been doing it for so long. I'm telling them, 'Coach, I'm ready, I'm ready.'" Sadler considers himself an elite competitor. He would like to line up on both sides of the ball in college, and he's happy with Michigan's current plan. "It's about trust with them, and I just feel like that was cool," Sadler said. "That was a good answer." Michigan hosted Sadler for a spring practice in April. He enjoyed the trip and said the staff continues to make him feel like a top priority. Bellamy has known the four-star prospect for a very long time. He wanted Sadler to come play for him when the athlete was a middle schooler and Bellamy still coached at West Bloomfield High. Sadler's spring visit went well over- all, and he remains interested in staying close to home. "It's just always love there," Sadler said. "That's the hometown, and it's always great to get recruited by your hometown college team. That's always Detroit Cass Tech's CJ Sadler is the top-ranked recruit in the state of Michigan's 2026 class and the No. 5 athlete nationally, per the On3 Industry Ranking. The Top 100 prospect wants to wrap up his recruiting process before he pursues another state title with Detroit Cass Tech this fall. PHOTO COURTESY OF ON3