The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1535358
JUNE/JULY 2025 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 43 ❱ MICHIGAN RECRUITING NOTEBOOK darius Toodle, who is listed as the nation's No. 186 prospect and No. 12 linebacker. While Toodle is from Alabama, his ver- bal pledge to Auburn has been extremely soft. Michigan has taken advantage of that by pressing as hard as possible over the last few months. U-M linebackers coach Brian Jean-Mary watched Toodle play basketball in the winter and returned to Mobile for an in-home visit with the fam- ily in April. Toodle made his own visit to Michigan this spring. The entire family made their way to Ann Arbor. Both his parents as well as both of his brothers all enjoyed their time on campus. While it's tough to pull recruits out of Alabama, Toodle and his family love what Michigan can offer on and off the field. "Shadarius' big thing is development," Toodle's father, Shadrick said. "That's his focus. Michigan had 27 guys in the draft the last two years. That's his ultimate goal. Michigan is at the top of the list in terms of Coach [Sherrone] Moore and his staff getting players to the league. Michigan is a real player because of what my son wants to accomplish." On top of that, Jean-Mary is originally from the South and has connected with the Toodle family on a personal level. Michigan offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey is also a valuable weapon in this recruitment. Lindsey was a high school coach in Alabama and still has strong ties throughout the state. Right now, Michigan and Georgia have emerged as the biggest threats to flip Toodle away from Auburn. Both schools will receive official visits in May. Auburn will get him on campus in mid-June, but this will be a recruitment that could go all the way to signing day in December. On300 Visalia (Calif.) Redwood's Israel Briggs, the country's No. 131 player and No. 7 tight end, is committed to Arizona State, but that pledge isn't expected to stick for much longer. While Michigan re- mains in a really good spot for Matt Lud- wig, the nation's No. 169 player and No. 10 tight end, the Wolverines are taking two at the position this cycle. Michigan tight ends coach Steve Ca- sula has done a fantastic job with Briggs behind the scenes and got him on cam- pus for the spring game. Briggs is close to locking in an official visit with Michigan but is still working on the date. He already has other OVs scheduled to Cal, LSU, Mi- ami and Texas A&M. Michigan is certainly in the mix but will likely need to play the NIL game. On300 Notre Dame commit Chas- ton Smith, the No. 25 cornerback in the land, was supposed to visit Michigan this spring but did not make it to campus. The Irish have a no-visit policy, and Marcus Freeman was able to get him back to South Bend instead. Notre Dame commits have broken that policy later in the cycle, and it wouldn't be surprising if that happens eventually with Smith. Michigan secondary coach LaMar Morgan visited with Smith and his brother during the winter contact period and will keep working his magic through- out the next several months. Remember, Morgan came away with some big flips late last cycle. Morgan is also shooting his shot with four-star Miami commit Camdin Portis, who visited this spring. Portis, the No. 310 player and No. 29 cornerback in the land, shares the same agent as top running back target Savion Hiter, which could help the Wolverines. However, Portis is a legacy and the son of ex-Miami running back Clinton Portis. A flip will be tough, but his agent, Adam McCann, did say Portis will continue to listen to Morgan and the Wolverines. "Anyone can be an option with Coach LaMar [Morgan]," McCann said. "I don't know if Camdin would flip, but being around Coach LaMar is dangerous. I can see why he wins the guys he wants — his personality, his character and getting coached by one of the best." — EJ Holland Current Auburn commit Shadarius Toodle, the nation's No. 12-ranked linebacker, is being heavily pursued as a potential flip by both Michigan and Georgia. PHOTO BY JEFFREY LEE/AUBURN LIVE