2024 recruiting

It's been a few years since I've given my thoughts/updates on the state of MICHIGAN recruiting. I recently had a knee injury so since I will be sitting at home for the next couple of months I figure I might as well write a post with my thoughts on the subject.

This post will only cover the offensive side of the ball. There is WAY to much to dive into on the defenseive side and I'll need quite a bit of time to do some research on that. This post is basically off the cuff so this won't be as detailed as my past posts used to be but it's a start. Speaking of start, let's start with a short list of current 2024 MICHIGAN recruits


Mason Curtis LB Ensworth Nashville TN
Manuel Beigle DL Choate Rosemary Hall Wallingford CT
Luke Hamilton OT Avon Avon OH
Zach Ludwig LB South Park South Park PA
Hogan Hansen TE Bellevue Bellevue WA
Ted Hammond DL St X Cincinnati OH
Jacob Oden ATH Harper Woods Harper Woods MI




Now here is my breakdown by position


QB
No doubt the single biggest need of the class. Especially after not taking a QB last year. It was a calculated move by MICHIGAN to pass on a QB in the 2023 class and that made them go all in and put all of their chips in the Jadyn Davis basket. I have a good feeling about Davis ending up in the class. It will be a major blow to the class and to recruiting if he signs elsewhere. If he choses another school then expect the staff to hit the transfer portal hard for a QB next year.

Only Option:

Jayden Davis QB Providence Day School Charlotte NC



OLine
You hate to lose two guys like Olu and Hayes but I like the incoming transfers Ladarius Henderson (ASU) and Myles Hinton (Stanford). I think Henderson will move back to LT and take Hayes' spot and I think Hinton will backup Barnhart to start the year but will be starting by the end of the year. The wildcard here is Stanford transfer Drake Nugent. Michigan has zero Center depth and from what I'm readinig it sounds as if Nugent is the favorite to start at C. The OLine will most likely take a step back to start the year but after only 4 games I can see them being a solid unit.

The talent of the OLine over the past two years have allowed Michigan to have a very balanced offensive attack. If they have to start the year as a run heavy team until they get into their groove then I don't see that being an issue given the level of talent they play to start the year (E Carolina, UNLV, Bowling Green, Rutgers) and the the level of talent they have in the backfield.

So far MICHIGAN has landed one OLine commit and it was a big one - Luke Hamilton OT Avon OH. I think they take three more.

Most Likely Options:

Andrew Sprague OT Rockhurt Kansas City MO
Kevin Heywood OT Pope John Paul II Royersfor PA
Guerby Lamber OT Catholic Memorial West Roxbury MA
Ben Roebuck OT St Edward Lakewood OH

For the record I am not impressed with the lack of Gaurds on the list


RB
As mentioned above, MICHIGAN has a ton of returning talent in the backfield. In fact I believe MICHIGAN has the most talent at RB in the nation and I don't think it's even close. Corum, Edwards and Stokes are the clear 1, 2, 3. That said MICHIGAN threw out a ton of offers at RB in this class but I have to think they only take one like last year.

Most Likely Option:

Jordan Marshall RB Archbishop Moeler Cincinnati OH

TE
With Luke Schoonmaker gone and Colston Loveland taking over as the top TE last year there is no question Colston will enter the season as #1 TE. The question becomes what does MICHIGAN do this year on the recruiting trail with the TE position? Do they take two? Hogan Hansen committed before Christmas and at the time I thought that was a good thing. However, the longer this has drawn out the more I'm worried about Brady Prieskorn. Prieskorn is undoubtedly one of the top 5 prospects in the state of MI and he's one of the best TEs in the nation (as well as a top 50 overall recruit in the nation) but I think he's cooled on MICHIGAN since the Hansen commit. You hate to lose kids of this talent level to schools out of state. This is one to keep your eye on moving forward

Most Likely Options:

Brady Prieskorn TE Adams Rochester MI
Caleb Odom TE Carroliton Carroliton GA


WR
Ronnie Bell is gone. Johnson, Wilson and Henning are back and I expect Darius Clemmons to have a breakout year. Amarion Walker is another kid that could turn into a solid contributor this year. Michigan isn't loaded with 5* talent like Ohio is but they have ample talent returning to put up solid numbers that will allow them to have a balanced offensive attack. I think 3 WR is probably the number in this class.

Most Likely Options:

Jordan Shipp WR Providence Day Schoole Charlotte NC
Gatlin Bair WR Burley Burley ID
Cam Williams WR Glenbard South Glen Ellyn IL

I know Cam Williams is a ND commit but I believe they can flip him if the staff pushes hard enough but I don't know how hard they are pursuing him at this point.

For those wondering about a Nick Marsh flip I don't think it's going to happen. I never really dived deep into his recruitment so that's just a feeling based on other things I've read about the recruitment of other WRs. In fact I don't think UM ever really had much interest other than just to throw out a blanket offer to a top talent in the state.




Anyway this was a quick down and dirty on what I think could happen on the offensive recruiting front.

Let me know if you have any questions about current commits, numbers, needs, etc or just leave a comment on any recruit in particular that you like or don't like.

amarion walker is a projected starter at CB. I think that most likely puts the WR number at 3