Aamir Hall, Wolverine

 

Aamir Hall

Albany transfer cornerback Aamir Hall committed to Michigan this evening after taking a visit to Ann Arbor on Wednesday.

Hall is a 6'1", 201 lb. corner with one year of eligibility remaining. Originally a signee for FCS Richmond, he spent the 2021 and 2022 seasons playing for the Spiders. He then transferred to Albany in 2023, where he was an FCS All-American, totaling 63 tackles, 5 interceptions, and 15 total passes defended.

After watching some highlights of him playing at Albany this past fall, I think Hall may have a better shot at playing corner than I originally believed. I mentioned in an earlier article that he might be more of a nickel - which was based on going back to watch his high school highlights - but there has been some development since then. He's a good-sized, physical corner who's not afraid to come up and support the run, and he has some nice instincts and ball skills. He plays through the hands of receivers, and he makes some nice adjustments to go up and get the ball, get low to dig out short throws, etc.

Overall, Michigan has found themselves a good addition to the cornerback room to compete with Jyaire Hill for that second corner spot, or perhaps help at nickel with Zeke Berry or Ja'Den McBurrows. Hall doesn't have the greatest speed, but if he did . . . he probably wouldn't be available at this point, and he wouldn't be coming from Albany. Hill probably has higher upside in the long run because he's a better athlete, but Hall is probably a good approximation of Josh Wallace - someone who's capable in pass coverage and who won't be taken advantage of physically.

Albany somewhat famously produced defensive end Jared Verse, who turned out to be a standout player for Florida State before becoming a 1st round draft pick last month. However, Albany has only produced one NFL draft pick, and that was 6th round safety Rashad Barksdale back in 2007.

Michigan is still looking at trying to land more defensive backs from the portal, including Michigan State safety Jaden Mangham, Sacramento State safety Cameron Broussard, and Louisville safety Wesley Walker, among others.

2024 Season Countdown: #113 Stone Anderson

 

Stone Anderson

Name: Stone Anderson
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 190 lbs.
High school: Deerfield (MA) Deerfield Academy
Position: Kicker
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #92
Last year: I did not rank Anderson. He redshirted.
TTB Rating: N/A

At one time Michigan had a pretty great defense led by guys with awesome names - like Sam Sword and Glen Steele and Rob Swett. Even names like Ian Gold and Andrew Weathers lent a feeling that these were men. And they were doing manly things. Like winning a national championship and stuff.

And now were have more manly men doing manly things with manly names, such as Shomari Stone and Stone Anderson. Surely, it's not a coincidence that they are a part of the program that is coming off a national championship and will likely be contending for a playoff spot in 2024.

As for Stone Anderson himself . . . his chance to play probably dropped off significantly when Michigan landed Arkansas State transfer kicker Dominic Zvada. Otherwise, it seemed like a wide-open kicking job with redshirt freshman Adam Samaha looking like the primary competition for place kicking duties. But now with Zvada in the fold, along with potential kickoff specialist Hudson Hollenbeck, Anderson might once again have to watch from the sideline in 2024.

Prediction: Backup kicker

Visitors: May 17-19, 2024

 

Jaden Mangham (image via Michigan State)

TRANSFER PORTAL

Aamir Hall - CB - Albany: Hall is a product of Baltimore (MD) Mount Saint Joseph's who originally went to Richmond out of high school, where he played two seasons, making 88 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, 2 interceptions, and 16 pass breakups. After transferring to Albany in 2023, he notched 63 tackles, 5 interceptions, and 15 total pass breakups. At 6'1" and 201 pounds, he's probably more of a nickel than a true cornerback.

Jaden Mangham - S - Michigan State: Mangham was a 4-star, the #13 athlete, and #311 overall in the class of 2022. Trying to escape the dysfunction in East Lansing, he's visiting Michigan this weekend to potentially fill the hole(s) left by Rod Moore's injury and the departure of Keon Sabb to Alabama. Listed at 6'2" and 185 pounds, he has started twelve games during his two seasons wearing green and white. He has 73 tackles and 4 interceptions during his college career and was named Honorable Mention All-Big Ten in 2022. Michigan did offer him coming out of Franklin (MI) Groves - also the home of recent Michigan commit Avery Gach for the class of 2025 - but both sides cooled a little bit throughout the recruiting process.

Wesley Walker - S - Louisville: Walker actually visited last week, but I did not include him in last week's visitor list. He started his college career at Georgia Tech, transferred to Tennessee, entered the transfer portal in December, committed to Ole Miss, flipped to Louisville, and spent spring ball with Louisville. Then he entered the portal again. Originally, he was a 3-star, the #58 cornerback, and #572 overall in the class of 2019. Overall, he started 25 games and made 184 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 1 interception, and 12 pass breakups throughout his career.

2024 Season Countdown: #114 Luke Hamilton

 

Luke Hamilton

Name: Luke Hamilton
Height: 6'5"
Weight: 290 lbs.
High school: Avon (OH) Avon
Position: Offensive guard
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: N/A
Last year: Hamilton was a senior in high school (LINK).
TTB Rating: 49

Hamilton committed to Michigan back in November of 2022, right around when Michigan beat Ohio State for the second time in a row. His pledge came the day after the victory over the Buckeyes, which was probably a little extra special for him since his home state team did not offer, but the rivals Wolverines did. He finished the cycle ranked as a 3-star, the #26 interior offensive lineman, and #406 overall.

As a freshman offensive lineman, it's difficult to get on the field, anyway. And even though Michigan is replacing its top six linemen, there are a lot of guys in the stable. Additionally, Hamilton was not an early enrollee . . . and furthermore, I'm not convinced that Hamilton has the requisite athleticism to play for what has turned out to be a very solid offensive line-producing program. He plays somewhat high with a narrow base, and those guys tend to struggle. I expect him to redshirt a freshman and maybe we'll see in the 2025 spring game how much he has come along.

Prediction: Redshirt

2026 Recruiting Update: May 10, 2024

 

Thomas Davis, Jr. (image via 247 Sports)

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2026

Suwanee (GA) Peachtree Ridge cornerback Dorian Barney was offered by Michigan. He's a 6'1", 170-pounder with offers from Alabama, Georgia, Notre Dame, Ohio State, and Oregon, among others. He's a 4-star, the #5 cornerback, and #42 overall in the class.

Frisco (TX) Heritage wide receiver Tatum Bell, Jr. was offered by Michigan. He's a 6'0", 180 lb. prospect with offers from Houston, Minnesota, Oklahoma State, and TCU, among others. Ranked as a 3-star, the #56 wide receiver, and #378 overall, he's the son of former Oklahoma State and NFL running back Tatum Bell, a 2nd round pick back in 2004 who played for the Broncos and Lions. He was another in a long line of "Literally Any Shanahan Running Back Can Run for 1,000 Yards," a list that includes Terrell Davis, Olandis Gary, and Mike Anderson.

Panama City (FL) Bay tight end Javar Bowden was offered by Michigan. He's a 6'5", 185-pounder who may or may not eventually be a tight end; perhaps he'll just be a jumbo receiver in college. He's a 3-star, the #16 tight end, and #330 overall with offers from Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, and Mississippi State, among others.

Hit the jump for more.

Way Too Early 2024 Depth Chart: May 2024

 

Colston Loveland (image via MLive)

The following depth chart has removed these listed players from the depth chart:

• WR Cristian Dixon (transfer)
• WR Karmello English (transfer)
• C Amir Herring (transfer to Kansas)
• LB Jeremiah Beasley (transfer to Missouri)
• LB Semaj Bridgeman (transfer)
• LB Hayden Moore (transfer)
• CB D.J. Waller (transfer to Kentucky)

I have also added WR C.J. Charleston (transfer from Youngstown State), WR Amorion Walker (transfer from Ole Miss), and K Dominic Zvada (transfer from Arkansas State).

It also assumes that every currently rostered player and every currently committed prospect will be here in the fall of 2024, which is obviously not true.

Hit the jump for the depth chart.

2025 Recruiting Update: May 8, 2024

 

Avery Gach

COMMITMENT

Franklin (MI) Groves offensive tackle Avery Gach committed to Michigan (LINK).

Oak Park (IL) Fenwick defensive lineman Nate Marshall committed to Michigan (LINK).

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2025

Fishers (IN) Fishers wide receiver JonAnthony Hall was offered by Michigan. He's a 6'1", 170 lb. prospect with offers from Indiana, Northwestern, Purdue, and Stanford, among others. He's a 3-star, the #72 wide receiver, and #460 overall.

Valdosta (GA) Valdosta running back Todd Robinson was offered by Michigan. He stands 5'11" and weighs 195 pounds. The 3-star, #37 running back, and #448 overall player also has offers from Alabama, Georgia, Florida State, and Tennessee, among others. He runs a 10.93 in the 100 meters and he both ran and passed for 1,000+ yards as a junior in 2023.

Folsom (CA) Folsom defensive tackle Josiah Sharma was offered by Michigan. He's 6'5", 295 lbs. and has offers from Alabama, Miami, Texas, and Washington, among others. He's a 4-star, the #38 defensive lineman, and #360 overall. Coincidentally, Michigan also recently offered - and is hosting - Folsom product Cameron Broussard, a transfer portal safety target from Sacramento State.

OFF THE BOARD

Buford (GA) Buford tight end Hayden Bradley (3-star, #40 TE, #795 overall) committed to Ole Miss.

Hyattsville (MD) DeMatha running back Bud Coombs (3-star, #58 RB, #738 overall) committed to Maryland.

Cleveland (OH) Cleveland Heights running back Marquise Davis (4-star, #11 RB, #165 overall) committed to Kentucky. He had two crystal balls for Michigan, so this was a swing and a miss so far, though Michigan is expected to continue recruiting him.

Chester (VA) Thomas Dale cornerback Shamari Earls (4-star, #15 CB, #118 overall) committed to South Carolina.

Tampa (FL) Berkeley Prep safety Dallas Golden (4-star, #11 S, #94 overall) committed to Notre Dame.

Lee's Summit (MO) North wide receiver Isaiah Mozee (4-star, #27 WR, #234 overall) committed to Oregon.

Santa Ana (CA) Mater Dei linebacker Nasir Wyatt (4-star, #8 edge, #70 overall) committed to Oregon.

Visitors: May 10-12, 2024

 

Cameron Broussard (image via Sacramento State)

TRANSFER PORTAL

Cameron Broussard - S - Sacramento State: Broussard is a 6'3", 200 lb. safety from Sacramento State, an FCS program in California. Originally out of Folsom (CA) Folsom, Broussard was a 247 Sports 3-star and the #137 athlete in the class of 2020. His first season was canceled due to COVID but he has played the past three seasons, so he has one year of eligibility remaining. As a starting free safety in 2023, he made 73 tackles, 2 interceptions, and 5 pass breakups while being named First Team All-Big Sky.

Jay'viar Suggs - DT - Grand Valley State: Suggs is a 6'3", 282-pounder from in-state GVSU. He attended Clarkston (MI) Clarkston and did not have any FBS offers coming out of high school in 2019. He made 21 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, and 5 sacks this past season. He has named a top six of Arkansas, Florida State, Kentucky, Michigan, USC, and Wisconsin.

Avery Gach, Wolverine

 

Avery Gach

Franklin (MI) Groves offensive tackle Avery Gach committed to Michigan on Friday afternoon. He picked the Wolverines over offers from Alabama, Florida State, Georgia, Michigan State, and Ohio State, among others.

Gach is a 6'5", 290 lb. prospect.

RANKINGS
ESPN: 4-star, 80 grade, #34 OT, #296 overall
On3: 3-star, 89 grade, #32 IOL
Rivals: 4-star, 5.8 grade, #14 OT, #145 overall
247 Sports: 4-star, 90 grade, #13 IOL, #196 overall

Hit the jump for more.

C.J. Charleston, Wolverine

 

C.J. Charleston (image via Tribune Chronicle)

Former Youngstown State University wide receiver C.J. Charleston has committed to Michigan out of the transfer portal.

Charleston was an unranked 2019 recruit who committed to the Penguins out of Gates Mills (OH) Gilmour Academy. He redshirted as a freshman and then played in five games during the COVID season, making 7 catches for 112 yards. Then in 2021 he made 16 catches for 147 yards before tearing his Achilles prior to the 2022 season, which caused him to miss the entire year. The 6'0", 190-pounder returned to play in 2023 and made 33 catches for 467 yards and 4 touchdowns while starting all thirteen games. He has two years of eligibility remaining, so he could be on Michigan's roster through 2025.

Here you can see him catching a 72-yard touchdown pass on a broken play against Illinois State last year:

Charleston does not have great speed or size, so he looks to be more of an intermediate possession guy. I'm not sure he offers much in the way of skills that Michigan does not already have. But he is another body to add to the room, and I would hope that his experience and time in a college strength and conditioning program will help him play a role as a leader and blocker.

Below are some highlights of the Charleston, who was a high school running back. As a senior in 2018, he ran for 198 yards, 2585 yards, and 49 touchdowns, albeit against some pretty weak competition. You can see his body type and running style lend themselves to the receiver position more, so that may explain why it took him some time to make an impact at YSU.