With National Signing Day looming in early December - and lots of recruiting movement - I wanted to catch up on some of the most recent happenings as Michigan tries to fill out its 2025 recruiting class.
QUARTERBACK
COMMIT: Belleville (MI) Belleville quarterback Bryce Underwood committed to Michigan (LINK). It seems as if Fort Myers (FL) Bishop Verot quarterback Carter Smith at least suspected that was going to happen, and he decommitted beforehand; Smith recently committed to Wisconsin and will be a Badger instead, perhaps with eyes on getting a bit of revenge against the Wolverines down the road.
KEEP AN EYE ON: Michigan will also be looking to add a quarterback through the transfer portal, and USC transfer Miller Moss has been rumored to be a possible candidate.
Hit the jump for more.
RUNNING BACK
COMMITS: With Bradenton (FL) IMG Academy running back Donovan Johnson and Marrero (FL) Archbishop Shaw running back Jasper Parker committed to the Wolverines, it does not seem like the Wolverines will pursue any other 2025 recruits.
KEEP AN EYE ON: They could potentially look in the transfer portal for a more proven option for next season since Donovan Edwards and Kalel Mullings will be moving on to the NFL.
WIDE RECEIVER
COMMITS: Fulshear (TX) Katy Jordan wide receiver Andrew Marsh seems excited about the commitment of Underwood, while Marrero (FL) Archbishop Shaw wideout Jacob Washington has seemed a little quieter. Lake Worth (FL) Santaluces wide receiver Jamar Browder also recently committed.
KEEP AN EYE ON: Las Vegas (NV) Bishop Gorman 6'5", 200 lb. wideout Derek Meadows, an LSU commit, has been the main topic of discussion. Meadows was high on Michigan and is close to Underwood - the main reason he committed to LSU in the first place - but the consensus is that Meadows will not end up in Baton Rouge. He will probably end up at Michigan, Alabama, or Notre Dame it seems. Another intriguing option is Red Oak (TX) Red Oak wide receiver Taz Williams, Jr., a Baylor commit who has missed most of his senior year with an injury. Williams started rumors with a social media post of him wearing Michigan gear on a visit to Ann Arbor, and Baylor head coach Dave Aranda is on a pretty warm seat in Waco. Michigan is also apparently interested in Oradell (NJ) Bergen Catholic wideout Quincy Porter, Jr., an Ohio State commit who seems to be wavering and also giving a look at Penn State.
TIGHT END
COMMITS: Center Valley (PA) Lehigh Valley tight end Andrew Olesh is perhaps the top receiving tight end prospect in the country. He has been looking around a little bit due to the questionable quarterback situation in Ann Arbor, but the commitment of Underwood seems to have solidified his faith in the future of the offense. Meanwhile, Alcoa (TN) Alcoa H-back prospect Eli Owens has been flying under the radar, but he could be a program guy like a Max Bredeson.
KEEP AN EYE ON: Olesh. I think Michigan will stay put with those two tight end commits if they stay committed, along with the guys who are already on the roster, like Marlin Klein, Hogan Hansen, Brady Prieskorn, and others.
OFFENSIVE LINE
COMMITS: Overland Park (KS) Blue Valley Northwest tackle Andrew Babalola is the star of the offensive line class and could potentially step in and start in 2025. In-stater Avery Gach is more of a longer term project and likely a guard at the next level. And then there's Michigan State legacy Kaden Strayhorn from Bradenton (FL) IMG Academy; Strayhorn is probably a center. So Michigan has a tackle, a guard, and a center in the class.
KEEP AN EYE ON: The big fish is Denton (TX) Ryan offensive tackle Ty Haywood, an Alabama commit. Haywood is well put together and could potentially play as a true freshman. Michigan is also pursuing Portland (OR) Central Catholic offensive tackle Zac Stascausky, who visited for the Northwestern game, and Massillon (OH) Washington offensive tackle Nolan Davenport; they are committed to Washington and Wisconsin, respectively.
WRs. Playmakers please
ReplyDeleteAnd now Brady Hart flips, leaving the QB room with Bryce Underwood and ... who? When the portal opens, who currently in the QB (other than Davis Warren) stays? I imagine Jaydn Davis will go, as well as Alex Orji.
ReplyDeleteI had no idea Hart was reclassifying. That sucks for us, but with Underwood we have time to replace him
DeleteWhere would Orji go?
Maybe Warren goes G5; maybe he stays & competes. No idea on Jayden ...
No matter what, we need a portal QB
There are teams out there that would love to have a go at Orji's arm and running ability. I'd be willing to bet he'd be okay to good, too ... I suspect the coaches at Michigan weren't sure how to best use him.
DeleteI'm sure there are teams out there that would covet Orji's skills. I doubt there are many at the P4 level, though. If he wants to play QB, he's probably going to have to go to a "Group of 5" program.
DeleteIf the goal is to play in the NFL, he's going to have to change positions.
So...he's got a choice to make. Play QB in college at a lower level and try to change positions if an NFL team will give him a shot, or switch positions now and have a better chance of catching on with an NFL team.
If he switches, what position? Does he have the WR skills? He's a big guy, but is he NFL TE big?
DeleteWarren is the guy in our QB room who I see as most directly affected by Underwood and (expected) portal transfer veteran. He may be more sensitive to available depth chart opportunity, as he will be 23 and in his final year. NFL isn't going to be in the cards for him due to lack of talent but now that he's had a starting opportunity he might want to see what he can do at another program rather than on the bench in Ann Arbor. Plus he went to 3 different high schools to seek playing time before. I assume that would be at a lower level in college but maybe some big ten teams (cough Iowa cough) will be desperate and see a starter from Michigan as an asset.
DeleteAs for Orji -- I don't see an NFL player in regardless of position. He's not particularly fast (as we saw on the long run yesterday) or particularly big. Maybe he could be developed into a mooseback or linebacker at the college level but NFL seems like a leap. Not going to be a starter at Michigan at any of these positions, IMO.
"Play QB in college at a lower level and try to change positions if an NFL team will give him a shot, or switch positions now and have a better chance of catching on with an NFL team."
I remember similar sentiments expressed about a NE Patriots QB. Bad advice then and probably bad advice again here.
Orji should probably do what's best for his education and set himself up for his future career. A viable path might be to finish out his 4 years being a backup QB at Michigan. Especially with a new OC probably coming in. Get that degree and continue to be a leader and great teammate in the locker room.
Then reassess options, fits, and ambitions he in 2026. With 2 more years of eligibility there's no need to change course immediately, in my eyes, even if Underwood and a potential transfer are on the way to upgrade the QB room talent relative to Tuttle/Warren.
One pass attempt in two months, tied with Don, Semaj and ... Kendrick Bell. Oof
DeleteIn hindsight all the Orji-cat carries after USC might as well have gone to Don Edwards. Don would have taken that 27 yarder to the house on Saturday.
DeleteAs for transfer speculation, Orji didn't transfer with even fewer pass attempts last season. He's got less to lose than Warren, who faces a bigger step back in usage and role with Underwood and portal additions anticipated for 2025.
Just kind of interesting that people will assume the senior starter will take nicely to his job going to someone else while the younger backup is supposed to seek greener pastures.
Maybe it's just me but I don't like speculating about transfers of current players unless it's really obvious or the player has given an indication. No reason to think that J Davis will not be on the roster and happy to develop. And indications are they are going to bring in a portal QB. If so, you have portal QB, Davis and Underwood, plus any others. That's fine. But yes, I do think they will get one QB from the portal (or at least try).
ReplyDeleteOne of the sites (The Wolverine, I think) postulated that Michigan would probably have 4 new quarterbacks in the room in 2025, including Underwood. Usually Michigan brings in at least 1 walk-on QB, so that would be 2. So then you're potentially looking at 2 transfer portal QBs. There has been considerable talk about a veteran coming in as basically a 1-year rental until Underwood is ready. It's tough to count on a freshman leading any team to a really successful year.
DeleteI would expect 3 new QBs. I don't think you'll get another highly regarded HS recruit alongside Underwood but maybe some developmental 3 star type like Denegal/Malzone could be patient. My suspicion is that would be a preferred walk-on type like Warren/Sheridan joining the room, in addition to Underwood and a portal proven starter (like Moss, ideally).
DeleteThere will be departures but I would not be surprised if some guys we see as locked into backup roles (like Orji, Denegal, or Davis) would stick around. Its the guys that feel they've earned a starting spot (and more importantly are at risk of losing one) that are the greatest risks to flee especially if they are in their last year like Davis Warren will be.