COMMITMENTS
Brandywine (MD) Gwynn Park defensive end Devon Baxter committed to Michigan (LINK).
Ijamsville (MD) Oakdale defensive end Dominic Nichols committed to Michigan (LINK).
OFF THE BOARD
Frisco (TX) Reedy offensive tackle Max Anderson (4-star, #18 OT, #201 overall) committed to Tennessee. At one time he was pegged for Michigan, but once the offensive line class started to fill up, Anderson seemed reticent to join such a large OL class.
Hit the jump for more.
Ijamsville (MD) Oakdale defensive end Dominic Nichols committed to Michigan on Sunday afternoon. He picked the Wolverines over offers from Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Penn State, and Wisconsin, among others.
Nichols is listed on 247 Sports at 6'5" and 252 lbs.
RANKINGS
ESPN: 3-star, 79 grade, #39 DE
On3: 4-star, 90 grade, #28 EDGE
Rivals: 3-star, 5.7 grade, #37 SDE
247 Sports: 3-star, 89 grade, #30 EDGE
Hit the jump for more.
Name: Jake Thaw
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 190 lbs.
High school: Westport (CT) Staples
Position: Wide receiver
Class: Redshirt junior
Jersey number: #26
Last year: I ranked Thaw #107 and said he would be a backup wide receiver (LINK). He played in two games and make 1 punt return for 10 yards.
TTB Rating: N/A
Thaw finally broke into some playing time in 2022, his third year in the program. He played in a couple blowout games, and he was actually called upon to return a punt against Colorado State. There was a little bit of excitement on his 20-yard return, but it was taken back 10 yards due to a penalty. He also caught a touchdown on a whip route in the 2023 spring game.
My opinion of Thaw is bolstered most by the fact that the coaches trusted him to catch a punt, even though it was late in a blowout win. Obviously, the staff trusts him not to go out there and look like a dolt and turn over the ball. Alas, Michigan has some good receivers returning (Cornelius Johnson, Roman Wilson) and some talented youngsters vying for playing time (Darrius Clemons, Fredrick Moore, etc.), not to mention walk-on Peyton O'Leary, who was the star of the spring game overall. I expect to see Thaw on the field a little bit this fall, but probably not in crunch time.
Prediction: Backup wide receiver and special teamer
Name: Jason Hewlett
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 215 lbs.
High school: Youngstown (OH) Chaney
Position: Linebacker
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: N/A
Last year: Hewlett was a senior in high school (LINK). He made 59 tackles, 9 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 3 interceptions, and 3 forced fumbles on defense. He also recorded 14 catches for 317 yards and 3 touchdowns on offense, adding 2 defensive scores and 1 kickoff return touchdown.
TTB Rating: 81
Hewlett is a wild card from the 2023 class. As a 6'3", 215 lb. wide receiver, kick returner, linebacker, and edge rusher in high school, he could play a variety of roles in college. While offense is probably not in the cards, Jim Harbaugh could probably turn him into a pretty decent H-back. With that speed and a decent frame, he could be a tough cover for defenders, but he might struggle with the blocking aspect.
But I digress.
Hewlett is more of a defensive athlete who could be an inside linebacker, turn into an outside linebacker, or even eventually put his hand down to play defensive end. I think his best spot is outside linebacker where he could potentially be a more explosive Jaylen Harrell. He's not going to be that this season, though, and Harrell wasn't a contributor as a freshman, either. Hewlett needs a year of bodily development and probably needs to focus on one position for a bit. He might get some garbage time snaps in a few games this year, but I expect it to be four or fewer so he can redshirt this season.
Prediction: Redshirt
2024
Gatlin Bair - WR - Burley (ID) Burley: Bair is a 6'2", 180-pounder with offers from Michigan, Oregon, and TCU, among others. He's a 4-star, the #10 wide receiver, and #44 overall. As a junior in 2022, he caught 73 passes for 1,073 yards and 18 touchdowns. Because he plans to go on a mission after high school, he will not plan to enroll until 2026, so this is a recruitment for the long-term. In other words, by the time he would enroll at Michigan, Jadyn Davis would be a junior. This is an official visit for Bair, whose coach was Colston Loveland's high school coach.
Jameer Grimsley - WR - Tampa (FL) Catholic: Grimsley is a 6'3", 185-pounder with offers from Alabama, Florida State, Michigan, North Carolina, Penn State, and others. He's a 4-star, the #18 cornerback, and #231 overall. This is an official visit, and he has officials scheduled to all the aforementioned schools.
Hit the jump for more.
Name: Jerome Nichols
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 216 lbs.
High school: Detroit (MI) Renaissance
Position: Linebacker
Class: Redshirt junior
Jersey number: #50
Last year: I ranked Nichols #100 and said he would be a backup linebacker (LINK). He played in two games.
TTB Rating: N/A
Michigan has a lot of backups but not a lot of proven players at inside linebacker. Last year there was an opportunity for a backup linebacker to work his way into the rotation, but that turned out to be true freshman Jimmy Rolder. Nichols did start to work his way onto the field on special teams in a couple of blowout games against Hawaii and UConn, but after mid-September, he was back to watching from the sideline on Saturdays.
I expect more of the same in 2023. While Nikhai Hill-Green's departure for Charlotte opens up some room on the depth chart, Hill-Green didn't play at all last year due to injury. Meanwhile, Junior Colson and Michael Barrett both return, not to mention Rolder and Nebraska transfer Ernest Hausmann. I don't see a path to defensive snaps for Nichols, but he could once again earn some special teams opportunities.
Prediction: Backup linebacker and special teamer
Name: Roderick Pierce
Height: 6’3"
Weight: 290 lbs.
High school: Oak Lawn (IL) Brother Rice
Position: Defensive tackle
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: N/A
Last year: Pierce was a senior in high school (LINK).
TTB Rating: 79
Pierce is a good prospect who happens to play a position that is very difficult to play as a true freshman. There are occasionally players like Mason Graham who fit in just fine as true freshmen, but more often, even upper tier prospects end up like Kenneth Grant. Grant was a 6'4", 335 lb. monster coming out of high school and he played very little in 2022.
Pierce is starting off smaller - which should help with adjusting to the conditioning aspect of college football - but he will probably need to add weight and strength in order to get on the field. Michigan also has a solid group of returning players, including Graham, Grant, Kris Jenkins, and Rayshaun Benny, not to mention some unproven young guys Pierce will have to battle in order to even be third- or fourth-string.
Prediction: Redshirt
