Into The Blue: Mock 2025 Michigan recruiting class ahead of official visits
What could Michigan’s recruiting class look like this cycle?
The Wolverines have just five commits going into summer official visits, which means there is a ton of room for the class to grow. Michigan will host its first wave of recruits this weekend, which means it’s a great time to speculate how U-M will close the show.
Keep in mind that a lot can change over the cycle, but here is my best guess for what Michigan could finish out with based on where things stand right now. We will have another update after OVs conclude.
*** Rankings used are On3 Industry Rankings
Offense
QB Carter Smith, Fort Myers (Fla.) Bishop Verot (No. 203) — Smith committed to Michigan in November over offers from Florida, Miami, Penn State, Texas A&M and others. Florida State has continued to recruit him, but there is no reason for concern. Smith is locked in and ready for his official visit on June 21.
RB Donovan Johnson, Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy (No. 226) — Johnson was considered one of the best backs in the country prior to a knee injury that kept him out all of his junior season. A lot of schools have backed off of Johnson because of that, which means the door is wide open here. Michigan running backs coach Tony Alford has known Johnson for years and is making him a priority despite the injury.
RB Jasper Parker, New Orleans (La.) Archbishop Shaw (No. 525) — Michigan is bringing in guys like Todd Robinson and Jordon Davison this summer, but Parker seems to be the most realistic of the bunch. He is from the same school that produced Ron Bellamy and is very willing to leave the south. Michigan will host him on June 14 and can make a power move.
WR JonAnthony Hall, Fishers (Ind.) High (No. 290) — Michigan wide receivers coach Ron Bellamy went out to Indiana and offered Hall after watching him live. Michigan has grown more and more familiar with Hall in recent weeks, and it appears the Wolverines are moving in a very positive direction in this recruitment. Michigan would love to have him in the class, and I could certainly see it happening.
WR Taz Williams, Red Oak (Texas) High (No. 309) — Michigan has the lead for Williams on the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine with a 67.5 percent chance of landing him. While the Wolverines didn’t close on his spring visit, they will have an opportunity to do just that when Williams returns for his OV on June 21. Texas A&M and a few others remain threats.
WR Jacob Washington, New Orleans (La.) Archbishop Shaw (No. 546) — Michigan is shooting its shot for elite big-bodied wide receivers like Quincy Porter and Derek Meadows, but I’m going to play it safe and put Washington in this mock. Washington is a teammate of the aforementioned Parker, has a bond with Bellamy and loved his spring visit. He will be back in Ann Arbor for his OV on June 21.
WR Preston Bowman, Pickerington (Ohio) North (Not Ranked) — Michigan only took two wide receivers last cycle, so it’s not crazy to think the Wolverines could take four this cycle. Bowman would be a solid depth piece that could turn into something down the line, and it’s never a bad idea to add an Ohio kid to the roster. Michigan should be the landing spot for Bowman if it pushes.
TE Andrew Olesh, Center Valley (Pa.) Southern Lehigh (No. 121) — Michigan has gone all in for Olesh at the tight end position this cycle. In fact, Michigan would not accept commitments from any other tight ends before Olesh makes his decision. Penn State has long been considered the leader in this race, but U-M tight ends coach Steve Casula and company have really come on strong in recent months. Michigan will get his final summer OV on June 21.
TE Eli Owens, Alcoa (Tenn.) High (No. 445) — Owens committed to Michigan in January over offers from Kentucky, Michigan State, Tennessee, Wisconsin and others. A lot has changed at U-M since then, but Owens has quickly built a relationship with Casula and remains completely solid. He is set to make his official visit on June 21.
OL Douglas Utu, Las Vegas (Nev.) Bishop Gorman (No. 48) — Michigan is going all in on a trio of Bishop Gorman offensive linemen. I’m going to say Michigan lands one of them, so I’m putting Utu in the mock. He’s the highest rated of the three and arguably the most coveted. Michigan had success pulling in running back Micah Ka’apana from Gorman last cycle and could do the same with Utu this cycle. Michigan is set to host him for his OV on June 7.
OL Hardy Watts, West Roxbury (Mass.) Dexter (No. 242) — Watts recently named Michigan in his top group and is set to make his official visit on June 21. Clemson appears to be the biggest threat here, but Watts seems to really value what Michigan can offer on and off the field. Michigan offensive line coach Grant Newsome has made a strong impression here and helped wow Watts on his unofficial visit in the spring. Michael Carroll is another option for this spot, but I think Michigan has a bit of an easier path with Watts.
OL Avery Gach, Birmingham (Mich.) Groves (No. 248) — Gach committed to Michigan in May over offers from Kentucky, Michigan State, Ohio State, Wisconsin and others. Gach is fully locked in with the Wolverines and will return to U-M for his official visit on June 21.
OL Kaden Strayhorn, Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy (No. 435) — Yes, I know Strayhorn’s father, Jayson is a Michigan State alum and a current pundit for the Spartans. Yes, I know Michigan doesn’t need a center this cycle and may only take three offensive linemen. However, I’ve always had a feeling that Strayhorn could end up in Ann Arbor. He loves the staff, loves the program and would be an excellent culture fit. I think Michigan makes room for him and sticks it to Sparty. If the MSU connection is too strong, SJ Alofaituli makes a lot of sense here.
Defense
DL/EDGE Nate Marshall, Oak Park (Ill.) Fenwick (No. 42) — Marshall committed to Michigan in a bit of a surprise move in April. He is now set to return to Michigan for his official visit on June 21. Others like Miami and Alabama will continue to recruit him until signing day in December. It will be interesting to see if Marshall does visit other schools or completely shuts it down.
DL Maxwell Roy, Philadelphia (Pa.) St. Joseph Prep (No. 229) — Nobody seems to know much about Roy, who is a big mystery this cycle. However, Michigan has made him a top priority over the last several months and is close to locking him in for an official visit on June 21. Roy is an athletic 4i prospect that could very well be in the same mold as Kris Jenkins. He currently has OVs set with Rutgers and Ohio State.
DL/EDGE Jaylen Williams, Palatine (Ill.) High (No. 265) — Michigan seems to have lost momentum with Williams due to the consistent coaching changes along the defensive line. Williams has not set an official visit with Michigan, and things don’t look super promising right now. However, that could easily change. Williams has always seemed to favor U-M, he’s good friends with Marshall and he told me that Michigan would be getting an OV — it’s just a matter of when.
DL/EDGE Julius Holly, Alpharetta (Ga.) High (No. 361) — Stanford is considered the favorite for Holly going into official visits. However, Michigan also offers elite academics and much better football. The Wolverines just jumped in the mix for Holly this month, but I expect them to ascend as major players in this recruitment.
DL Bobby Kanka, Howell (Mich.) High (No. 317) — It was unclear if Michigan was going to keep Kanka in the class after he committed to the previous staff last year. However, new defensive line coach Lou Esposito met with Kanka last week, and the four-star prospect is now set to make his official visit to Michigan on June 21.
LB Elijah Melendez, Kissimmee (Fla.) Osceola (No. 168) — Why the hell not? Let’s get a little crazy in the mock and spice it up. Yes, Melendez is committed to Miami, and the NIL Hurricanes have a clear advantage when it comes to wallet size. However, Melendez is enamored with Michigan as a program, is originally from the Midwest, has connected well with both Wink Martindale and Brian-Jean Mary and is set to make his OV on June 14. If Michigan can just do anything (insert that C’mon, Do Something meme) with NIL, they are very capable of flipping Melendez.
LB Kamar Archie, Princeton (N.J.) Hun School (No. 205) — Michigan seemed to have lost momentum with Archie before recently getting it back and locking in an official visit for June 21. Archie grew up watching Michigan with his father, who is a fan of the Wolverines and would love to see his son in Ann Arbor. Archie is also a high academic kid and is a perfect fit for Michigan’s culture. Clemson and Texas A&M are two big ones to watch here, but Archie just seems like a Michigan kid. Plus, he’s already formed a friendship with Melendez.
LB Chase Taylor, Stockbridge (Ga.) High (No. 835) — Michigan may only take two linebackers this cycle, but I believe they would make room for Taylor if needed. Taylor is a long, athletic prospect that could also play EDGE at the next level. Taylor is very raw, but the staff has been high on him for several months. Think Jaden Smith, who signed with Michigan last cycle before ending up at Kentucky. Taylor is set to make his official visit on June 21.
CB Mason Alexander, Fishers (Ind.) Hamilton Southeastern (No. 328) — Alexander doesn’t have a Michigan offer at this time, but the Wolverines are carefully evaluating him. Alexander has also made it clear that if Michigan does offer, it would definitely be the team to beat. Michigan is going to continue to go after the elites at corner, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Wolverines eventually circle back to Alexander.
CB Tre Poteat, Verona (Wisc.) Area (No. 513) — Michigan is shooting for the stars at corner but may end up falling back down to earth and taking a guy like Poteat. The three-star prospect is the nephew of Detroit recruiting figurehead Curtis Blackwell and has been to U-M on multiple occasions. Michigan is keeping him warm, and Poteat will always have interest in the program.
N Kainoa Winston, Washington (D.C.) Gonzaga (No. 99) — Penn State is the favorite for Winston going into official visit season. His cousin, KJ, plays for the Nittany Lions, and he’s been to Happy Valley quite a bit. However, Winston’s interest in Michigan has been growing and growing over the last several months. Winston believes he would be the perfect Swiss Army knife in Michigan’s scheme and both Martindale and new secondary coach LaMar Morgan have done a fantastic job here.
S JaDon Blair, Winston Salem (N.C.) Mount Tabor (No. 153) — Notre Dame and Penn State had a lot of the early buzz with Blair, but Michigan has really come on strong in recent months. In fact, I would give U-M the slight edge going into official visits. Blair loves Michigan’s development and has really connected well with Martindale and Morgan. Michigan is set to get him in for an OV on June 14. Penn State does get him last on June 21, which does give me a little pause. Still, Michigan has done everything right in this race.
The post Into The Blue: Mock 2025 Michigan recruiting class ahead of official visits appeared first on On3.
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