Official Visit Preview: Michigan set to welcome five four-star recruits this weekend
Michigan is set to host five four-star recruits for its first official visit weekend of the summer. Here is a full breakdown of prospects slated to be on campus.
RB Jordon Davison, Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei
RPM Leader: Ohio State, 81.3 percent
Industry Ranking: No. 5 RB, No. 91 overall
Official Visit Schedule: Alabama (May 31), Michigan (June 7), Oregon (June 14), Ohio State (June 21)
Latest Intel: New Michigan running backs coach Tony Alford had a preexisting relationship with Davison at Ohio State and was able to get him on campus for an unofficial visit soon after arriving in Ann Arbor. That relationship is obviously going a long way as Davison is set to return for an OV this weekend. Michigan’s entire staff met with Davison during the spring evaluation period, and the Wolverines have made it clear to him that he is at the very top of the board. With that said, Ohio State has the heavy lead, and, despite landing Bo Jackson and leading for Isaiah West, is still pushing hard for Davison. Oregon is also a big player. I think NIL could be a factor, so I’m fairly pessimistic about U-M’s chances.
He Said It: “Coach Alford and I have a special relationship. From day one when I worked out with him at camp, we have had that connection. Since he got to Michigan, we have remained in contact. He told me he was leaving Ohio State two days before it came out, so we have that type of relationship. With him at Michigan, that impacts my interest in them.”
They Said It: “Coach Alford and Jordon met about eighth, ninth grade, so they’ve been talking all throughout high school. That’s one of the biggest relationships (Davison) has in this recruitment process. So, (Alford) going over to Michigan, we were definitely one of the first calls. He’s our guy, so pretty much, wherever he was going to end up, we were probably going to most likely be switching over to that school as well. He’s definitely one of the main coaches we’ve been hearing from since day one.” — Davison’s mentor, Steven Briscoe
OL SJ Alofaituli, Las Vegas (Nev.) Bishop Gorman
RPM Leader: Nebraska, 37.2 percent
Industry Ranking: No. 4 IOL, No. 71 overall
Official Visit Schedule: Michigan (June 7), Miami (June 21)
Latest Intel: I’ll be honest and say I don’t have a true read on this recruitment and believe it could go in a few different directions depending on official visits. There is no doubt Michigan is high on the list going into the official visit. New Michigan offensive line coach Grant Newsome has done a great job here, and U-M offensive line productions speaks for itself. Michigan landed former teammate Micah Ka’apana last cycle and also impressed current teammates, Derek Meadows and Douglas Utu, on their official visits last weekend. Alabama, Miami, Nebraska, Oregon and Texas A&M, which hosted him this past weekend for an unofficial visit, are all in the mix as well. Miami getting the last visit is obviously not ideal.
He Said It: “I just want to see their true colors when I really go there (for the official visit). I just want to see the atmosphere or the change of coaches, too. It shouldn’t really be much of a change. I mean, Coach Moore knows what he’s talking about. He’s a good guy. I just want to see the players, especially. Seeing coaches is cool, but I feel like I’ll get a real experience (from) the players’ side. The guys in the locker room and how they like you.”
They Said It: “(SJ’s) leadership, obviously. He’s a captain, so it’s been great to see him be a captain in that sense when he was actually one of the younger captains last year. My expectation for him is just to keep grinding, keep doing the things that he’s doing, keep doing the little things, and be humble, which he’s doing a good job of.” — Bishop Gorman head coach Brent Browner
EDGE Mariyon Dye, Elkhart (Ind.) Central
RPM Leader: Ohio State, 92.3 percent
Industry Ranking: No. 22 EDGE, No. 164 overall
Official Visit Schedule: Purdue (May 31), Michigan (June 7), Ohio State (June 14), Tennessee (June 21)
Latest Intel: Michigan looked completely dead in this race. In fact, Dye didn’t even mention Michigan as a contender in a recent conversation with national analyst Steve Wiltfong. However, new Michigan defensive line coach Lou Esposito has made an aggressive push and was able to get Dye to replace Georgia with Michigan for an official visit this weekend. That speaks volumes of the job Esposito has done. With that said, there is still some work to do here. Ohio State is the heavy favorite, and I would definitely give the Buckeyes the edge here. Ohio State also has the NIL advantage, which could be a factor in this one.
He Said It: “When (Esposito) got the job, he was calling me every day that week. It was great (meeting him), for sure. That’s my guy. We’re still keeping in contact almost every day. I like his coaching style, for sure. I was looking at some of the drills that they were doing. I for sure added some to my bag.”
They Said It: “He’s what our program wants to be. Take care of the business on-and-off the field. A great kid, hard worker on-and-off the field, humble kid, not disrespectful at all. Just everything I think coaches dream at the end of the day. That’s what he is. This whole process, the last six months, really opened his eyes up and has made him hungrier. So, I’m excited to watch this upcoming summer and fall because I think we’re going to see the best Mariyon out there. I’m excited to watch him in the fall because I think he is going to be a beast and a problem.” — Elkhart Central head coach Travon Curry
EDGE Jaylen Williams, Palatine (Ill.) High
RPM Leader: Michigan, 96.5 percent
Industry Ranking: No. 22 DL, No. 278 overall
Official Visit Schedule: Michigan (June 7), Nebraska (June 21)
Latest Intel: I put in an On3 Prediction for Michigan to land Williams back in November. However, this one has been a bit of a rollercoaster since then. Williams was on the verge of picking U-M in January before head coach Jim Harbaugh bolted for the NFL and took defensive line coach Mike Elston with him. Williams expressed his displeasure about the situation before showing excitement about the Greg Scruggs hire. Michigan once again lost momentum when Scruggs was let go. Now, Michigan is back in the driver’s seat thanks to another great job by the aforementioned Esposito. I once again feel confident in my pick and believe Michigan can seal the deal after the OV.
He Said It: “I’ve always wanted to go to Michigan. I just love it. Whenever I decide to shut it down and commit somewhere, Michigan is going to be in the top.”
They Said It: “Jaylen Williams is a tall, versatile defensive lineman in that he has the potential to line up in multiple spots along the front. He could be a big, edge setting defensive end. Given a couple years in a college strength program, I could see him topping out at north of 300 pounds and being a defensive lineman. But we like how he moves around. He’s disruptive, active against the run, shows pass rush ability and changes direction well.” — On3 Rankings Director Charles Power
EDGE Julius Holly, Alpharetta (Ga.) High
RPM Leader: Georgia, 31.9 percent
Industry Ranking: No. 33 EDGE, No. 381 overall
Official Visit Schedule: Michigan (June 7), Georgia (June 14), Ole Miss (June 18), Texas A&M (June 21)
Latest Intel: Holly’s recruitment is just taking shape as several schools have only recently jumped in the mix, including Michigan. The Wolverines offered during the spring evaluation period and have the ability to make a big move this weekend as this will be Holly’s first-ever trip to Ann Arbor. Georgia is the leader on the RPM, but it is unclear if the Bulldogs will push. Several other SEC programs are also involved, including Ole Miss and Texas A&M. While that may seem a bit scary for a kid from the Peach State, Holly is a great student in the classroom and really values academics — Stanford was once the leader. I wouldn’t be surprised if Michigan gains an edge on the OV. But those SEC official visits will loom large.
He Said It: “My dad created this matrix and he had me rank all my offers by categories. The ranking system was like facilities, location, coaches, etc. I gave a 1-5 ranking on each category. We totaled it up and it came up with an order from highest to lowest. I had my mom and dad also do it to see if we come up with the same ranking, especially our top eight. But with so many recent additions and more maybe coming, we’re not ready to put anything out there.”
They Said It: “He’s pretty open. The recruiting process came up on him pretty quickly and somewhat late. He didn’t take a ton of spring visits. He didn’t lock in official visits until he figured out what he was looking for. Michigan is in this as much as anybody with Ole Miss, and we’ll see what happens with Georgia. But I think it’s pretty open going into these OVs. He’s a high academic kid, and that could definitely help Michigan.” — On3 National Analyst Chad Simmons
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