Recruiting Roundtable: Confidence level in Michigan landing five-star OT Andrew Babalola?

The Wolverine recruiting analysts EJ Holland and Zach Libby answer three key Michigan recruiting questions weekly.

This edition of the roundtable discusses the most talked-about recruiting topics, including thoughts on the third official visit slate for the Wolverines, where seven targets in the 2025 class are expected to be in Ann Arbor this weekend.

How confident are you that Michigan could land five-star OT Andrew Babalola?

Holland: Not confident. I think Stanford has the pretty clear advantage going into the visit. It’s going to be really tough to beat the Cardinal. Oklahoma has also turned up the heat and gets the last visit. With that said, Michigan can sell an elite education (better than OU by a mile) and better football than Stanford. Maybe that’s enough to move the needle with Andrew Babalola and his family this weekend. But expectations should be tempered.

Libby: It depends on how this recruitment is viewed. It’s become apparent that NIl won’t be the basis for Babalola, so that should open the door for Michigan to pitch its current initiative well to a prospect born in Metro Detroit and has the Kansas tie to Sherrone Moore. Pitching the combination of athletics and academics will also be a strong selling point to the No. 4 overall offensive tackle in the country. Of course, showcasing what’s led to capturing two Joe Moore Awards will be key, too. But with Stanford holding the lead on the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine, Oklahoma getting the final say next weekend, and Auburn still in the picture, the Wolverines will have to knock it out of the park over the next couple of days.

There are three wide receivers taking official visits this weekend. If you had to place an O/U for how many Michigan lands, what would it be?

Holland: Probably 1.5. I think Michigan can get one of Shaun Terry and Phillip Wright and maybe both if everything falls the right way. The drawback with Terry is the fact that Michigan is facing off against Kentucky, which has been a huge thorn in U-M’s side. UK getting the last visit gives me pause, but I think Michigan can take the lead this weekend. I believe Michigan will come out of the weekend as the favorite for Wright. However, distance could still play a role there and that has me hesitant to put in a pick. Quincy Porter will be the toughest land. Ohio State has the lead right now, but winning this recruitment is still doable. We’ll know a lot more on him after the weekend.

Libby: 1.5 sounds reasonable, but moving the O/U down to 0.5 is as well. The competition and possible factors for all three wide receivers leads to the belief that landing at least one isn’t a guarantee. Regarding Terry, his other official visits to Missouri and Kentucky this month are heavy hitters on the NIL front. Wright is from Louisiana, and while wide receivers coach Ron Bellamy also grew up in the state, remaining in the region might be an element in the junior’s future commitment, as EJ pointed out. Obviously, battling against Ohio State for Porter is a daunting task, considering the Buckeyes have a history of developing first-round NFL-bound wideouts.

What can put Michigan do to put itself as a leader for Top 100 safety JaDon Blair this weekend?

Holland: A big thing for JaDon Blair is getting around the players. I fully believe that Michigan is more of a culture fit at Michigan than at Notre Dame. I’ve been out to see Blair in person a couple of times, and he just seems like a Michigan kid. Notre Dame has a better NIL structure and will scream and scream about Kyle Hamilton. However, Michigan has an NFL style scheme under Wink Martindale, who has a ton of experience in the league, as well as a need on the back end — ND already has five verbal pledges in the secondary. Those two points will be key in combating Notre Dame, but the culture aspect is what can really turn the tide. It seems to have worked with Kainoa Winston. And it can certainly work with Blair.

Libby: Confidence looms from the Notre Dame side of things for Blair to choose the Fighting Irish, so this weekend will be a significant test for the Michigan coaching staff to flip momentum. As On3’s No. 8 overall safety, Blair has already been to Ann Arbor once, which occurred during spring camp. He’s gotten a sense of the facilities, campus, and how the operation is deployed behind the scenes. Now, it’ll be a matter of garnering a sense that proper development en route to a professional career will be best done under the guidance of defensive backs coach LaMar Morgan and Martindale. Also, hearing from the players themselves and getting their perspective.

The post Recruiting Roundtable: Confidence level in Michigan landing five-star OT Andrew Babalola? appeared first on On3.