Five Stars: Michigan support staff set to play key role during June official visits
Five thoughts on Michigan recruiting…
1. DeRuyter’s small army
A big reason Michigan’s official visits have been a home run over the last couple of years is Director of On Campus Recruiting Christina DeRuyter. This position didn’t even exist before DeRuyter was brought onboard in an effort to expand and modernize the recruiting department. DeRuyter has done such a fantastic job that Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh has continued to invest in this section of the department. DeRuyter now has plenty of help by her side. Recent hires such as Paige Shiver and Carly Silverstein have received praise as has student assistant Sophia Ferrigno. This group of women have connected well with recruits and their families and will be key during next month’s slate of official visits. DeRuyter, in particular is a rising star in the recruiting industry. Her position sees constant turnover at other programs. Michigan needs to lock her up long-term.
“Christina is just a very real person. She’s a joy to be around. You never wish there was something else she’d do because she does it all. I’m super pumped to have her around when I get there because she never fails to help me out if needed.” — On300 Michigan offensive line commit Blake Frazier
2. Roney and the EDGEs
Michigan may have no true EDGE commits at this time, but the Wolverines could end up with five by the end of the summer. Michigan defensive line coach Mike Elston and defensive coordinator Jesse Minter are obviously proven recruiters, both have received bumps from staffer Dylan Roney, who works closely with U-M’s pass rushers. Roney is young and energetic and has filled the role of former staffer Ryan Osborn with ease. Roney is very involved in the evaluation process, but his bread and butter is relationship building. Roney is going to be a true star on the recruiting trail once he lands an on-field gig. I can’t tell you the number of times his name has been mentioned by EDGE recruits this cycle. He’ll play a key role in sealing the deal with guys like Dominic Nichols, Devon Baxter, etc.
“He’s great. I’m probably the closest with him out of all the coaches there. He’s the one that called me up and offered me. He texts me three or four times a week. He asks me how I am and keeps me updated on things he’s doing. He’s just a great dude.” — Four-star EDGE Dominic Nichols
3. The Herbert effect
There is no June that goes by at Michigan without official visitors bringing up Michigan strength and conditioning coach Ben Herbert. His presentation is regarded as the best year in and year out, and I don’t expect that to change this year. Herbert doesn’t just talk the talk. The dude is arguably the best strength coach in all of college football and can point to several body transformations that have taken place under his watch. There is no doubt Kris Jenkins, who has shot up to 309 pounds this offseason, will be a prime example. The pitch from Herbert should be simple. If you want to maximize your body and potential, come work with me. Upside prospects like Top 100 EDGE Darien Mayo and offensive tackle commit Ben Roebuck are just a few that I’m sure will fall in love with Herbert’s presentation.
“Coach Herbert is one of the elite coaches in the country. I actually played at Bucknell with Coach Jay Butler, who is the strength coach at Rutgers. He was licking his chops to try to get Ben in there. But I met Coach Herbert, and he talked a lot about the things Ben needed to do. He’s molded some other players. I think it’s going to be amazing when he gets up there, and Coach Herbert can take the frame Ben has, chisel it down and mold it to be more efficient. Getting stronger and faster is going to be huge.” — Doug Roebuck, father of Ben Roebuck.
4. Don’t forget about Abigail
Herbert and Director of Football Performance Nutrition Abigail O’Connor are often a dynamic duo on official visits as their presentations go hand in hand. When it comes to player diets, there are few if any better than O’Connor. Yes, Herbert gets a lot of the praise, and rightfully so. O’Connor, however, is another key when it comes to development and maximizing potential. When recruits bring up development at Michigan, they don’t just mean the staff. They also mean Herbert and O’Connor. They add so much value to what the coach staff teaches on the field.
“Man, Abigail is great. I got to meet her on my first visit. I think it was Mazi Smith that she showed me. He was 330 or 350 pounds or somewhere around there. He dropped to 315 pounds. She didn’t change anything to crazy. It was just what he ate at that time. It was pretty cool. You don’t have to cut a lot. She’ll feed you good food. My mom won’t have to worry.” — top DL target Deyvid Palepale
5. NIL
That’s great to hear… but what about NIL? Obviously, that’s going to be a topic for some high-level recruits. The announcement that was supposed to come ‘soon’ never came. However, Michigan does appear close to finalizing the base salary model. That should give the Wolverines a solid pitch to recruits that aren’t all about NIL but could use an extra nudge. Michigan has done a way better job of navigating the NIL waters this cycle and is slowly improving on the recruiting front. Things seem to be moving in an even more positive direction on the team side, which will in turn help roster management. If all goes to plan, Michigan will use NIL on grads and transfers, which will free up numbers for this class. Right now, I’m expecting 30+ this cycle.
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