Commit Impact: What landing DL Owen Wafle means for Michigan

Michigan scored an important recruiting win when three-star Princeton (N.J.) Hun School defensive lineman Owen Wafle gave U-M a verbal pledge this week.

The 6-foot-2, 267-pounder picked the Wolverines over offers from Duke, Iowa, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Rutgers, West Virginia and others.

Wafle is the 18th member of Michigan’s 2024 recruiting class.

Here are some quick takes on what Wafle’s commitment means for the Wolverines.

1 Wafle marks the first commitment for Michigan during June official visits. The Wolverines are building off a busy spring and should see more verbal pledges in the near future. This weekend’s group also has multiple commitment candidates, including fellow defensive line target Deyvid Palepale. On top of that, Michigan leans like three-star linebacker Jaden Smith and four-star wide receiver I’Marion Stewart are set to announce over the next week. June should be a fun month for Michigan fans.

2. So how did this one happen? Wafle was committed to Michigan for a year and seemed completely locked in with the Irish. However, Michigan made a strong push this spring and caught his attention. U-M defensive line coach Mike Elston did a fantastic job of building a genuine relationship with Wafle and making him feel like a priority and a fit. Wafle informed Notre Dame that he would be making an official visit to Michigan in June. Notre Dame, of course, has a no visit policy for commits, and the two parted ways.

3. The fact that Wafle did that despite never visiting Michigan in the past speaks volumes of the job Elston did in this recruitment. Wafle was willing to sacrifice a year-long pledge to the Irish just for an OV to Michigan. Elston could not have done a better job in this recruitment. Along with being an elite developer of talent, Elston is also a genuine recruiter. He identifies kids that fit the Michigan mold and knows how to win them and their families over. Elston isn’t overly aggressive. Instead, he focuses on relationships and his track record.

4. That’s three Michigan recruiting wins over rival Notre Dame in about a month. And in every case, it appears the Irish were caught off guard. Michigan has done a fantastic job of making surges in recruitments this cycle and impressing recruits and their families on visits. Much like with Jerod Smith, Michigan came out of a hidden corner to pull out the victory with Cole Sullivan. Wafle was basically a straight up flip. There is no reason Michigan shouldn’t win even bigger battles against Notre Dame moving forward.

5. Elston deserves all the credit in the world in this recruitment, but area recruiter Grant Newsome deserves a ton of props here as well. Yes, Chris Partridge is back, but Newsome still has some of New Jersey and really relates well to kids at prep schools like Wafle. In fact, Newsome was the first to start building a relationship with Wafle last year. When I asked Wafle about Newsome, his face lit up. Newsome has been a stud on the trail since being promoted.

6. It’s great to see Michigan re-investing resources in the state of New Jersey. Michigan basically ignored it for a couple of years after Partridge and Don Brown left for other opportunities. New Jersey always has talent, and Michigan is more than capable of winning big battles in the state. With both Partridge and Newsome having strong ties there, I expect more New Jersey commits in the future. The two U-M assistants were there a ton during the spring evaluation period.

7. Wafle is one of the more underrated defensive linemen nationally. The three-star prospect is listed at 6-foot-2, 267 pounds but has added 20 pounds to his frame and is right around 290 pounds. On top of that, Wafle has great length despite his height limitations. He’s also quick off the ball and has tremendous power. Wafle, who also starts at fullback, is athletic and hardly has any fat on his body. He projects well as a three-technique in Michigan’s scheme in the same mold as Mason Graham.

8. With Wafle in the fold, Michigan’s next task is to close with three-star Landisville (Pa.) Hempfield defensive lineman Deyvid Palepale, who also made an official visit this weekend. I’ve also likened Palepale to Graham and believe he’s THE most underrated defensive linemen in the country. Palepale can also play the three but is being recruited as a nose. Michigan is considered the leader, and I have my pick in for the Wolverines.

9. Here are the commits by position

1 – Quarterback

1 – Running Back

1 – Wide Receiver

2 – Tight End

5 – Offensive Line

4 – Defensive Line

2 – Linebacker

1 – Defensive Back

10. Here are the commits by state

2 – Connecticut

1 – Florida

2 – Michigan

1 – Missouri

1 – New Jersey

2 – North Carolina

4 – Ohio

1 – Pennsylvania

1 – Tennessee

1 – Texas

1 – Washington

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