Commit Watch: Three candidates to keep an eye on this weekend

Michigan is hosting 13 official visitors this weekend. The Wolverines are looking to close with some of their top targets soon and could receive some verbal pledges in the very near future.

Here are three commit candidates to keep an eye on.

RB Micah Ka’apana, Las Vegas (Nev.) Bishop Gorman

Yes, Top 100 running back Taylor Tatum is still out there. But that might actually be a reason why Ka’apana could shut things down sooner rather than later. With Tatum waiting things out and trending towards USC, the opportunity is there for Ka’apana to secure his spot as Michigan’s second running back take this cycle. U-M position coach Mike Hart values Ka’apana much more than his three-star rating, and I have reason to believe he would accept a commitment instead of waiting on Tatum, who is tentatively slated to make his way to Ann Arbor for an official visit on June 23. I put in an On3 prediction for the Wolverines to land Ka’apana on Friday afternoon.

DL Deyvid Palepale, Landisville (Pa.) Hempfield

Penn State hosted Palepale for an official visit last weekend and is pushing hard to keep him closer to home. However, Michigan entered June as the leader in this recruitment and will do its best to lock up the three-star prospect this weekend. Palepale has strong relationships with defensive coordinator Jesse Minter and defensive line coach Mike Elston. He also sees himself as a perfect scheme fit in Ann Arbor — Palepale is being recruited as a nose but can also play the three-technique. Palepale has no set commitment date, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Wolverines win this battle sooner rather than later.

DL Owen Wafle, Princeton (N.J.) Hun School

A three-star prospect, Wafle recently backed out of his verbal commitment to Notre Dame following a strong push from Michigan. Wafle, who is making his first ever trip to campus, loved U-M so much that he hit the open market despite being committed to the Irish for a year. If everything goes well on this visit, I would expect Wafle to jump in the class. Michigan is the only school receiving an official visit this month, an it’s clear the Wolverines have a commanding lead in this recruitment. Wafle is being recruited as a three-technique but can move all over the defensive line. Like Ka’apana an Palepale, Wafle is another prospect the staff values more than his ranking.

The post Commit Watch: Three candidates to keep an eye on this weekend appeared first on On3.