Five biggest Michigan recruiting storylines going into final June official visit weekend

Here is a look at five key Michigan recruiting storylines going into a big official visit weekend.

1. Will Michigan take control of Bair recruitment?

Nebraska has an 82.1 percent chance of landing Top 100 Burley (Idaho) High wide receiver Gatlin Bair, per the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine. However, Bair did not make an official visit to Nebraska this month, and this race still appears to be pretty open. This weekend will mark Bair’s first-ever trip to Michigan, and the expectation is the Wolverines will make a major move here. Bair will get plenty of time to hang out with fellow Idaho native Colston Loveland. The two have the same high school head coach in Cameron Anderson, which is definitely a plus. Michigan also has a big recruiting weapon here. Remember, Bair is set to take a two-year mission after graduation. New U-M offensive lineman Andrew Gentry just returned from his own two-year mission. Having someone that shares the same faith can go a long way. Overall, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Michigan take the lead.

2. Will Michigan close with Jacob Smith?

Michigan is bringing in four-star defensive line commit Jerod Smith for his official visit this weekend. And yes, his brother, four-star EDGE Jacob Smith is coming along for an unofficial visit. Jacob made his own official visit earlier this month and is excited to get one more in-depth look at the Michigan program. Jacob made an official visit to Nebraska over the weekend, and the Huskers are the biggest threat. With that said, Michigan is still in the pole position and will have every opportunity to come away with a commitment this weekend. Playing with his brother has always been a dream, and it’s clear their parents would love to see them together in Ann Arbor. This is Michigan’s recruitment to lose.

3. Crunch time for Zaquan Patterson

Top 100 Miami (Fla) Chaminade-Madonna safety Zaquan Patterson is making an unofficial visit to Michigan this weekend but will get the official visit treatment. That means Patterson will meet with head coach Jim Harbaugh, go over film with co-defensive coordinator Steve Clinkscale, see all the presentations and hang out with the players. Patterson was initially expected to take his decision into December but may pull the trigger later this summer. This will be Patterson’s mother’s first time on campus, and making a huge impression on her is imperative. Miami has the lead right now, and the home state Hurricanes have done a fantastic job of recruiting him. But if there is one school that can pull him out of South Florida, it’s definitely Michigan.

4. Need for Nichols

Michigan has made Top 100 cornerbacks Bryce West and Aaron Scott the top priorities on the cornerback board for the entire recruiting cycle. However, it’s certainly not a guarantee that Michigan lands one. While U-M is up there for both, the two Ohio natives will be at Ohio State for their official visits this weekend. Michigan can’t afford to miss on both and not have anyone ready to join the fold. And that means taking the lead with On300 Cincinnati (Ohio) Withrow cornerback Terhyon Nichols should be a priority this weekend. While not West or Scott, Nichols is a very talented player at the position and would be a great win regardless of what happens with the two elite prospects. The On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine shows this race being fairly even. There is no reason why Clinkscale shouldn’t be able to land Nichols.

5. Any chance with Grimsley?

There is one more Top 100 cornerback on the board this cycle in Tampa (Fla.) Catholic’s Jameer Grimsley. Michigan hasn’t been talked about much in this race, mostly because it’s the only finalist Grimsley has yet to visit. Still, he has a great relationship with Clinkscale and is pretty similar to Michigan freshman cornerback Jyaire Hill. Like Hill, Grimsley has good height at at 6-foot-2 and runs in the 10.7s in the 100-meter. Florida State and Alabama are considered the two teams at the top, but Grimsley, at the very least, is intrigued by the idea of leaving the southeast. We’ll know more about where Michigan stands after the OV.

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