Five Michigan recruiting storylines to watch during the dead period
A closer look at five Michigan recruiting storylines to watch during the dead period.
1. Can Michigan win over Bair?
We are about 24 hours from Top 100 Burley (Idaho) High wide receiver Gatlin Bair making his decision. Bair has a final five of Boise State, Michigan, Nebraska, Oregon and TCU. However, most pundits agree this one is a Boise State-Michigan battle. Michigan impressed Bair on his official visit earlier this summer. The Wolverines offer a big stage, development and roster fellow Idaho native Colston Loveland, who has done everything on his end to help U-M in this recruitment. Still, Boise State is the home state school, and the Broncos have pitched him hard on being a local legend. Returning home after a two-year mission is another advantage for BSU. Right now, Boise State has the lead on the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine, but U-M is still fighting.
2. Lowe sets decision date
Michigan has pushed the reset button on the cornerback board after losing out on top target Aaron Scott last month. The Wolverines recently landed a commitment from ex-Purdue pledge Jo’Ziah Edmond and are looking to do the same with three-star prospect Jeremiah Lowe, who announced an August 10 decision date. Michigan is the heavy leader on the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine as the Wolverines have turned up the heat in recent weeks. Lowe has been to Ann Arbor on numerous occasions and played with lead recruiter Steve Clinkscale’s son at Lexington (Ky.) Frederick Douglass. This one should be a slam dunk for the Wolverines.
3. Can Michigan keep its EDGE commits?
Michigan has four EDGE commits in its 2024 recruiting class, and only one seems fully locked in — On300 prospect Devon Baxter. The rest still appear to have a wandering eye. Four-star prospect Jacob Smith recently transferred to Corbin (Ky.) High along with his brother and fellow four-star Michigan commit Jerod Smith. The twins made two visits to Kentucky last month, and the Wildcats are now a threat. Four-star pass rusher Elias Rudolph opted to attend Miami’s big recruiting event instead of the BBQ at The Big House. The Hurricanes have a lot to sell on the NIL front and are working hard to flip Rudolph. Lastly, Clemson and Wisconsin have continue to recruit three-star prospect Dominic Nichols. While he hasn’t visited either since picking U-M, this is still a situation to monitor.
4. Patterson decision timeline
Top 100 Miami (Fla.) Chaminade-Madonna safety Zaquan Patterson returned to Michigan for his second unofficial visit of the summer last weekend. The Wolverines have been building momentum in this race and have closed the gap with Miami. But have they done enough? Only time will tell. There has been some buzz that Patterson could move up his decision timeline to this month. However, he has said in multiple interviews that he wants to take his recruitment into December, which might play into U-M’s favor. Right now, Patterson has no exact date. It will be interesting to see if he sets one in coming weeks or does in fact wait it out.
5. 2025 momentum
The dead period is in full swing, but the Michigan staff has a chance to get a head start on 2025 recruiting. The NCAA switched up its calendar this year, and August 1 marked the first date coaches could directly reach out to prospects in the 2025 class. Remember, even though it’s a dead period, coaches can still text and make calls. The Wolverines have been in contact with several top targets this week, including five-star recruits like Belleville (Mich.) High quarterback Bryce Underwood, Zephyrhills (Fla.) High defensive back DJ Pickett and Charlotte (N.C.) Providence Day offensive tackle David Sanders. Michigan can have a special class in 2025, and it all starts with efforts made this month.
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