Thoughts on several top Michigan recruiting targets from UA Baltimore

A number of Michigan recruits took part in the Under Armour Baltimore camp over the weekend. Here are my thoughts on all of them.

2024

WR Elijah Moore, Olney (Md.) Good Counsel — I will continue to bang the drum for Moore until he gets a rankings bump. The three-star prospect is one of the more impressive wide outs I’ve seen this offseason, and he once again impressed at UA Baltimore. Moore is a legit 6-foot-4, 180 pounds and runs routes like a small guy. He looked fluid and flexible during individual drills and also displayed an excellent catch radius. Michigan, Ohio State, Florida and Florida State are the four schools at the top.

WR Mekhai White, King George (Va.) High — White holds more than 50 offers but is ranked as a three-star prospect on all four major recruiting services. Why? White has good size at 6-foot-2, 180 pounds, but lacks high-level speed and explosiveness. He is a solid route runner and impressed in the 1v1 portion of the camp. Overall, White hasn’t progressed much from junior to senior year and has a limited ceiling.

DL Brandon Davis-Swain, West Bloomfield (Mich.) High — My opinion of Davis-Swain has been the same since last spring. He’s a very good football player that flashes in camp settings but is very much a tweener. Davis-Swain doesn’t have ideal height or length and needs to cut a bit of bad weight and rebuild it the right way. Overall, Davis-Swain is a high three-star/low four-star type that would have to be turned into something in Michigan’s defensive scheme.

EDGE Darien Mayo, Olney (Md.) Good Counsel — Man, I’m so proud of Mayo. This is a kid I tweeted about back in the fall when he only had a few offers. I loved his size, but he was still raw and didn’t move as well as you would like. Fast forward to now, and Mayo has turned into a MONSTER. Mayo looked flexible, fast and explosive in individual drills. He also used his length and improved technique to win the majority of his 1v1s. And oh yeah, the dude is 6-foot-6, 250 pounds. There is so much to like about the Top 100 prospect.

EDGE Devon Baxter, Brandywine (Md.) Gwynn Park — I spoke to a program source about Baxter this week, and he believes Baxter and Mayo have the biggest upside on the EDGE board. And I don’t disagree. Look, Baxter is a very raw product. He struggled a bit in individual drills largely because he hasn’t had the proper development. However, he also flashed with his elite length and athleticism. Baxter would need some time to sit and marinate, but he has a David Ojabo-type of ceiling.

EDGE Dominic Nichols, Ijamsville (Md.) Oakdale — It was really tough to get a true evaluation of Nichols. He is was in a walking boot for a couple of weeks due to a freak foot injury that required stitches. It wasn’t hard to tell that the foot was still bothering him a bit. Still, Nichols has put on some quality weight this offseason and looks the part of a bigger EDGE. Nichols doesn’t have the ceiling of Baxter or Mayo, but he has a really high floor.

LB Aaron Chiles, Olney (Md.) Good Counsel — Everybody knows how much I love Chiles. I think he’s a clear Top 100 prospect, and that opinion is still the same after a strong performance at UA Baltimore. Chiles is an imposing figure at 6-foot-3, 220 pounds. He’s really filled out his frame and should get significant time as a true freshman. Chiles was the best of the linebacker group in individual drills and looked comfortable covering running backs in the 1v1 portion of the event.

2025

RB Iverson Howard, Gaithersburg (Md.) Quince Orchard — Nicknamed Rocket, Howard can definitely fly. The On300 prospect was a mismatch nightmare for linebackers in the 1v1 portion of the camp and proved to be a plus pass catcher. Howard has a bit of a slender built at 5-foot-10, 180 pounds, but his quickness and elusiveness would pair well with a guy like 2024 commit Jordan Marshall.

WR Vernon Allen, Baltimore (Md.) City College — Allen is the prospect that I watched the least of in this camp. Unfortunately, I can’t give a true evaluation here. From the limited action I did see, the three-star prospect looked like a consistent pass catcher at 6-foot-1, 193 pounds but didn’t wow with speed.

EDGE Zahir Mathis, Philadelphia (Pa.) Imhotep — A Top 100 prospect, Mathis is an absolute monster and should be in the five-star argument by the end of next cycle. Mathis is tall and extremely long at 6-foot-5, 230 pounds. He has the frame to add more bulk and is quick and explosive off the edge. Mathis checks so many boxes. He would have first round potential at a place like Michigan.

EDGE Cortez Harris, Hyattsville (Md.) DeMatha — I was in the process of writing that Michigan should offer Harris when the Wolverines extended a scholarship to the Top 100 prospect just an hour ago. Harris isn’t overly tall at 6-foot-3, but he does have great length to go along with speed and explosion off the edge. He was one of the top overall performers at the camp.

EDGE Gus Ritchey, Pittsboro (N.C.) Northwood — A four-star prospect, Ritchey is listed as a tight end but worked out with the pass rushers. Michigan likes Ritchey as an EDGE, so it was great to see him on the defensive side of the ball. Ritchey isn’t overly athletic or long, but he has been well-trained off the edge and plays with superior technique. He was especially impressive in 1v1s.

LB Decarlos Young, Upper Marlboro (Md.) Henry Wise — Wise is very much on the short side at 5-foot-11, 220 pounds. He actually looks somewhat similar to current commit Mantrez Walker. Normally, I’m not too concerned about height with inside backer, but Young is pushing it. He does make up for it with speed and quickness.

CB CJ Spence, Lanham (Md.) Mt. Zion — Spence is listed at 6-foot-2, 175 pounds but may be closer to 6-foot-3. The dude is tall and long and frustrated wide receivers in 1v1s. Spence knows how to use his length to his advantage and was the only corner I saw that adequately challenged the aforementioned Elijah Moore. Speed is a question mark, but he looks the part of a Big Ten corner.

S Faheem Delane, Olney (Md.) Good Counsel — Delane actually reminds me of On300 2024 safety Ricardo Jones. He’s impressive physically, an underrated athlete and has tremendous closing speed. I loved what I saw from Delane at Battle 7v7 New Orleans earlier this offseason and thought he had a terrific camp at UA Baltimore. The Top 100 prospect is definitely living up to his early Top 100 billing.

2026

RB Messiah Mickens, Harrisburg (Pa.) Trinity — Mickens has the thick, compact build that Michigan running backs coach Mike Hart often desires at the position. The 5-foot-10, 190-pounder looks strong and physically impressive, especially for a 2026 prospect.

WR Elias Coke, Harrisburg (Pa.) High — Coke is listed at 6-foot-2, 195 pounds but may be an inch taller. He has an impressive catch radius and looked extremely athletic when leaping for passes in 1v1s. There is a lot of upside here.

OL Darius Gray, Richmond (Va.) St. Christopher’s — Gray has the look of a high-level interior offensive lineman. At 6-foot-4, 280 pounds, Gray projects best as a guard. He had a solid day in 1v1s against some of the best defensive linemen nationally.

The post Thoughts on several top Michigan recruiting targets from UA Baltimore appeared first on On3.