What’s next at EDGE? Michigan all in on four-star Jacob Smith

Michigan is almost full at the EDGE position this cycle.

The Wolverines have established a recent tradition of having elite pass rushers and now hold commitments from a trio of four-star prospects in Brandywine (Md.) Gwynn Park’s Devon Baxter, Ijamsville (Md.) Oakdale’s Dominic Nichols and Deerfield Beach (Fla.) High’s Elias Rudolph.

In Nichols, U-M is getting a high floor prospect that has the frame to be a bigger EDGE in the same mold as Mike Morris or grow into a 4i. Nichols still has some ceiling as well and should excel under Ben Herbert in Michigan’s strength and conditioning program.

Comparing Michigan EDGE recruits to David Ojabo is growing tiresome. However, Baxter definitely fits the description. An extremely raw talent, Baxter still has a lot of work to do from a technical standpoint, but he has the skillset to be an elite pass rusher in Ann Arbor in a few years. His upside is very Ojabo-like.

The same could be said about Rudolph. While on the thin side at 6-foot-3, 200 pounds, Rudolph has the frame to add plenty of weight and has been called an ‘athletic freak’ by the Michigan coaching staff. Yes, Rudolph has a low floor, but he’s more likely to hit his ceiling at a place like Michigan, where development is almost a guarantee.

Now, Michigan is looking to add one more EDGE prospect to the fold.

Four-star EDGE Jacob Smith, the twin brother of four-star U-M defensive line commit Jerod Smith, is at the very top of the board. Jacob is expected to make his decision at some point in the next month and is down to Michigan and Nebraska. While Michigan is the heavy favorite, Jacob wants to be certain he’s making the best decision for himself and not just following his sibling to Ann Arbor.

Jacob visited Michigan twice in June — once officially and once unofficially — and was impressed with Michigan’s recent EDGE production as well as Jesse Minter’s defensive scheme. Michigan let Jacob know that he has a spot in the class. Now, the ball is in his court.

“At Michigan, I would be a stand up EDGE,” Smith said. “At Nebraska, they want me in more of a linebacker role. I can also be an EDGE, but I would be more hidden. I do both of them right now, so I like both schemes. Both programs are going to be good. It might take Nebraska a few more years to get to the level Michigan is at.

“Michigan is definitely going to win a lot more games quickly. If I go to Michigan, I know what I’m getting myself into. We’re going to compete for championships. If I go to Nebraska, I know it’s going to be a rebuild.”

If Michigan is able to close with Smith, it would be getting the best mix of ceiling and floor in the class. Smith has been a consistent top performer at camps this offseason and is a guy that both Minter and defensive line coach Mike Elston — two of the best evaluators on staff — prioritized early. Smith may be ranked as a low four-star on On3, but the staff values him much more than that.

Right now, Michigan has a 94.0 percent chance of landing him on the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine, and there is no reason for confidence to dip.

However, if Michigan does miss out on Smith, it could circle back to Austintown (Ohio) Fitch EDGE Brian Robinson, who remains on the open market. Robinson was considered a Michigan lean for the majority of the cycle before things slowed down last month. If Michigan pushes, the Wolverines could still win the recruitment.

With that said, Michigan is all in on Smith.

The post What’s next at EDGE? Michigan all in on four-star Jacob Smith appeared first on On3.