Who’s next? A closer look at five Michigan commitment candidates

Michigan is coming off a key win on the recruiting trail.

The Wolverines landed a verbal pledge from four-star Birmingham (Mich.) Groves offensive lineman Avery Gach, who is the fifth commit in Michigan’s 2025 recruiting class.

But of course, Michigan fans are already thinking about the next man up.

So who are some other 2025 prospects that could jump on board early and continue to build the momentum? Here are five candidates.

RB Iverson Howard, Gaithersburg (Md.) Quince Orchard

Michigan appeared to be in a prime position for On300 running back Marquise Davis. However, Davis spurned Michigan in favor of Kentucky in an interesting turn of events. So where does Michigan go from here at the running back position? The simple answer is Howard. An On300 prospect, Howard was Mike Hart’s top target and has continued to say that Michigan is at the top of the list. It’s clear Howard wants to be in Ann Arbor, and, with Davis off the board, now is the time for new running backs coach Tony Alford to make a push. The only other school high on Howard’s mind is Florida State.

WR Taz Williams, Red Oak (Texas) High

Michigan is trending for Williams on the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine with a 67.5 percent chance of landing him following his spring visit. Williams has lined up official visits to other schools like Penn State, SMU and Texas A&M, where he just visited this past weekend. However, Williams has said that he could shut down his recruitment at any time, and the Wolverines remain in a strong position here. Williams, who is originally from Pennsylvania, has a special relationship with U-M wide receivers coach Ron Bellamy and fits the mold of pass catchers the Wolverines have landed the last few cycles.

EDGE Jaylen Williams, Palatine (Ill.) High

Michigan just landed Top 100 EDGE Nate Marshall, which should give the Wolverines a boost with fellow Chicagoland pass rusher Jaylen Williams. The two are friends, visited U-M together twice last year and have talked about playing with each other at the next level. Michigan holds the commanding lead on the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine. But of course, the Wolverines saw plenty of turnover this offseason, losing two defensive line coaches in Mike Elston and Greg Scruggs — both of whom were close to Williams. Still, U-M remains right in the thick of things. The Wolverines just have to get him back to campus.

LB Chase Taylor, Stockbridge (Ga.) High

Taylor isn’t a prospect that is talked about very much, but the staff is making him a priority and values him much more than his three-star ranking. Taylor made a visit to Michigan this spring and is now set to return for an official visit in June — the Wolverines are actually slated to receive his final OV. Georgia Tech, South Carolina and USC are all scheduled to get official visits as well, but Michigan is trending in the right direction here thanks in large part to new linebackers coach Brian Jean-Mary, who has ties to the Peach State. Michigan has the lead on the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine.

DB Jahmari DeLoatch, Chesapeake (Va.) Oscar Smith

DeLoatch was considered a Michigan lean early in the process and was on the verge of joining the class before the staff changes this offseason. DeLoatch’s place on the board is still a bit murky. However, new secondary coach LaMar Morgan hit Virginia earlier this week and seemed to be impressed with DeLoatch during his live evaluation. If Michigan takes a true nickel this cycle, DeLoatch could very well be the guy. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Michigan have more discussions about him in coming weeks and eventually push.

The post Who’s next? A closer look at five Michigan commitment candidates appeared first on On3.