Michigan football recruiting rundown with The Wolverine

Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh has assembled a solid 2022 football recruiting class. It features one five-star, six four-stars and nine three-star commits.

Local star cornerback Will Johnson of Gross Pointe (Mich.) South is the headliner in the class. He ranks as a five-star and the No. 21 player in the country, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average.

With 34 days until the start of the early signing period, the Michigan class also ranks No. 18 in the On3 Consensus Team Recruiting Ranking, the most advanced and accurate team ranking in the industry.

There’s still a lot to like about what Michigan has in place, but there’s also still work to be done.

On3 talked with The Wolverine’s E.J. Holland about Michigan’s top commitments, which Wolverine coach has dominated the recruiting trail and what questions need to be answered during the final stretch.

Who is the most important target still on Michigan’s recruiting board?

“While some may assume the obvious answer is five-star defensive back Domani Jackson, I would say five-star offensive tackle Josh Conerly is the most important.

“Conerly is a big, athletic tackle prospect that can be the cornerstone of Michigan’s offensive line for years to come. Michigan has passed on all other offensive line prospects, making Conerly the lone target on the board. It already has a nice group of defensive backs this cycle. But it needs a true top-tier offensive tackle as Alessandro Lorenzetti and Connor Jones are both upside takes.

“Michigan is battling regional schools like Oregon, Washington and USC, but the Wolverines have done everything right in this recruitment. Closing with Conerly is an absolute must.”

What is the most important position(s) still to fill and the main targets to fill those spots?

“Michigan has just one wide receiver commit this cycle in On300 prospect Tyler Morris, who is in the process of recovering from a torn ACL.

“With Xavier Worthy hopping in the transfer portal and little buzz with Cristian Dixon, the 2021 wide receiver class didn’t do much by way of depth. Michigan needs to close with one or two more wide receivers this cycle before it takes a larger group of pass-catchers next cycle.

“Notre Dame commit Amorion Walker is at the top of the wish list. Walker visited Michigan in September and is slated to be back later this month.

“The Wolverines are also working hard on a late riser (East Carolina commit) Kaleb Webb, who was just on campus for an official visit over the weekend. Webb, a Georgia native, is also high on Tennessee.” 

How many will Michigan sign in this class and why? Will they hold some spots for the transfer portal?

“Michigan is looking to take around 24 this cycle. Of course, that can change as numbers always seem to be fluid. It’s also important to keep in mind that this was a bit of a transition class for Michigan. While nothing changed with head coach Jim Harbaugh, other than a restructured deal, the Wolverines had plenty of changes to the coaching staff on both sides of the ball. With the Wolverines in the middle of a strong season, saving scholarships for next cycle makes sense. And yes, Michigan will explore the transfer portal.”

Who is the most important commitment in Michigan’s 2022 class?

“This one is a no-brainer. It’s obviously Will Johnson. The five-star in-state prospect is Michigan’s highest-rated recruit in the class and could be the face of the Wolverines’ defense for multiple years.

“Johnson was a lockdown corner as a junior and showed his versatility as a senior while staring at safety. Johnson is an early enrollee and will have a chance to get significant time as a true freshman.

“While some have questioned Johnson’s speed, he led his relay team to the state track meet. He has looked plenty fast for his size (6-3, 190 pounds) this season. In fact, Johnson is an underrated athlete that plays basketball at a high level. He proved to be one of the most dangerous offensive weapons in the state of Michigan this year. He made several head-turning plays as a wide receiver and Wildcat quarterback.

“Johnson projects as a tall, long, physical corner at the next level. But he can move around in the secondary if needed.”

What are recruits saying about Michigan’s season? Has the play on the field helped them with prospects?

“Recruits are obviously impressed. Michigan was a bit of a mystery coming off a terrible season last year during the pandemic and experiencing so many changes this offseason.

“Harbaugh and company have really exceeded expectation, and, more importantly, provided recruits with a sense of stability.

“The loss to rival Michigan State was a bump in the road. But Michigan can close strong with games against Penn State and Ohio State looming large. If Michigan can at least split those games and take care of business against Maryland, the Wolverines will have a ton to sell on the recruiting trail.”

What will be the biggest recruiting surprise between now and the early signing period?

“I still believe we have plenty of twists and turns to follow in the recruitment of Domani Jackson.

“The five-star cornerback has been committed to USC for a while, but Michigan has always been his ‘dream school.’

Jackson’s father is originally from Ohio and grew up a Michigan fan as did Jackson himself. Jackson has been to Michigan on multiple occasions, including for the Wolverines big recruiting weekend in September.

“He also has a close friendship with the aforementioned Will Johnson – the two visited schools together and played together on the 7v7 circuit.

“Yes, Jackson has a tight bond with USC interim head coach Donte Williams. And yes, he’s coming off an amazing visit to Alabama, but Michigan is still very much in this.

“Nothing would surprise me with Jackson. This recruitment reminds me a lot of another Mater Dei recruitment I covered – the saga of Bru McCoy. That one was one of the wildest recruitments of all-time, and this one could follow in the same path.”

Which Michigan coach has done the best job recruiting in the 2022 class?

“I don’t think there has been one true ace recruiter for Michigan this cycle. So, I’ll go with a bit of an out-of-the-box pick in defensive line coach Shaun Nua.

“This is a dude that received a ton of criticism in recent cycles, including from myself. He has really come into his own.

“Michigan was able to get Nua the right help to assist in a strong close to the 2021 cycle. Nua has built off of that this cycle by reeling in two of the most underrated recruits in the country in Kenneth Grant and Mason Graham.

“Nua single-handedly landed Grant, despite his rise with offers from Ohio State and other Big Ten programs. He led the way with Graham, who has remained solid to the Wolverines despite recent offers from Oregon and USC.

“The Grant recruitment was arguably his best job during his time at Michigan. It’s time to give Nua some props.”