Late-rising 2023 CB D’Juan Waller commits to Michigan

Youngstown (Ohio) Chaney three-star cornerback D’Juan Waller Jr. becomes the fourth prospect from the rival state in the 2023 class to commit to Michigan this fall. The rewards of finishing the regular season undefeated and capping it off with a 22-point margin of victory on the road against Ohio State and another Big Ten Champions.

Waller was a part of the highly publicized crusade of Steve Clinkscale on the recruiting trail this fall. It was the co-defensive coordinator’s attempt to add an Ohio flavor to the 2023 class and utilizing his connections to the state for Michigan’s advantage.

“Coach Clink was really good and really upfront,” Waller told The Wolverine. ”He’s not going to sugar coat anything. He’s not going to tell you what you want to hear but what you need to hear. Coach Clink is a real guy, you know. I love it.”

Waller decommitted from Toledo in October and entered the latter half of November with a top three consisting of Michigan, Kentucky, and West Virginia. All three hosted Waller on official visits with the Wolverines earning the final trip this past weekend. The Mountaineers ended up being dropped on the top list.

Waller would commit to Michigan just weeks after his Chaney teammate and three-star defensive athlete Jason Hewlett did the same just two days following the Ohio State win. The close friends made their debuts in Ann Arbor on unofficial visits for the Illinois game.

“It’s all about Michigan football in that town,” Waller said. ”Knowing that (the Big House) holds the most fans in the country, there were so many people at that game. It was electric for sure.”

Waller announced his decision on Sunday via Twitter.

Family connections played a big role in Waller choosing Michigan. With Clinkscale also a native of Youngstown, relationships between the two families go back to older generations. A late-riser in the process, Waller ranks in the top 25 among all senior recruits living in the state of Ohio, per the On3 Consensus.

Michigan stayed firm on its projections of Waller, who stands 6-foot-3 and 195 pounds, to play cornerback at the next level. Others viewed him potentially sliding down to safety, linebacker, and even EDGE. But the physical frame of Waller fits the mold of Clinkscale’s ideal cornerback.

“Coach Clink has been teaching those DB’s well out there,” Waller said. ”Whether it’s man-to-man or zone, those guys are lock down and fast. All of them are working hard and have good technique. I feel good (about potentially fitting in) because I know of my own ability and technique (in coverage).”

Waller has an On3 NIL Valuation of $12.7K with 1,700 combined followers on Instagram and Twitter. The On3 NIL Valuation is an index that looks to set the standard market value for both high school and college-level athletes. The NIL valuation does not act as a tracker of the value of NIL deals an athlete has completed to date. It rather signifies an athlete’s value at a certain moment in time.

Rounding out the 20-man 2023 recruiting class for Michigan are Hewlett, On300 offensive tackle Evan Link, On300 EDGE Enow Etta, On300 running back Cole Cabana, On300 linebacker Semaj Bridgeman, On300 offensive lineman Nathan Efobi, consensus four-star offensive lineman Amir Herring, four-star tight end Deakon Tonielli, three-star wide receivers Semaj Morgan and Fredrick Moore, three-star defensive lineman Brooks Bahr, three-star linebacker Breeon Ishmail, three-star running back Benjamin Hall, three-star cornerback Cameron Calhoun, three-star defensive tackle Roderick Piece, three-star EDGE Aymeric Koumba, three-star athlete Kendrick Bell, three-star tight end Zack Marshall and three-star kicker Adam Samaha.