On3’s Charles Power weighs in on newest 2024 Michigan commits, Ohio targets and class ranking

Michigan’s 2024 recruiting class rose to No. 8 overall in the 2024 On3 Consensus National Team Recruiting Rankings last week following the verbal commitments of Top 100 Cincinnati (Ohio) Archbishop Moeller and three-star Lakewood (Ohio) St. Edward offensive tackle Ben Roebuck. The pair of Ohio natives are among the four total in the state who’ve pledged to The Wolverine this cycle.

The Wolverine spoke to On3’s director of scouting and rankings, Charles Power, on the momentum that Michigan is experiencing on the recruiting trail in Ohio, on-field evaluations of Marshall, Roebuck as well as multiple top uncommitted targets, where the program could land on the final 2024 team ranking update and more.

On Michigan landing two more top talents from Ohio on back-to-back days:

“I think it’s huge. It’s the effect of Michigan making it to the College Football Playoffs twice in a row, winning the Big Ten twice in a row and beating Ohio State twice in a row. Michigan is seeing the fruits of that through having four coveted prospects from Ohio. You look at when Michigan was really rolling over the last 30-plus years, they recruited Ohio really well. I mean, Charles Woodson is from Ohio. That’s pivotal to Michigan’s roster construction.”

On how Ohio recruits stack up nationally:

“2024 is a strong year in Ohio. At least solid. We’ve been high on a lot of Ohio prospects in the last couple of cycles. Maybe more than some relative to history. I think when you look at programs who recruit Ohio really well like Cincinnati, they were building College Football Playoff rosters with a lot of guys from Ohio. So there’s definitely talent there and not everyone there goes to Ohio State.”

On Marshall fitting into Michigan’s run scheme:

“With Jordan, you see the benefits of Michigan’s offense. It’s a very running back friendly offense. Blake Corum, had he not gotten hurt, would have been right there in the mix for the Heisman Trophy. You also see how Michigan mixes in Donovan Edwards. Guys are getting carries and the offensive line won back-to-back Joe Moore Awards. Michigan has a lot to sell to a running back so it’s super important for them to parlay what they have at their disposal into landing a top guy. So getting Jordan out of Ohio was huge.”

On Marshall portrayed as a traditional Big Ten running back:

“I think Marshall will probably even be a heavier guy (than Corum) once he gets to work with Michigan’s strength and conditioning program. We like him a lot. He’s a really good player. A guy who runs in-between the tackles and plays against great competition in the Cincinnati Greater Catholic League. He has a pretty strong overall skill set. If you’re picking a running back in this class who would be a good fit at Michigan, he would be among the few good ones, in terms of his style.”

On Roebuck having the size that Michigan is eyeing:

“The best attribute that Roebuck has is his length. He has very long arms. He’s the not best athlete but the length helps compensate that. That’s the biggest thing that we want to see from Roebuck is improving his movement skills. But he has a huge frame. When you look at offensive line prospects that Michigan likes, Roebuck fits that.”

On how Michigan can improve Roebuck’s movement:

“When you look at Michigan, their strength and conditioning develop doesn’t take a back seat to anyone in the country. So with areas that Roebuck can improve on, I think Michigan sets him up to do that. He has a huge frame so the biggest thing will be to add functional athleticism. Michigan has done a good job with a lot of players once they enter the program and get several years to develop, so Roebuck has a great shot.”

On On300 EDGE target Brian Robinson:

“Brian is a guy who’s really continued to develop. He has added a ton of weight and is a tireless worker. I think he’s kind of a bigger defensive end. Looking at what Michigan likes in a defensive end, I think he fits that and would be a really big get. The college feedback on him has been pretty strong for what that’s worth. It’s not a loaded year at EDGE nationally so that elevates Brian’s value.”

On top cornerback targets Aaron Scott and Bryce West:

“I think either of them would be huge for Michigan. They’ve done really well in the last couple of cycles at cornerback. Will Johnson was a five-star and played like a five-star last year.“

“I’m really bullish on Aaron. We’re higher on him relative to the industry. I think it’s kind of catching up. But he arguably had the best junior film among all of the junior cornerbacks nationally. He has good length, he’s a good athlete and makes a lot of plays on the ball. His ball production is among the best in the group that we watched. I think he has a lot going for him. The biggest thing for him will be to continue filling out by adding good weight.”

“Bryce is a kid who can run. He has sub-11 track times and has good ball skills. He’s not as long as Aaron which is one of the biggest differences when you compare the two. This cornerback class in 2024 has a lot of longer and taller so Bryce probably lacks the length of some of those guys. But he’s probably faster than most of them in that regard.”

On whether Michigan’s 2024 recruiting class finishes top five in the rankings:

“I think the biggest variable is what potentially adding (quarterback) Jadyn Davis does to the class? When you look at what Michigan has to sell, they’re involved with a lot of high-end prospects and had a lot of top guys on campus, including the No. 1 prospect in the country for On3 in (EDGE) Dylan Stewart. So it’s all about closing. Michigan is on the right guys so we’ll see how they’re able to close and get more momentum on the recruiting trail. People talk about momentum being real or fake all of the time. But I know it’s very real in recruiting. Perception is reality. Michigan has a lot to sell and they should because they’re going to be good again this year. Having a strong summer, selling back-to-back College Football Playoff appearances and getting more guys on campus. Having a top ten class right now is a step in the right direction.”