Apple Valley (CA) Apple Valley quarterback Jayden Denegal committed to Michigan on Wednesday evening. He picked the Wolverines over offers from Auburn, Georgia, Michigan State, and Utah, among others.
Name: George Johnson III Height: 6’0″ Weight: 193 lbs. High school: Stuart (FL) Martin Position: Cornerback Class: Redshirt sophomore Jersey number: #24 Last year: I ranked Johnson #83 and said he would be a backup cornerback (LINK). He did not play. TTB Rating: 58
Johnson has spent two years on Michigan’s campus now, and he has yet to play a down. After coming in as a receiver, he switched to cornerback prior to the 2020 season. Despite some terrible cornerback play – albeit in a shortened season – Johnson didn’t play, even on special teams. In today’s college football world, year three is pretty much a now-or-never situation. If he finds himself buried on the bench this fall, this might be his final year in Ann Arbor.
Name: George Rooks Height: 6’4″ Weight: 270 lbs. High school: Jersey City (NJ) St. Peter’s Prep Position: Defensive tackle Class: Freshman Jersey number: N/A Last year: Rooks was a senior in high school (LINK). He made 41 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, and 8 sacks. TTB Rating: 80
Rooks was one of the big fish the Wolverines were trying to reel in at the end of the 2021 class, since they needed defensive tackles – especially athletic ones. Rooks comes from an athletic family: his dad played defensive line for Syracuse and got drafted by the Giants, and his sister played college basketball, including one season at Michigan. More of the athletic type than a space-eater, Rooks played quite a bit of defensive end in high school.
At the next level, Rooks will probably move into the interior, probably to more of a 4i or 5-tech position. I could also see him being used at the nose tackle position in certain pass rush situations. But all of that will probably come sometime down the road, since he is still a little bit light and probably needs to adjust his technique to handle combo blocks a little better. He is athletic enough to possibly get on the field toward the end of games in non-critical situations, but a redshirt is also a strong possibility.
Alabaster (AL) Thompson QB Conner Harrell (image via AL.com)
2022
Ja’Kobi Albert – CB – Fairfield (AL) Fairfield Prep: Albert is a 6’0″, 175 lb. prospect with offers from Auburn, Georgia, Michigan, and Penn State, among others. He’s a 3-star, the #23 athlete, and #363 overall. I think his best fit might be at safety, but even though he’s already a borderline 4-star prospect, I think he’s underrated. This is an official visit.
Jacob Bostick – WR – Palatine (IL) Palatine: Bostick is a 6’3″, 170 lb. prospect with offers from Illinois, Iowa, Louisville, and Pitt. He’s a 3-star, the #83 WR, and #620 overall.
Sebastian Cheeks – LB – Evanston (IL) Evanston: Cheeks is a 6’3″, 210-pounder with offers from Michigan, Notre Dame, and Texas, among others. He’s a 4-star, the #10 linebacker, and #127 overall. So far 89% of the crystal ball picks are for Notre Dame. This is an official visit.
Darrius Clemons – WR – Portland (OR) Westview: Clemons is a 6’3″, 205 lb. prospect with offers from Auburn, Michigan, Notre Dame, and Penn State, among others. He’s a 4-star, the #20 wide receiver, and #151 overall. He’s a little bit stiff in his movements, but he could be a good outside receiver to take the top off the defense. This is an official visit. UPDATE: Clemons has canceled his visit.
Jahlil Florence – CB – San Diego (CA) Lincoln: Florence is a 6’1″, 180 lb. prospect with offers from Arizona, Michigan, and Syracuse, among others. He’s a 3-star, the #37 cornerback, and #386 overall. This is an official visit that was supposed to happen two weeks prior, but it was postponed.
Name: Ikechukwu Iwunnah Height: 6’4″ Weight: 281 lbs. High school: Garland (TX) Lakeview Centennial Position: Defensive tackle Class: Freshman Jersey number: N/A Last year: Iwunnah was a senior in high school (LINK). TTB Rating: 75
Iwunnah was a late addition to the 2021 class, and a much needed one at the time. It’s not easy to pull kids out of Texas to come to Michigan, but the Wolverines needed an influx of size on the defensive line. They ended up signing four defensive tackles (Iwunnah, George Rooks, Dominick Giudice, and Rayshaun Benny), and two of those commitments came on National Signing Day: Iwunnah and Benny.
At 281 pounds Iwunnah is a little bit light to handle the interior defensive line as a freshman, and he also has some technical things to clean up before he plays in the Big Ten. He has some decent quickness and good strength, but he needs to get better at defeating blocks and finding the ball. His future could be a bright one, but he needs this season to develop.
