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2024 Recruiting Update: August 7, 2023

COMMITMENT

Nappanee (IN) Northwood cornerback Jo’Ziah Edmond committed to Michigan (LINK).

OFF THE BOARD

Burley (ID) Burley wide receiver Gatlin Bair (4-star, #10 WR, #40 overall) committed to Boise State. This one stings a little bit because, you know, nobody chooses Boise State over Michigan when given the option. Unless you’re from Idaho and can be a hometown hero. Bair is one of the fastest recruits in the country, and he would have been exciting to see in a Michigan uniform. Or maybe he still will be. He will be going on his Mormon mission after high school and won’t get to college until 2026, so a lot can happen between August 2023 and January 2026.

West Bloomfield (MI) West Bloomfield cornerback Jamir Benjamin (3-star, #45 CB, #501 overall) committed to UCLA. The poor guy was committed to Stanford before David Shaw resigned and then Northwestern until Pat Fitzgerald was fired, so hopefully for Benjamin’s sake, Chip Kelly doesn’t have anything dramatic happen.

Hit the jump for more.

2023 Season Countdown: #40 Cam Goode

Name: Cam Goode
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 314 lbs.
High school: Washington (DC) St. John’s
Position: Defensive tackle
Class: Sixth year senior
Jersey number: #99
Last year: I ranked Goode #32 and said he would be a backup defensive tackle (LINK). He made 8 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, and 1 pass breakup.
TTB Rating: N/A

When Goode decided to transfer from UCF to Michigan, there was a little bit of excitement about the quick nose tackle who might be able to generate some pass rush. But that excitement dwindled a little bit, or at least it was redirected to freshman Mason Graham, who had an outstanding freshman season. Goode played as a bench guy in nine games and made 8 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, and 1 pass breakup, but it was a pretty forgettable year overall.

The outlook is a little brighter for 2023, and while I obviously over-ranked him last season, reading the tea leaves for this year makes me think he’s in for some more significant contributions. First of all, starting nose tackle Mazi Smith is off to the NFL after being picked in the first round by the Dallas Cowboys. Second, Goode is returning for a sixth year of college football, and most guys don’t come back for a sixth year unless they know there’s a good chance of playing time. Third, Michigan could have plumbed the depths of the transfer portal to recruit over him, but they didn’t.

Michigan has a nice 1-2 punch at nose tackle with Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant, but Graham can also play the 3-tech position. You need guys to rotate in on the defensive line, and Goode is nine pounds lighter than he was last year, perhaps by design for more stamina. (He’s also listed at 6’1″ after being 6’2″ last year, but whatever.) Goode should be a decent rotation piece at nose tackle.

Prediction: Backup nose tackle

2023 Season Countdown: #41 Ja’Den McBurrows

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Name: Ja’Den McBurrows
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 200 lbs.
High school: Fort Lauderdale (FL) Saint Thomas Aquinas
Position: Cornerback
Class: Redshirt sophomore
Jersey number: #1
Last year: I ranked McBurrows #51 and said he would be a backup cornerback (LINK). He did not play.
TTB Rating: 73

The year 2022 was probably one Ja’Den McBurrows wouldn’t mind forgetting, at least from a personal standpoint. He spent a good chunk of the year recovering from an injury, and then when he wasn’t injured, he was getting attacked by a bunch of idiot Michigan State players in the tunnel, along with Gemon Green. After playing four games in 2021, he didn’t see any action last year.

So this may be my biggest reach in the 2023 season countdown. It’s a player who has 2 tackles and 1 pass breakup in four career games, and now I have him at #41. What gives?

Well, the buzz for McBurrows has been steady for the past couple years. The coaching staff seems to like him, but health has been an issue. He was a turnover machine in high school, and hopefully he can continue some of that in college. Last year he was blocked by a pretty good trio of Gemon Green, Will Johnson, and D.J. Turner II, but Green and Turner are gone. Now he’s contending with Amorion Walker and UMass transfer Josh Wallace for a starting spot across from Johnson. McBurrows also has the skill set to play in the slot if something were to happen to Mike Sainristil. I don’t think McBurrows will win a starting spot, but he should be in the cornerback rotation.

Prediction: Backup cornerback

What I’ve Been Reading: Dopamine Nation

Dopamine Nation by Anna Lembke. I’ve talked about this a little bit on Twitter – maybe not here so much – but the last year or so has been a gigantic struggle in my personal life. I won’t get into the details, but there have been some addiction issues and dramatic events with the people around me that have really taken a toll. (To be clear, I don’t have any addiction issues but have been caught up in the wash of others’.) I came across this book in a little bookstore on vacation, and the synopsis really hit home, so I bought it and took a lot of notes. Basically, Lembke is a therapist who talks about how to deal with various addictions – alcohol, drugs, food, adult media, sex, etc. – and what they do to our brains. There are some personal stories from her dealings with patients, but she also talks about ways she has dealt with problematic issues in her own life. Anyway, if you feel overwhelmed or know someone who feels overwhelmed by compulsive or addictive behavior, maybe give it a read.

I’m currently reading the following two books…

Rayne & Delilah’s Midnite Matinee by Jeff Zentner. Zentner was recommended to me by an author friend. I’m only a few chapters in, but it’s about a couple girls who host a cheesy basic cable show about bad horror movies, but they’re coming of age and have to choose their next steps in life. The premise sounds lame, but Zentner is an excellent author. I previously read his In the Wild Light, which was awesome.

The Hot Seat: A Year of Outrage, Pride, and Occasional Games of College Football by Ben Mathis-Lilley. I always thought Mathis-Lilley was a Michigan grad, but it turns out he’s just a Michigan fan. Anyway, this book talks about college football coaches being on the proverbial “hot seat” where they’re at risk of losing their job. It has a large focus on Jim Harbaugh and his struggles to make Michigan fans happy because of not beating Ohio State in his first several years at the helm in Ann Arbor.

2023 Season Countdown: #42 Keon Sabb

Name: Keon Sabb
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 208 lbs.
High school: Bradenton (FL) IMG Academy
Position: Safety
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #3
Last year: I ranked Sabb #71 and said he would be a backup safety and special teamer (LINK). He played in four games.
TTB Rating: 84

Sabb maintained his redshirt last season after playing in just four games as a freshman. For better or worse, the one play that sticks out in my mind was when Hawaii running back Tylan Hines broke off a 54-yard touchdown late in the blowout and Sabb couldn’t catch him. Hines is pretty speedy and quick at 5’7″ and 175 lbs., so it’s not a total disappointment that the 6’1″, 200 lb. freshman Sabb couldn’t keep pace, but it was a reminder that one of Sabb’s limitations is his speed.

As for his strengths, Sabb is bigger and more physical than classmate Zeke Berry, which is why I rank Sabb slightly higher in the countdown. Both of them should get some seasoning in 2023, both on defense and on special teams. Sabb should back up Makari Paige at strong safety this year, and Paige may have a choice to make after the year about whether to stay for a fifth and final year or to make a run at the NFL. Either way, Sabb has a chance this upcoming season to make an impact and try to gain a foothold to potentially start in 2024.

Prediction: Backup safety and special teamer