2021
Judge Culpepper – DT – Penn State: Culpepper is listed at 6’4″ and 291 lbs. He was a 3-star coming out of Florida in the class of 2018. Culpepper is the son of former Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Brad Culpepper. He made 5 tackles and 0.5 sacks in 2020.
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Check out last night’s post for the offensive side of the ball (LINK).
DEFENSIVE TACKLE: D-
Need: 2
Signed: 1
Michigan only signed one player at a position of need. That player is Dominick Giudice (3-star, #102 WDE, #2007 overall). No offense to the young man, but he was so far off 247’s radar that they left him ranked as a weakside end despite the fact that he’s already 6’4″ and 260 lbs. Michigan should be able to land higher-profile recruits at the position. There were several defensive tackles that Michigan just seemed to stop recruiting (Victory Vaka, Anthony Hundley, Tywone Malone, etc.). Of course, insiders will often say that some players aren’t a fit for the Wolverines, but you know what else doesn’t suit the culture in Ann Arbor? Losing. Michigan still has a shot to sign Rayshaun Benny (verbally committed to MSU but not signed) or George Rooks (reportedly leaning toward PSU), but the staff may need to look to the transfer portal to shore up the interior.
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Keep in mind with the grades below that this is just based on the early signing period. Players can still sign in February (or beyond), transfer in, etc. So the ink isn’t dry on the class just yet.
QUARTERBACK: A+
Needed: 1
Signed: 1
Michigan landed an elite player, J.J. McCarthy (5-star, #2 pro-style QB, #22 overall). Not only is he elite on the field, but I think his attitude helped keep the class together when things got a little bit rocky. Naturally, the hope for Michigan fans is that he maintains that kind of leadership throughout his career in Ann Arbor. He’s also the first quarterback recruited out of high school by Jim Harbaugh who actually fits the mold of an RPO signal-caller.
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West Bloomfield (MI) West Bloomfield running back Donovan Edwards committed to Michigan on Wednesday afternoon. He picked the Wolverines over offers from Georgia, Notre Dame, and Oklahoma, among others.
Edwards is listed at 5’11” and 190 lbs. As a junior in 2019, he ran for 1,326 yards and 16 touchdowns, while also catching 33 passes for 419 yards and 5 touchdowns.
RANKINGS
ESPN: 4-star, 86 grade, #4 RB, #66 overall
Rivals: 4-star, 5.9 grade, #3 RB, #74 overall
247 Sports: 4-star, 95 grade, #2 RB, #29 overall
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