Class of 2021: Very Good But Unfinished

Again, this is just my opinion based on what I've seen on film or read about from recruiting analysts and coaches across the board. It's hard not to be optimistic about the offense with this kind of haul. The defense on the other hand, is another story for the time being. 

Luckily, there are still some big targets on the board that would fill big needs in February. There are also some transfer players that I feel Michigan should target. 

Again, feelings are just opinions and I don't claim to have any kind of insider knowledge that you don't. I don't really know exactly how tall a kid is or how much he actually weighs, nevertheless what types of decisions coaches, players, and administrators will all make in the coming years. I just like talking about Michigan football so let's geek out together shall we? Cool.

* The grading system here is based on a number of factors, including all the expert rankings. 91-99 are the truly elite prospects. They are the best of the bunch. 78-90 grades are the 4-Stars. They are projected to be future starters. 65-77 are the players that make up the majority of FBS rosters. They are the 3-Star prospects. Anybody ranked lower than that is probably not playing in the FBS any time soon.

Quarterback 

J.J. McCarthy 5-Star (6'3"/190lbs) Grade: 91 - I believe McCarthy is exactly the type of kid this team needed to land in this cycle. First of all, he is a top-end passing talent that did not throw a single interception in his senior year at IMG Academy. He shows a nice, quick release and very good accuracy. He shows good touch and doesn't rely on arm strength to force the ball into places. He has been committed since early 2019 and has been a vocal figurehead in the class leading up to signing day, encouraging fans and fellow recruits to not give up on Harbaugh and the program. He will compete in the spring and will probably be the team's top backup very quickly with the goal of being a starter at some point in the next couple years.

Running Back 

Donovan Edwards 4-Star (5'11"/190lbs) Grade: 89 - As one of the top two or three backs in this class, Edwards appears to be the complete package. "Experts" say he is the best running back that Michigan has ever recruited to the program, but I clearly remember them signing a few 5-Stars that eventually flopped just within the last decade. At any rate, Edwards was a surprise to me as I thought he would go to Georgia in the end. One could argue that he could've gone anywhere he wanted even if a school hadn't offered him. Instead, he will bring his game-breaking abilities to Ann Arbor and work to get playing time asap. 

Tavierre Dunlap 4-Star (6'0"/195lbs) Grade: 79 - I was comfortable with Michigan going into signing day with Dunlap as the only back committed. At worst he appeared to be a solid insurance policy in case they didn't land Edwards, but he is a very good prospect in his own right. He has nice size, decent burst, and seems to know the angles. I would not be surprised one bit if he eventually outperforms other backs on the roster that were ranked higher than him. Having both he and Edwards in the fold raises the odds of having a successful running game in the near future. Most of the Big Ten, Pac 12, and ACC wanted this kid, including the likes of USC, Notre Dame, and Michigan State.

Wide Receiver 

Xavier Worthy 4-Star (6'1"/165lbs) Grade: 88 - Worthy brings some skills and abilities to the Wolverines that we may not have ever seen in Ann Arbor in past. Yes, he is a little light in the loafers at 160+lbs, but he might be the fastest receiver ever recruited to Michigan. The burst and acceleration he displays after a cut is as good as anybody's in this class and he shows that he knows how to run a route too. Alabama pushed extremely hard for him in the end but he chose the Wolverines over them and everybody else in the country.

Cristian Dixon 4-Star (6'2"/185lbs) Grade: 82 - A polished receiving prospect that can do a little bit of everything. He does not possess the speed of a true deep threat but he has enough ability to develop into a starter within a relatively short time frame. He has a long frame with a wide catching radius and he displays some toughness across the middle. Oregon, USC, LSU, Florida State, and Notre Dame were among the other top programs pursuing him. 

Andrel Anthony 3-Star (6'2"/175) Grade: 76 - A product of East Lansing that is more of your typical FBS receiving prospect. He may not be as fast or as polished as his fellow signees at the position, but he should develop into a very productive player for the team over the course of the next few years. He has all the necessary tools to work with in order to develop a starting caliber receiver at the next level. Besides his hometown Spartans, he was also heavily pursued by Ole Miss, Penn State, Wisconsin, and Notre Dame. 

Tight End

Louis Hansen 4-Star (6'4"/230lbs) Grade: 81 - About as solid of a prospect at the position as one could ask for in all sense of the term. Can do a little bit of everything fairly well and brings a little bit of toughness to his game. He isn't that far removed from the type of prospect Jake Butt was several years ago. He could've gone to Florida, Georgia, Ohio State, or the likes of Princeton and UMass, if that tells you anything about the type of kid they are bringing in here. 

Offensive Line

Giovanni El-Hadi 4-Star (6'4"/285lbs) Grade: 88 - A very fine local line prospect that looks more like a right tackle or a guard. He might have the athleticism to be a blindside protector against quick ends, but that will remain to be seen. Give him a year in the weight room first, then we will find out more. He should be able to pack on another 30lbs of muscle, maybe more. He is the longest standing commit in this class. It feels like it's been three years. He literally showed no interest in any other programs and made no visits to any other schools while going to Ann Arbor on multiple occasions. Penn State, Michigan State, and a few other regional schools tried but he never budged on his commitment. 

Raheem Anderson 4-Star (6'3/300lbs) Grade: 84 - Another very good local line prospect. Harbaugh has done well with taking local O-line products and turning them into NFL prospects. Anderson could be the next very good interior blocker. Ideally, he will eventually weigh around 320lbs and play left guard. He could play center too, as he did in high school. Georgia, LSU, Ole Miss, Nebraska, and Michigan State all offered him, as did a host of other schools.

Greg Crippin 4-Star (6'3"/285lbs) Grade: 83 - Another IMG product that could be the next great Michigan center. Has all the smarts and the physical frame to build upon. Alabama, Ohio State, USC, and Notre Dame all offered him too.

Tristan Bounds 3-Star (6'7"/285lbs) Grade: 76 - Is right on the verge of being a 4-Star prospect. Needs to grow into his body a little more and develop his strength. Technique needs a little work too, but he could be an absolute stud with another 20lbs on his frame and a couple year's worth of experience under his belt. Missing his senior season due to the pandemic doesn't help his development. I would say don't expect much from him until at least 2023. He had a long list of pursuers, including Notre Dame, Duke, Dartmouth, Indiana, Princeton, Yale, UCLA, Texas, and Cal. Notice a theme? Yeah, this kid is smart. 

Defensive Line

Kechaun Bennett 4-Star (6'4"/220lbs) Grade: 80 - Not the most physically gifted or the most polished prospect in this class. He is solid though, and he should be a Power Five starter some day down the road. He needs to spend a couple years in the program first, as he doesn't appear to be physically imposing. He just plays a brand of good, tough football. It's hard to project his college position as he simply beat up on a lot of less talented kids in Connecticut while playing with his hand in the dirt. Depending on how he develops, he could play either end position or possibly even linebacker. The fact that Tennessee, Penn State, Notre Dame, Nebraska, Virginia Tech, and Miami (FL) were among his 20 or so offers tells me he has enough potential to be happy about. 

T.J. Guy 3-Star (6'4"/240lbs) Grade: Grade: 75 - Speaking of difficult prospect to project... Guy is a prospect that truly looks the part at first glance. He already has a very large frame and the coaches think he might be able to pack on 40 more lbs and move to tackle. He also has decent speed for a player his size too, so he could very well stay at end. He hasn't even come close to putting it all together on the field, so I am not expecting anything great out of him any time soon. If he didn't choose Michigan he probably would've signed with Boston College or UConn. 

Dominick Guidice 3-Star (6'3"/250lbs) Grade: 73 - Is the lowest rated prospect in the class with a host of Ivey League and MAC offers. Got a lot of interest from all the military academies too. The Michigan coaches see him as a project that, in a best case scenario, will end up as 290lb defensive tackle that never stops moving his feet. Again, he's another line recruit that is hard to project. He's got good some good quickness for a kid his size and he looks like he could handle a little more weight well, so there is definitely something to work with here. The biggest thing that jumps off on film though is his hustle. He seems to never stop motoring around the field and often outworked opponents. He could be a surprise player early in his career.

Linebacker

Junior Colson 4-Star (6'2"/228lbs) Grade: 87 - One of the best defensive prospects in this recruiting cycle. Is not necessarily in the elite athlete category but he is a very good football player with enough speed and athleticism to make most scouts drool. He also played against some good competition, including Greg Crippin and J.J. McCarthy at IMG Academy. Tennessee, LSU, Oregon, Florida State, Baylor, 

Jaydon Hood 4-Star (6'0"/212lbs) Grade: 83 - I really like Hood. It's hard not to think of Devin Bush Jr. just a little bit when you watch his tape. He has everything the team is looking for in an inside 'backer prospect, though he will need to bulk up a bit. I bet he will become a starter sooner rather than later, like in his second year. He had a couple dozen offers and Miami (FL) almost flipped him on signing day. 'Bama, Minnesota, Penn State, and Texas A&M were all in the mix at one time too. 

Tyler McLaurin 3-Star (6'2"/215lbs) Grade: 77 - Another player that is actually close to being a 4-Star. It's a little hard to project how he will develop though. Some think he could play the Viper or Sam. Some think he could gain enough weight to play end too. He has the ability to be a starter somewhere some day. Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri, Kentucky, and Michigan State were among his other biggest suitors. 

Defensive Backs

Rod Moore 4-Star (5'11"/180lbs) Grade: 78 - Was widely considered a high 3-Star prospect but some think he is one of the more underrated defensive back prospects in the nation. He looks like he can do it all, including the delivery of some wicked hits that can cause turnovers, and probably gets overlooked in Ohio because he just doesn't have those elite-level measurables that everybody covets. He is a fine football player. In fact, he is so good that he was his team's best receiver too, and they had another FBS prospect who signed with Wisconsin already playing there too. The Badgers wanted Moore to come play for them too. As did a couple dozen other schools such as Notre Dame, Duke, and Iowa. 

Ja'Den McBurrows 3-Star (5'9"/165lbs) Grade: 77 - Is another undersized, under-valued defensive back prospect who is a human highlight reel. While playing for one of the top high school programs at St. Thomas Aquinas, he displayed good anticipation and ability to read offenses that led to a lot of picks. More than a few of them went for six. 'Bama, Florida State, Miami (FL), and Ohio State all were among his offers. 

Punter

Tommy Doman 3-Star (6'3"/170lbs) Grade: 73 - One of the best punters in the nation. 247 has him ranked as the second best overall. He could start right away now that Will Allen is transferring. He should at least compete with veteran Brad Robbins for the job. 

In-coming Transfer

OL Willie Allen 3-Star (6'7"/300lbs) Grade: 76 - Originally signed with LSU back in 2017 but eventually went to JUCO before transferring to Louisiana Tech. He was a one-year starter there at left tackle before opting out of the 2020 season. He will add some needed veteran depth at tackle immediately. 

Prospects Still on the Board:

DE J.T. Tulmoloa 5-Star - The top defensive lineman on the board is a long shot, but there is still a shot. 'Bama, OSU, and Oklahoma are probably ahead in this one. Michigan is badly in need of a playmaker on the D-line. 

DT Tywone Malone 4-Star - The top pure tackle prospect for the D-line left on the board, but he too is probably a long shot. Would look nice at the nose though.

CB Ceyair Wright 4-Star - There might be too much interest on the west coast for him to go to the Midwest, but Michigan is still in this race. He is probably among the top two most-likely to sign among the prospects on this list. 

OG Drew Kendall 4-Star - Has all but said he is choosing another school over Michigan, but the fact that he hasn't signed with anybody yet tells me there is still a chance he ends up in AA as a D-line prospect. Michigan needs some big bodies that project to tackle. Kendall, having played both sides of the ball and moves well for kid his size, fits the bill. 

DT George Rooks 4-Star - Might be the closest prospect on this list to actually committing and signing with the Wolverines, but he is taking his time and probably won't announce anything until February. But as long as the Wolverines can ultimately secure him they will improve their situation at tackle quite a lot, as tackle is their biggest need coming out of the early signing period. 

DT Victory Vaka 3-Star - Seemed to be more of a priority for Michigan early on in the process but he has dropped down the rankings and has cooled on going to AA. I think it would be difficult to pull him away form the west coast but it would be interesting to throw his 350lb frame into the mix at tackle. 

DT Dominic Bass 3-Star - A seemingly underrated recruit with offers from Auburn, Florida, LSU, Ohio State, and Penn State, among others. Not many prospects with zero stars in the 247 rankings have an offer sheet quite like his. 

Scoping the Transfer Portal

Ranking my favorite players available for Michigan to pursue via transfer:

1. WDE Drew Jordan, Senior, Duke (6'2"/270lbs) - Was a 4-Star recruit and is available to play immediately after registering 35 tackles, 4.5 tackles for a loss, and 3.5 sacks in 11 games for the Blue Devils in 2020. He could help provide a desperately needed pass rush for the Michigan defense in 2021, as everybody on the team not named Kwity Paye struggled to get to any passers throughout the six games they played. 
2. LB Brandon Hill, Senior, Duke (6'3"/235lbs) - An experienced player that opted-out of the 2020 season and will look to finish his career somewhere else. He is immediately eligible and he could provide depth and competition in the front seven of the defense. He already has over 100 tackles to his credit and seems to fit the profile of the type of student-athlete Michigan likes to bring in, as far as transfers go anyway. Considering that Michigan is losing three linebackers to transfer and probably another to the draft this addition could be a god-send in terms of depth. 
3. DT Netori Johnson, Junior, Georgia (6'3"/325lbs) - A former 4-Star player that sat 2020 out and is now seeking opportunity elsewhere. He is not immediately eligible and could be having academic issues, as he claimed he did not join the team this year in order to concentrate on school. He is too intriguing of a prospect to not consider here though. He will have at least two years of eligibility remaining and was heavily pursued by Harbuagh and his staff just a few years ago. If he checks out academically he could be exactly the type of prospect they need to throw into the mix at tackle for the next few years - big, strong, and surprisingly quick.
4. CB Colin Samuel, Senior, Houston (6'3"/205lbs) - Was originally a recruit way back in 2015 and signed with UCLA, where he played in 14 games and started three over the course of three seasons. He struggled with injuries at Houston and opted-out of 2020. He will be eligible immediately and could provide some competition at corner, which is something the team could definitely use. It's hard not to notice his length and size, which could come in handy in man coverage.
5. LB Jaquan Henderson, Senior, Georgia Tech (6'1"/215lbs) -  A former Top 300 linebacker prospect that sat out the 2020 season and will probably have two years of eligibility remaining. He can play right away and might be able to play the Sam Linebacker position that currently needs to be filled, though he might be a better fit at the Viper. He was listed on the Yellow Jacket's active roster for 30 games during the three years he was active there, compiling 34 tackles, 2.5 TFL, 0.5 sack, one QB pressure, and one pass broken up. He played his best game of his career when they opened the 2019 season @#2 Clemson, where he had four tackles, including two for a loss and one pass broken up. Considering they gave up 52 points, he was probably the best defender they had on the field at the time.  
6. CB/WR Julian Barnett, Sophomore, Michigan State (6'2"/190lbs) - Sparty's best recruit in 2019 when he chose them over the Wolverines. He could really help shore up some issues in the secondary, though he is currently listed as not being immediately eligible. I have my doubts anyway that the MSU staff would allow him to go to AA, but it's just hard not to find the possibility somewhat intriguing considering his long-term potential.