2022 Four-Star Ken Talley Has Michigan In Top Seven

A talented junior pass rusher put Michigan in his top group, and he is set to announce his college decision in less than a month.

@KenTalley22 / Twitter

As of late, it has become abundantly clear that Power Five-level football prospects are traveling through their recruitment at an accelerated pace. While that may be true for rising seniors in the 2021 class, the same can be said for the '22 cycle as many players are releasing top groups and going on unofficial visits as soon as possible.

The latest example of this progression is Philadelphia (Penn.) Northeast four-star defensive end Ken Talley, a pass rusher from the 2022 class that recently released a top seven with Michigan in the mix. For the junior four-star defender, Michigan made the cut for his top group along with Rutgers, Penn State, West Virginia, Texas A&M, Arizona State and Tennessee.

"Coach [Mike] Zordich built a strong bond with me since the day they offered," Talley told Wolverine Digest. 

But interestingly enough, Talley mentioned his top six to 247Sports.com a little over a week ago, and at that time Kentucky and Maryland were included in his top group, while Michigan, Arizona State and Texas A&M were not. So, either a couple programs are making a late push knowing that Talley is nearing his Sept. 8 decision date, or the dynamic defensive end prospect is still unsure on which school he would like to head to.

Standing at 6-3 and 230 pounds, Talley is highly favored to pick Penn Stare according to Crystal Ball predictions, which would not be a massive shock considering he is an in-state recruit. When players come off the board this early, it usually spells positive events for their home-state programs because they are the most likely to have been involved from a recruiting standpoint for the longest, and it is easier to travel to in-state schools regarding visits. So, the Nittany Lions likely have a decided advantage in this race, but Talley is still working through his decision by all indications.

At the moment, Penn State is already building an impressive recruiting class for the 2022 cycle with four pledges-- a quarterback, a wide receiver and two tight end prospects. So, Talley would be the first commit on the defensive side of the ball for PSU head coach James Franklin's program.

Michigan, on the other hand, holds a pledge from Essexville (Mich.) Garber athlete Alex VanSuemeren, a play that many expect to enter college as a defensive tackle. But even if Talley chooses to stay within his home state's borders, the Wolverines have put themselves in a strong position with a couple other highly talented weak-side defensive ends.

Also from Philadelphia (Penn.) is Imhotep Charter's Enai White, who looks like an early candidate for five-star status in the 2022 class. Earlier this offseason, Wolverine Digest spoke with White about why the Wolverines had landed in his early top 20 group.

“They had come up a little after they offered me,” White said. “I had talked to Coach Nua. Growing up, I watched Michigan a lot. To know I had an offer from there, it was a blessing. I was extremely excited.”

White added: “I’m familiar with them,” White said. “Some alumni from Imhotep have been recruited by Michigan. Naseir Upshur, he was recruited pretty heavy by Michigan, so I’m kind of familiar with them.”

With those connections, White is partial to U-M and what the Wolverines are building, but he also has a contingent of other strong Power Five schools in the hunt as well.

More recently, Michigan extended an offer to Sicklerville (NJ) Timber Creek weak-side DE Jihaad Campbell, and he touched on what he likes regarding Michigan too.

“Their defensive scheme is very nice,” Campbell said. “I like the program. I like the team organization. I like everything about it.”

Defensive line recruiting has been a strength of Michigan's over the past several months, and U-M holds four defensive end commits in the 2021 class depending on where you view Kechaun Bennett. However, the team is looking to add even more talented prospects at the position moving forward, and Talley would be a big pickup for Michigan in the '22 cycle if he chooses the Wolverines.

Should Michigan prioritize defensive end or defensive tackle recruiting in 2022? Will Talley surprise people in less than a month's time by picking a school other than Penn State? Let us know!