Michigan Football Falls Short In Battle For 4-Star Edge Rusher

The Wolverines battled hard for this four-star EDGE from the West Coast, but came up short on commitment day...

Matt Lounsberry | Jul 2, 2024

Greg Bartram-USA TODAY Sports

After an excellent recruiting month in June, Michigan Football is still seeking its first commitment of July after missing out on another top target on Tuesday.

Four-star Danville (Calif.) San Ramon Valley edge rusher Marco Jones has committed to Texas A&M, choosing the Aggies among a ‘Final Four’ which also included Michigan, Texas and USC. This comes one day after the Wolverines also saw one of their top offensive line targets, four-star Hardy Watts, commit to Wisconsin on Monday.

Jones, the No. 167 overall prospect in the class of 2025 (247Sports Composite), has garnered more than 30 offers from across the country. The 6-foot-5, 240-pounder took official visits to each of his finalists over the past five weeks before settling on Texas A&M. Jones is considered the No. 15 edge rusher and No. 15 player from the state of California in this recruiting cycle.

Michigan has recruited the defensive line well for 2025, having landed previous commitments from four-stars Nathaniel Marshall (No. 43 overall), Jaylen Williams (No. 242), Julius Holly (No. 300) and Bobby Kanka (No. 385). Jones would have been a nice addition to that haul up front, and the Wolverines could continue their pursuit of the California native as the year goes on.

Michigan got off to a slow start in the 2025 recruiting cycle after all the coaching turnover which occurred following the Wolverines’ 2023 national championship victory. After an outstanding month in June, however, U-M is starting to put together one of the best classes in the Big Ten and the country. Currently, the Wolverines’ 2025 class ranks No. 18 nationally and No. 6 in the conference. Additionally, Michigan’s class features an average player rating of 91.03, which is the 11th-best mark in the nation and third-best in the Big Ten.

Michigan Football Verbal Commits, Class of 2025

Four-star DL Nathaniel Marshall; Fenwick High School; Oak Park, Ill.; No 41 nationally, No. 4 Defensive Lineman, No. 1 in state of Illinois
Four-star S Kainoa Winston; Gonzaga College High School; Washington, D.C.; No. 88 nationally, No. 9 Safety, No. 1 in Washington D.C.
Four-star QB Carter Smith; Bishop Verot High School; Fort Myers, Fla.; No. 161 nationally, No. 14 Quarterback, No. 23 in state of Florida
Four-star RB Donovan Johnson; IMG Academy; Bradenton, Fla.; No. 233 nationally, No. 16 Running Back, No. 34 in state of Florida
Four-star DL Jaylen Williams; Palatine High School; Palatine, Ill.; No. 236 nationally, No. 29 Defensive Lineman, No. 6 in state of Illinois
Four-star OT Avery Gach; Wylie E. Groves High School; Franklin, Mich.; No. 247 nationally, No. 14 Offensive Tackle, No. 2 in state of Michigan
Four-star EDGE Julius Holly; Alpharetta High School; Alpharetta, Ga.; No. 301 nationally, No. 22 Edge Rusher, No. 38 in state of Georgia
Four-star WR Jacob Washington; Archbishop Shaw High School; Marrero, La.; No. 320 nationally, No. 46 Wide Receiver, No. 8 in state of Louisiana
Four-star DL Bobby Kanka; Howell High School; Howell, Mich.; No. 383 nationally, No. 42 Defensive Lineman, No. 4 in state of Michigan
Four-star TE Eli Owens; Alcoa High School; Alcoa, Tenn.; No. 405 nationally, No. 21 Tight End, No. 13 in state of Tennessee
Three-star IOL Kaden Strayhorn; IMG Academy; Bradenton, Fla.; No. 437 nationally, No. 28 Interior Offensive Lineman, No. 58 in state of Florida
Three-star RB Jasper Parker; Archbishop Shaw High School; Marrero, La.; No. 442 nationally, No. 33 Running Back, No. 15 in state of Louisiana
Three-star LB Chase Taylor; Stockbridge High School; Stockbridge, Ga.; No. 587 nationally, No. 62 Linebacker, No. 63 in state of Georgia