@RoccoSpindler92 / Twitter
Michigan Football Recruiting Mailbag
In the first edition of the Michigan Football Recruiting Mailbag, Wolverine Digest breaks down a handful of questions that were submitted regarding U-M's recruiting efforts, including what to expect for the rest of the class and how the defensive line recruiting is progressing.
Question: Is there any reason to be concerned over safety recruiting? Partridge really stocked up over the last two cycles, but the potential of only getting Moore is a significant drop off and makes me question if Shoop can get it done recruiting-wise. - @detveverybody01 on Twitter
Answer: I would temper any rush to judgment on Bob Shoop's recruiting ability just yet. Landing Clayton (Ohio) Northmont three-star safety Rod Moore is an important piece of the 2021 class, but Michigan is expected to take another safety before all is said and done. Moore is no slouch himself, though, and moves very well in the secondary. He is a track star at Northmont as well, so his speed will help him patrol the defensive backfield for U-M down the line.
In terms of other prospects on the board, Michigan has offered 14 of the top 30 safeties in the country according to 247Sports.com. Of those players, seven have already committed elsewhere, so those prospects are essentially off the board for the time being. One aspect that has hurt Shoop recently is the current pandemic situation and the lack of in-person contact. Shoop has a reputation for shining on visits, and he typically makes a strong impression when going in-home, so it would be a bit unfair to judge his impact on the '21 class this early in the cycle.
One player that Michigan was in on was Cannonsburg (Pa.) Peters Township three-star safety Donovan McMillon. In the past, McMillon indicated to Wolverine Digest that he was quite interested in Michigan, but McMillon recently released a top group that did not include U-M. Look for Shoop to continue kicking the tires on these top 500 overall type of players as U-M wants another safety, but don't be surprised if the player is a late riser, someone who is a bit underrated at the moment that will fully blossom when they make it to college. Moore almost falls into that category, but he's projected to have a dominant senior campaign.
One other note is that Shoop received very positive returns from Moore when discussing how the Michigan safeties coach has recruited him, so his reception on the recruiting trail has been positive thus far, and Moore is excited to play for him.
Question: What's your gut instinct on where Rocco Spindler ultimately goes? No Michigan homerism here, what's your gut tell you? - @TheMichiganMann on Twitter
Answer: Throughout the process, Clarkston (Mich.) High four-star offensive guard Rocco Spindler has kept his recruitment pretty well under wraps for just how coveted of a prospect he is. Spindler has made it known that he is interested in Michigan, Notre Dame, Penn State, Ohio State and LSU, but the level of interest for each particular program has been the center of much speculation. In fact, each program-- maybe except for LSU-- has taken a turn as the supposed leader for Spindler.
Michigan offensive line coach Ed Warinner has a strong track record of developing players for the NFL, and this selling point has not been lost on the Spindler camp. However, each of those five programs pumps out NFL-caliber lineman, so that is a bit of a moot point. Coach Warinner has made it a point to show Spindler how much of a priority he is for Michigan in this class, and the appeal of playing for a hometown powerhouse certainly exists.
If Spindler were to make a decision today, I would expect him to pick Michigan and to act as the centerpiece for what is a dominant in-state offensive line haul for U-M in this cycle with Raheem Anderson and Giovanni El-Hadi also in the fold.
Question: How are we looking on the defensive line for recruits and where do we stand with said recruits? - Wally Stenson
Answer: For defensive end recruits, Michigan is likely finished at that position with pledges from T.J. Guy and Dominick Giudice, two high-ceiling players that are firm commitments for the Wolverines. Turning attention to the defensive tackle position, this is a big area of need for Michigan moving forward after not picking up a DT commit in the last cycle.
Right now, U-M is in strong position for several recruits, such as Jersey City (N.J.) St. Peter's Prep four-star George Rooks, Olympia (Wash.) Tumwater three-star Jacob Schuster, and Oradell (N.J.) Bergen Catholic four-star Tywone Malone. Belleville (Mich.) four-star Damon Payne is not an option for the school, and both Westlake (Calif.) Village three-star Victory Vaka and Simi Valley (Calif.) Grace Bretheren four-star Jay Toia committed elsewhere (Texas A&M and USC respectively), though they showed considerable interest in Michigan in the past.
Right now, I'd say Michigan's one or two prospective defensive tackle commits would come from the group of Rooks, Malone and Schuster with a near-lock for one pledge and a positive feeling surrounding the other two.
Question: What do you think about Spindler and Dellinger? - Ethan Norris
Answer: I've already touched on this question as it pertains to Spindler, but there is much less cause for optimism surrounding Garrett Dellinger. As a teammate of Spindler's at Clarkston, Dellinger is down to four schools-- Michigan, Penn State, Ohio State and LSU. Though Dellinger is an in-state prospect given the location of his current high school, the four-star tackle is originally from the state of Louisiana, so a return to his home state could be a favorable option for the college-bound recruit. Also, the word on the street is that Dellinger is much more comfortable with the idea of leaving the state than Spindler is, so take that for what it's worth.
Right now, all seven crystal ball predictions for Dellinger on 247Sports.com have the offensive tackle selecting LSU, and that is where I'd forecast him at the moment as well. While Michigan is still in the mix before Dellinger commits in a couple weeks, the chances of him picking the Wolverines appear to be slim.
What pressing questions do you have regarding the 2021 recruiting class? Any areas that need to be addressed? Let us know!
