Michigan Offers 2021 Safety And Indiana Commit Maurice Freeman

Michigan is still looking for safety help in the 2021 class.

Michigan has a pledge in place from one safety in the 2021 class in the form of Clayton (Ohio) Northmont's Rod Moore. The 5-11, 170-pounder has been a member of Michigan's class since May and does not seem to be wavering. Still, U-M would like to add another safety to the class as evidenced by an offer to Chesapeake (Va.) Oscar Smith's Maurice Freeman earlier today.

Freeman, however, has been committed to Indiana since August 1. The 6-0, 190-pounder has a handful of other offers from schools like Georgia Tech, Illinois, Louisville Ole Miss, Pittsburgh and Virginia Tech among others, but Michigan is now his biggest tender on paper. His top four before pledging to the Hoosiers was rounded out by Illinois, Ole Miss and Appalachian State. 

The offer is interesting because it's obviously pretty late in the cycle for 2021 prospects and also because it seems to indicate that Michigan isn't very confident in its pursuit of Ewa Beach (Hawaii) James Campbell athlete Titus Mokiao-Atimalala. The 6-1, 170-pounder can also play wide receiver, but U-M's bigger need is definitely at safety at this point in the cycle and the offer to Freeman proves that.

A lot of Freeman's highlight tape shows him playing off the edge and making tackles in the backfield. He always arrives with bad intentions and is a very physical presence from all over the field. With Moore being the smaller, ballhawk type, it makes sense for Michigan to target a bigger, enforcer type — that's Freeman.