Wednesday Michigan Football Recruiting Roundup is Fading Fast

Things Are Fading Fast

It was wildly considered that landing 2015 four-star offensive lineman Sterling Jenkins was a forgone conclusion for Michigan fans. Now, that might not necessarily be the case. The 247Sports' Crystal Ball predictions for Jenkins, once dominated by Michigan, is fading fast in favor of a new school.

247Sports' Steve Lorenz echoed the same sentiments in his latest Inside Michigan Recruiting ($) piece. It appears that in-state pressure from Penn State and new head coach James Franklin may have swung the momentum over to their favor after Jenkins had a very positive visit over the weekend.

"As you'd expect, the momentum is clearly with the Nittany Lions right now following a good visit and the natural move any school will make when they hire a new coach. James Franklin's energy is high and there's a real motivation to keep top Pennsylvania talent in-state."

Getting Jenkins back on campus for a visit to remind him what he loved about Michigan will be especially important with this one. It isn't a guarantee that he is a Penn State lock, but battling for premier Pennsylvania talent against a great football program like Penn State is difficult to do. It's not over till it's over.

Below is a brief highlight tape of Jenkins:

2017 Recruit on Visit: "A lot better than I thought it was going to be"

The 2017 recruiting cycle is under way. As I mentioned in Monday's recruiting roundup, Todd Sibley Jr. along with other various recruits visited campus over the weekend. Currently not rated, Sibley Jr. is widely considered one of the early premier talents not only in the State of Ohio, but in the entire Midwest. He has already garnered interest from the likes of Alabama, Florida State, Ohio State and others. Obviously, getting him on campus is a fairly big deal even if he does have a few years to decide. Sibley Jr. spoke with Lorenz about his expectations.

"It was definitely a lot better than I thought it was going to be," he said laughing. "I really liked the coaching staff a lot and my favorite part was getting to go in the locker room where the Michigan players are at and try on the jersey. That was a really good feeling."

In other good news, Sibley Jr. also mentioned that he was invited to attend a spring practice. He is not sure when he is coming, but states that he will be back in the "very near future."

You can find freshman highlights from Sibley Jr., here.

General Odds and Ends

Today marks 100 days since Michigan's last football commitment. Seriously, something needs to happen. 2016 offensive lineman Erik Swenson was Michigan's latest commitment on November 25.

According to Scout.com's Sam Webb, attending camp might be in the future ($) for 2015 three-star tight end Harrison Moon. Is a Michigan offer on the horizon?

Also from Scout, Andre Barthwell speaks with 2016 in-state linebacker Daelin Hayes about his strengthening bond with Michigan ($).

2015 four-star running back Johnny Frasier, who holds a Michigan offer, is 247Sports' new number one RB (FREE) in the 2015 recruiting class according to their rankings.

I made a 247Sports Crystal Ball prediction for 2015 LB Josh Barajas. I initially thought Michigan was in great shape to land Barajas, but that is no longer the case. After visiting Notre Dame and receiving an offer over the weekend, the momentum has swung the Fighting Irish's way. Barajas is theirs to lose. Michigan still has premier linebacking talent to pick through in the state of Indiana. If you remember, Barajas is one of three linebackers who are top the list of best talent in his state. Darrin Kirkland Jr. and Asmar Bilal could be viable options if either, or both, are offered. On top of that, Michigan would jump up on their list immediately if they earn an offer.

Follow Maize n Brew's Joshua Henschke on Twitter, @JoshuaHenschke