Monday Michigan Recruiting Roundup: Recapping the first commits of the Jim Harbaugh era

After almost two weeks of waiting following the end of the dead period, Michigan made some big moves on the recruiting trail this weekend, hosting a number of prospects of official visits on Saturday and securing three commitments in the process.

Zach Gentry

Four-star 2015 quarterback Zach Gentry (Albuquerque, New Mexico) was the biggest prize of the weekend, as Jim Harbaugh and the Wolverines were successfully able to flip his commitment from Texas to Michigan.

Gentry is the eighth-ranked pro-style quarterback in the class and gives Michigan two incoming freshman to add to its starting quarterback battle for next season.

I briefly broke down his skill set and what he brings to the table:

He has the frame and bulk to sustain hits and the legs to move around quickly in the pocket, make throws on the run and escape from trouble when things collapse. Given how large he is, it is really surprising to see how fast he is.

Gentry sees the field well and is not afraid to make throws with defenders in his face, but his throwing mechanics could use some work. He has the tendency to throw off of his back foot a lot. He has a powerful throwing motion but can be inconsistent with where the ball is released from at times. Still, when he's on, he has one of the more impressive arms in the class.

Gentry has a ton of upside, perhaps more than any other quarterback on Michigan's roster, but Harbaugh will have to polish and adjust some aspects of his game. With that being said, he has the look of a player that will thrive in this offense.

Reuben Jones

Three-star defensive end Reuben Jones (Lakeland, Florida) was actually the first commitment to official drop of the weekend, as he announced his pledge shortly before the basketball game started via Twitter.

Jones was committed to Nebraska but decided to open things back up (for Michigan) prior to his visit.

Here's what he brings:

Jones is both athletic and physical and gets into the backfield often. At 6-3, 233 pounds, he will have to add some bulk to his frame, which will happen once he's in a college strength program.

He is quick off of the snap and is good against the run, showing the ability to get off blocks and make plays. Jones is also a good pass rusher with his explosive first step and quick hands.

What jumps out most about his game is just how tough he is. He will not wow anyone with his measurables, but he plays to the whistle and does not give up on the field.

Depending on how much strength he is able to put on this summer, Jones has an outside shot of cracking the defensive end rotation in year one. There's a lot to like about his game.

Nolan Ulizio

Two-star offensive lineman Nolan Ulizio (West Chester, Ohio) flipped his commitment from Connecticut to Michigan on Sunday afternoon, via his Twitter account.

Ulizio's ranking does not jump out by any means, but Michigan likes what they saw on film, and it's tough to argue.

At 6-6, 280 pounds, he still has a bit of bulk he has to add to his frame, but like all recruits that will come in time. There is not much information on him out there, but when you take a look at his film he is constantly beating defenders off the snap, driving them backwards in full force and finishing the block with the guy across from him flattened.

The argument can be made that perhaps he was not playing against the best of competition, but his tape shows him doing nothing but dominating.

Tim Drevno may have himself a diamond in the rough here.

So, who's next?

If there was a list of frequently asked recruiting questions out there, "who's next to commit" would be right at the top of that list by a wide margin.

Michigan now sits at nine commitments in their 2015 recruiting class with anywhere from five to seven spots still remaining to fill. Before Ulizio's commitment became official on Sunday, I took a look at a few guys that we could see join next, which include Wisconsin defensive end commit Jake Pickard and Stanford fullback commit Reagan Williams.

Mike Weber update

Some still believe that Michigan has a chance to flip four-star 2015 running back Mike Weber's commitment back to the Wolverines, as both Harbaugh and Tyrone Wheatley are coming after him hard.

It would be foolish to completely rule that out, but a quote Weber gave to the Detroit News seems pretty telling about where things are headed on that front.

"I've talked to Coach Harbaugh a few times and he's a pretty energized guy," said Weber of Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh. "I'm committed to Ohio State. I haven't made one (an official visit) to Michigan and I don't think I will."

Weber was also in attendance this weekend for Ohio State's National Championship celebrating at The Horseshoe, so the chances of him ending up back with the maize and blue seem slim as we head into signing day on Feb. 4.

Other links

• I spoke to 2016 offensive lineman Alex Akingbulu about his offer from Michigan, which was his first.
• 2015 offensive tackle commit Jon Runyan Jr. will take his official visit this weekend.
• Wolverines make the top ten for a 2016 four-star offensive lineman.