Michigan Gets the Top-Flight Tight End They Wanted in Devin Asiasi

The right pick up can make all the difference to a program. Same goes for your rental car experience. Pick Enterprise and see how we go the extra mile for our customers every day.

***

Michigan landed its big fish on National Signing Day 2016 in the form of elite defensive tackle Rashan Gary, but it is one of its later commitments that has the fanbase surprised and delighted.

Class of 2016 tight end Devin Asiasi (Concord, California) announced on Wednesday that he is signing with the Michigan Wolverines. A few weeks ago, that would have been unheard of.

Asiasi is a four-star prospect and the third-ranked tight end in the class, according to 247's Composite rankings.

Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh loves to utilize the tight end position in his offense and is always looking for contributors that can step in and make a difference there.

All throughout the 2016 recruiting cycle, the Wolverines have been in search of a top-flight tight end to be the eventual successor to Jake Butt after he graduates next season. For the longest time, their eyes were on Naseir Upshur, who at one point looked like a lock but decided to head to Florida State.

From there, the attention turned to Isaac Nauta, the nation's top tight end prospect. Georgia was seen as the heavy favorite, but the Wolverines rallied to close the gap in that recruitment, but ultimately lost out.

Coming into Wednesday, the Wolverines already had two tight ends committed at the position in Sean McKeon, who is also an early enrollee, and the recently-committed Nick Eubanks. Both players have good upside, but are seen as projects. Asiasi steps into the class as the most complete of the bunch.

Standing at 6-foot-4, 270 pounds, Asiasi is built like a tank and is an incredibly willing blocker, which is music to Harbaugh's ears. He is not quite as explosive as a player like Eubanks shows on film, but he knows what to do after the catch. A lot of that can be attributed to him being difficult to take because of how big he is.

It's possible he could see time on the other side of the ball on the defensive line, as well. Michigan likes him on both offense and defense.

Perhaps his decision has not generated the buzz of some of the other commitments on Wednesday, but Asiasi is a great talent and an even better fit in Ann Arbor.