Michigan Monday Crootin’: What happened with Daxton Hill?

5-star Oklahoma safety Daxton Hill flipped his commitment to Alabama Saturday night, and Michigan faithful are still picking up the pieces.

Here’s what is known so far:

While the move shocked the public, this decision was apparently in the works for some time. A second-hand source* who works for the Hill family in Tulsa informed Maize n Brew last week the nation’s top-ranked safety was all Crimson Tide.

This person noted members of the family were sporting Alabama gear in the weeks following the Ohio State loss.

*(I had been trying to verify this account from multiple sources leading up to Saturday’s announcement. With the decommitment now official, all cards on the table.)

Steve Lorenz of 247Sports ($) reported Alabama visited Hill in Tulsa last Thursday, days after members of the Michigan staff stopped by. He also noted even Alabama insiders were surprised by the decision.

While it’s not clear what sold Hill on his flip, it seems fair to infer Nick Saban and company took advantage of the disappointing end of Michigan’s season.

Quinten Johnson, a 3-star out of Washington, remains the only safety in the class. He’s more in the mold of a box safety or a Viper, whereas Hill has the elite speed to be a ballhawk on the deep end of Don Brown’s press-man scheme.

Jim Harbaugh and his staff may have lost their 5-star for the 2019 class, but seem to have very good chances with other elite prospects in Zach Harrison and Quavaris Crouch. (NOTE: Bill Greene of 247Sports has recently called Harrison a Buckeye lean.)

FINAL PUSH FOR OFFENSIVE TACKLES

Ed Warinner looks to be pushing for an additional tackle in the days leading up to the early Signing Day on Dec. 19.

The most likely option is 4-star Trevor Keegan out of Crystal Lake, Ill. At 6-foot-6, 310 pounds, he’s already prototypically-sized to man either side of the line.

Michigan holds 94 percent of his crystal balls, and he is announcing his final decision this Friday.

He officially visited Ann Arbor for the Wisconsin game on Oct. 13, and the glow of his trip still lingers.

“The environment was awesome,” Keegan told The Michigan Insider’s Brice Marich ($). “Everything about it was perfect...The officials are so important to me because the official visits are really what I’m going to base my decision off of.”

Several insiders put in their prediction for Michigan after his official visit to Penn State last Friday. After Jim Harbaugh visited his home in late November, James Franklin and Georgia’s Kirby Smart have been scrambling to catch up.

A recent development has emerged in 3-star Tennessee commit Chris Akporoghene. The 6-foot-4 Nigerian turned IMG Academy Ascender officially visited this past weekend.

He was joined by most of the offensive line class, including Trente Jones, Karsen Barnhart, Zach Carpenter and Nolan Rumler. All of his crystal balls are currently pointing to Oregon.

Maize n Brew has reached out for comment, and will update.

Speaking of MnB, former blog alum Evan Petzold has reported extensively on Michigan’s good chances with 3-star Kansas City tackle Danielson Ike.

With five pledges on the line for 2019, adding one of these names turns this haul from merely impressive to a cornucopia of riches.

The early signing period is currently nine days away! Lots of recruiting information coming down the assembly line.

For all the Michigan recruiting news you need, keep coming back, folks.