3 things to expect for Michigan during the 2019 early signing period

Tomorrow is a big day for many college football programs across the country, including the University of Michigan.

The early signing period is sure to see many top players in the country officially sign their letter of intent. It is a benefit to both the players and the programs, and a time that recruiting buffs like myself absolutely love.

Most of Michigan’s class is already in place, but there are still a few additions to be made. By the end of it all, U-M should have one pretty impressive recruiting haul.

With the early signing period just one day away, here are three things you can expect for Michigan’s 2019 class come Wednesday.

Many U-M commits sign and enroll early

Only three players enrolled early in Michigan’s 2018 class — Joe Milton, Taylor Upshaw and Myles Sims. This year, it will be drastically different.

For the entire list of Michigan early enrollees, click here, but here is a short preview:

• 4-star running back Zach Charbonnet
• 4-star quarterback Cade McNamara
• 4-star defensive tackle Mazi Smith
• 4-star cornerback Jalen Perry

Just the short list above is more than what Michigan brought in early last season, and there are plenty more who will be at U-M next semester.

Enrolling early is helpful for several reasons. Take Smith for example — a guy who could see early playing time in 2019 due to the transfer of Aubrey Solomon and other departures. Enrolling early is only going to help him be prepared when his name is called.

Getting into the strength and conditioning program early is huge. Getting into the swing of things with practices, meetings and college courses is huge. There is no downside to enrolling early, so this will help many players in U-M’s 2019 class.

5-star DE Zach Harrison will sign with Ohio State

I have been saying this all along, and if you decided to get your hopes up, well...I can’t blame you, because most Michigan fans have been doing that for a good 20+ years. Myself included at times.

But not this time. I was always in the mindset 5-star defensive end Zach Harrison would sign with Ohio State. His family all along wanted him to go to Ohio State. His friends at school wanted him at Ohio State. Everyone was cramming “go to Ohio State” in his head, and several articles were written by several news outlets about this very topic.

I can’t blame the kid for wanting to go to a more successful program with a history of developing great defensive linemen that get drafted relatively high into the NFL. And I certainly can’t blame him for going to the school that has won the rivalry game eight years in a row, and also nine in a row at Ohio Stadium. It sure is a sad reality, isn’t it?

Despite all this, Michigan fans should not be too concerned here. The 2019 defensive line haul is an impressive one, including borderline-5-star Chris Hinton, 4-star Mazi Smith and 4-star David Ojabo.

I’d be much more concerned if this were a 5-star quarterback or 5-star offensive lineman going to Ohio State instead of Michigan. Of course, losing a 5-star of any kind to your biggest rival stings, but try not to panic too much.

Top WR on Michigan’s board will commit to the Maize and Blue

How about we end on a good note?

Michigan fans should expect their beloved Wolverines to get a commitment from 4-star wide receiver Cornelius Johnson.

The 6-foot-3, 195-pounder from Greenwich, Connecticut is the last remaining outside wide receiver on Michigan’s board. The Wolverines have yet to acquire a commitment from an outside receiver such as Johnson in the 2019 class, so this would be a welcome addition.

Penn State seems to be the only other school with a fighting chance in this recruitment, but with Johnson’s mom being a U-M graduate, and the relationship he has with the coaching staff and other players already at Michigan, I’d expect Johnson to commit to the good guys.