Michigan Monday Crootin’: Staff “texts” with 5-star OG Justin Rogers “every day”

For the second-straight weekend, 2020 5-star offensive guard Justin Rogers made the trip from Oak Park (Mich.) to Ann Arbor.

Nine days ago, he was in town for the basketball team’s double-digit victory over Maryland. Sunday, he stopped by for the Maize Out as the Wolverines dropped one to Michigan State.

As pointed out in the last Monday roundup, Michigan has “made progress” with the highly-coveted 6-foot-3, 311-pounder. “Rogers has quietly been on Michigan’s campus numerous times in the last few months,” The Michigan Insider’s Steve Lorenz writes ($), “and the staff has been putting in ‘top target’-like effort with (him).”

Rogers has clearly built enough trust in the staff to appear on campus several times. He credits increased communication.

“I’d say yeah, they text me every day,” Rogers said to Evan Petzold of WolverinesWire. “Michigan’s stepping up. They’re trying to build that relationship.

“I would say Michigan is recruiting me like – they want me there because I’m an in-state kid. But they want me. (They’re saying), ‘Just do what you’re doing.’”

The No. 18 player nationally per 247 Sports has long been considered a Georgia or Ohio State lean. It’s clear Rogers is giving the Wolverines a chance with back-to-back trips, but he’s not ready to call Michigan a leader in his recruitment.

“For me, I’d say relationship-wise, relationship-wise need to get better,” he said. That starts with the staff, as new offensive coordinator Josh Gattis has led the charge.

Belleville (Mich.) corner Andre Seldon — a 4-star in this year’s class — is also doing his part.

“Seldon, Dre usually tells me it’s a great place,” he said. “It’s home for him. I want to see how everything turns out.”

Another contact has been 2020 West Bloomfield (Mich.) 3-star linebacker Cornell Wheeler. He told Petzold that Rogers isn’t always the most talkative prospect.

Outside of the Buckeyes and Bulldogs, Jim Harbaugh and company are competing against the likes of LSU, Alabama and Tennessee for Rogers’ services.

Other Notes

• Sam Webb previewed visits from 4-star TE Theo Johnson of Canada and 3-star defensive end Deontay Craig from Culver (Ind.).
• Isaiah Hole photographed those at Crisler for Sunday’s rivalry matchup.