Friday Michigan Recruiting Roundup: Gattis playing big role in several recruitments

Welcome in to another Friday Michigan Recruiting Roundup!

The work Michigan’s new assistant coaches have put in on the recruiting trail has left impressions on recruits all over the country, but no coach has perhaps left an impression more than offensive coordinator Josh Gattis.

Let’s dive in, shall we?

In-state WR/TE

One of the most interesting recruits in the state of Michigan in the 2020 class is wide receiver/tight end Maliq Carr. The Oak Park native is 6-foot-6 and 215 pounds. He is a big boy, there is no question, but there is a question as of now as to where he would play in college. Analysts and coaches alike believe he is destined to play tight end, but he, however, insists he is a wide receiver.

Regardless, the 3-star offensive weapon visited U-M this past weekend and came away incredibly impressed, and some of that has to do with Gattis.

“That surprised me to the max,” Carr told The Michigan Insider’s Sam Webb ($). “Like, I was like really impressed. Especially with the new offense they’re supposed to be running. I’ll have to see that for myself, of course, just to make sure. (Gattis) is running what he was running at Alabama. The way it looks, it looks nice. Like, really nice. And I would get the ball a lot.”

Carr also said he and Gattis went through “70-80” plays and that he would be getting the ball a lot, whether he played wide receiver or tight end.

The visit went so well that Carr told Webb Michigan is in his top five.

The Wolverines have definitely made up some ground in Carr’s recruitment. So much so that they received a crystal ball after the visit. Time will tell, though, if that is the case.

4-star ATH also impressed with Gattis

2020 4-star athlete Kristian Story — the No. 5 ranked player in Alabama and No. 147 overall — has known Gattis for a little while now. Story has an offer from the University of Alabama, and Gattis was recruiting him while he was the co-offensive coordinator in Tuscaloosa.

Now that Gattis is with the Wolverines, it was only natural for Story to receive an offer from U-M, which is an offer he received late last week.

“My dad talked with coach Gattis and he told me,” Story told Maize n Brew of the offer. “I was shocked.

“(Gattis) was my recruiter when he was at ‘Bama, so I’ve known him for a while now. He’s a great all around guy and he keeps it real.”

Story has offers from all over — Alabama, Michigan, Penn State, Notre Dame, Tennessee, Georgia, Oregon, Nebraska and more. With all these offers compiling, he kept it straight and simple with what he is looking for out of his future school.

“Just where I feel comfortable and if I think it’s a good fit for me,” Story said.

The 6-foot-1, 206-pounder plans to visit Michigan sometime soon, so you can bet Gattis and company will continue to recruit him hard.

That’s all for this week! Come back Monday for another recruiting roundup.