Recruiting Roundup: Staff building strong bond with two five-star defensive backs

Welcome to this week’s Tuesday Michigan Recruiting Roundup! Today’s roundup is loaded with 2022 studs, including two five-stars and another top 100 player for good measure.

Five-star safety has great bond with Michigan coaches

With plenty of success in New Jersey under Jim Harbaugh, Michigan is looking to pull off another major coup with 2022 five-star athlete Keon Sabb. After kicking off his junior season last Saturday, Sabb spoke with The Michigan Insider’s Josh Newkirk about his relationship with the staff ($).

“Since I was a kid I always loved just like college football. And I’m always imagining myself being a college athlete. Now that I’m getting a chance and all these offers are coming in, Michigan is a big part of that,” Sabb said. “And I talk to the coach (Bob Shoop) a lot during quarantine. I talk to coach (Jim Harbaugh) a lot. So, the relationship is pretty strong.”

Sabb had more to say about Shoop, who is his lead recruiter.

“He’s just a genuine nice guy. We talk sometimes two, three times a week, some weeks. It’s just like a lot of talking and it feels genuine. Like he really actually wants to talk.”

When he is able to, Sabb said his next step would be taking a visit to campus. With offers from everyone in the country, Michigan will have to keep working, but it has stood out as one of Sabb’s top choices so far.

Michigan still in the thick of it for in-state five-star

Will Johnson is another five-star defensive back in the 2022 class who has been discussed much more often given his proximity to campus and legacy status. TMI’s Brice Marich talked with Johnson this past weekend to discuss Michigan’s standing in his recruitment ($).

“The relationships I have with Michigan (are why they made my top ten),” said Johnson. “I have a really good relationship with coach Harbaugh, coach Zordich, coach Moore and coach Brown, so I talk to them very often. I mean, someone from Michigan contacts me everyday. I got a really good relationship with them.”

Johnson added all of this contact with the staff has allowed them to cover all their bases in what he’s looking for in a school.

“I’ve done it all with them from Zoom calls, FaceTimes, watched film and everything. It was really cool and good to learn the defense. Coach Harbaugh even got to talk to my parents for a long time, too.”

Johnson is not planning to make a decision any time soon. He said that he will probably trim down his top ten list sometime in the spring.

When asked if Michigan will make that next cut, Johnson said, “They are definitely very high on my list. Michigan will always be one of the top schools for me. They will always be up there for sure. No question about it.”

New England OL takes unofficial visit to Michigan

Michigan has dominated recruiting in Massachusetts in the last couple of cycles, so much so that prospects from the area are now taking it upon themselves to visit campus on their own dime. TMI’s Marich reports three-star offensive lineman Sullivan Weidman took a self-guided tour of Ann Arbor last weekend ($).

Since receiving an offer at the beginning of the year, Weidman has had a high level of interest in the Wolverines. He was scheduled to make a trip in late March, but that had to be canceled because of the pandemic.

Marich revealed the Michigan staff was somewhat surprised to hear the Weidman would be on campus because they are not recruiting him as a top target type of guy. Still, it’s good to have recruits chomping at the bit to learn more about the school, even if they are not at the top of the board.

Michigan going after top 2022 Midwest DT

With one four-star already on board for 2022, the Wolverines are looking to add more much needed depth to the defensive tackle room next cycle. One prospect they’ve set their sights on is Indiana top 100 prospect Caden Curry. Per TMI’s Marich, Curry is near the top of their board ($).

Shaun Nua is unsurprisingly running point on Curry’s recruitment, who received his offer from Michigan in July.

Curry had good things to say about Michigan’s efforts recruiting him so far.

“They have definitely had great success and seem to push their players and I will have to watch a game, heard they can be really fun,” he said.

There aren’t any crystal balls in for Curry, but he holds offers from Ohio State, Alabama, Clemson, Florida, Oregon and more.

That wraps up today’s Michigan Recruiting Roundup at Maize n Brew! Check back again soon for even more of the latest recruiting news.