Thursday Recruiting Roundup: U-M makes contact with transfer portal DT, LB

Happy New Year’s Eve, and welcome to this edition of the Michigan Recruiting Roundup!

On today’s roundup, we will detail two developments from the transfer portal, as well as a small update from the 2022 class. Let’s get right to it!

Harbaugh, others contact transfer portal DT

According to The Michigan Insider’s Sam Webb ($), Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh, offensive coordinator Josh Gattis and defensive line coach Shaun Nua have all made contact with Antonio Shelton, a former Penn State defensive tackle who recently entered his name into the transfer portal.

The 6-foot-2, 327-pounder has played his entire career at Penn State. He started the last two seasons for the Nittany Lions. This past season, he compiled 14 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, 1 forced fumble and 1 pass deflected.

Shelton told Webb he has spoken with “a bunch of schools,” so this recruitment will probably last a little while. But the bottom line is the Wolverines need help along the interior of the defensive line, so I’m sure they are willing to wait it out if they really think Shelton can be an instant contributor.

Gattis is familiar with Shelton from his time at Penn State, so perhaps that connection will go a little ways for the Wolverines. Any little bit helps at this point.

Wolverines also reach out to transfer portal LB

According to TMI’s Brice Marich ($), the Wolverine coaching staff has also reached out to Treshaun Hayward, a former linebacker at Western Michigan.

Marich reports Hayward was in contact with Don Brown before he was relieved of his duties at Michigan. At the moment, Hayward is waiting to see who will be next in charge of the defense. However, there is “no shortage” of interest in Michigan, per Marich, as Hayward is from the area and attended Skyline High School in Ann Arbor.

This would be a good addition to the linebacker room, not only because Cameron McGrone entered his name into the NFL Draft, but because Hayward is a legitimately good player. In 2020, he compiled 50 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and 0.5 sacks in five games. But in a full season in 2019, he won the Mid-American Conference Defensive Player of the Year award by racking up 142 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, five sacks, one pass deflected, one forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

Michigan seems to have a fairly good shot with the 6-foot-1, 235-pounder. As long as the next defensive coordinator makes Hayward a priority in the transfer portal, I think Michigan will be in this recruitment until the very end.

U-M to make top list for 2022 S

In an interview with 247Sports’ Andrew Ivins ($), 2022 three-star safety Sherrod Covil said he is set to release a top list in the near future. The one school standing above every other school at the moment is Notre Dame, but Michigan and a couple other Big Ten schools will also be included on the list.

“Notre Dame,” Covil said. “They are definitely in there. Penn State, Michigan and Michigan State are in there, too.”

Michigan was one of Covil’s first reported offers, receiving the offer from the Wolverines back on June 10. After that, offers also rolled in from the likes of Alabama, LSU, Oklahoma, North Carolina, and the aforementioned Notre Dame and Penn State. He has 29 total offers.

The 6-foot, 185-pounder hails from Chesapeake, Virginia. He is listed as the No. 21 safety and No. 394 overall player on 247Sports’ composite.

That’s all for this week! Come back Tuesday for another Recruiting Roundup.