/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/66519612/1188369073.jpg.0.jpg)
Michigan made the cut on the top eight list for 2021 four-star defensive lineman Quintin Somerville. The Wolverines join Washington, Florida State, Georgia, Utah, Vanderbilt, Arizona State and New Mexico.
TOP 8...Thank You God pic.twitter.com/8tR7aDbENt
— Quintin Somerville (@quintinn_2) March 18, 2020
Somerville visited Ann Arbor for the first time last April. Defensive line coach Shaun Nua is the lead recruiter for the 6-foot-3, 230-pounder from Scottsdale, Arizona, and he is one of the main reasons Michigan remains in the race for him.
“I met coach Nua a while back at (Arizona State) and we connected ever since,” Somerville told Maize n Brew after his first visit. “We’d talk weekly and he’d just check up on how I was doing, so our relationship really speaks for itself.”
He almost met with defensive coordinator Don Brown during that trip, calling him a “legend.”
“I have gained a lot of respect for him obviously as a football coach, but also a man outside of the game,” Somerville said last April.
This is obviously great news for Michigan. Nua is a huge factor in keeping Michigan alive in this recruitment. Somerville has spoken highly of both Nua and Brown, so if he takes an official to Ann Arbor at some point, Michigan could position itself very well.
Somerville is the No. 70 overall player and the No. 4 strong-side defensive end in the 2021 class, according to 247Sports’ composite rankings. You can watch junior year highlights below.