Thursday Recruiting Roundup: Top in-state LB knows he’s a top target for Michigan

Hey everybody, and welcome to this week’s Thursday Michigan Recruiting Roundup.

I hope you all are staying safe and healthy out there. If you are bored — like I have been — I hope these articles and podcasts we are posting on Maize n Brew are getting you through this a little bit more each day. We’ll get through this together, folks.

Without further ado, let’s get into the crootin’ news.

Top in-state LB feels ‘pretty important’ to U-M coaching staff

There are a few in-state prospects Michigan is very high on in the 2021 class, and one of them is four-star linebacker Jamari Buddin. The 6-foot-2, 210-pounder from Belleville is being recruited by Michigan to play viper, which is something he has been very receptive to throughout the recruiting process.

According to The Michigan Insider’s Brice Marich ($), head coach Jim Harbaugh and recruiting director Matt Dudek have been in contact with Buddin during this dead period.

“Lets just say I feel like I’m pretty important to them,” Buddin said. “Means a lot coming from the head man.

Buddin also told Marich he knows he is among Michigan’s top targets in the class, so it sounds like he has definitely been feeling the love as of late.

With all seven crystal balls honed in on the Wolverines, it’s safe to assume they are the heavy favorite here. Penn State is also pushing in this recruitment, but to me it seems like a matter of “when” and not “if” for Michigan to land Buddin.

Harbaugh, Zordich communicating with 2021 three-star CB

A position group that will be interesting to watch moving forward for Michigan in 2021 is cornerback. The Wolverines likely want to take a few in this class, and they are in it with a few guys with good potential. One guy who seems to be creeping up the cornerback board for Michigan is three-star Tyreek Chappell.

Chappell recently told TMI’s Marich ($) Harbaugh and cornerbacks coach Mike Zordich are in contact with him “every other day,” and the message Harbaugh and Zordich have been sending him lately has been how he needs to visit “ASAP because they want me bad.”

The 5-foot-11, 177-pounder from Philadelphia was offered by Michigan on March 6. He holds other offers from Penn State, Baylor, Texas A&M, Tennessee, Ole Miss, Miami (FL) and more.

Chappell is scheduled to take a trip to Ann Arbor in April, but that may not happen anymore due to the COVID-19 outbreak and the recruiting dead period that ensued. A lot will be determined in the coming weeks, so we will have to wait and see how this plays out.

2021 four-star TE ‘scrambling’ to rearrange visit schedule

One of Michigan’s top targets at tight end in 2021 is four-star Louis Hansen. The 6-foot-4.5, 222-pounder from Needham, Massachusetts was supposed to visit a few schools this week, including Michigan, but that is all on hold until the dead period is lifted again.

“I was supposed to visit Michigan this week. Notre Dame and Michigan State also and then a few other schools in early April. All of them are cancelled so I am scrambling to find dates,” Hansen told 247Sports’ Brian Dohn ($).

Luckily for Michigan, Hansen has visited in the past. As he recollects with Dohn, he enjoyed his first trip to Ann Arbor, but there is still more to see and learn.

“I saw them over the summer when nobody was on campus but I loved everything I saw,” he said. “I didn’t get a chance to see the classrooms and the students of the school. Those are going to be the people I spend a lot of time with outside of the people on the football team. I want to make sure there are like-minded kids and things like that.”

Michigan’s competition in this recruitment, at the moment, appears to be Michigan State, Boston College and Notre Dame, despite not having an offer from the Irish yet.

Hansen is the No. 8 tight end and No. 187 overall player in his class, according to 247Sports’ composite rankings.

That’s all for now! Come on back Tuesday for another roundup. Until then, stay safe and keep washing your hands!