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Michigan had a good weekend on the trail, picking up two commitments on the defensive side of the ball. In today’s roundup we’ve got updates on a few more guys the staff is looking to add to the class, as well as an update on a local 2022 stud. So without further ado, let’s get to the good stuff.
New DT target added to the board
Defensive tackle is a key position of need in the 2021 class, and Michigan has expanded its net a bit recently. Last Friday, defensive line coach Shaun Nua extended an offer to Washington three-star Jacob Schuster. Schuster spoke with TMI’s Marich about what the offer means to him ($).
“I’ve been talking to coach Nua for a couple of weeks, and the other night he decided to pull the trigger,” Schuster said. “When he offered me, it was really exciting because I never would’ve thought I’d be given the chance to play at a big time school like Michigan.”
After receiving the offer, Schuster quickly put Michigan near the top of his list.
“I’m very interested in Michigan. What I like most about them is that they’re a competitive team and their rivalry with Ohio State. Michigan is definitely one of the top schools now I’m looking at right now.”
The 300-pound Schuster also holds offers from Washington, Washington State, Cal and a bunch of Mountain West schools.
Michigan offers West Coast three-star OT
The coaches have taken a similar approach in 2021 with offensive tackle as they have defensive tackle. On the same day Nua offered Schuster, Ed Warinner extended a scholarship to three-star tackle Thomas Cole out of San Luis Obispo, California. 247Sports West Coast expert Greg Biggins spoke with Cole about the offer, which came out of the blue ($).
“I didn’t have a lot of contact with Michigan before the offer. Coach Warinner is who offered me and this was was the first time we talked,” Cole said. “He said he had been doing his research on me though and like I said, I’m really excited because Michigan is a great school, great football program and this one means a lot.”
Michigan joined Arizona, Arizona State, Baylor, Cal, Colorado, Michigan State, UCLA, Utah, Washington State and several others in offering Cole. He wants to commit by the end of the summer, but only if he can get some visits in first.
“I was planning to visit several schools over the spring. Utah, Colorado, Arizona, Oregon State, Michigan State, Stanford, UCLA and Washington were just a few I wanted to see and you can definitely add Michigan to the list now. I don’t want to rush anything, I’m seeing a lot of guys committing right now, it’s crazy. I’m just looking for the right fit and still doing my research. Once I commit, that will be it so I’m being very thorough right now.”
At 6-foot-7, 255 pounds, Cole is understandably drawing comparisons to 2020 signee and fellow California native Jeffrey Persi. He can be considered a true left tackle candidate.
Bob Shoop continues efforts on the trail with three-star DB
First-year safeties coach Bob Shoop notched his first win on the trail Sunday when Rod Moore joined the fold. That hasn’t reduced his vigor on the trail though, as he keeps pushing to build his class with defensive back Ryan Barnes. The 2021 three-star from Maryland caught up with The Michigan Insider’s Brice Marich to discuss Michigan’s pursuits ($).
“I have contact with coach Shoop, coach Brown and coach Harbaugh are the ones I have the most contact with. I hear from at least one coach every day,” said Barnes. “We have talked about how Michigan is a great fit for me and that I could make a difference on the team early on in my career. The coaches are great people and they make me feel like a priority.”
In regards to Shoop specifically, Barnes said, “he is a great guy and coach who can develop me for the NFL, which is my goal.”
Barnes wants to make a decision before his senior season starts, and is slated to take an official visit to Michigan on June 13 if possible.
The Wolverines sit in a good position here but will have some competition. Despite his three-star ranking, Barnes is being pursued by some of the top schools in the country, including Clemson, Oklahoma, Penn State, Tennessee and Virginia Tech.
Harbaugh leads charge for 2022 four-star athlete
Michigan is going hard after West Bloomfield running back Donovan Edwards, but there is another back at the school that is also coveted by the staff. 2022 four-star Dillon Tatum is the next man up and the coaches aren’t wasting time pushing for him, according to TMI’s Sam Webb ($).
Jim Harbaugh and Josh Gattis both called Tatum recently, which went really well.
“We were just catching up with each other. I put (Harbaugh) on the phone with my parents and he asked them when did they realize that I was so good at what I do,” Tatum said. “We talked a little about football, about what position (he prefers in college), and what all I can do. It was cool catching up.”
Other than Harbaugh, Tatum is also connecting well with Gattis and running backs coach Jay Harbaugh.
“He’s a real cool dude,” Tatum said about Gattis. “Him and coach Jay are real cool dudes. I think they have a real cool offensive staff.”
While Tatum isn’t close to making a decision yet, he does have a few schools in mind that he wants to visit first when he’s able.
“Michigan, Michigan State, a lot of Arizona State, and I just got caught up with Texas A&M and Georgia Tech,” Tatum said. “It’s also a lot of Florida, too.”
That concludes this week’s Tuesday Michigan Recruiting Roundup! Make sure you stop by again soon to get the latest in Michigan recruiting news and updates.