Most of Michigan’s 2021 targets drop in latest rankings update

For the 2021 cycle, 247Sports, one of the three major recruiting services, is putting out new rankings the third Wednesday of every month. The website said they will be doing it for this cycle as a means to look at more junior tape and do further evaluations, especially since there may not be high school football seasons for them to gather senior tape.

For this month’s rankings, the website focused on the offensive side of the ball, and most of Michigan’s targets took a tumble. Let’s take a closer look.

Four-star OL Rocco Spindler - No. 50 on composite (down 6 spots)

Michigan’s top offensive line target in the 2021 class, Spindler took a small fall in the rankings. 247Sports itself actually has Spindler at No. 80 overall now, dropping 14 spots, but the composite score, which is what I look at the most, still makes him a top 50 player. If all goes well for Spindler, he should end the cycle as a top 50 player.

Four-star OL Drew Kendall - No. 128 on composite (down 22 spots)

This is one I saw coming. 247Sports actually dropped him from No. 81 to No. 155 overall, so this is a pretty big drop for the 6-foot-4, 255-pounder from Massachusetts. If Kendall is able to get a senior season in, he can raise his stock back to where he once was. I think by the time the cycle is complete, he’ll still be a top 200 player at the worst.

Four-star WR Xavier Worthy - No. 175 on composite (up 34 spots)

This also isn’t surprising, as Worthy is one of the most electric players in the 2021 class. When Michigan offered Worthy, he was a relatively unknown guy. The Wolverines clearly saw his talent before the recruiting services did, and they did a good job to work their way into his recruitment. We’ll see if Michigan can finish the job, but Oregon is trending on the crystal ball as of now.

Four-star WR Cristian Dixon - No. 210 on composite (down 42 spots)

This one was a bit surprising, as 247Sports dropped him from a 90 rating all the way down to an 87 rating, which is getting close to three-star territory. Dixon had a slew of crystal balls roll in for the Wolverines over the last month, so it appears they lead for Dixon’s services. I can’t imagine Dixon falling any further, but then again I didn’t see him falling this time around either, so we’ll see what happens here.

Four-star WR Jayden Thomas - No. 219 on composite (down 35 spots)

247Sports was also pretty harsh on Thomas, dropping him from a 90 rating down to an 87, much like with Dixon. Again, not sure what the reasoning for dropping Thomas was, but it’s one I don’t agree with. Thomas is a hell of a football player, and his potential is high.

Three-star RB Tavierre Dunlap - No. 224 on 247Sports (up 84 spots)

At this point, I think Michigan would be content reeling in just one running back — Donovan Edwards — and calling it a day for the 2021 class. However, if something happens with Edwards, Dunlap is probably the next guy up. 247Sports has him at a 91 rating right now, which is firmly in four-star territory. The composite still has him as a three-star at No. 372 overall, so he is on the fringe of being a composite four-star.

Three-star TE Bryson Nesbit - No. 322 on composite

It doesn’t show where exactly he was before, but 247Sports raised him up from an 86 to a 90 overall on their own rankings. Nesbit is a backup option for Michigan at this point in case four-star Thomas Fidone commits somewhere else.

At the end of the day, rankings in the middle of June aren’t the biggest deal, especially for this cycle. There are still six months to go until the early signing period, and the rankings will continue to fluctuate all the way until then.