Thursday Recruiting Roundup: Top RB target ‘nowhere close’ to making decision

Hey everyone, and welcome to another Michigan Recruiting Roundup!

To my shock, we have a couple 2021 updates to get to, as well as a quick update on a 2022 target. Let’s get right to it!

Top RB target updates recruitment

Every Michigan fan has been patiently waiting for 2021 four-star running back Donovan Edwards to make his commitment and be the lone guy at his position in Michigan’s class. That wait continues, as Edwards told The Detroit Free Press he is “nowhere close” to making a final decision.

“I’ve got schools of interest,” he said, “but I really haven’t narrowed anything down.”

While he didn’t give a clear favorite, he did admit Michigan was one of the schools he has interest in. Another school, to my surprise, is Michigan State.

“I really had to see what Michigan State was going to do this year,” Edwards said. “Mel Tucker and coach P, they were at Colorado. It’s another big step. You had coach Dantonio, a real great head coach, who had coach Salem.

“I just really had to see what they were going to do to see if they were going to be in my top schools or not.”

Now that Edwards won’t be able to see what MSU was going to do, which probably wasn’t going to be much anyways, he can pretty much cross them off his list. Other schools of interest for Edwards include Georgia, Oklahoma and Alabama.

Four-star OL reaches back out to U-M

Noah Josey, a four-star guard in the 2021 class, at one point was one of the Wolverines’ top guys at the position. But talks subsided for a long time, up until recently, according to The Michigan Insider’s Sam Webb ($).

“Josey recently picked things back up with Michigan offensive line coach Ed Warinner and is expressing renewed interest in the Maize and Blue,” Webb wrote. “Contact between the two sides never dissolved completely, but it definitely died down after peaking a year ago. He visited Ann Arbor for the Barbecue at the Big House in the summer of 2019, then returned a few months later for Michigan’s match up with Iowa.”

Webb also adds Georgia was, at one point, at the forefront of Josey’s recruitment. But after Sam Pittman left Athens for the head coaching gig at Arkansas, things have fallen off there as well. Programs like Stanford, Purdue and Kentucky have been in “frequent” contact, and Alabama is also a factor here. Finally, Webb says Josey is looking to take official visits eventually, which means he isn’t planning on making a commitment anytime soon.

There is quite a bit to digest, but here is my main takeaway — if Drew Kendall commits to Michigan in the near future, talks with Josey will be finished for good. But if Kendall continues to play out his recruitment, I could see the Wolverines begin to reach out more to Josey, especially since Kendall has been talking about possibly making a commitment for the last couple months.

Either way, things appear to still be good for Warinner and the Wolverines along the offensive line, even after Rocco Spindler committed to Notre Dame last weekend.

2022 four-star DB maintains U-M contact

According to TMI’s Steve Lorenz ($), Michigan safeties coach Bob Shoop continues to put in work on 2022 four-star defensive back Isaac Thompson.

Lorenz reports that a source told him the four schools standing out the most so far are Michigan, Texas, Florida and Missouri. Lorenz opines that Texas may be No. 1 as of today, since he has taken a couple virtual visits. He has also reportedly taken a virtual visit to Florida. He has not virtually visited U-M yet.

The 6-foot-1, 190-pounder from St. Louis, Missouri is one of many targets for the Wolverines in the defensive backfield in 2022. Shoop is the primary recruiter here, so Thompson is likely being targeted at either safety or a hybrid of safety and corner.

Earlier this summer, Thompson put out a top 10 list and included Michigan on it, so it looks like Shoop’s work is paying off so far. Thompson appears to be in no rush, however, so we will have to wait and see how this recruitment continues to unfold.

Thompson is the No. 150 overall player on the 247Sports composite in the 2022 class.

That is all for now! Come back Tuesday for another edition of the Recruiting Roundup.