Five-star RB visiting elsewhere could help U-M’s chances with top target

If you take a look at Michigan football’s 2021 class, which is the No. 10 ranked class in the country with 21 commits, you’d see the class is full at almost every position. One position it is actually empty at is running back.

The Wolverines do not have a running back committed in the class, but there is good reason for that. Jim Harbaugh, Jay Harbaugh, Josh Gattis and pretty much every coach on staff have been recruiting four-star running back Donovan Edwards for the entirety of the cycle, and even long before that.

The 5-foot-11, 190-pounder from West Bloomfield has been holding out hope he can make visits this fall, but the NCAA recently extended its in-person recruiting dead period through Sept. 30. It is looking like a pipe dream Edwards will be able to make visits, which may help Michigan at the end of the day.

Another thing that may help in the long run is the fact that 2021 five-star running back Camar Wheaton is visiting Oklahoma today, according to 247Sports’ Steve Wiltfong ($).

He is not the only one visiting, according to Wiltfong. Oklahoma’s gem of the 2021 class, five-star quarterback Caleb Williams, rounded up some of Oklahoma’s top remaining targets and was able to get them on campus.

The reason this may help Michigan’s chances with Edwards is because he has serious interest in Oklahoma, and has grown close with head coach Lincoln Riley and running backs coach DeMarco Murray. It is one of the places he has wanted to visit, but he hasn’t had the opportunity due to the pandemic.

Wheaton is trending toward Oklahoma with three crystal ball predictions, and two of those picks have come in the last couple weeks. If he decides to commit soon, that could drastically change Edwards’ recruitment and leave Michigan with one less competitor.

I have long believed Edwards would wind up in Michigan’s class, and this news only increases my confidence in that. Out of all the schools Edwards has had interest in, Michigan has been the lone constant. At the end of the day, whenever he decides to make his commitment, I believe it will be to the Maize and Blue.

Edwards the the No. 3 running back, No. 2 player in Michigan and No. 34 overall player in the 2021 class, per 247Sports’ composite.