Thursday Recruiting Roundup: Top RB target locks in official visit for Victors Weekend

As the days go on, more and more recruits in the 2022 class are penciling in official visits to college campuses this summer. As most of these roundups have gone recently, today’s Michigan Recruiting Roundup will focus on prospects visiting Ann Arbor this summer, but we also have a story on a guy who was recently offered by Maurice Linguist and Courtney Morgan. Let’s get right to it.

Top 100 RB locks in OV

George Pettaway, a top 100 overall prospect and the No. 6 ranked running back on 247Sports’ composite, has locked in his official visit to Michigan for June 18, also known as “Victors Weekend,” according to a report from 247Sports’ Brian Dohn ($). He has also scheduled an official visit to Penn State for the weekend of June 25.

Here is what Pettaway told Dohn about what he thinks of Michigan:

“They are a huge football school and coach Hart, he’s a new hire and he’s really been trying to build a relationship with me,” Pettaway said. “I can’t wait to see them and meet coach Harbaugh and everyone there.

“They have a great education. I know their facilities are great. I just want to see everything.”

Along with Michigan and Penn State, Pettaway also plans to officially visit Florida at some point. It also sounds like he may make some unofficial visits to some colleges closer to his hometown in Suffolk, Virginia.

Pettaway is without a doubt one of the top targets for the Wolverines at running back in the 2022 class. They have been working on him pretty hard since Hart was hired, and getting this official visit secured is a big step in this recruitment.

Texas LB sets OV

As first reported by The Michigan Insider’s Brice Marich and later confirmed by Maize n Brew, 2022 three-star linebacker Jeremy Patton is planning to officially visit Michigan the weekend of June 11.

Patton also has an official visit scheduled for Baylor the weekend of June 18. The crystal ball is split 50/50 as of now for Baylor and Oklahoma State. Along with those offers, his recruitment has really taken off over the last month and a half with offers from schools like LSU, Texas, Oklahoma, Tennessee and more.

As a junior in 2020, Patton racked up 120 tackles, six forced fumbles and two interceptions. He also plays running back and wide receiver for his high school, but he is focused on playing defensively at the next level.

The 6-foot-1, 210-pounder from Tenaha, Texas was offered by linebackers coach George Helow on Feb. 11. Not much has really been said about this recruitment lately, but getting an official visit planned out is a good sign for the Wolverines’ current standing and eventual chances of landing him.

Courtney Morgan already impacting recruiting

The Wolverines have been active in offering players out west this past week, in large part due to the hire of Courtney Morgan. A few offers have went out to kids out west, and one of the latest is 2022 cornerback Jahlil Florence.

Florence plays high school ball at Lincoln in San Diego. He does not yet have a composite score, but that may not last too long since his recruitment is just taking off, as he was also offered by Oregon on Monday.

He spoke with 247Sports’ Greg Biggins ($) after getting the U-M offer from Morgan and Maurice Linguist.

“I had no idea an offer from Michigan was coming, I’m mind blown right now,” Florence said. “This is a super big offer, Michigan is a school I didn’t think I would ever hear from and I’m still trying to take it all in. Things all started when Courtney Morgan got to Michigan.”

Morgan offered Florence when he was working at Fresno State, so there is some familiarity here. Now with the offer in hand, Florence said he is “definitely going to get out there for an official visit.”

Meanwhile, Biggins notes Florence “has a solid frame and shows the positional versatility to move to safety if he continues to fill out, but has the skill set to play corner as well. He showed lockdown cover skills for one of the state’s top defenses this spring, so it’s no surprise to see his recruitment take off the way it has.”

At a 7-on-7 event back in February, Florence measured in at 6-foot-1 and 181 pounds. He also ran a 4.50 40-yard dash time. The potential is certainly there for Florence to be a big riser in the rankings, when he eventually gets a composite score. 247Sports has him as a three-star and an 86 overall grade right now, which is a mid-three-star guy, so I would anticipate him being around that on the composite whenever that ranking comes out.

Regardless, this is just one of the many recruitments to stem from Morgan’s hire. I expect more and more of this to occur throughout the 2022 cycle, but I really expect a ton of West Coast offers to go out in the 2023 cycle. Keep a close eye on that in the months to come.

That’s all for this week! Come back on Tuesday for another roundup.