Welcome back to the Thursday Michigan Recruiting Roundup! Today, we are going to hone in on a couple in-state prospects, both from the 2022 and 2023 classes. These kids are actually high school teammates and have high interest in the Wolverines. But with former Cass Tech head coach Thomas Wilcher now a part of the Michigan State coaching staff, things could get pretty interesting for the 2023 prospect.
But we start today with the 2022 prospect, a prospect I feel very good about Michigan’s standing with.
2022 four-star DT discusses commitment timeline
Among the major needs for Michigan in 2022 is defensive tackle, and you can’t get a better option in the state of Michigan in this class than four-star Deone Walker.
The massive 6-foot-6, 340-pounder suits up for Cass Tech and has been a major target throughout the course of this recruiting cycle. He has visited on several occasions, including with his very close friend, four-star Michigan defensive line commit Mario Eugenio, for the BBQ at the Big House last month.
Speaking with The Michigan Insider’s Brice Marich ($), Walker recapped his new top five of Michigan, Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky and Missouri. He also gave a not-so-firm timeline of when he wants to make a commitment.
“I plan on taking three game day visits and then two late December visits,” Walker said. “I’m thinking I might go silent and commit in September, but I might make it open in October or November.”
At the end of the day, he may actually not end up using an official visit to Michigan. Walker cites that possible decision as something he spoke with Steve Clinkscale about, with Clink saying it “wouldn’t mean much” since he lives so close. Obviously, if he wishes to take an official to Michigan, they’d let him and be happy about it, but Clink supporting Walker going to officially visit other schools really goes to show the type of guy he is and how he truly wants the best for the prospect.
Michigan leads the crystal ball with all eight predictions in its favor.
U-M standing out early for 2023 four-star DL
A 2023 teammate of Walker’s at Cass Tech, fellow four-star defensive lineman Jalen Thompson also has Michigan high on his list. A top in-state prospect in his class, Thompson holds other offers from Michigan State, Penn State, Georgia, Notre Dame, Tennessee, Ole Miss and more.
But it’s that MSU offer that is the most intriguing of the bunch, considering his former head coach is now a member of the coaching staff in East Lansing. But as Thompson told TMI’s Marich ($), just because his former coach is at MSU does not mean it is a forgone conclusion he will end up being a Spartan.
“Oh no, I’m still going to weigh out my options and see what other colleges have to offer,” Thompson said. “I will say just because my coach is there, it doesn’t mean it’s the best option for me. People might think that, but it’s definitely not the only school I really like.”
As for Michigan, Thompson has been to Ann Arbor a handful of times this summer, including with Walker.
“We visited one day after practice and we felt very welcomed. I mean, as soon as we walked in, they knew us and showed lots of love,” Thompson said. “We were the only people that were there and Deone has a great connection with coach Nua, so it was great. We just walked in there and sat down talking how interested we are in Michigan. It was fun.”
Other schools sticking out to Thompson include Penn State, Notre Dame, Georgia and Missouri. He plans to mainly focus on his football season, but also take some visits this fall.
Thompson is the No. 2 prospect in Michigan, No. 29 defensive lineman and No. 169 overall player on the 247Sports composite. Two early crystal balls are penciled in for MSU.
That’s all for today! Come back Tuesday for another Recruiting Roundup.