Tuesday Recruiting Roundup: Michigan making impression on elite underclassmen

Today’s Recruiting Roundup will focus on some elite underclassmen who have shown strong interest in Michigan so far, including a visitor for the blowout win over Northern Illinois on Saturday.

In-state four-star WR enjoys gameday visit

247Sports recently released their list of top 100 prospects in the 2024 class. The top player in Michigan was River Rouge wide receiver Nicholas Marsh, who came in at No. 86 in the rankings.

Marsh was on the sidelines for the Northern Illinois game and spoke with 247Sports’ Midwest analyst Allen Trieu about his experience ($).

“It was the energy, the sideline, the fans and coaches that stood out,” said Marsh. “It was a different atmosphere there.”

While it’s still early in Marsh’s recruitment, he said that Michigan is already standing out.

“Michigan would definitely be one of my top ten schools,” he said. “The connections with the fans and coaches really brings me closer.”

So far, Marsh also holds offers from Arizona State, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan State, Penn State, Tennessee, West Virginia, and others.

2023 five-star puts Michigan in top group of schools

On Monday, 2023 five-star athlete Samuel M’Pemba released his list of top 12 schools on Twitter, which included Michigan.

At 6-foot-4, 230 pounds, M’Pemba is a unique athlete who projects to either wide receiver or defensive end at the next level. When Michigan offered last summer, M’Pemba said Sherrone Moore was recruiting him as a flex tight end, but that may have changed since then.

The No. 14 player in his class, M’Pemba is originally from St. Louis but transferred to play his last two high school seasons at IMG Academy. He previously visited Ann Arbor with his 7 on 7 team when he was a freshman.

Five-star safety looking to take visit to Ann Arbor

Another five-star in the 2023 class is trying to get up to see a game at the Big House this season after having previously visited campus this year. The Michigan Insider’s Josh Newkirk spoke with five-star Ohio safety Sonny Styles to get his thoughts on Michigan ($).

“I want to go there for the atmosphere,” Styles said. “I feel like Michigan, they’ve been a powerhouse the past few years. I think they fell off a little bit and they’re trying to gain that back.”

Michigan tried to flip Styles’ older brother Lorenzo from Notre Dame last cycle but it didn’t come to fruition. Their dad previously played for Ohio State, so this will be a tough pull.

Still, defensive back coaches Steve Clinkscale and Ron Bellamy are working hard to pull off the improbable here.

“(Clink is) a younger guy as well as coach Bellamy. I feel like they kind of relate to you, chop it up. When I went up there, they were chopping it up with me. Just talking. That’s what I like,” Styles explained.

There is one Crystal Ball prediction in for Notre Dame at this juncture.