Recruiting Roundup: Major four-star CB target recaps visit for Illinois game

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone, and welcome to today’s Michigan Recruiting Roundup!

On today’s roundup, we will recap a couple more recruits who visited for the Illinois game last weekend, as well as an interesting update on a few international targets. We begin with one of the most important recruits left on the board in 2023.

Top CB target recaps visit for Illinois game

Jyaire Hill has been to Ann Arbor several times throughout his recruiting process. The 6-foot-1, 170-pound four-star cornerback prospect has also been to Illinois a handful of times, which makes sense given the proximity of the school to his hometown of Kankakee, Illinois and the legitimate interest he has in the program.

So to no one’s surprise, he was in Ann Arbor this past weekend for the Michigan/Illinois game. He recapped his trip to 247Sports’ Steve Wiltfong ($).

“Michigan is Mars to sum it up,” Hill laughed. “Fan base is the alien population.

“Staff is over the top. They’re not shy at all. They know that they’re a big-time university but they put you first.”

Hill’s unofficial top two are Michigan and Illinois, and it appears that’s what it is going to come down to whenever he makes his decision. He told Wiltfong Michigan is in his “top-three,” but he didn’t specify which other two schools were up there.

At this point, Michigan has done all it can with Hill. It’s up to him now what he wants to do. We will find out soon enough, as the early signing period opens up less than a month from now on Dec. 21.

Three-star DT, former Wisconsin commit, details trip to Ann Arbor

Another major visitor last weekend was 2023 three-star defensive tackle Jamel Howard. The massive 6-foot-3, 320-pounder decommitted from the Wisconsin Badgers before his trip to Ann Arbor, and now it looks like the Wolverines are out in front.

Howard caught up with The Michigan Insider’s Brice Marich ($) to detail his visit.

“It was great,” Howard said. “I had lots of fun. (The main highlights were) getting to see one of my buddies from high school, Jimmy (Rolder), and watching him live out his dream.”

Howard mentioned his former high school teammate Rolder. That is something Michigan has going for it, as well as the defensive scheme, which is something Mike Elston has been using as a recruiting pitch ever since offering him back on Oct. 26.

“(He’s been telling me) that I would be a key part of their defense and that they want to go get those great Illinois guys,” Howard said.

This was an unofficial visit, so there is still an opportunity for Howard to make an official visit before the early signing period. That is the plan as of now, at least, so expect him to take an official visit sometime before Dec. 21.

A couple Crystal Balls have been submitted for Michigan since the weekend visit. At this point, I’d be stunned if he didn’t commit and sign his letter of intent with the Wolverines.

3 overseas prospects visiting Ann Arbor this week

According to On3’s EJ Holland, the Michigan Wolverines had a few prospects from Germany visit Ann Arbor this week. Those prospects are 2023 quarterback Lukas Kottstorfer, 2023 defensive lineman Farradj Titikpina and 2024 linebacker Justin Okoronkwo, the latter of whom earned an offer from Michigan over the summer.

These visits were set up by Brandon Collier, the founder of PPI Recruits, an organization that helps international prospects get noticed by college coaches. This program helped the Wolverines land 2023 three-star French edge Aymeric Koumba and 2024 German defensive lineman Manuel Beigel, as well as Julius Welschof back in the 2018 cycle.

Holland noted Okoronkwo ran a 4.49 40-yard dash time and measured in at 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds. For a linebacker, that checks just about every box you could have. He will be among Michigan’s priorities a major position of need in the 2024 class.

As for the other two prospects, Titikpina is 6-foot-4, 305 pounds and ran a 4.85 40-yard dash. He currently holds offers from Ole Miss and Temple. Kottstorfer, meanwhile, has no offers but could earn some as the cycle winds down.

Obviously, the big fish here is Okoronkwo, who the Wolverines will be courting quite heavily in the junior class. It’s great he will be able to see Michigan up close once again.