Recruiting Roundup: Michigan making push to flip Wisconsin commit

The Michigan Wolverines had a big weekend on the recruiting front as they hosted a number of visitors during the Michigan State game, with a current Wisconsin defensive line commit being one of them.

Michigan working to flip class of 2023 Wisconsin commit

Three-star 2023 defensive lineman Roderick “Trey” Pierce (Oak Lawn, Ill.) is currently committed to the Wisconsin Badgers, but is keeping his options open in light of the departure of former head coach Paul Chryst. The 6-foot-3, 290-pound defensive lineman visited Michigan this past weekend and had a good time, he told The Michigan Insider’s Brice Marich ($).

“I really enjoyed my visit,” Pierce said. “I got to meet some of the staff and see the facility. The coaches I really connected with were coach Herb, coach Elston and coach Poggi.”

Defensive line coach Mike Elston continues to do an excellent job on the recruiting trail, with Pierce adding he is a big fan of Elston as they continue to build their relationship.

“I liked coach Elston a lot,” Pierce said. “I think his main message to me is that I was wanted at Michigan.”

Pierce said the atmosphere of the Big House is what stood out the most to him during his visit and that he is interested in taking a further look at the program. He does plan on taking an official visit but hasn’t set it up yet.

Pierce ranks as the No. 732 overall prospect in the 2023 class, the No. 81 ranked recruit at his position and the No. 12 player in the state of Illinois, according to the 247Sports composite rankings.

Five-star class of 2024 receiver reacts to Michigan visit

Class of 2024 wide receiver five-star Ryan Wingo (St. Louis, MO.) was another highly touted recruit on campus during the MSU game. Wingo told On3’s EJ Holland ($) he loved the atmosphere at the game and enjoyed how much the crowd was involved.

“I loved the atmosphere,” Wingo said. “I probably say that about a lot of schools, but Michigan was crazy. I liked when they showed different things on the video board to get loud or stay quiet. That was cool and funny. It was a big rivalry game, and it was crazy to be a part of. They dominated the run game and the trenches. It was a good game for them overall.”

As far as the game went, it was another big day for Michigan running back Blake Corum as the Wolverines didn’t get much going through the air against an MSU pass defense that has struggled all season. J.J. McCarthy threw for just 167 yards, but Wingo told Holland he doesn’t view Michigan’s offensive style or the receivers’ lack of production as a negative.

“Some people would say I don’t want to go there,” Wingo said. “But I don’t (say that). I think if you go in there and make an impact and you’re good enough, you’ll get passes thrown to you. Even though they only throw it a little bit, you’ll have a chance to make those plays.”

Wide receivers coach Ron Bellamy has been the lead recruiter for Wingo. The two got to spend time together before the game as their relationship continues to strengthen. Wingo also added he has been impressed with Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh and caught a glimpse of how he handled the postgame situation with his players.

“Coach Harbaugh is a great dude,” Wingo said. “We went to the locker room after the game, and he was concerned about his players. He said forget everything and made sure his players were okay. He asked them what happened and wanted to do good by his players. That was pretty cool to see.”

Wingo holds other offers from LSU, Notre Dame, Oregon, Penn State, Tennessee, Texas, among others. The 6-foot-2, 198-pounder is the 10th-ranked prospect in the 2024 class, the No. 3 wideout and the top player in the state of Missouri, according to the composite.

Four-star OL Spencer Fano recaps Michigan official visit

Four-star 2023 offensive lineman Spencer Fano (Provo, UT.) took his official visit to Ann Arbor last weekend to take in Michigan’s 29-7 victory over MSU. 247Sports’ Blair Angulo ($) caught up with Fano to check in with the 6-foot-5, 270-pounder to see how it went.

“Michigan was awesome,” Fano said. “My highlight would probably be talking with my player host, Andrew Gentry, and the experience he’s had at Michigan so far. All of the guys on the team were cool, too. Another thing was my conversation with coach Jim Harbaugh and coach Sherrone Moore; they definitely made it clear to me that I’m a priority for them in this class. They were super busy with everything going on and still made time for me throughout the weekend.”

Fano is set to make one more official visit before making his final decision on Dec. 6. He also commented on the atmosphere of Michigan Stadium for the game and mentioned Michigan as still being clearly in the mix in his recruitment.

“Michigan is still one of my top schools and I absolutely could see myself playing there.”

Fano is the No. 141 ranked prospect in his class, the No. 14 offensive tackle and the No. 2 ranked prospect in the state of Utah, according to the composite rankings.