Tuesday Recruiting Roundup: Mike Elston putting in work with new DL offers

It’s March 1, which means the dead period has ended and prospects are once again allowed to make visits to schools. The Michigan Wolverines have been working to get a bunch of targets on campus soon, including one coach in particular who has been grinding on the recruiting trail since he was hired in January.

Mike Elston building relationship with four-star DL

One of the many offers new defensive line coach Mike Elston has made in his short time on campus has been to 2023 Utah four-star Hunter Clegg. Clegg caught up with The Michigan Insider’s Brice Marich to talk about what it’s been like since Michigan recently offered ($).

“It was super cool and I was super pumped,” Clegg said about getting his offer. “I was in the car with my brother when (I found out) and we were going crazy after. I’m super grateful that they believe in me enough to want me on their team. It’s very exciting and I can’t wait to get to know the program more.”

Clegg also said he values what Michigan can offer both on and off the field.

“I’m very interested,” Clegg said. “They’re a really academic school, which is very important to me and also an awesome football program. They have two first round guys in my position this year, so that shows how well they can develop guys.”

Clegg revealed him and his family “haven’t made any plans yet” about taking a visit to Michigan, and he admitted he has “zero clue” where he wants to take his official visits, so he seems very wide open at this point.

There is one Crystal Ball prediction for Clegg to go to Utah right now.

Michigan offers another West Coast DL

Elston also made an offer in the state right next door to Clegg when he offered 2023 Nevada four-star defensive lineman Kelze Howard last week. Since offering, Howard told TMI’s Marich he already has a visit to Ann Arbor in the works ($).

Howard was invited to attend Michigan’s spring game April 2 and is working to make that happen, saying he’s “Pretty excited to see if I get to go to the spring game in April.”

Howard recently earned a four-star rating from 247Sports after he won defensive line MVP at a camp near his hometown. Since that performance, he’s picked up offers from Michigan, Oregon and Miami, to add to the ones he already held from the likes of Washington, USC, Arizona, Arizona State and others.

Given he just recently started to gain attention, his recruitment is still open, with no Crystal Ball predictions yet.

Michigan maintaining contact with four-star LB

Heading even further out west, after his primary recruiter Shaun Nua left for USC, Michigan made sure to bridge the gap with 2023 Hawaii four-star linebacker Liona Lefau. He spoke with TMI’s Marich about how Michigan is approaching his recruitment ($).

“The main contact for me was Shaun Nua, but now I talk to coach Helow here and there,” Lefau said. “He’s cool. I like how he talks more than football and what the program can do for me.”

Asked about what he thinks of Michigan, Lefau stated, “I like them. I feel like they have something in the buildings there.”

Lefau holds offers from basically every Pac-12 school, BYU, Oklahoma, Texas and Wisconsin, along with several more. He’s yet to have a Crystal Ball prediction submitted for him yet.