Recruiting Roundup: Michigan in great position with pair of top-flight Ohio recruits

Several Michigan targets made the trip to Columbus, Ohio, where the city played host to the latest installment of the Under Armour Next Camp Series.

The Camp provides athletes with the opportunity to receive top-notch instruction and showcase their abilities. Media coverage of this event also produced interesting tidbits regarding where Michigan is situated with some of its top prospects. Let’s hear what they had to say.

Aaron Scott provides another update on his recruitment

It’s been no secret that the Michigan Wolverines and the Ohio State Buckeyes are the biggest competitors for one of Ohio’s best recruit in the 2024 class, Aaron Scott. Just about every week, something new crops up regarding his recruitment, and this time, the focus is on his impression of the Michigan-Ohio State rivalry as a recruit. The elite four-star cornerback from Springfield, Ohio, recently spoke with 247’s Brice Marich about how the greatest rivalry in sports is impacting his recruitment.

Negative recruitment seems to be the name of the game in Scott’s interactions with Buckeye and Wolverine recruiters:

“They definitely talk about each other all the time. They talk about they don’t want me to go there. They are definitely competitive and preach on going to their school.”

Turning the discussion toward what Scott likes about the Wolverines, a familiar set of positives came up. Firstly, defensive backs coach Steve Clinkscale is the biggest x-factor for the Wolverines.

“That’s my dawg,” Scott said of Clinkscale. “I talk to him as much as I talk with Coach Walton (from Ohio State). He checks up on me all the time and we talk everyday.”

Additionally, the product Clinkscale puts on the field each Saturday has certainly caught Scott’s eye, and the elite cornerback prospect is already drawing comparisons to a budding superstar in the Michigan defensive backfield.

“Will Johnson, we talk about him all the time. We talk about his length and my length and just compare us a little bit. We talk about how we’re identical in press man.”

Scott also divulged that some of Michigan’s 2024 class from Ohio have been in his ear about playing for the same team.

“Those are my guys. All the Ohio boys, I talk to them all the time. They all tell me to come to their school, what we could do, and be the best class.”

While it would be a stretch to say that Michigan is the favorite to land Scott at this point, the topics discussed and the overall tone of the 247 interview point to plenty of positive momentum for the Wolverines in his recruitment heading into the pivotal months before his scheduled late-summer commitment.

Another top Ohio prospect taking the recruiting process at his own pace

The 2024 class’ 11th-best edge rusher Brian Robinson is “keeping tabs” on all the momentum Michigan has on the recruiting trail. But that hasn’t added any sense of urgency to join the Maize and Blue.

Although Robinson is considered a heavy Michigan lean — he possesses four crystal balls to the Wolverines — he has decided to slow down the recruiting process to a speed he’s comfortable with. In a conservation with The Michigan Insider , Robinson talked about a possible recruitment timeline.

“Ain’t no pressure (My dad is telling me) ‘don’t let (schools) pressure you,” Robinson said. “We’re going to focus, we’re going to go dark, and we’re going to grind.’”

When asked if his decision could be impacted by a lack of space in a recruiting class — a real possibility with Michigan — Robinson asserted, “It would have an effect, but I’m not too worried about the pressure because I know my value.”

Michigan is set to host Robinson on an official visit at the beginning of June, followed by trips to Kentucky and Penn State. Despite the protraction of his recruitment, Michigan fans shouldn’t worry too much about losing out on Robinson. Patience and stellar hospitality will be required for Robinson, but Michigan is still in great shape.

Michigan picks up crystal ball for blue-chip defensive line prospect

Six-foot-five Maryland defensive line recruit Dominic Nichols is now projected to the Wolverines by The Michigan Insider’s Steve Lorenz. Listed as the 31st-best edge prospect in the nation, Nichols possesses an abundance of length and size. With some additional coaching and developed agility, the Oakdale High standout could be one of the more underrated recruits of the 2024 cycle.

With Robinson, Dylan Stewart, Elijah Rushing, and others on Michigan’s recruiting board at the edge position, it will be interesting to see how commitments from any of these fine prospects could impact the decisions of others.