What’s next for Michigan recruiting after four-star LB Aaron Chiles commits to Florida

In a surprising twist Saturday night, 2024 four-star linebacker Aaron Chiles committed to the Florida Gators during his official visit.

The Maryland native had been long considered a top target and heavy lean for the Michigan Wolverines. He was supposed to officially visit Ann Arbor next weekend, but that doesn’t seem likely now with this commitment being made public.

So what’s next for linebackers coach Chris Partridge and the Wolverines? All attention is turned to another top target, in-state four-star Jeremiah Beasley.

The Belleville High School star is at Michigan this weekend for his official visit and is making his commitment on June 29. He was offered by the Wolverines in June 2021, long before Partridge came back to Ann Arbor, but when Partridge came back, he reportedly reached out to Beasley right away and began recruiting the hell out of him. This helped Michigan get into great position with him, as the Michigan State Spartans were viewed as the leaders at the time.

Beasley has already taken his official visit to MSU. Up next on his docket is to take one final official visit, this one to Missouri. The Tigers have been steadily climbing in this one, but it appears the Wolverines or Spartans will be his school of choice, barring any major changes in the recruitment.

At 6-foot-1 and 210 pounds, he’s exactly what Michigan needs out of a top linebacker in this recruiting cycle. He has a quick burst, sideline-to-sideline speed and the physicality to fill gaps with ease. There’s a reason Partidge has Beasley atop his board in this cycle.

Losing out on Chiles hurts — losing out on any top-100 player hurts, especially one that you’ve been looked at as the leader for months — but the Wolverines should be just fine. They already have commitments from three-star Cole Sullivan and three-star Jaden Smith, both guys they view as under-the-radar players with high ceilings. The potential addition of a sure-fire stud like Beasley would give them a solid foundation for the future of the linebacker position in Ann Arbor.