Analysts EJ Holland and Zach Libby recap Michigan’s first slate of official visitors this past weekend, including Top 100 Bellville (Tex.) High defensive lineman DJ Sanders, and look ahead to the targets scheduled to be on campus in a few days on The Wolverine Live Tuesday Recruiting Show.
Sanders Recruitment
Michigan was the first school in the mix for Sanders to get him to campus for an official visit before the summer dead period. He spent a few days with the coaching staff and received a detailed look at the Ann Arbor community alongside four other marquee targets – Top 100 safety Kainoa Winston, Top 100 offensive lineman Douglas Utu, Top 100 wide receiver Derek Meadows, and On300 EDGE Marco Jones.
Here’s what Holland had to say about Jones.
“He actually measured in at 6-foot-4, 325 pounds, with a 6’11’ wingspan,” Holland said. “A similar build to Kenenth Grant. He could be that missing piece that Michigan needs. Now, there aren’t a lot of true nose (tackle) recruits on the board right now. So, DJ is definitely one of those guys who could fill that spot.”
Holland also went in-depth on where Michigan stands.
“I thought Michigan did as good as it could have,” Holland said. “I didn’t have super high expectations for the Wolverines going into the OV, considering that he’s a small-town Texas kid. He’s in the middle of a very, very Texas A&M-influenced area in-between Houston and Austin. That side of the state really leans heavily towards the Aggies. A&M already has the highest percentage on the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine. Texas is set to get him in last.
“It didn’t seem like there was much leeway for Michigan. But I thought they did a great job here. I think they’ve put themselves in a position to at least contend here. Something of note is that he does have family in (Metro) Detroit. That’s how this connection first started…I still think Michigan is going to have a tough time winning this recruitment.”
Along with Michigan, Sanders has official visits scheduled to Texas A&M (June 14-16) and Texas (June 21-23). He also holds notable offers from LSU, USC, Notre Dame, Alabama, Oregon, Auburn, Oklahoma, Miami, Florida, and Texas Tech, among others.
Sanders is listed as the No. 86 overall prospect and the No. 6 defensive lineman in the country, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all utilizes all four primary recruiting media services. He’s also the No. 14 player in Texas.
Five verbal commits make up Michigan’s 2025 recruiting class –Top 100 Oak Park (Ill.) Fenwick EDGE Nate Marshall, On300 Ft. Myers (Fla.) Bishop Verot quarterback Carter Smith, four-star Birmingham (Mich.) Groves offensive lineman Avery Gach, four-star Howell (Mich.) High defensive lineman Bobby Kanka, and three-star Alcoa (Tenn.) High tight end Eli Owens.
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