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Michigan football: incoming defensive lineman could be a star

Michigan football has signed the majority of their 2023 recruiting class. Here, we breakdown one player in particular who could make an immediate impact.

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9 months ago

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Sep 3, 2022; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Michigan Wolverines linebacker Mike Morris (90) rushes on defense in the first half against the Colorado State Rams at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Michigan football has had an incredibly successful start to its early signing period for the class of 2023. The Wolverines signed 22 incoming freshmen to their team on the day and gained a 23rd commitment.

Michigan football has solid Early Signing Day

They’ve officially signed eight 4-star recruits, with three being top-250 recruits, according to 247sports. Each of these players has the makings to be an immediate star for Michigan football, but none better than top-150 recruit Enow Etta.

Etta, per 247sports, is ranked as the No. 116 player in the country, the No. 14 defensive lineman, and the No. 20 player out of Texas. Coming out of a state like Texas, you know he faced top high school competition throughout his career at Covenant Christian Academy.

Etta is a 6-foot-5, 260-pound defensive lineman who could enter the defensive line rotation from day one of entering campus. He committed to play for the Wolverines in June and never waivered from his commitment.

High School Dominance

When watching Etta’s game tape, it’s hard not to be impressed by his strength and speed. In his senior year alone, he recorded 122 total tackles, 32 tackles for a loss, and 18 sacks. All season long, he showed pure dominance.

Consistently, he would either power through or run past offensive linemen, and double teams didn’t matter as he was fast enough to get through both and still get to the quarterback. He was almost dominant to a fault in this manner, as the one weakness you can see in him is that he doesn’t necessarily have a go-to finesse or power move. He was too strong for anyone at the high school level to compete with him.

He very well may have those moves in his toolkit, but when rushing the passer or stopping the run, he was more than capable of allowing his athletic ability to carry the weight.

Even when the running back could break free or the quarterback could get the pass off, one of the most impressive things about his game was his straight-line speed. Not often do you see defensive linemen running down the sideline to chase a running back, but this was almost commonplace when watching Etta’s tape.

Not only was he willing to chase after the offensive players, but he, more often than not, was able to gain ground, often leading to a tackle down the field. That alone is enough to get Michigan football fans excited about what he could bring to the Wolverines.

Translation to Michigan Football

While Etta has all the athletic talent in the world, he is still a bit raw, and this could lead to some early struggles with the college game. However, don’t let this worry you, as I don’t expect the transition to take long.

The beauty of entering college with elite athleticism is that transitioning to the college game is much easier. You don’t need to spend nearly as much time building strength and speed to compete physically; instead, you can work on technique.

This advantage is huge for Etta as he will likely be able to get on the field early and often, as he shouldn’t find himself getting overpowered often at all. He might even be the one over-powering opposition early in his career.

I wouldn’t expect all-star numbers out of Etta going into year one as a part of the Michigan football program, but we should hear his name called early on. I expect an impact similar to what we’ve seen with freshman defensive end Derrick Moore this season. He’ll get into the rotation and likely make a big play or two for the year.

Still, as is the case with most freshmen coming into a big-time program like Michigan, it might take a year or two for him to make his mark on the team.

Overall, Michigan football fans have every reason to be excited about the addition of Etta to Michigan. He’s got the potential to be an absolute star for the Wolverines for years to come. Don’t be surprised if we see him on the field early and often as Michigan football looks to compete for their third straight Big Ten title next season.

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Major Michigan football target set to visit Penn State white out

This major Michigan football recruiting target, Bryce Underwood, is about to make the trip for a Penn State white out game.

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23 hours ago

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September 20, 2023

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Michigan football, recruiting, Bryce Underwood, Penn State white out
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This weekend is one of the biggest on this year’s college football calendar and is arguably the biggest of the season thus far. While the Wolverines kick off their Big Ten slate, top-priority Michigan football recruiting target Bryce Underwood — a five-star QB — will be in Happy Valley for the Penn State white out game. Underwood, who is the No. 1 recruit in the nation, is thought to be favoring the Maize and Blue right now; however, there are a number of schools still making a strong push.

Top Michigan football recruiting target Bryce Underwood to visit Penn State white out

The Penn State Nittany Lions are not currently considered a major threat to Michigan football recruiting when it comes to top-ranked target Bryce Underwood. That said, this weekend’s Penn State white out game against a ranked Iowa squad, which is led by former Michigan quarterback and Big Ten Champion Cade McNamara, could change things if James Franklin plays his cards right.

With Underwood’s commitment date (Jan. 6th, 2024) approaching quickly, a number of teams are starting to make a strong push for the elite five-star QB. Underwood is the No. 1 recruit in the nation, per On3 and 247 Sports composite, and is currently leaning towards the Wolverines, per the Recruiting Prediction Machine.

Still, teams like LSU, Colorado, Ohio State, and clearly, Penn State, are still in the mix, so seeing where this weekend’s white out visit leads could be a good storyline to track for fans of the Maize and Blue.

Thank you for reading Blue by Ninety. For more Michigan Athletics and Big Ten content from Blue by Ninety, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. You can also subscribe to our YouTube Channel. For feedback, questions, concerns, or to apply for a writing position, please email our Publisher at Cj@BluebyNinety.com. Also, be sure to check out our shop and our podcast, which is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all other streaming platforms. It is because of your support that we have become one of the fastest-growing and most influential Michigan media outlets there is!

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Three-star Michigan football commit continues to impress

This three-star Michigan football commit has been nothing short of impressive so far this fall.

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2 days ago

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September 19, 2023

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Michigan football, Micah Kaapana, 2024 recruiting class
© Kirthmon F. Dozier via Imagn Content Services, LLC

The Wolverines, known for their rushing attack under Jim Harbaugh, have a few incredible running back recruits currently locked down in the 2024 recruiting class. That said, as four-star Jordan Marshall (the top player in the class) continues to impress, three-star Michigan football commit Micah Kaapana is being overlooked a bit. Still, the Las Vegas-based future Wolverine continues to impress each week.

Three-star Michigan football commit continues to impress

So far this year, Micah Kaapana has played in all five of his school’s games and is averaging over 12 yards per carry this fall. Kaapana is one of the more recent Michigan football commits, as he officially pledged to the Wolverines earlier this year.

While he is not the highest-ranked recruit in Jim Harbaugh’s 2024 recruiting class — he is a three-star Michigan football commit — he has been quite impressive so far.

Micah Kaapana is averaging over 12 yards per carry, nearly 12 yards per reception

Last weekend, Micah Kaapana carried the ball five times for 61 yards (12.2 yards per carry) during his school’s fifth-straight victory of the season. His solid rushing performance moves him to 436 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns so far this year. The fact that he has only received 36 carries and is posting stats like these (averaging 12.1 yards per carry) is quite impressive.

The three-star Michigan football commit has been a solid pass-catching back as well, hauling in 11 receptions thus far for over 130 yards (11.8 yards per reception). This is a skillset that Sherrone Moore is trying to optimize with Donovan Edwards right now, so Kaapana should fit right in when he gets to Ann Arbor next fall.

The future of the program is in good hands with the 2024 recruiting cycle

While Micah Kaapana is not getting the publicity that other top Michigan football commits are, he is a great find for the coaching staff and could be a difference-maker for the Wolverines in years to come.

Thank you for reading Blue by Ninety. For more Michigan Athletics and Big Ten content from Blue by Ninety, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. You can also subscribe to our YouTube Channel. For feedback, questions, concerns, or to apply for a writing position, please email our Publisher at Cj@BluebyNinety.com. Also, be sure to check out our shop and our podcast, which is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all other streaming platforms. It is because of your support that we have become one of the fastest-growing and most influential Michigan media outlets there is!

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Top Michigan football recruiting target meets with Deion Sanders

Deion Sanders and Colorado football are making a strong late push for the No. 1 Michigan football recruit target in the country.

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2 days ago

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September 19, 2023

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Michigan football, Bryce Underwood, Deion Sanders, Colorado football, five-star quarterback
© Cris Tiller / USA TODAY NETWORK

Over the weekend, Colorado football improved to 3-0 on the year, downing Colorado State in thrilling fashion during the famous ‘PAC-12 after dark’ hours of the night. The Buffalo, who went 1-11 last year, yet are undefeated under Deion Sanders, will now be facing the Oregon Ducks this weekend for their second ranked game of the year — they beat TCU by a field goal during Week 1. All of Sanders’ early success with the Buffalo has the nation buzzing and has caught the eye of the No. 1 Michigan football recruiting target — five-star quarterback Bryce Underwood — who met with Sanders following the win.

Deion Sanders making a push for the top Michigan football recruiting target

Five-star quarterback Bryce Underwood is perhaps the hottest name in Michigan football recruiting talks right now. The elite prospect is ranked as the No. 1 recruit in the nation, and plays high school ball about 20 minutes from the University of Michigan’s flagship campus in Ann Arbor, meaning he is right in Jim Harbaugh’s backyard.

Can Colorado sway the five-star quarterback?

While the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine still favors the Wolverines here, there are a number of teams that are still major contenders — for quite some time, the biggest threat appeared to be the LSU Tigers; however, a new team has now entered the race. Deion Sanders and Colorado football have been playing some entertaining football, which is heavily focused on QB performance and getting elite players in open space, which is something that just about every quarterback and wide receiver will love.

Over the weekend, following Colorado’s win over Colorado State in overtime, Bryce Underwood met with the legendary Buffalo head coach. Sanders and Colorado jumping into Underwood’s recruitment with this much momentum out of nowhere is a bit concerning for Michigan football, to be frank.

Bryce Underwood rankings and more

Per the On3 rankings, Bryce Underwood is a five-star quarterback in the 2025 recruiting class and ranks as the No. 1 player in the entire country. For the time being, he still has a 40.7% chance of choosing the Maize and Blue — the best odds of any school — however, it’s worth keeping an eye on Deion Sanders and Colorado football as the make a strong late push.

Underwood will announce his commitment on January 6th of next year.

Thank you for reading Blue by Ninety. For more Michigan Athletics and Big Ten content from Blue by Ninety, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. You can also subscribe to our YouTube Channel. For feedback, questions, concerns, or to apply for a writing position, please email our Publisher at Cj@BluebyNinety.com. Also, be sure to check out our shop and our podcast, which is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all other streaming platforms. It is because of your support that we have become one of the fastest-growing and most influential Michigan media outlets there is!

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