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Michigan football kicks off February with loads of good recruiting news

The Wolverines are off to a hot start in February.

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After going 12-2 in 2021 and 13-1 in 2022, winning two Big Ten titles, and making the Playoff twice, you’d think Michigan football would be hot on the recruiting trail with many of the nation’s best players. While that is somewhat the case, Jim Harbaugh and his staff have not been landing many of the country’s top prospects as of late.

Yesterday, one of Michigan’s top transfer portal targets committed to Ohio State; today, another one of the Wolverines’ top prospects landed at South Carolina instead of in Ann Arbor.

On Wednesday, Michigan football finally received some much-needed good news regarding their recruiting efforts. The Wolverines are trending for two of their top targets — both in the 2024 class — and landed a massive 2023 commitment.

Michigan flips 2023 Stanford commit (2023)

Yesterday, Michigan football received four crystal balls to land four-star Cameron Brandt, currently committed to the Stanford Cardinal. That being said, since Stanford is amidst a coaching change, most thought that Brandt would likely be flipping his commitment, and the Wolverines are hot on the trail.

This morning, two more crystal balls rolled in for Brandt, meaning Michigan totaled six crustal balls for the 2023 defensive lineman, and the Wolverines were the heavy favorite to land him. Brandt is a 247 Sports four-star (three-star composite) in the 2023 class and is a solid addition to Michigan’s newest class of Wolverines.

This afternoon — around 1:30 PM — Brandt officially committed to Michigan football.

Michigan football receives crystal ball for I’Marion Stewart (2024)

Wednesday morning, Steve Lorenz (a Michigan insider) put in a crystal ball for 2024 four-star athlete I’Marion Stewart. Stewart hails from Bolingbrook High School in Bolingbrook, Illinois, and is a top prospect in the state of Illinois and the midwest region.

247 Sports ranks Stewart as the No. 265 player in the nation, the No. 32 athlete, and the No. 5 player in Illinois. Stewert is a 247 composite four-star prospect with an overall grade of 0.9095, and would be a massive addition to Michigan’s 12-ranked 2024 recruiting class.

Wolverines trending for four-star in-state athlete (2024)

This morning, another crystal ball rolled in for Michigan football; this time, it was for one of the top prospects in Michigan. Jacob Oden, a four-star wide receiver from Harper Woods High School in Harper Woods, MI, received his ninth crystal ball to land in Ann Arbor in the 2024 class.

Oden would be a massive pickup for Michigan’s 2024 class, which could break the top 10 with some help. The Wolverines need some skill players in the class, and keeping an in-state player with as much talent as Oden has would be huge.

Jacob Oden is a four-star recruit according to 247 Sports and is ranked as the No. 160 player in the nation, the No. 17 athlete in the 2024 class, and the No. 5 player in the state.

Thank you for reading Blue by Ninety. For more Michigan Athletics content from Blue by Ninety, follow us on TwitterFacebookand Instagram. You can also subscribe to our YouTube Channel. For feedback, questions, concerns, or to apply for a writing position, please email our Managing Editor at Cj@BluebyNinety.com or DM him on Twitter, @CJsWrld_.

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Four-star Michigan football target expected to commit soon

This four-star Michigan football target is about to announce his commitment.

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Michigan football, recruiting, 2024 recruiting class, Brian Robinson
Dec 4, 2021; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh against the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Big Ten Conference championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The Wolverines are one of the five remaining teams for Brian Robinson, a blue-chip edge rusher from Ohio, who is reportedly close to making a college decision. Robinson, who was once a prominent four-star Michigan football target in the 2024 recruiting class, was initially strongly leaning towards Michigan, but now it appears to be more uncertain. His commitment would be a significant and unexpected acquisition for Jim Harbaugh and the Wolverines.

Four-star Michigan football target Brian Robinson close to a final call

According to recent reports, Brian Robinson is nearing a decision and aims to conclude his recruitment within the next week or so. Robinson is currently ranked as the No. 131 recruit in the 2024 recruiting class. Given that the Wolverines have recently lost a substantial amount of talent on the defensive side of the football, especially at edge rusher, Robinson could be a major addition for Jim Harbaugh.

It doesn’t appear that Robinson is favoring the Wolverines right now, although Michigan football recruiting has seen significant changes recently, so anything is possible. At one point this year, it seemed highly likely that Ann Arbor would be Robinson’s eventual destination; however, his recruitment has become much more complicated in recent months.

If Jim Harbaugh can land Robinson, it would be huge for the 2024 recruiting class

The remaining schools in contention, aside from Michigan football, are Maryland, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Penn State. According to the RPM, Robinson’s preferred landing spot right now is the Kentucky Wildcats, with the Maize and Blue firmly in contention at the No. 2 spot.

As per the On3 industry rankings, Robinson is a highly sought-after four-star Michigan football target, ranking as the No. 131 player nationally, the No. 9 edge rusher in the 2024 recruiting class, and the No. 5 player in the state of Ohio.



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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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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.



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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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Michigan football, Micah Kaapana, 2024 recruiting class
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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 TwitterFacebook, 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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