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With the majority of Michigan’s 2020 football class now signed and sealed, there’s no longer any worry of whether or not those highly sought after will check out other options.
Now, the next step is getting them on campus, with several coming aboard as early enrollees, with the rest will arrive in late June.
WolverinesWire is taking a look at the class and prognosticating, via superlatives, which signees will be the most impactful in various ways.
Most likely to be an early impact player
WR A.J. Henning
When Josh Gattis came to town preaching speed in space, A.J. Henning, the four-star wideout from Illinois, is essentially the prototype.
The Wolverines highest-rated player in the 2020 class via the 247Sports Composite, Henning is 5-foot-10, 183-pounds and runs a 4.46 40-yard dash according to 247Sports.
With all the ways that Michigan has used Ronnie Bell and/or Giles Jackson in the past year, imagine that on steroids. And now imagine him on the field with the aforementioned, as well as with others such as Mike Sainristil, Cornelius Johnson and if either Donovan Peoples-Jones or Nico Collins returns for their senior year. It could be a sight to behold.
Expect Michigan to get Henning, who intends to enroll in January, to see the field early and often in his freshman year.
Honorable Mention: RB Blake Corum
Corum might have been the guy here if the Wolverines weren’t especially loaded at running back coming into 2020 with a ton of young talent, as well as the return of senior Chris Evans.
Corum has the look of a gamebreaker, and very well could be among the best tailbacks in Michigan history, if his high school ability translates to the college level.
Most underrated
VIPER William Mohan
A player from East powerhouse Brooklyn (NY) Erasmus Hall, the three-star has the exact look to fill the shoes of Michigan’s VIPER position, a hybrid safety/linebacker position.
He might be unheralded as a recruit, but don’t let that fool you. He can change direction, snuff out a play, get off his blocks and hit…hard.
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Honorable Mention: WR Eamonn Dennis
Runs a 4.52 40-yard dash according to 247Sports. This Mike Sainristil clone from the same area has shown a huge proclivity to be a playmaker at the high school level, but was under-evaluated, coming from small-town Massachusetts.
Though Sainristil didn’t have the impact year he was expected to after the spring hype, Dennis has a chance to make similar waves. Another quintessential speed in space player.
Most under the radar
LB Cornell Wheeler
Stalwart is a good word that describes the West Bloomfield (MI) star. He was perfectly solid in his high school career, but didn’t garner much attention for his play and ability.
He has good instincts, is physical, can hit and engages his assignment as tasked.
It’s amazing he’s gotten so little hype, but sometimes, the players that do their job the best get little recognition.
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Honorable Mention: LB Kalel Mullings
Weird to call a long-recruited four-star and an All-American Bowl participant an under-the-radar prospect, but since he committed, it seems like there’s been little hype around the talented athlete.
In high school, Mullings had the athleticism to not only play linebacker, but also wide receiver. With some openings at LB, with Jordan Glasgow departing and some recent transfers, the early-enrollee could make some noise early. But in a few years, he should certainly be a mainstay for a Michigan defense that loves athletic linebacker play.
Most likely to be a breakout star
RB Blake Corum
We already mentioned Corum as a potential early-impact player, but the loaded RB room makes it harder for him to come in and see meaningful minutes in year one. But, once his career is done, we expect Corum to be one of the most decorated running backs in maize and blue history.
He’s fast — runs a 4.4 40 according to 247Sports — has good vision, is patient and also can catch the ball — as he showed at Baltimore (MD) St. Frances Academy. Like Chris Evans, he could be used as a versatile threat, and is especially suited for this offense given his diminutive stature at 5-foot-8 to go along with his speed.
Honorable Mention: OG Zak Zinter
It’s rare that offensive linemen reach star status, but the big-bodied guard from Buckingham Browne & Nichols School in Massachusetts has the look of being the next great Michigan lineman.
Expect him to really benefit from the tutelage from Ed Warinner and not only excel, but thrive when his time comes.
Most likely to be a starter by his second year
S R.J. Moten
Safety Brad Hawkins has another year and is all but assured to reprise his starting role in 2020, but in 2021, he’ll be gone, leaving Daxton Hill and several contenders.
Moten, a four-star from Delran (NJ), is an elite athlete with 4.6 speed. While he might not be as fast as Hill, he possesses all the traits that you want in a safety, and, along with fellow 2020 safety Jordan Morant, could see the field early and often.
Speaking of Morant, flip a coin as to which player of the two will get that other spot and make an early rise. We’re giving it to Moten, as he’ll have the advantage as an early-enrollee.
Honorable Mention: CB Andre Seldon
Could Michigan’s first commitment in the 2020 class be the next great Detroit cornerback? He has the look of being exactly that, and with Ambry Thomas moving on after the 2020 season, it’s all but assured that the Belleville (MI) star will have the goods to come in and make an early impact, especially as a player who’s enrolling early.
Player to be most excited for
The prospect out of Hawaii draws a lot of comparisons to Ohio State’s Chris Olave, and for good reasons.
He might be the fastest player joining the team, running a 4.37 40, is explosive and has good hands. He’s certainly a candidate to get playing time in 2020. And he’s tall for the speedy type, at 6-feet. Once he adds more size to his frame, he could be unstoppable.
Honorable Mention: TE Matthew Hibner
A fast, dependable tight end that rose through the recruiting rankings quickly once the recruiting services got film on him, he has the potential to be a lot like Sean McKeon — a player who can both block and catch the ball once he matriculates through the system.
Most likely to be a first-round draft pick
DE Braiden McGregor
Perhaps Michigan’s most highly-sought after recruit in the 2020 class, the luster on McGregor was tempered when an injury forced him out for most of his senior year.
But he’s precisely the type of defensive end that the Wolverines crave. Huge at 6-foot-6, 260-pounds out of high school. Once he goes through Michigan’s strength and conditioning program and is mentored by Shaun Nua, McGregor will be an absolute force to be reckoned with.
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