Michigan moved on from linebacker coach Chris Partridge late last season and has finally gotten a replacement on board with Brian Jean-Mary officially able to recruit.
Jean-Mary, who formerly worked at Tennessee, Texas, and Michigan, has been touted throughout his career as an elite recruiter. Wolverine fans are seeing his ability on the trail in real-time as the new man on campus extended his first official offer during his second stint at Michigan to South Florida linebacker Ty Jackson.
Jackson currently holds a grade of .9575 from the 247Sports Composite and is listed as the 86th player nationally. However, On3 has Jackson graded as the 16th player nationally and the top linebacker overall. Either way, Jackson is a consensus elite recruit and would be a massive win for the Wolverines on the trail.
Blessed to receive an offer from the National Champs University of Michigan #GoBlue〽️ @luc_brian @UMichFootball pic.twitter.com/uEHrjAH30w
— Ty Jackson (@Ty__Jackson) March 6, 2024
So, is Jackson actually interested? Yes. At least, he should be.
Jackson released a top school list in late February that was composed of Alabama, Georgia, Penn State, Florida, Miami, Florida State, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Miami, and Syracuse.
From that list, three schools should stick out: Penn State, Syracuse, and Tennessee. Firstly, the inclusion of two schools outside the South shows that Jackson is willing to level the region. That is a huge plus. Secondly, Jean-Mary was Jackson’s primary recruiter at Tennessee and it’s probably safe to assume that Michigan is right up there with his top schools following the offer.
Michigan is looking to finally capitalize off the on-field success of the last three seasons with elite recruits, and Jackson would be a massive first step in that plan. Michigan lost a commitment from another South Florida top-100 prospect in Chris Ewald in the days following the national title game, but it is good to see that the staff has not given up on the most talent-rich area in the country.