Tag: Jaden Smith

Michigan football commits that moved up in latest On3 recruiting rankings

Good news also comes with some bad.

On3 is cementing itself as the new premier recruiting service of late. Founded by Shannon Terry — who also founded Rivals and 247Sports — On3 is forward-thinking and becoming more of a standard than an upstart, though 247Sports is still stalwart in terms of its recruiting rankings.

The company released new recruiting rankings for 2024 on Monday and Michigan football saw four players move up significantly.

Running back commit Jordan Marshall was already in the top 100, but he moved up over 40 spots to No. 31 overall — which is within potential five-star range should he remain there. The cut-off is currently the top 15, but the top 32 according to On3’s proprietary rankings will all be five-stars.

Once a three-star recruit, edge rusher commit Devon Baxter is now a four-star, up to No. 200 overall.

Jaden Smith, another edge rusher/linebacker-type, was unrated at the time of his commitment, but on the heels of ESPN giving him a high-ranking, On3 followed suit, ranking him in the four-star range at No. 249 overall.

Lastly, linebacker commit Cole Sullivan also moved up from being a three-star recruit, and is now a four-star at No. 257 overall.

While that’s the good news, there is also some bad news. Once a five-star, quarterback Jadyn Davis is continuing to plummet across the recruiting rankings, and nowhere is it more stark than on On3. Davis has dropped to No. 188 overall after having been at No. 105 previously.

Of Michigan’s 25 commits in 2024, 15 are four-stars with 10 being three-stars.

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Michigan football commit makes big rise in new 2024 ESPN 300 recruiting rankings

#Michigan may have found a diamond in the rough here. #GoBlue

When Michigan football got a commitment from Charlotte (N.C.) West athlete Jaden Smith, 247Sports didn’t even have a star ranking for him. On3 had him listed as a three-star, but a lowly one.

Now that Smith is pledged to a big-name program of Michigan’s caliber, he’s gotten on scouts’ radar, and they’re now seeing what the Wolverines saw when they offered him. And the recruiting rankings are reflecting that.

ESPN updated its recruiting rankings on Thursday and the biggest benefactor of Michigan football’s pledges was Smith, who went from unranked to No. 102 overall. Here’s what Craig Haubert and Tom Luginbill had to say about why Smith made a meteoric rise:

The Wolverines are assembling one of the nation’s premier classes, and that group just got another boost with the recent addition of Smith, who enters the ESPN 300. A standout at the UCReport’s Carolina camp, he posted strong testing numbers, including a laser 4.58 40-yard dash and a broad jump over 10 feet that would have placed him among the top LBs in this year’s NFL combine. He needs to continue to fill out his 6-3, 200-pound frame, but while adding more power to his game, he can give offenses fits with his quickness and range. Smith will effortlessly slip blockers and change direction and has excellent body control. A disruptive defender who lives in opponents’ backfields, Smith should only continue to improve as he adds size and gets stronger. It won’t be surprising if he moves up the rankings further when all is said and done.

Since his commitment, we’ve seen the recruiting services update his ranking across the board. The 247Sports Composite has Smith as a four-star at No. 311 overall. 247Sports’ proprietary ranking now has him listed as a three-star and the 42nd-best athlete. On3’s rankings haven’t markedly changed and Rivals now has him as a three-star prospect and the 54th-best player at his position, nationally.

Smith projects to linebacker at 6-foot-2.5 and 195 pounds. He’s now the second-ranked Michigan football commit in 2024, behind only tight end Brady Prieskorn at No. 83, but ahead of No. 114 Jadyn Davis, No. 148 RB Jordan Marshall, No. 153 Jerod Smith, No. 206 Andrew Sprague, No. 225 Jacob Oden, No. 226 Mason Curtis, No. 273 Luke Hamilton, No. 285 Hogan Hansen, and No. 288 Blake Frazier.

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Twitter reactions: Michigan football lands ATH Jaden Smith

He is such an underrated player! #GoBlue

The Wolverines are coming off a big recruiting weekend, and Michigan landed a commitment on Sunday from one of the official visitors. Former Notre Dame defensive lineman Owen Wafle committed to Jim Harbaugh and the Wolverines. Was Wafle just the first domino to fall?

Quite possibly. On Monday, the Wolverines landed athlete Jaden Smith. The Wolverines now have 19 commitments in the 2024 cycle.

The Charlotte (N.C.) West prospect is extremely underrated. Smith has excellent size at 6 feet, 3 inches and 201 pounds, and can play safety or linebacker. He is unranked on the 247Sports composite but is a three-star prospect on Rivals and On3.

It’s going to be extremely interesting to see where Smith ends up ranked when it’s done — the kid has excellent size and can ball.

Smith had offers from USC, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Miami, Utah and plenty of others.

Here is what Twitter is saying after Michigan landed Smith.

Michigan football gets a commitment from emerging 2024 ATH in SEC country

Welcome to Ann Arbor! #GoBlue

Michigan football is fresh from a high-profile recruiting weekend that had a bevy of top-flight recruits descend upon Ann Arbor. Now the Wolverines are looking to continue the momentum, even with players who didn’t make the trip this weekend.

Somewhat off the radar, 2024 Charlotte (N.C.) West High School three-star athlete Jaden Smith received his offer from the maize and blue just last month. Since then, his recruitment has accelerated swiftly in favor of the Wolverines. Smith isn’t rated by 247Sports but is a three-star per On3, the 30th-ranked linebacker and 14th-best player in North Carolina (Michigan has the first, five-star Jadyn Davis, already committed).

On Monday, Smith committed to Michigan football over offers from Kentucky, Virginia Tech, USC, Georgia Tech, Utah, Miami and others.

While 247Sports has him listed as an athlete, On3 has Smith listed as a linebacker, and linebackers coach Chris Partridge took charge in his recruitment. He’s listed at 6 feet, 3 inches, 201 pounds.

Smith is the 19th commitment in the 2024 class for the Michigan Wolverines, and they hold steady at the No. 2 spot behind Georgia in the 247Sports team rankings.

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Michigan football offers under-the-radar 2024 N.C. linebacker

He’s a prime example why you don’t put all your trust in the rankings. #GoBlue

Not all recruits are flying high, even in populous areas. Such is the case for one of Michigan football’s latest offers.

Some may know Jaden Smith as a singer, actor, and Hollywood star Will Smith’s son, but there’s another Jaden Smith who hails from Charlotte (N.C.) West who’s gaining footing as a linebacker. The only recruiting service that currently has him ranked is On3, which lists him as a three-star, the No. 30 LB and the 14th-best player in North Carolina.

Despite that, Smith has offers from schools such as USC, Kentucky, Miami, and Virginia Tech. And now he can add the Wolverines to his list.

He’s listed at 6-foot-3, 195-pounds, and Chris Partridge appears to be his primary recruiter for the maize and blue.

According to his Hudl, he runs a 4.54 40-yard dash. He also plays wide receiver at the high school level.

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