Photo Credit: StudentSports.com

Michigan Basically Gets Its Own Team at The Opening

Posted onAuthorGarrett Fishaw

The Opening is the biggest college football recruiting event in the country. It features the majority of the top players in the country as they compete against one another in positional drills, athleticism tests and a 7v7 tournament most of which is broadcasted on ESPN. And Michigan fans may want to tune in.

Out of the 166 recruits invited to the event, around 30 of them are realistic options to sign with Michigan. But what Wolverines fans will want to pay the closest attention to will be the 7v7 squad known as Team #HyperCool.

Let’s break down that roster, aka #TeamMichigan, real quick:

  • Five Michigan commitments
  • Three of the staff’s top four wide receiver targets
    • WR Donovan Peoples-Jones
      • Michigan has my Crystal Ball prediction and many others. Hanging out with McCaffrey and the other UM commits should only help solidify that thought.
    • WR Nico Collins
      • Named Michigan his leader after a visit and is said to be coming back to Ann Arbor for the camp on the 17th. A mix of that visit plus hanging out with all of these commits and targets could put UM in the driver’s seat for the foreseeable future.
    • WR Jhamon Ausbon
      • Though he looks likely to stay in the south for his college ball, he did name Michigan to his top four recently. If he clicks with McCaffrey and the other targets, UM could become even more of a factor.
  • One tight end to watch moving forward
    • TE Josh Falo
      • With Dotson likely off the board, Falo could be a name to watch moving forward. And in a 7v7 competition where the tight end and quarterback normally build a strong bond, McCaffrey could parlay the on-the-field connection to a off-the-field recruiting pitch.
  • Two of the top linebacker targets on the board
    • LB Drew Singleton
      • The top linebacker on the board and another player that holds mine and many others CB prediction. This trip should only help Michigan’s chances.
    • LB Jordan Anthony
      • Anthony is a sometimes forgotten name on the trail for UM fans but is one to watch closely. He’s clearly feeling the Maize and Blue. Getting the in-person pitch from their commits and top targets could put them in striking distance of a commitment.
  • Two Detroit cornerbacks
    • CB Ambry Thomas
      • Thomas is one of the top targets on the board and looks to be in a dog fight between UM and MSU. Michigan has been gaining the majority of the momentum as of late and this experience should help them continue to move the needle towards Ann Arbor.
    • CB Donovan Johnson
      • Though he is yet to earn an offer from Michigan, Johnson is a player I’ll be watching closely this entire competition. He’s one of the top cover corners in the class and those skills and his athleticism should be on display at the event. Will it be enough to get an offer? We’ll see.
  • The top athlete on the board
    • ATH Markquese Bell
      • Bell has looked like an eventual Michigan commit for awhile now but has been very coy about his recruitment all spring. UM is said to be sitting at/near the top of his list with others pushing hard but this event could be a big help for UM’s chances with late summer visits and fall officials coming soon after.

That list doesn’t include one of the best athletes/defensive backs in the class in Devon Hunter and a legit cornerback target in Deommodore Lenoir.

21 players on Team Hypercool and Michigan already has 5 of them in the fold. And even crazier, at the end of the day, I wouldn’t be surprised if Jim Harbaugh is introducing 10-11 of them at the Signing of the Stars NSD event next February.

Not sure who exactly put this team together but Harbaugh and company may have a thank you letter or two to begin writing.

Photo Credit: StudentSports.com

Garrett Fishaw
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