Michigan’s coaching staff has already offered 10 in-state prospects in the 2016 class. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re done perusing the high school ranks in the Great Lakes State. Some of the current offers – including four-star Southfield running back Matt Falcon and three-star Farmington wide receiver Desmond Fitzpatrick – came in recent weeks, and others could be added to the ranks.
One of Fitzpatrick’s teammates, linebacker David Reese, could be among those in the running for a U-M offer. The 6-foot-1, 226-pound Reese is a three-star and the No. 11 player in the state. He’s visited campus several times in the past, and is building an impressive offer list with the likes of Louisville, Indiana, and Pittsburgh entering the mix in recent weeks.
Harper Woods Chandler Park Academy wide receiver Jalen Martin has offers from Akron, Eastern Michigan, Toledo, and Western Michigan. The three-star might have even more action on the recruiting trail if he wasn’t also a talented basketball player who spent much of the football off-season focusing on that sport, instead. The 6-2, 192-pounder may still end up a Power-5 wide receiver prospect – and Michigan is one program keeping tabs.
Saline quarterback Joshua Jackson is the son of former Michigan running backs coach Fred Jackson, so he’s certainly familiar with the program in Ann Arbor. The 6-2, 195-pounder has MAC offers, and recently added Northwestern and West Virginia to that group. The program he grew up following could be one to watch if they choose to offer the three-star.
Detroit King running back Martell Pettaway, the No. 9 player in Michigan, is the top-ranked in-state player without a Wolverine offer. The 5-10, 199-pounder does have Cincinnati, Illinois, and Michigan State in the mix, among several others. The Wolverines seem to favor Southfield’s Falcon, but if things turn sour there, Pettaway could be waiting in the wings.
In past seasons, there have also been late-rising prospects that picked up Michigan offers after being little-known entering their senior years. In 2012, Dennis Norfleet was known, but not considered a U-M target – until the then-Cincinnati commit immediately accepted a Wolverine offer days before Signing Day. In 2015, wide receiver Grant Perry was more known after an impressive junior year, but still wasn’t considered a serious U-M prospect until he impressed in the summer entering his final high school campaign. Who’s next?
Tim Sullivan is the Football Recruiting Editor of The Wolverine magazine and TheWolverine.com. He is also a contributor to national football recruiting coverage on the Rivals.com network. You can follow him on Twitter @TimS_Wolverine.
