2022 4-star DB from SEC country raves about Michigan visit, coaching staff

Michigan football had arguably its biggest recruiting weekend ever this past weekend, hosting a bevy of high-profile prospects that are the target of the nation’s top programs.

Among them was 2022 Baton Rouge (LA) University Lab four-star defensive back Austin Ausberry, who made an unofficial visit for the 31-10 win over Washington.

Ausberry is rated the No. 197 prospect in the country according to the 247Sports Composite and is considered the 24th-best cornerback and No. 14 player in the state of Louisiana. Though schools like Alabama, Florida, hometown LSU, and Auburn are all recruiting him hard, the prospects of playing up north isn’t daunting at all for the four-star. At the moment, he tells WolverinesWire, he doesn’t care what weather he plays in and is looking more for a staff he loves and ‘a winning culture.’

As far as his visit on Saturday is concerned, it was something of a fly-by-night arrival and departure, but he was wowed by taking in the game and the maize out.

“It was a great experience,” Ausberry said. “It was very electric and the crowd, they showed up and it was cool going of the tunnel.”

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What was he thinking when he walked out of the tunnel? Was he picturing himself doing so while wearing a winged helmet or was he taken aback by seeing all of the people in the stands of the biggest football stadium in the country?

“Both. Envisioning myself and seeing all the people. It’s very historic.”

Ausberry is being recruited by safeties coach Ron Bellamy and linebackers coach George Helow. He got to spend some time with them on Saturday breaking down film as the staff showed him how he’d fit into the role currently occupied by former five-star Daxton Hill.

“It was great,” Ausberry said. We watched film. They said they see me at nickel-safety type, kinda where No. 30 is. We watched film on me and on Michigan and we watched some NFL film. It was pretty cool. We were just talking football.”

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Ausberry says that he’s looking mostly for a school that has a winning culture, something that he says Michigan has in his eyes, especially after having made it to campus for the game against the Huskies. But the other big appeal the Wolverines have is their coaching staff, and with defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald’s NFL experience, as well as the other coaches across the staff having stellar coaching pedigrees, Ausberry feels that Michigan could prepare him for the pro ranks.

“It’s very appealing to me because it shows they know how to get to the next level,” he said. “Help you adapt when you get to the NFL — the easiest.”

Since he didn’t spend much time in Ann Arbor, he didn’t get a chance to really spend time with current players or other recruits. But since this was an unofficial visit, he looks forward to making it back for an official visit at a later date.

For now, Ausberry is mostly focused on his high school season and he intends to start whittling things down and thinking about his future once that wraps up. But, even though he’s a southern recruit in the heart of SEC country, Michigan is in a good spot for him at the moment, thanks in large part to the coaches.

“I like the coaching staff and Michigan has been one of the schools I was always looking forward to,” Ausberry said. “I’m always open, I’ve always been open to Michigan.”