Michigan football 2024 recruiting class: What to like about each player

Free Press sports writer Tony Garcia breaks down Michigan football's class of 2024 recruits who signed letters of intent Wednesday, the first day of the early signing period:

Signed

DL Manuel Beigel

School: Choate Rosemary Hall (Wallingford, Connecticut).

Vitals: 6-4, 282.

247 Sports' composite ranking: Three-star, No. 885 overall, No. 106 DL.

The buzz: Don't let the three-star ranking mislead: Beigel has an elite offer sheet that includes Georgia, Penn State and Texas A&M among others. A soccer player in his youth, Beigel is agile for his size and earlier this year was featured on 247 Sports’ "Freaks List," which focused on 50 senior recruits who have next-level skills. Beigel will play defensive line, likely starting on the interior.

ATH Jacob Oden

School: Harper Woods.

Vitals: 6-1, 188.

247 Sports' composite ranking: Four-star, No. 280 overall, No. 29 S.

The buzz: A standout cornerback for his father, Rod Oden, Jacob projects as either a safety or potentially a nickel back with the Wolverines. Oden, who played in the U.S. Army Bowl last weekend, said Michigan liked his versatility as he announced his commitment last February while wearing "turnover Buffs." He won the Division 4 state championship last month at Ford Field.

DL Deyvid Palepale

School: Manheim Township (Lancaster, Pennsylvania).

Vitals: 6-3, 305.

247 Sports' composite ranking: Three-star, No. 745 overall, No. 87 DL.

The buzz: It seemed a bit confusing when Palepale committed to USC, but once Alex Grinch was relieved as defensive coordinator and Palepale reopened his commitment, those around Ann Arbor were optimistic he'd end up in maize and blue. Sure enough, that's what happened. “As far as development, you can see it on paper,” Palepale told The Athletic. “They’re putting Mason Graham out there as a freshman, Kenneth Grant, and there’s no fall-off. The way they coach and how they coach, it’s very unique and I can see myself fitting in well.”

ATH Jaden Smith

School: West Charlotte (Charlotte, North Carolina).

Vitals: 6-3, 201.

247 Sports' composite ranking: Four-star, No. 283 overall, No. 13 ATH.

The buzz: Smith came to Ann Arbor for an official visit last weekend, but his commitment was never in doubt before that. Named the Queen City 3A/4A Defensive Player of the Year, he likely projects as an EDGE or linebacker, but he could end up just about anywhere. That's why Harbaugh and all three coordinators (Jesse Minter, Sherrone Moore and Jay Harbaugh) all paid him a visit earlier this month.

Committed

OL Andrew Sprague

School: Rockhurst (Kansas City, Missouri).

Vitals: 6 feet 8, 295 pounds.

247 Sports' composite ranking: Four-star, No. 112 overall, No. 4 OL.

The buzz: When the Wolverines landed Sprague in April, they felt confident they'd found their left tackle of the future. Sprague, rated one of the nation's top offensive linemen regardless of position, already has Division I size, a major reason he dominated yet again as a senior. Late last month, Sprague was named an All-American; he's set to play in the All-American Bowl at San Antonio on Jan. 6, about a 3½-hour drive from the national championship game in Houston two days later. He's an early enrollee, per the U-M directory.

QB Jadyn Davis

School: Providence Day School (Charlotte, North Carolina).

Vitals: 6-½, 202.

247 Sports' composite ranking: Four-star, No. 93 overall, No. 7 QB.

The buzz: Recruited as the heir apparent to quarterback J.J. McCarthy, Davis is the most widely known name in the class. Once rated a five-star prospect, he's now the No. 7 quarterback nationally — but the expectations for Davis are sky-high. Davis led his team to a 24-2 record the past two seasons, including consecutive state championships, and was named North Carolina's Mr. Football both seasons, becoming the first back-to-back winner. He finished his high school career with 111 touchdowns and 9,366 passing yards and has already enrolled.

RB Jordan Marshall

School: Archbishop Moeller (Cincinnati).

Vitals: 5-10½, 193.

247 Sports' composite ranking: Four-star, No. 83 overall, No. 11 RB.

The buzz: The best players in Ohio go to ... Michigan? Apparently so, after Marshall, the Ohio Mr. Football winner, made his commitment to the Wolverines official. Despite missing two games with injury, Marshall ran for 1,550 yards and 17 touchdowns and had another 30 catches for 394 yards and four more scores. "He coached the running backs, he helped run drills and coached them; he's the smartest player I ever coached," Moeller coach Bert Bathiany told the Cincinnati Enquirer. "He digests so many schemes. He gives as much effort as anyone I've ever coached. You can’t put into words what he means to us."

TE Hogan Hansen

School: Bellevue (Washington).

Vitals: 6-6, 230.

247 Sports' composite ranking: Four-star, No. 295 overall, No. 19 TE.

The buzz: A big-bodied tight end from the Northwest? Sounds familiar, eh, Colston Loveland? Still, Hansen profiles differently than Loveland as he's expected to produce as an elite blocker based on his time in his high school (also the Wolverines) Wing-T offense. That said, he's also known as a high-level target who has a frame that can put on even more weight. “We call him ‘A.O.,’ always open,” his high school quarterback Lucas Razore told the Seattle Times. “If one route isn’t there, it’s like, ‘Where is Hogan?’ Patrick Mahomes said, ‘Tyreek Hill is down there somewhere.’ It’s kind of the same thing as that.”

CB Jo'Ziah Edmond

School: Northwood (Nappanee, Indiana).

Vitals: 6-1, 180.

247 Sports' composite ranking: Four-star, No. 345 overall, No. 22 CB.

The buzz: Edmond was a one-time Purdue commit, but flipped from his home-state Boilermakers over the summer. The senior was named Indiana's top defensive back after recording 59 tackles and five interceptions but was also a force on offense, racking up 65 receptions for 777 yards and seven touchdowns and another 204 rushing yards and four TDs. Like Sprague, Edmond was named an All-American and will play in the all-star game in San Antonio on Jan. 6.

EDGE Devon Baxter

School: Gwynn Park (Brandywine, Maryland).

Vitals: 6 feet 6, 225.

247 Sports' composite ranking: Four-star, No. 351 overall, No. 29 EDGE.

The buzz: Named Prince George's County Division 1A/2A Defensive Player of the Year, Baxter was a force in his eight games as a senior in which he got snaps at EDGE and tight end. Baxter, who held offers from Penn State, Tennessee and Virginia Tech, is seen as an elite athlete (he's a talented basketball player as well) and will likely start in U-M's EDGE room. But Job No. 1 is putting on about 20 pounds without losing any speed.

TE Brady Prieskorn

School: Rochester Adams.

Vitals: 6-6, 225.

247 Sports' composite ranking: Four-star, No. 124 overall, No. 11 TE.

The buzz: This time, a Loveland comparison is fair — Prieskorn has almost the exact same measurables, can line up on the line at tight end or flex outside into the slot. An All-American, Prieskorn was at one time rated the No. 1 tight end in his class; he had another standout season as a senior, with 33 receptions for 665 yards and eight touchdowns to earn first-team All-State honors from the Free Press.

OL Blake Frazier

School: Vandergrift (Austin, Texas).

Vitals: 6-5, 260.

247 Sports' composite ranking: Four-star, No. 170 overall, No. 14 OL.

The buzz: Less than two weeks before Michigan hopes to beat Alabama for a shot at a national championship, U-M gets the son of one of the offensive linemen on the program's last national championship. Blake Frazier, son of former offensive lineman Steve Frazier (1995-99) announced on social media he would make his signing official at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday in a ceremony inside his high school gym. Frazier was named an All-American by Max Preps on Tuesday.

LB Jeremiah Beasley

School: Belleville.

Vitals: 6-1, 210.

247 Sports' composite ranking: Four-star, No. 366 overall, No. 31 LB.

The buzz: There's nobody who signs with U-M on Wednesday who will have an easier time relocating, at lest geographically. The Free Press caught up with Beasley on Sunday, and he said he's already enrolled in Ann Arbor, had his first practice last week and will travel with the team to January's Rose Bowl. Beasley is still at home, 15 miles east in Belleville, but will move on-campus next semester. The state's top-rated linebacker is still processing what's happening: “I just finished my last high school game not even a whole month ago — like three weeks ago, for real," he said. "So it's a blessing."

WR Channing Goodwin

School: Providence Day School (Charlotte, North Carolina).

Vitals: 6-1, 180.

247 Sports' composite ranking: Three-star, No. 559 overall, No. 79 WR.

The buzz: One of Jadyn Davis' top targets in high school, it long seemed the two would be a package deal in college. Of course, Michigan was also always a likely destination for Goodwin; his father, Jonathan Goodwin, was an offensive lineman in Ann Arbor (1998-2001) under Lloyd Carr, then played for the San Francisco 49ers for Jim Harbaugh.

EDGE Mason Curtis

School: Ensworth (Nashville, Tennessee).

Vitals: 6-4, 200.

247 Sports' composite ranking: Four-star, No. 305 overall, No. 22 EDGE.

The buzz: Listed as an EDGE on his recruiting profile, Curtis is projected to U-M as an outside linebacker despite playing most of his senior season at safety. That's the versatility that Michigan saw in him when Steve Clinkscale plucked the athlete out of Nashville. Curtis, who's also a standout on the basketball court, was recently named a Division II-AAA West All-Region selection.

OL Luke Hamilton

School: Avon (Ohio).

Vitals: 6-5, 290.

247 Sports' composite ranking: Four-star, No. 396 overall, No. 25 IOL.

The buzz: Hamilton wrapped up a tremendous career at Avon, where he went 48-7 overall as a four-year letterman. He was named three times to the All-Ohio team (first-team twice) and finished this year first-team Ohio All-Academic and the Ohio High School Athletic Association DII Offensive Player of the Year. Not that U-M will likely need it, but he also served as Avon's punter, averaging 36.7 yards per attempt and pinning opponents inside their 10 twice.

IOL Jake Guarnera

School: Ponte Verda (Ponte Verda Beach, Florida).

Vitals: 6-4, 290.

247 Sports' composite ranking: Three-star, No. 488 overall, No. 31 IOL.

The buzz: Named to the Under Armour All-American team, Guarnera appears to be a classic three-star prospect with high upside. Jim Harbaugh and Sherrone Moore stopped by for a visit earlier this month to check on their tackle-turned-center, who helped lead Ponte Verda to its first postseason win in his four years on the team. "I thought that the development there and the relationships I had with other commits was something I couldn’t find anywhere else,” Guarnera told News4Jax earlier this fall of why he chose U-M.

WR I'Marion Stewart

School: Kenwood Academy (Chicago).

Vitals: 5-10, 180.

247 Sports' composite ranking: Four-star, No. 299 overall, No. 48 WR.

The buzz: If his performance in the All-American game last weekend was any indication, Stewart is going to have quite the career in Ann Arbor. Targeted five times, he caught all five passes and finished with two touchdowns and two first downs. Stewart is expected to join the Big Ten Network's panel at some point on Wednesday afternoon to discuss his commitment and U-M's outlook in the Rose Bowl.

EDGE Owen Wafle

School: Hun School (Princeton, New Jersey).

Vitals: 6-1, 290.

247 Sports' composite ranking: Four-star, No. 427 overall, No. 48 DL.

The buzz: A one-time Notre Dame commit, Wafle, well, waffled to Michigan over the summer. The son of former Duke defensive lineman David Wafle, he told 247 Sports he "learned how to do a three-point stance before he could walk." Wafle was named the Mid-Atlantic Prep League Defensive Player of the Year and Team MVP.

DL Ted Hammond

School: St. Xavier (Cincinnati).

Vitals: 6-5, 258.

247 Sports' composite ranking: Four-star, No. 413 overall, No. 46 DL.

The buzz: Hammond was named first-team all-state OHSAA defense. According to his NCSA profile, Hammond runs a 4.8-second 40-yard dash and bench-presses 375 pounds. "My main drive is to do the preparation to be able to play football in college, as well as earn a pre-med degree (anatomy)," he said in his profile's personal statement.

EDGE Dominic Nichols

School: Oakdale (Ijamsville, Maryland).

Vitals: 6-5, 252.

247 Sports' composite ranking: Three-star, No. 528 overall, No. 37 EDGE.

The buzz: It was a tough cycle at EDGE for the Wolverines, but Dominic Nichols could change those feelings should he develop fully into his frame. Nichols helped Oakdaale win a state championship and currently the only EDGE among U-M's prospects to enroll early. “They will push him to be one of the guys that play on Sunday,” his coach, Kurt Stein, told the Fredrick News Post. “When you start at Michigan and make an impact, you play in the NFL.”

RB Micah Ka'apana

School: Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas).

Vitals: 5-11, 195.

247 Sports' composite ranking: Three-star, No. 502 overall, No. 42 RB.

The buzz: Micah Ka'apana will enter Michigan not only as an Under Armour All-American, but a national champion: Max Preps awarded Bishop Gorman its second national title in the past eight seasons. He had 56 carries for 732 yards (13.1 yards per carry) and nine touchdowns in his senior season, according to Max Preps. He also held offers from teams such as Arizona State, Nebraska, and Utah.

OL Ben Roebuck

School: St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio).

Vitals: 6-7, 320.

247 Sports' composite ranking: Three-star, No. 521 overall, No. 41 OT

The buzz: Selected to the 2023 U.S. Army Bowl, the St. Edward standout offensive tackle was also named first-team Division I All-Ohio as well as a Max Preps All-American for the second consecutive season. The No. 3 ranked offensive lineman in Ohio helped lead St. Edward to a third consecutive championship.

LB Cole Sullivan

School: Central Catholic (Philadelphia).

Vitals: 6-3, 200.

247 Sports' composite ranking: Four-star, No. 316 overall, No. 24 LB.

The buzz: Sullivan was primarily recruited by recently fired linebackers coach Chris Partridge. U-M coaches paid him an in-home visit earlier this month, however, and he remained fully committed to the Wolverines. A three-star when he made his pledge, Sullivan jumped up the rankings after a standout senior season. He's now just outside the top 300 nationally, holding offers from Miami, Notre Dame and Penn State, among others.

CB Jeremiah Lowe

School: Fredrick Douglas (Lexington, Kentucky).

Vitals: 5-11, 170.

247 Sports' composite ranking: Three-star, No. 1133 overall, No. 98 CB.

The buzz: Lowe is one of the more unheralded prospects in the class, but Michigan's track record for development is far too good to question any one recruit. Furthermore, Ohio and Kentucky are Steve Clinkscale's main recruiting grounds, and he has a history with developing defensive backs from the region. Also, Lowe is no slouch — he was named to the Louisville Courier Journal's All-State first team — he's just a bit more of a question mark.

LB Zach Ludwig

School: South Park (Pennsylvania).

Vitals: 6-3, 202.

247 Sports' composite ranking: Three-star, No. 1,750 overall, No. 1,160 LB.

The buzz: A quarterback and linebacker in high school, Ludwig will focus on defense at the next level. While he still needs to put on weight to play in the Big Ten, there's good reason to think he'll do exactly that: His uncle is team strength and conditioning coach Ben Herbert.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan football 2024 recruiting tracker: Who's signed