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Dead Period Fallout

The NCAA's D1 counsel decided last week to extend the dead period through January 1. All in-person recruiting, including official visits, are off until the end of the year. I get it, but it's more terrible news for the worst-done recruiting class in living memory. Effectively it means if players want to visit they have to do so on their own dime, and can't access the coaches and staff they'll be working with. With the early signing day still set for Wednesday, December 16, we're heading for a clustershfushow of epic proportions.

The fallout for Michigan's recruiting is mixed. It probably helps their chances to win the Donovan Edwards marathon, as does Oklahoma starting to pull ahead for 5* RB Camar Wheaton($) and Georgia pulling in IMG's Lovasea Carroll, who's a similarly electric back. Rivals' EJ Holland thinks($) it also helps keep MI 4* DT target Rayshaun Benny home. While Benny's other suitors—Ohio State, Kentucky, and Penn State—are all relatively within driving distance, Michigan seems to have a solid lead on all of them (especially PSU--via that link), and Benny's reasoning for extending his recruitment to next January was a chance to see what schools further abroad have to offer. Denied that opportunity he may just end his recruitment earlier. 247 posted a free a writeup of their recent podcast that makes it sound like one more competitor for Benny's services is going all-in on the Josh Christopher gambit (emphasis mine):

To the new [MSU] staff's credit, they didn't take that side-eye from him, when they came in the door, personally. They were persistent. And (the Spartans) started to register with him a bit. He does have a teammate committed to Michigan State. But they've started hitting him with this pitch about building his brand and it being this thing that would propel him into life after football. I don't know about you guys, but that seems like such a losing argument to me when compared to Michigan.

Goodluckwiththat.gif. Benny, by the way, watched in street clothes last Thursday as Edwards and West Bloomfield blew out Benny's Oak Park team.

On the other side of the coin are some Michigan commits who won't get to campus before early signing day. That includes the Aquinas duo, 4* LB Jaydon Hood and 3* CB Ja'Den McBurrows. McBurrows seems to be solid unless Ohio State has a rash of decommits and jumps in, but pressure from hometown Miami (YTM) to stay close to home remains a threat with Hood. Minnesota might have been a quiet 2nd place, revealed Holland on his podcast. The Canes do currently have three LBs (including their hybrid) committed, but I don't think that has any more bearing on this than Michigan losing a commitment from MA 3* Casey Phinney since UM (the Ann Arbor one) got four in the extra-year'd class of 2020.

It also really hurts with CA 4.5* CB Ceyair Wright, who's the last realistic shot at a game-changing secondary recruit they badly need this cycle, who did tell Brice Marich of plans to get to Ann Arbor unofficially before a planned commitment at the All-American game($). Also in that article, Agent David Long is on the case.

247's Brice Marich says Michigan's trying to plan a big recruiting weekend for late January($).

[After THE JUMP: 2021 class has a few loose ends, a half-assed 2022 primer]