Nick Baumgardner keeps you updated with news, analysis and more on the Michigan Wolverines 2019 recruiting class.

Analysis: Michigan, Jim Harbaugh find fireworks on positive signing day

2:50 p.m. As of now, Michigan has 24 letters in with one more expected this afternoon. Two more will come in February.

12:38 p.m. As most have anticipated in the past few days, 5-star defensive end Zach Harrison has picked Ohio State over Michigan and Penn State.

The Wolverines currently have 24 letters in today. Wide receiver/athlete George Johnson III is going to sign with Michigan later this afternoon at his school in Florida.

Quinten Johnson and Amauri Pesek-Hickson are both expected to sign in February.

12:24 p.m. For those interested ... 5-star defensive end Zach Harrison is about to commit at his high school.

11:16 a.m. 4-star offensive lineman Trevor Keegan, the No. 1-ranked player in the state of Illinois, is officially signed with Michigan.

It's early still, but Michigan's current class rates No. 7 in the 247sports Composite ranking and No. 1 overall in the Big Ten.

11:04 a.m. A quick rundown of who is official with Michigan so far.

Of note: 3-star athlete Amauri Pesek-Hickson is expected to sign in February. Rivals has also reported 4-star safety Quinten Johnson is also expected to sign in February.

5-star DB Daxton Hill

4-star RB Zach Charbonnet

4-star DT Chris Hinton

4-star DT Mazi Smith

4-star OL Nolan Rumler

4-star OL Trente Jones

4-star LB Anthony Solomon

4-star DB Jalen Perry

4-star WR Cornelius Johnson

4-star QB Cade McNamara

4-star WR Giles Jackson

4-star DT David Ojabo

4-star OL Karsen Barnhart

4-star TE Erick All

3-star DE Mike Morris

3-star CB D.J. Turner II

3-star LB Charles Thomas

3-star OL Zach Carpenter

3-star WR Mike Sainristil

3-star OL Jack Stewart

3-star DE Gabe Newburg

3-star WR Quintel Kent

3-star ATH Joey Velazquez

10:55 a.m. Michigan's third top 50 signature of the day has arrived from the west coast as 4-star running back Zach Charbonnet is official.

Charbonnet was one of the biggest risers on the recruiting trail nationally. A unique blend of power and speed, he should be in the mix for carries right away.

10:30 a.m. Cade McNamara, Michigan's lone quarterback pledge, has officially signed.

McNamara was a record-setting producer at Damonte Ranch in Nevada. He's an interesting prospect for the Wolverines at 6-foot-1, 206. He played mostly out of a spread offense in high school and was mobile enough in the pocket to make plays on the run.

He's not quite as fast as Shea Patterson, but he's cut from a similar cloth. Very Jim Harbaugh-like, to be honest. A quarterback who has good pocket presence, takes a lot of chances (probably too many right now) and isn't afraid to make a play when everything else breaks down.

10:31 a.m. One of the most interesting prospects in Michigan's class, in my opinion, was 4-star receiver Giles Jackson. His LOI has officially been approved.

Michigan does not have another player on its roster like this guy. It'll be fascinating to see how Jim Harbaugh uses him, as the Wolverines have got to get out of the habit of gimmicking unique speed within this offense.

10:17 a.m. Michigan has added LOIs from 4-star tight end Eric All and 3-star CB D.J. Turner.

All is an interesting H-back prospect, not all that different from Sean McKeon. A very good blocker as a high school tight end. Pretty versatile.

Turner, meanwhile, looked like a safety to me in high school. Though he's recruited as a corner. So we'll see.

10 a.m. Three more letters are in for Michigan.

The Wolverines have officially signed Cornelius Johnson (4-star WR), Mazi Smith (4-star DT) and Quintel Kent (3-star WR).

Smith, from East Kentwood, is expected to be an early enrollee. He'll have a chance to compete for time right away with Aubrey Solomon's departure.

9:30 a.m. Quick reset of who has signed with Michigan so far (officially processed):

5-star DB Daxton Hill

4-star DT Chris Hinton

4-star OL Nolan Rumler

4-star OL Trente Jones

4-star LB Anthony Solomon

4-star DB Jalen Perry

4-star DT David Ojabo

4-star OL Karsen Barnhart

3-star OL Zach Carpenter

3-star LB Charles Thomas

3-star DE Mike Morris

3-star WR Mike Sainristil

3-star OL Jack Stewart

3-star ATH Joey Velazquez

9:20 a.m. Another big moment for Michigan on signing day as 4-star receiver Cornelius Johnson, from Connecticut, has picked the Wolverines.

Johnson is a legit 6-foot-3 outside wide receiver prospect with good range, powerful hands and enough speed to be a factor as both a possession and downfield threat.

He's the 15th 4-star prospect in this class.

9:15 a.m. Four more LOIs have been process for Michigan.

Mike Sainristil, a 3-star DB/WR from Massachussets, is in. He's one of the best athletes in this class who flew under the radar as an east coast prospect who didn't do much via the camp circuit. Could be a difference maker.

Also in are 3-star offensive tackle Jack Stewart, 3-star linebacker Charles Thomas and 4-star cornerback Jalen Perry.

Perry, of course, is a former Georgia commit. Also an explosive athlete. Thomas is a thumping inside linebacker. Stewart, from Connecticut, is a bit of a project — but has a great frame up front.

9:05 a.m. Some non-signing day news here:

Devin Bush Jr. has declared for the NFL Draft. He won't play in the Peach Bowl.

8:49 a.m. Two more LOIs are now official: 4-star defensive tackle David Ojabo and 4-star outside linebacker Anthony Solomon.

Solomon was a late Miami flip from Florida and is a legit sideline-to-sideline linebacker talent with very good football IQ. Solomon could end up as a viper, but if he can hold more weight, he could be a very nice inside linebacker at some point. Time will tell.

Ojabo, meanwhile, has only played two years of organized football after moving to the U.S. from Ireland. He's raw, but he's very athletic.

8:35 a.m. A few more letters now rolling in.

Chris Hinton, a 4-star defensive tackle from Atlanta, and Nolan Rumler, a 4-star guard from Akron, Ohio, are both official. These are two of the top-rated players in Michigan's class. Both were in my top five (though Daxton Hill is now No. 1).

Hinton is athletic and polished enough to compete for time right away at 3-tech. Rumler isn't needed right now, but he's more polished than most interior guards. He could play sooner than later, perhaps in 2020.

8:18 a.m. 5-star safety Daxton Hill pulls the incredibly rare double flip. He's back with Michigan and now officially a Wolverine.

This was a massive win for Jim Harbaugh, as the Wolverines nearly lost what will likely be the top-rated player in their 2019 recruitnig class.

Hill is a legit 4.3 player, perhaps the fastest straight line talent in the class. He'll compete for time immediately.

8:08 a.m. Michigan has officially signed 4-star offensive lineman Karsen Barnhart from Paw Paw.

He's the first to have his letter processed this morning.

7:55 a.m. Elsewhere, Alabama just flipped 4-star safety Jordan Battle from Ohio State.

There had been some momentum building here for Alabama, though new Ohio State coach Ryan Day did his best to keep him.

More:Early signing day live updates on who's going where

7:46 a.m. Michigan is waiting on a few announcements today.

By now, most everyone is aware of 5-star Zach Harrison's situation: He'll announce his decision at around 12:30 p.m. at his high school. Most analysts believe he'll pick Ohio State.

Time will tell if Daxton Hill does anything today. Michigan lost a commitment from the 5-star safety Dec. 8, but has absolutely stayed in this recruitment and is hopeful to get him back.

At 9 a.m., 4-star receiver Cornelius Johnson will make his announcement. He's viewed as a Michigan lean.

7:30 a.m. Michigan will likely start processing letters shortly. But some have already been sent.

Zach Carpenter, a 3-star offensive lineman from Cincinnati, has signed already this morning. Carpenter is an inside offensive lineman, guard or center, who is probably better than his overall rating. He played at a great program (Moeller) and is more polished than most.

Also, per 247sports, 3-star linebacker/safety Joey Velazquez (from Columbus, Ohio) has already sent his letter. Velazquez is a project, as he came to Michigan after having a baseball scholarship at Ohio State.

7:05 a.m. Paw Paw offensive lineman Karsen Barnhart has been a dirt bike racing enthusiast since the age of three.

Later today he'll officially become a Michigan football player. Here's a look at Barnhart's path from the great Mick McCabe.

Barnhart was a versatile offensive weapon for Paw Paw. An offensive lineman and a tight end. He'll be a new wave offensive line prospect at Michigan. He also plays through the whistle harder than any player in this class.

6:47 a.m. Signing day has arrived.

Michigan will begin taking letters from its 2019 class shortly and continue that process throughout the morning and perhaps early afternoon. The school have no plans to make Jim Harbaugh available for a signing day presser, which is absolutely a first.

But Harbaugh is expected to speak at an episode of his radio show later tonight.

Either way, "enjoy the struggle."

*****************************************************

Previewing the day

Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh said this week there would be "fireworks" on signing day.

We'll find out.

The Wolverines will enter the second ever early signing period, beginning Wednesday, with 25 public commitments and the hope of possibly adding more. The Wolverines expect to receive signatures from most of their current class Wednesday.

Read more:

Michigan football recruiting: Analyzing standouts from the 2019 class

Michigan entered the week hoping to land the services of 5-star defensive end Zach Harrison (Lewis Center, Ohio), though most recruiting analysts have him leaning toward staying home at Ohio State.

Harrison is expected to take part in a live stream announcement at his high school at around 12:30 p.m., though he may announce his decision via Twitter in the morning.

The Wolverines are also still hoping to get a signature from 5-star safety Daxton Hill (Tulsa, Okla.). He committed to Michigan in September before decommitting and flipping to Alabama less than two weeks ago. Michigan has not stopped recruiting Hill, and believes it still has hope. Hill has been quiet and has not said whether he'll sign this week or in February.

Michigan is also in the mix for 4-star receiver Cornelius Johnson, a 6-foot-3 wideout from Greenwich, Conn. Johnson is expected to make his college choice Wednesday. Michigan appears to be in a good spot.

Michigan enters the day with the No. 9 class in America, according to the 247Sports Composite. We'll find out where it winds up at day's end. Ohio State is No. 10.

We'll be providing updates throughout the day.

LISTEN:The Michigan Rant podcast: The football recruiting episode

Twitter updates

Live updates for mobile users.