Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh and newly committed defensive tackle Jordan Elliott.
After a summer blitz that saw U-M add the majority of its current 22 commitments in the span of just over two months, U-M went three weeks between pledges. After defensive end Carlo Kemp joined the Wolverines’ 2016 class at the beginning of the month, he gained a teammate up front Saturday.
Houston Westside three-star Jordan Elliott took his official visit to Ann Arbor over the weekend, and Saturday afternoon, ended his recruitment in favor of the Maize and Blue.
“After extensive research and after sitting down with my family to look at all possible scenarios,” he posted on his Twitter account, “I have made my final decision to further my education and football career at the University of Michigan. I have felt this way for some time now and I am truly excited to make it known. In my heart, I know that Michigan is the place for me. Time to work.”
The 6-foot-5, 301-pound Elliott is the No. 28 defensive tackle nationally and the No. 52 overall senior in the Lone Star State. A strong senior season – despite a 4-7 record for his Wolves squad, he was third on his team in tackles, and made 10 tackles for loss, including four sacks – could see him move up in the Rivals.com rankings.
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Kemp and Elliott aren’t the only defensive linemen in the class thus far (Florida two-star Rashad Weaver joined up during the aforementioned June commitment blitz), and they certainly won’t be the last. The Wolverines are in good shape with one of the nation’s top prospects, No. 2 overall Rashan Gary, a five-star from Paramus (N.J.) Catholic, and are also pursuing four-star defensive tackle Chris Daniels, defensive end Connor Murphy and other players up front.
After a season-ending game in which the U-M defensive line was depleted due to injury – sophomore nose tackle Bryan Mone missed the entire year and Ryan Glasgow and defensive end Mario Ojemudia the second half of the year – Elliott is one of many prospects who could see the opportunity to earn playing time up front right away.
Elliott’s commitment – in addition to changes in other schools’ commitment lists – helped boost the Wolverines’ class to No. 3 nationally at this time, with several openings in the class to close strong.
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.