Commitment breakdown: 2023 Rivals250 DT Joel Starlings commits to Michigan
Rivals250 defensive tackle Joel Starlings saw his recruiting stock rise as a sophomore during Virginia's spring season and then more teams jumped onboard this season. Michigan, Georgia, Wisconsin, Penn State, and Texas A&M had prioritized the Richmond (Va.) Benedictine standout earlier this season and his visit to Ann Arbor this weekend for the Ohio State game blew him away. That experience was enough to make Starlings pull the trigger and commit to the Wolverines.
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CLASS OF 2022 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
CLASS OF 2023 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
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IN HIS OWN WORDS...
"The coaching is top notch," Starlings said of Michigan. "You can tell they really are bought in and passionate about their players succeeding and giving their maximum effort. And the guys play for them which makes the bond and relationship strong.
"(Coach Nua and I) talk about everything honestly," he said. Football is barely what we talk about. It’s more of talking about our lives and what the future holds for me and my family."
WHAT MICHIGAN IS GETTING
Starlings is a big body in the middle of the defensive line that get can hold up at the point of attack and get penetration. There's no doubt he'll need to get stronger and reshape his body a bit once he gets to the college level but this is a defensive tackle with a lot of potential as a run-stuffer and pocket-collapser. Starlings has impressive quickness for a player his size and does a nice job slipping by blockers to get his hands on ball carriers. With another year of high school to go, it will be interesting to see how Starlings continues to develop and prepare for the significant jump in competition.
WHY IT'S BIG FOR THE WOLVERINES
Michigan capitalizing on their huge win over Ohio State isn't a surprise. Starlings has been very high on Michigan for months and he'll be a big part of Michigan's future defensive line if he can keep developing the physical and technical aspects of his game. Look for Michigan to add a couple more big bodies in the middle of their defense while going after a few defensive ends to put around Starlings. So far the Wolverines only have one other commitment in the 2023 class (kicker Adam Samaha) so Starlings has a chance to be a leader in this recruiting class.