Fact or Fiction: Michigan has a real shot at Walter Nolen
Rivals national recruiting director Adam Gorney along with national recruiting analysts Sam Spiegelman and Ryan Wright and EJ Holland from TheWolverine.com tackle three topics and determine whether they believe each statement.
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1. Kam Dewberry will pick a school in the SEC.
Gorney’s take: FICTION. I would not be shocked at all if Kam Dewberry ends up at Texas A&M especially since the Aggies have done such a good job recruiting the area and convincing local players to come to College Station. But Ohio State has a very real chance and his relationship with the coaches there could be playing a big role in his thinking. I also wouldn’t be shocked to see him end up at Oklahoma or Texas, either, since Dewberry is not giving much away at this point. I would say, though, that he has shown a lot of interest in all the schools recruiting him but I don’t think it’s definitely even close to a lock that he ends up in the SEC.
Spiegelman’s take: FICTION. The odds are just about split and Dewberry is a proficient poker player that refuses to show his cards. Oklahoma is a school that's always been a favorite, if not the favorite, because of Bill Bedenbaugh. Texas surged since the hiring of Steve Sarkisian and Kyle Flood. Texas A&M has been a popular landing spot for Humble (Texas) Atascocita players and they have sizable momentum with a slew of in-state talent. Ohio State has also been pegged as Dewberry's dream school, which has kept coach Greg Studrawa involved, and LSU reasserted itself as a contender after tabbing Brad Davis as the new offensive line coach. In other words, official visits loom large as Dewberry reaches crunch time in his recruitment.
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2. Walter Nolen is visiting Michigan this weekend. The Wolverines have a real shot to land him.
Gorney’s take: FACT. When it comes to Walter Nolen’s recruitment, anything could still happen. If he loves his visit to Ann Arbor this weekend and he should since it’s going to be a big game-day environment, then Michigan is absolutely not out of the question. I’ve been told numerous times Nolen is leaning heavily toward staying in the Southeast and playing in the SEC but the five-star defensive tackle keeps taking trips to Michigan and shows interest. Nolen has been unpredictable and his commitment might be, too.
Holland’s take: FICTION. It’s really hard for me to get optimistic. Nolen has moved to the Knoxville-area for his senior season and recently left Michigan out of his top three. While his grandparents live in the Detroit area, his decision is ultimately going to come down to NIL. Michigan has a lot to offer in that regard but is still figuring out its approach. Meanwhile, Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee are doing everything possible with their NIL pitch. It’s obviously a positive that Nolen is giving Michigan another look after a summer official visit, but again, I don’t think there is reason to be overly excited.
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3. Sam McCall is underrated in the 2022 safety rankings.
Gorney’s take: FACT. The safety position is very strong in 2022 so there could be a lot of push-and-pull and debate over which players should be ranked higher but Sam McCall is so versatile and so special on the football field, I have a hard time believing there are four better safeties than him in the class. I love Xavier Nwanpka and don’t believe he’s in this discussion but Jacoby Mathews hasn’t blown me away, Zion Branch is definitely talented and there could be a flip in that McCall is the better safety in the state of Florida over Kamari Wilson. It will all play itself out by the time signing day comes but McCall has made a statement early this season that he’s special.
Wright’s take: FACT. McCall is an elite athlete playing all over the field for Lake Gibson. Because of his size, speed and playing corner for the Braves, he offers versatility in the secondary at the collegiate level others cannot. Being top five is impressive, but a great case can be made for McCall climbing up the rankings on his cover skills alone.