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What's next for Michigan after losing three commits in three days?

Aubrey Solomon

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The Michigan Wolverines are coming off a summer in which it seemed as if everything went right on the recruiting trail. Coach Jim Harbaugh and his staff made a satellite camp around the country and in the process picked up several commitments from some of the nation's top talents.

But this week, things have gone in the other direction. The Wolverines have lost three commitments, all from players ranked ranked in the Rivals250. We take a look at what went wrong and where the Wolverines and the players who re-opened their recruitment turn next.

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What Happened: The Rivals100 defensive tackle was billed as one of the biggest recruiting wins in the 2017 cycle after he committed the Wolverines over the summer. The rural Georgia star picked the school over Alabama, Georgia and Florida State, and his commitment came on the heels of a satellite camp held by the Wolverines at his high school. But a combination of the distance, a miscommunication between Solomon and the staff over a visit and his mother wanting to become more involved in the process led to his decommitment.

What's next for Solomon: Expect Solomon to take his time before making another decision, with the Seminoles, Bulldogs and Tide all playing a major part. With his mother also becoming more involved, visits, both official and unofficial, will be a telling sign as to where he might be leaning.

What's next for Michigan: "South Jordan (Utah) Bingham four-star defensive tackle Jay Tufele was a priority for Michigan before and even a little after Solomon committed but now he’s one of the top overall targets on the either side of the ball. Michigan is likely playing from behind for Tufele so it’ll be interesting to see if any other targets pop up. One candidate is Highlands Ranch (Colo.) Valor Christian defensive tackle Noah Elliss. The newly-minted four-star is massive at 6-5, 330 pounds and is teammates with Wolverine commit Dylan McCaffrey. No real interaction has occurred yet but he could be a name to watch." – Brandon Brown, TheWolverine.com

What Happened: Taylor's commitment to Michigan in early April was a surprise. Most pundits did not even have him leaning toward the Wolverines when he made his commitment, let alone expect him to end his recruitment so early in the process. So, from the beginning the chance for a decommitment always appeared high and, in fact, Taylor made an unofficial visit to Ohio State less than two weeks after committing to the Wolverines. That commitment also came after his teammate, linebacker Antwuan Johnson, had committed to Michigan, but Johnson has since transferred to another high school.

What's next for Taylor: The expectation is that Ohio State is now the team to beat for Taylor, but that speculation is premature. Ohio State, like Michigan, is looking at Taylor as a defensive end, and the four-star prospect would prefer to play tight end in college. Another quick decision seems unlikely, and this recruitment could go out for another year-plus before we get a final verdict.

What's next for Michigan: "Taylor’s decommitment did not come as much of a surprise. He had been flirting with Ohio State for a while, took some visits to Columbus, and also plans to check out Notre Dame soon. The fact that he was still committed up until (Tuesday) was maybe more surprising. Losing a 2018 commit is a bummer but in the big picture it’s not a huge deal. Michigan should have a solid season in 2016 and recruits from Taylor’s class won’t be in short supply." – Brandon Brown, TheWolverine.com

What Happened: When Irvin committed to the Wolverines over the summer after an Atlanta-area satellite camp, he raved about his decision, calling Michigan his "dream school." Having lived in Michigan until he was 6, Irvin jumped at the chance to commit. But just a few months later while some of the other class of 2018 prospects were collecting offers, Irvin was an afterthought. He elected to decommit from Michigan in an effort to further explore his options and enjoy the recruiting process.

What's next for Irvin: Shortly after deciding to re-open his recruitment, he quickly collected offers from Georgia and Virginia Tech. Several more will likely come his way soon. Irvin said he will continue to consider Michigan and it wouldn't be surprising to see the Wolverines get another shot at landing his signature down the road.

What's next for Michigan: "Irvin is going to gain more popularity as his junior season begins and will likely have a lot more than just the two other options he had when he decided to commit to Michigan. With Irvin it feels like Michigan will still have a really good shot with him. The childhood connections are strong and even though he’ll have several other opportunities, expect the Maize and Blue to be a viable option throughout his recruitment." – Brandon Brown, TheWolverine.com

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