Michigan Football: MASSIVE Recruiting Update For Saturday 1/24

UPDATE: 4-star QB Zach Gentry committed to Michigan on Saturday, read more here

One of the biggest weekends in Michigan football recruiting history is here, with several key prospects in town and Jim Harbaugh looking to work some late magic to vault the Wolverines' 2015 recruiting class up the charts.

We're here to give you a snapshot of all the latest rumblings from both Ann Arbor and the recruiting trail in our Michigan Football: MASSIVE Recruiting Update For Saturday 1/24 (and Sunday 1/25).

Wolverines' pursuit of Buckeyes commit Mike Weber continues

Michigan is looking for a little home cooking to pay off in their pursuit of Ohio State Buckeyes commit Michael Weber. The four-star Detroit (MI) Cass Tech running back is a lifelong Michigan fan, and new running backs coach Tyrone Wheatley has made the program's interest well know for the week-plus that the official contact period has been open.

"The ball is all in Mikey's court," one source told Rivals.com. "Michigan is pursuing him, and he knows it. Whether it progresses beyond that is all up to him."

Weber had an in-home meeting scheduled with Jim Harbaugh for last Thursday, but scheduling conflicts pushed that meetup back. Potential times for Sunday and Monday didn't come through, making the prospect of a flip that much more difficult for UM.

Regardless, Weber is still considering hosting Harbaugh, and if that happens, there's a good chance the new Wolverines head coach can make Weber reconsider the "business decision" that caused him to commit to OSU in the first place.

Weber is taking his official visit to Columbus this weekend, so expect Urban Meyer and the crew to play some major defense to keep Weber in-house. Furthermore, the Wolverines lost out on Weber's good friend (and fellow running back) John Kelly, with the three-star committed to Tennessee. Both of these factors are roadblocks for Michigan's chances, but Harbaugh doesn't seem to mind as the program continues its pursuit of Weber in advance of National Signing Day.

Alabama commit Josh McMillon cancels his visit to Ann Arbor

The speculation surrounding four-star Memphis (TN) Whitehaven outside linebacker and Alabama commit Josh McMillon has apparently ceased, with canceling a visit to the Wolverines just hours after scheduling it.

The most likely scenario here is that the Alabama coaching staff got words of McMillon's plans and got in contact with him - urging him not to take the visit to Ann Arbor. While losing out on McMillon is a negative, the fact that the Crimson Tide saw Michigan as such a threat is just another sign of how the perception of the Wolverines on the recruiting trail is changing with Harbaugh at the helm.

One semi-related note from McMillon's school, Whitehaven High: head coach Rodney Saulsberry is both an alum and a fan, and his program is known for churning out college football prospects by the dozens - a great connection for Michigan to have going forward.

"We're making plans to go up there this summer and see what it is all about for these kids," Saulsberry said. "I'm going to put a little pressure on 'Wheat' to get sent down there."

Greg Mattison made an appearance at the school this week, but Saulsberry's former teammate and current UM running backs coach Tyrone Wheatley could be a major recruiting tool for the school when it comes to getting the inside track to talent coming out of Whitehaven.

Meanwhile in Florida...

Four-star wide receiver and FSU commit Auden Tate is reportedly considering an unofficial visit to Ann Arbor after Jim Harbaugh visited his school in the Tampa/St. Pete area of Florida on Wednesday morning.

"I always thought that Michigan was the biggest threat with Auden in him growing up a fan," Warchant.com's Mike Langston said this week. "If he does visit it would have to be this weekend as his visit to FSU has been set and confirmed on the 30th for FSU. He did cancel the Florida visit this weekend, so it's possible he could visit, but I haven't heard that he would or would not yet. I still get the vibe that FSU feels strongly he will stick at this stage."

However, if Michigan can get Tate in for a visit somehow, watch out.

The same applies for four-star Lakewood High (St. Petersburg) wide receiver/athlete Ryan Davis. If Michigan can get the currently-uncommitted #8 receiver in the land in for official visit (the program is angling for January 30th), that chances of persuading him to come to Ann Arbor will increase exponentially.

Tyrone Wheatley Jr. looking to blaze his own path?

That's the vibe CuseConfidential.com's Ryan Murray got from the four-star TE/DE, even when Jr.'s father was coaching at Syracuse.

"I've always gotten the feel that T.J wants to branch out of his father's shadow," he said. "I lived right down the road form his high school, know his coach and have talked to him before - when Michigan came in, he kind of liked the idea and was showing a little interest. Michigan one of the first. But there wasn't even a blip of Michigan or Syracuse when his dad was here. It was a foregone conclusion that Syracuse was not where he would end up.

"It wouldn't surprise me if he did end up showing more interest, but it would surprise me if he ended up there."

Right now, Wheatley Jr.'s top four appear to be Alabama, Oregon, UCLA, and USC - meaning that a partnership with his father at Michigan might be unlikely at this point.

News & Notes

* Don't be surprised if the Michigan Wolverines continue to pursue unranked Delray Beach (Fla.) defensive back despite Bush having no offers currently to his name. While Bush has been projected as a two-star talent by some websites, the simple act of making headway at the school that three-star defensive end target Shelton Johnson and plenty of other top talent attends could play a pivotal role in Harbaugh's desire to turn Michigan into a recruiting powerhouse throughout the nation.

*Four-star Avon (CT) tight end Chris Clark remains on board with the Wolverines, but he's also keeping his eye on potential competition. The #2-ranked TE in the nation according to 247Sports has been keeping a close eye on the Wolverines' pursuit of current Nebraska commit Matt Snyder (a courtship that's likely to prove fruitless), and has asked questions to the staff every time it appears another tight end is on the radar in Ann Arbor.

*Former four-star target EJ Levenberry has decided to transfer from Florida State after two years with the program, and the talented linebacker is reportedly fielding interest from Michigan once again and Ohio State.

Levenberry's father, Eric Levenberry, hopes that Michigan gets involved.

"He loved Michigan, and he loves D.J. Durkin," he said of Michigan's new defensive coordinator. "Durkin recruited him the first time around for Florida, and he has a great relationship with him."

Nothing is expected to happen until after February 4th's National Signing Day, but stay tuned.

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