Five possible incoming freshmen candidates who could contribute next season are listed by TMI’s Brice Marich.
On Wednesday, Michigan signed, sealed, and delivered another great and deep recruiting class that included a number of players who were highly-touted this cycle.
In the 2024 class, the Wolverines signed nine three-star players and eighteen four-star prospects. Additionally, they signed players from sixteen states, the majority of whom came from Ohio (four), Michigan (three), North Carolina (three), Pennsylvania (three), and Maryland (three).
Despite their intention to acquire more players during the second signing period in February, the Maize and Blue have formally welcomed the bulk of the recruiting class as Wolverines.
Many first-year players have gone on to make an immediate impression under head coach Jim Harbaugh. One such player is freshman wide receiver Semaj Morgan, who has made an impact on offense and special teams this season.
The Michigan Insider examines five new recruits who might have an instant influence on the team the next year.
Running back Jordan Marshall from Buckeye State, who won Ohio’s Mr. Football award this season, was one of the major acquisitions of this cycle. This talented tailback was signed by running backs coach Mike Hart, beating out numerous offers from Ohio State, Wisconsin, and Tennessee. He is physically and mentally prepared to compete from the start. The other reason is the chance he may have, as the running back room will probably look very different in the fall once Blake Corum leaves, Donovan Edwards decides whether to stay or go, and C.J. Stokes logs onto the transfer portal.
Apart from Kalel Mullings, who hasn’t even held the position for very long, Hart doesn’t have many reliable options. As a result, he will probably need to use some younger backs, and Marshall is more than capable of taking those carries. He seems like a player who will likely see a lot of playing time as a true freshman.
Local standout Brady Prieskorn is a prime prospect to join Michigan’s offense, which is particularly fond of using the tight end position. He has the standard size to compete right away at 6-foot-6 and 225 pounds, and he has demonstrated the ability to grab the ball like a wide receiver even in traffic. He can run a variety of routes and is a mismatch problem in the red zone. He can also be a good blocker and assist in the running game. Excellent athlete with experience in multiple sports. Prieskorn will be enrolling early, so he can start working out and studying the offense sooner.
Prieskorn has the opportunity to contribute right away even if it’s uncertain AJ Barner and the other tight end players will return in addition to Colston Loveland. Dynamic receiver Semaj Morgan, a freshman, has emerged as a key player this season. The playwright, hailing from West Bloomfield, demonstrated an abundance of dynamism, deceptiveness, and the capacity to pull off a major play. I think incoming wide receiver I’Marion Stewart will do the same since Michigan has found various methods to get him the ball, whether it’s on offense or special teams.
Like Morgan, he possesses the credentials and skills to contribute right away to the Wolverines’ offense and special teams. With his offensive prowess and return game versatility, Ann Arbor is full of excitement about what they can do with him. A quick-witted, erratic player who can hit home runs when he gets the ball, Stewart has demonstrated that Michigan can identify and develop a place for a player with his caliber.
The edge position also could see some shake-up following this season with players slated to make decisions to either stay or go to the league and you can never count out players that might consider going into the transfer portal as well. As for Nichols’ game, his senior film pops and helped Oakdale to a state championship this year. Highly productive player as he racked up 94 total tackles with 46 solo tackles, 28 tackles for loss, 16 sacks, 83 quarterback pressures, 15 pass breakups, four forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, a interception and two punt blocks this season. As far his career stats, Nichols finished with 216 total tackles, 51.5 tackles for loss, 27.5 sacks, 149 quarterback pressures, 25 pass breakups, five forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and three punt blocks. He also just gave up 57 yards after contact on 216 tackles.94% tackling efficiency rate in his senior year (94 tackles in 100 chances) and 90% for his career. The Wolverines have a long history on developing and producing edge rushers and the next in line could be Nichols even in his first year. 
The name on my list that will probably create the most buzz and conversation is quarterback Jadyn Davis. Michigan’s signal-caller of the class was the top target at the position this cycle and head coach Jim Harbaugh personally recruited him during this process. While some have questioned different aspects surrounding his game, he’s proven to be a winner leading Providence Day to a 23-2 record over the past two seasons and back-to-back state championships.
As a senior, Davis threw for 3,370 yards and 43 touchdowns while completing 70.8 percent of his passes. One thing you can’t question is he’s a gamer and a true professional at the position that knows how to get the job done. Having said that, he’s got the physical and mental build to compete and play as a true freshman in Ann Arbor especially enrolling early. More importantly, the quarterback room is a fluid situation with the lingering decision of JJ McCarthy and whether he may return or not. If he does go pro, the Wolverines don’t have any clear-cut answers to automatically hand over the keys to the job, so we could see a open competition leading up to the first game. If that’s the case, don’t sleep on Davis potentially trotting out there to take the first snaps of the season.
