Discussing where Michigan stands with its top five 2024 defensive lineman prospects

As with many positions in the 2024 class, the Michigan Wolverines are blessed with a multitude of top interior defensive linemen interested in playing for them. Two four-star defensive tackles, Jerod Smith and Ted Hammond, are already committed, and the list of blue chips in this group could balloon before it’s all said and done.

Defensive line coach Mike Elston will be a busy man this June, as Michigan is set to host the following five defensive linemen on official visits. Let’s check in and see where Michigan stands in these recruitments.

Justin Scott

A five-star and the third-best interior defensive lineman in this cycle, Justin Scott will anchor just about any line he’s a member of. Although Notre Dame and Miami are the two leaders as of now, Scott is currently the highest-rated recruit in the 2024 class to schedule an official visit to Ann Arbor.

The June 9 visit will be Michigan’s best and perhaps last chance to change the trajectory in the battle for the nation’s 12th-best overall recruit.

Jordan Thomas

With the return of linebacker’s coach and New Jersey native Chris Partridge, Michigan has catapulted into the race for Jordan Thomas. The Don Bosco Prep defensive tackle is rated as the 14th-best at the position and the top recruit overall from the Garden State.

With a 6-foot-5, 296-pound frame, he’s a punishing run-stopper any program would love to have. Michigan will receive an official visit on June 16, giving the Wolverines a clear opportunity to vault into the lead. The competition will be stiff, however, as he has other scheduled visits to Georgia, South Carolina and Rutgers.

Brandon Davis-Swain

Brandon Davis-Swain’s recruitment has been a wild ride so far, but it appears to be returning to a more typical course as summer approaches. The West Bloomfield Laker, the 24th-best defensive lineman and the fifth-best player from Michigan, has regularly visited Ann Arbor, even when he was a Notre Dame commit. Ever since he reopened his recruitment in December, the Wolverines have been seen as one of the favorites to land him, and with a June 23 official visit on the docket, that doesn’t seem to have changed.

Davis-Swain has other scheduled official visits to Purdue and Colorado, which are to legitimate threats to Michigan’s chances of landing him. With other targets on the board for the Wolverines, it’ll be interesting to see what happens in this recruitment since they have seemingly put him on the back burner.

Owen Wafle

With his decommitment from Notre Dame last week, the Wolverines have quickly taken the driver’s seat in the recruitment of four-star Owen Wafle. The Maize and Blue were on the receiving end of eight crystal balls in the hours after he reopened his recruitment and are slated to host the nation’s 41st-best defensive tackle in the class on June 9 for his official visit.

Without any other officials on his calendar so far and the barrage of predictions in favor of Michigan, be on the lookout for a possible commitment from him in the weeks to come.

Deyvid Palepale

Michigan’s most recent crystal ball projects Pennsylvania local Deyvid Palepale to the Wolverines. Standing 6-foot-3 and weighing 288 pounds, the three-star defensive lineman would be a great nose tackle prospect for the Maize and Blue. A consummate tackler with good vision and pursuit skills, Palepale could outpace his ranking in the right system and, at the very least, provide the defensive line with some solid depth.

Michigan, who claims Palepale’s lone crystal ball, will be hosting him on June 9. He will then take an official to Penn State on the 16th. His recruitment is likely to come down to these two Big Ten East blue bloods, with the early edge given to the Wolverines.

Which of these prospects are you most enthusiastic about? Who do you think ends up with Michigan? Let us know in the comments section!