Sports are on hold for the foreseeable future. The NCAA has established a recruiting dead period, banning both campus visits for recruits and in-home or school visits for coaches until May 31. Yet, the uncertainty surrounding COVID-19 hasn’t stopped recruits from committing to their preferred schools.
In the past two weeks, Michigan has secured four commits in the class of 2021 — defensive lineman Dominick Giudice, offensive lineman Greg Crippen, tight end Louis Hansen and punter Tommy Doman — giving the Wolverines a total of six in the class. The Daily breaks down these players and how they could add to the team.
Defensive lineman Dominick Giudice
Giudice, a three-star defensive end from New Jersey, was a bit of a surprise. Most of his previous offers were from service academies, the Ivy League and MAC schools. Competing for Mater Dei Prep, a small school in Monmouth County, Giudice is the current New Jersey sack leader. However, Giudice told Rivals that Michigan sees him as a likely three-technique at the next level.
According to Rivals, Giudice grew up a Michigan fan but has not yet taken an official visit. Last Tuesday, he was offered a scholarship on a group FaceTime call with head coach Jim Harbaugh, defensive coordinator Don Brown and defensive line coach Shaun Nua. After a brief discussion with his parents, Giudice committed that same night.
“I was really happy because Michigan was my dream school,” he told Rivals.
It is unclear how much playing time Giudice will get with the Wolverines given the presence of better defensive line prospects on the roster, but Michigan has a good history of finding underrated East Coast players, and presumably its coaches think Giudice is next.
Offensive lineman Greg Crippen
Crippen is a four-star offensive lineman from IMG Academy in Florida, where he transferred from his home state of Massachusetts. He was previously committed to Notre Dame before re-opening his recruitment on Mar. 4.
Crippen is a big get for the Wolverines, having held offers from Alabama, Auburn, Ohio State and USC among others. He is likely a guard or center in college and is ranked as the No. 11 guard in the country by 247Sports.
According to 247Sports, Crippen has already been on campus, visiting for last year’s Middle Tennessee game while still committed to the Fighting Irish. He appears to have been swayed by offensive line coach Ed Warinner’s recent work in developing his unit.
“You can see from this year’s (NFL) combine for Michigan, he will get you there with hard work and dedication,” Crippen told 247Sports.
Crippen is the Wolverines’ second offensive line commit for 2021, joining four-star tackle Giovanni El-Hadi of Sterling Heights. Both could be big contributors at a position group that appears to be stacked for the near future.
Tight end Louis Hansen
Hansen is a four-star tight end from Needham, Mass., a suburb of Boston. He is ranked as the No. 8 tight end overall and the No. 2 prospect in Massachusetts by 247Sports. He chose Michigan over offers from Florida, Georgia, LSU and a host of Big Ten foes.
“Something I like about the offense is the way they utilize the tight ends,” Hansen told 247Sports. “They often have multiple (tight ends) on the field at once, which provides an opportunity for early playing time. And they do a good job getting them the ball in space and allowing them the chance to make plays. … They have a great chance at being a very dynamic offense.”
Both Hansen and Crippen cited wanting to study in the Ross School of Business as playing a role in their decisions.
Hansen is just the latest big New England pickup by Brown, who is well known for his prowess at recruiting the area. Additionally, tight ends coach Sherrone Moore assisted with Hansen’s recruitment.
With the graduation of fifth-year senior tight end Nick Eubanks after the 2020 season, the Wolverines will need new contributors at the position. Hansen likely won’t get immediate playing time given the presence of sophomore Erick All and redshirt sophomore Luke Schoonmaker, but he has all the tools to step into a starting role later on.
Kicker/punter Tommy Doman Jr.
Doman is ranked as the No. 2 kicker and No. 3 punter in the country by Kohl’s Kicking and the No. 8 kicker and No. 2 punter by Kornblue Kicking. He picked Michigan from among a top 10 that inlcuded Ivy Leagues and service academies along with Colorado State, Western Michigan and Washington State. Specialists are harder to project than other positions — Quinn Nordin is a prime example — but when he arrives in Ann Arbor, Doman will presumably be among the candidates vying to replace junior Jake Moody at kicker and fifth-year senior Will Hart at punter.