Michigan Monday: Is Starting to see a Trend with International Players

Let's be honest, Michigan hasn't figured out NIL and how it can benefit the University of Michigan and its student athletes.  Other programs are spending big dollars to bring in recruits like Texas A&M and Miami for example.  

There are a group of students that don't qualify for NIL and those are International Students.   Both Michigan Football and Basketball has grabbed overseas players recently with the hope that their upside and lack of exposure is worth the risk.  It seems the PPI Organization that helps International athletes find scholarships has been very good to Michigan of late.  Both of the new recruits are from that organization along with current Wolverines Marlin Klein and Julius Welschof.  

Michigan Football's 2 newest commitments this weekend are players from France and Germany.   First is, 2023 edge rusher Aymeric Koumba (6'4 230 pounds) who Mike Elston saw at a Georgia camp in June and immediately wanted him in the class.   Since he lives in France, he doesn't have a ranking and is about "under the radar" as a recruit can be.  Its reported he has a 7'1 wingspan and a freak athletically.  That camp performance got him a couple offers but Michigan's stood out:  "I’m a huge fan of Hutchinson and David Ojabo, who is an international (player) like me, so getting offered by the same school is just so motivational,” Koumba told The Michigan Insider's Brice Marich back in June “So yeah, I’m very interested by this program, who is definitely an NFL type of program."

Welcome Aymeric! 

Next is a 2024 defensive lineman from Germany named Manuel Beigel.  Very much like Aymeric above, little is known about this future Wolverine as he doesn't have a ranking in the recruiting system.  He is transferring to Tristan Bounds former school in CT (Choate Rosemary Hall) and the Michigan coaches will get two full years of watching him play American Football before he arrives in Ann Arbor.  

I expect both of these players will have a long learning curve and probably won't see the field in the Big House for many years.  With that said, they both sound like great fits and have a very high ceiling.  

Love the focus on the defensive line, but Michigan will need commitments from other position groups real soon!

• Congrats to Cam Smith on his Open win on Sunday.  His magical short game stole another Open Championship away from Rory.  This kid who now lives in Jacksonville, has a very bright future with that elite short game (which Jack called the best he has ever seen).