Brady Hoke and his staff received a verbal commitment from 4-star running back Michael Weber, marking Michigan's 10th commitment for the 2015 class.
"Uncle Mike" announced the news on his Twitter feed:
He expanded on the decision in an interview with 247Sports' Steve Wiltfong:
I want to be home, I just want to come home, 35 minutes away. That’s the main reason why. The depth chart is kind of low at running back and they haven’t had a running back drafted in a long time and I want to turn thing around for Michigan.
Interestingly enough, Weber, who attends Cass Technical High School in Detroit, was scheduled to visit Michigan State on Wednesday. After oversleeping, though, he chose to instead visit Michigan and ended up committing.
It's an odd situation, and 247Sports' crystal ball predictions actually favored Michigan State slightly over the Wolverines, so this will be something to pay attention to in the coming days and months.
For now, though, Hoke can celebrate a tremendous pickup.
The 5'10", 205-pound running back is ranked as the 115th-best overall prospect, 14th-best running back and No. 2 player out of the state of Michigan in the 2015 class, per 247Sports' composite rankings.
ESPN's scouting report (subscription required) describes him as a versatile weapon who "can run inside or out, block and catch the ball out of the backfield," noting he "has physical abilities that translate well to the next level." It also argues he's more of an three-down back than a home run hitter.
247Sports' Clint Brewster applauded the addition for Michigan, comparing Weber to New England Patriots lead back Stevan Ridley:
Not since Mike Hart in the mid-2000s have the Wolverines had a true game-changer at the running back position. Fitzgerald Toussaint is the only back to surpass 1,000 yards since Hart (2011), but he followed that up with a pair of underwhelming campaigns the last two years.
There is hope that sophomores Derrick Green or De'Veon Smith can thrive in new offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier's system. Whether or not they are able to do so, Weber will certainly add some depth to the position when he arrives on campus next year.
Either way, when it comes to Michigan's backfield, the arrow is undoubtedly pointing up.
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