*** I made my way to Chicago (Ill.) Marist earlier today to see fast-rising 2022 linebacker Jimmy Rolder, who has ascended as the hottest prospect in the Midwest and is now a four-star recruit on Rivals. Today was mostly a walk through, but it was good to get some type of in-person eval. The first thing that stands out about Rolder is his size. He's well-put-together in both his upper and lower halves at about 6-foot-2 1/2, 220 pounds. Rolder moves well for his size and has the look of a typical inside linebacker in The Big Ten. His high school coach likened him to former Ohio State linebacker Tuf Borland. While not as fast as Aaron Alexander or Deuce Spurlock, Rolder can run sideline-to-sideline and is extremely aggressive. Rolder is also deceptively athletic. He has experience playing tight end and was committed to Illinois for baseball. I'm a sucker for football recruits that are high-level baseball players, to that has me even higher on Rolder. Lastly, Rolder is a really smart kid with a high football IQ.
*** On the recruiting front, Rolder is really starting to take off. Illinois was the first Power Five school to offer him over the weekend. Minnesota joined in followed by Michigan yesterday. Purdue jumped in the mix tonight, and more offers are expected to come in soon. Iowa is slated to host him for a visit over the weekeend, and Ohio State will be at his school to evaluate him next week. Right now, Rolder is just trying to take it all in. Other than Iowa, he has no visits planned and no exact decision timeline. He did say that visiting Michigan next weekend for its game against Northwestern was a possibility, but that is not set in stone. While Rolder is a DI baseball player, he wants to focus on football at the next level.
*** The Michigan offer came out of the blue and was a complete surprise to Rolder. In fact, the only Michigan staff member following Rolder on Twitter at the time of the offer was graduate assistant Stephen Adegoke. Now, basically the entire Michigan staff is following him. The offer actually came directly from Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh. Rolder told me he got a call from a Michigan number and decided to answer it. He was completely caught off guard when Harbaugh was on the other line. Rolder told me his interest in Michigan is high. He loves what U-M can offer from an academic standpoint and is impressed with U-M's season.
*** Rolder is quickly becoming a priority for Michigan. While Harbaugh and defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald saw Lander Barton yesterday, that recruitment remains a bit of an uphill battle. Rolder, while new to the board, is a very realistic option. Expect Rolder and the Michigan staff to quickly build a relationship over the next few weeks. By the way, fellow Chicagoland native JJ McCarthy also reached out to Rolder yesterday to recruit him to Michigan.
*** On the recruiting front, Rolder is really starting to take off. Illinois was the first Power Five school to offer him over the weekend. Minnesota joined in followed by Michigan yesterday. Purdue jumped in the mix tonight, and more offers are expected to come in soon. Iowa is slated to host him for a visit over the weekeend, and Ohio State will be at his school to evaluate him next week. Right now, Rolder is just trying to take it all in. Other than Iowa, he has no visits planned and no exact decision timeline. He did say that visiting Michigan next weekend for its game against Northwestern was a possibility, but that is not set in stone. While Rolder is a DI baseball player, he wants to focus on football at the next level.
*** The Michigan offer came out of the blue and was a complete surprise to Rolder. In fact, the only Michigan staff member following Rolder on Twitter at the time of the offer was graduate assistant Stephen Adegoke. Now, basically the entire Michigan staff is following him. The offer actually came directly from Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh. Rolder told me he got a call from a Michigan number and decided to answer it. He was completely caught off guard when Harbaugh was on the other line. Rolder told me his interest in Michigan is high. He loves what U-M can offer from an academic standpoint and is impressed with U-M's season.
*** Rolder is quickly becoming a priority for Michigan. While Harbaugh and defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald saw Lander Barton yesterday, that recruitment remains a bit of an uphill battle. Rolder, while new to the board, is a very realistic option. Expect Rolder and the Michigan staff to quickly build a relationship over the next few weeks. By the way, fellow Chicagoland native JJ McCarthy also reached out to Rolder yesterday to recruit him to Michigan.
