Michigan has a bevy of wing-forwards in the stable, but recruiting never ceases in the portal era where programs have to functionally re-recruit their own players and deal with the possibility of mass attrition.

With several targets coming off the board in recent weeks, let's take a look at where things stand coming off the first live evaluation period of July.

 

Devin Royal

Height/Weight: Listed at 6'6 and 205 - 215 pounds. 6'6 and 215 seems about right per my eye test

High School/AAU: Pickerington Central HS (OH)/Nike EYBL All Ohio (OH)

Weekend Performance: 13ppg, 4.7reb, 2asst, 44% FG and 40% from 3 on 10 attempts over six games

Mainstream Ranking: 4-star/25 - 100 overall

EM Ranking/Evaluation: Projected impact resembles that of a 50 - 80 level prospect. Versatility is the biggest asset for Devin, although he's not elite at any one particular facet of the game. He's an above average shooter, a solid playmaker for others as a wing and can create his own shot. Likely a 3/4 that can play a bit of the 2 depending on matchup. Solid positional size for a wing at around 6'6, but probably needs to refine his physique a bit. He's not a great athlete and lacks twitchiness/explosion, but he's not a poor athlete by any means. Has the look of a nice multi-year college player that sticks around for at least 2-3 years and becomes an impact rotational player as a sophomore. 

Recruitment: Received Michigan offer in late June. Visited Michigan State in June and Ohio State a few weeks ago. Devin says no more visits until after Peach Jam (7/17 - 7/24) and that he'll cut his list after that event as well. Impossible to ascertain where the Wolverines stand based on the novelty of the offer. But as always, until a visit is locked-in, you shouldn't get too excited. 

 

Andrej Stojakovic 

Height/Weight: List heights are in the 6'6 - 6'7 range with the weight between 165 - 190. Eye test says 6'6 and 190 sounds about right. 

High School/AAU: Jesuit HS (CA)/Adidas 3SSB Compton Magic (CA)

Mainstream Ranking: 4-star/`now 20 - 35 Overall

EM Ranking/Evaluation: I have yet to see Stojakovic live, but he looks to have the projected impact of a top-30 level prospect that can provide some real offensive punch as a freshman. The diversity in his scoring package is absolutely elite. A true three-level scorer, Andrej hits pull-ups from distance and midrange with consistency. He's just as potent in an off-ball role, easily hitting jumpers off movement via down-screens. Throw in a face-up + post game that can hurt smaller guards and you have a real bucket-getter. The handle isn't elite by any means, but it is solid for a wing. He can change direction/speed with a live dribble and can beat ball-pressure and get to the rim. The thing holding him back from 5-star status is the athleticism. Stojakovic isn't stiff, but also doesn't possess ideal agility/range of motion that projects well on the defensive end of the court. Still, I like Andrej a lot as versatile scorer that can potentially play the 2-4 spots and be compatible with any lineup combination. 

Recruitment: Michigan extended an offer in June. Visited Stanford and UCLA for OVs in June. It appears the UCLA visit really moved the needle, with 4 crystal balls for the Bruins in the aftermath. Has a visit scheduled with Texas for September, but UCLA is hoping to secure a commitment before then. In any event, it doesn't appear that Michigan is getting any traction here. 

[After THE JUMP: 8th grader dominates]

On Saturday I took in some 16u action to get an updated look at 2024 offer James Brown of Meanstreets EYBL. I can tell you the 4-star big is definitely serious about Michigan, as he has frequent contact with the staff. That said, Brown's HS/AAU teammate is Illinois commit Morez Johnson and Brad Underwood was front row along with his two assistants for the game I viewed. This is shaping up to be a Michigan/Illinois battle in the early going.

While Brown looked good, I'd be remiss not to mention a 2026 prospect that immediately caught my attention. 2026 wing Tyran Stokes of Team Why Not was the best player on the floor by a wide margin. Take a look at my film from that game below. Keep in mind, this is an 8th-grader..............playing two years up in the 16u division of the best shoe-circuit in the world. 

I spoke with a notable B10 coach in the aftermath and his words on Stokes were simple, "he's a pro". I'm never going to project a kid that hasn't stepped foot on a HS campus as a pro, but his skill + athleticism at 14 years old was nothing short of incredible. He made Brown and Johnson look underwhelming on multiple occasions, and both are top-50 caliber prospects in the entire country. I can assure you the staff is now aware of Stokes.