Michigan safeties coach Tyler Stockton has put the program in solid positioning for a fast-rising in-stater in the Metro Detroit area. 2028 three-star safety Jayden Evans heads into the latter half of the summer with three visits to Ann Arbor under his belt this offseason, all of which occurred after earning an offer in late February.
“Honestly, it’s been great,” Evans told Maize n Brew. “They’ve been showing a lot of love. I’m not going to lie. It’s a great feeling.”
Evans holds other notable offers from Indiana, Colorado, Ohio State, Oregon and Texas A&M, to name a few. As his recruitment continues to break glass ceilings, he’s gotten a firm understanding on how to best narrow down his list once the time comes.
“Nice, for real,” Evans said. “It (went) up a lot over the spring break and stuff like that, so I’m really loving it. I learned that I like when a school keeps it real with me. I don’t want you to say anything fake just to make me feel like. I want to know how you see me in your playbook. Things like that.”
Evans was last on campus at the beginning of June to camp. It was on that trip, as well as the two spring practice appearances, where his relationship with Stockton and head coach Kyle Whittingham began to take shape.
“Great guy,” Evans said of Stockton. “We’ve been laughing a lot already and stuff like that. (Whittingham) is also a great guy. They’re great guys to be around, honestly.”
The practices allowed Evans to soak in the new coaching staff’s culture and see a former Harper Woods teammate grow in Ann Arbor.
“I loved how physical it was,” Evans said. “It seemed really true for the program and what they’ve been doing for the past couple of years. It seemed like they’re really focused on getting back to the national championship.
“The best connection I have is with Jacob Oden. It’s amazing because we both play the same position, kind of have the same build, almost look alike. So it’s really nice seeing somebody that I know playing in the big stage like that.”
Evans is currently the No. 390 player overall, the No. 35 safety and No. 8 player in Michigan, according to the Rivals Industry Rankings.