On the same day Michigan football gained a commitment from four-star tight end Andrew Rappleyea, the Wolverines lost a commitment from four-star defensive lineman Joel Starlings of Richmond, Virginia.
Rated the No. 216 overall prospect in the class of 2023, Starlings decommitted from U-M to reopen his recruitment. He announced the decision on social media.
“Dear Family, Friends, and Supporters,” Starlings wrote on his Twitter account, “I would like to five thanks to God for blessing me, and giving me the tools and abilities to play the sport I love. I would like to thank the University of Michigan for showing the hospitality they’ve shown to me and my family. With the changing of the Coaching situation at my position at The University of Michigan, me and my family have decided to re-open my recruitment from here on out. With this decision I will be keeping all options open to other schools. God Bless! #RespectMyDecision”
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Starlings’ decision to back away from his verbal pledge to Michigan comes in the wake of defensive line coach Shaun Nua’s departure for the same job at Southern California. Nua had been the primary recruiter for Starlings, according to 247Sports.
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He holds additional scholarship offers from Arizona State, Florida State, Georgia, Michigan State, Ole Miss, Oregon, Penn State and Texas A&M, among others.
The loss of Starlings, who is the No. 35 defensive lineman in the country, drops U-M’s recruiting class from fifth nationally to ninth.
Contact Michael Cohen at mcohen@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @Michael_Cohen13.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan football sees 4-star DL Joel Starlings decommit