The recruitment of Youngstown (Ohio) Warren G. Harding edge Asa Burch is a classic story of a blue-chip recruit from the state of Ohio who Michigan covets but Ohio State is trying mightily to keep at home and away from the Wolverines.
The wrinkle is that Burch’s father, Alfie, played at Michigan from 1990-93. That family history along with the relationships being built with head coach Kyle Whittingham, defensive ends coach Lewis Powell and the rest of Michigan’s staff have led multiple Rivals analysts to predict the Wolverines will eventually land the younger Burch.
Both Alfie and Asa have made no bones about it: The offer from Michigan was special and the staff has made them feel very welcomed. The staff has also focused its efforts on making sure any legacy recruit who can play at Michigan is a priority.
With Burch having two high school seasons left, no college is taking those predictions as a reason to stop recruiting him. A longer, athletic and physical recruit, Burch (6-foot-5, 220 pounds) is a priority for not only Ohio State but also Penn State, Notre Dame and others.
The elder Burch is still very close to his teammates at Michigan. Some of them also have sons who are being recruited by Michigan. Alfie has stated, for the record, that Asa can choose whichever school he wants. But the dad has definitely filled his son in on what Michigan is all about.
“He tells me about Michigan,” Asa said. “There’s nothing like being a Michigan Wolverine in the world and just how great they were.”
Asa has been an all-around athlete since his younger days. Alfie coaches at Harding, so the staff was aware of his son as he prepared to enter high school.
“We saw the talent,” Harding head coach Matt Richardson said. “Even from a young age, he was an AAU basketball player so we knew in middle school he was an athlete and going to be coming up.”
Burch’s sophomore season was a breakout campaign, which launched him into being a blue-chip recruit. That did not come without him taking some lumps during his freshman year though.
“He took to (the varsity level) pretty quickly,” Richardson said. “He got his butt kicked as a freshman on the scout team with the varsity players when he was with the junior varsity team. Our strength coach is one of the best in the country. … Going into last season, Asa worked with him and changed his body and changed his speed.”
Harding has had a long history of high-major college recruits, including several at Burch’s position, most recently five-star prospect Chaz Coleman.
What makes Burch Harding’s next big thing is his physical talent and intangibles.
“First and foremost, he’s a very physical kid,” Richardson said. “He has a very good first step. And then his parents do a great job of keeping him humble. He’s been working on his craft all winter so we expect domination this season. He made a lot of plays last year and this year is an even more physical version of him.”
The mature approach to improvement on the football field also extends to the classroom and recruiting, where Burch will make a decision that is based on more than just football. Michigan has already shown him at this early juncture that it checks multiple boxes.
“The level of education provided and required — and expectation from the players — is a big deal because there’s life after football,” Burch said. “No one’s going to be playing football until they’re realistically like 40. That, and the connection between coaches and players and players to players, and culture, which ties into that.”
Burch and his family plan to visit Michigan again on Sept. 12, when the Wolverines host to Oklahoma.
Michigan offers 2028 receiver prospects
Even though it’s a dead period and a slower time in recruiting, Michigan is still working on evaluating and offering new recruits in the 2028 class.
Wide receivers coach Micah Simon has been busy, putting out new offers to St. Louis (Mo.) Cardinal Ritter product Ryan Richmond-McDavis and Hendersonville (Tenn.) Beech product Jeramy Laster Jr.
Both are four-star recruits with scholarship opportunities from around the country.
Notre Dame, Missouri, Kansas and Illinois are among the top competitors for the speedy Richmond-McDavis (5-11, 160). He has not been to Michigan before, but he’s looking to find a game to get to this fall.
Laster (5-9, 155) is a quick-footed prospect who is considering Vanderbilt, Auburn, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Kentucky, and others. He has previously visited Michigan and plans to again this season.
Allen Trieu covers Midwest football recruiting for On3. He has been featured on the Big Ten Network on its annual Signing Day Show. His Michigan and Michigan State recruiting columns appear weekly at detroitnews.com.
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Trieu: Michigan football battling for legacy recruit out of Ohio
Reporting by Allen Trieu, Special to The Detroit News / The Detroit News
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By Allen Trieu, Special to The Detroit News | USA TODAY Network
