Portland (Ore.) Westview receiver Darrius Clemons is going home.
The four-star receiver lived in Michigan until he was 10.
And after taking an official visit to Ann Arbor over the weekend, the Wolverines’ late pursuit of Clemons pulled him away from the Northwest and he’ll head to the Big Ten.
Clemons just announced his commitment to Michigan moments ago on CBS Sports HQ.
“This was a 40-year decision and not a four-year decision,” said Clemons. “The academic position there really impressed me. And playing football is a lot more fun when you’re winning and them being in the college football playoff helped.”
The rally by the Wolverines was impressive.
He was originally leaning heavily to Oregon, so much that there was a feeling he was a silent.
Head coach Jim Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Josh Gattis stayed in touch with Clemons throughout the fall, quietly and low key, keeping the communication going.
Then Mario Cristobal left Oregon for Miami and Clemons took a last minute official visit to Michigan on the final weekend of visits before the early signing period.
And that’s where the Wolverines took it up a notch, fresh off their own selection to the CFB Playoffs and by the time Clemons got home from his visit, the Wolverines were in a prime spot to land him.
So on Wednesday, he announced for Michigan.
“The staff staying on me paid off,” said Clemons. “They continued to recruit me and they opened up the last weekend to me to come visit and I had a visit left and took it and I’m glad I did.”
Clemons said Harbaugh and Gattis were the big keys for him.
“Coach Harbaugh and coach Gattis for sure did a great job recruiting me,” said Clemons. “The depth chart wasn’t something I looked at, I’m confident in myself and I just want to come in and compete and bet on myself.”
Clemons is planning to early enroll and he’ll return to the state in January after the All-American Bowl and start classes in January.
He has been selected to play in the 2022 All-American Bowl in San Antonio in January.
A four-star in the industry-generated 247Sports Composite, Clemons ranks as the nation’s No. 19 receiver and No. 131 prospect overall while being the No. 1 prospect in the state of Oregon in 2022.