Elite 4-Star CB David Long Commits To Michigan Over Washington

Four-star Los Angeles (CA) Loyola cornerback David Long hosted Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh and a slew of other UM coaches in a last-second in-home visit on Monday. Just three days later, the Wolverines have gotten their man.

Long announced his intent to sign on with Michigan on ESPNU at 6pm EST on Thursday, ending was has basically been a two-program race between the Wolverines and Washington Huskies since Long decommitted from Stanford back in mid-December after failing to pass the university's admission requirements.

Michigan's chances looked very good after Long was spotted wearing Wolverines armbands at the US Army All-American Bowl. He also posted a very pro-Michigan Snapchat during his trip to Seattle to visit the Huskies. While those weren't definitive indicators of Long's intention to sign on with Michigan, it was at least a show of affection for the program.

There was also the fact that Jim Harbaugh went so far during his visit on Monday as to attempt to climb a tree after Long's sister asked him to -- something which resonated with Long from a family-first perspective. More on this story in the Chat Sports iPhone and Android apps.

“My little sister asked if he could climb the tree,” Long said. “He was just trying to fulfill her request. He ended up putting my little brother up instead, because he never actually made it up.”

Rated as the #8 cornerback (and #5 athlete) and #63 overall player in the Class of 2016 by 247Sports, Long has the size, quickness and on-the-ball skills of an elite shutdown CB. He's also a quick learner who habitually analyzes his coverage angles to increase his chances at big plays.

With him in the mix, Michigan now has 21 commits in what is considered to be a top-five 2016 class by several major recruiting analysis outlets.