Four-star center Donovan Clingan ‘excited’ by Michigan offer, chance to develop relationship with Howard

Tuesday night, 7-footer Donovan Clingan of Bristol, CT opened Zoom and tried to envision a future. Michigan’s coaching staff sat on the other end, playing a video tour of the campus, talking about the program and pitching his fit. Clingan, the 7th-ranked center and 45th-ranked player in the 2022 recruiting class, according to 247Sports, did his part to listen.

It was all — as can only be expected while recruiting in a pandemic — very theoretical. Even still, some things just sell themselves.

“Juwan Howard’s — I mean, Juwan Howard’s Juwan Howard,” Clingan said over the phone Thursday with a chuckle. “It was my first time talking to him, so we’re gonna obviously create a relationship over time, but I’m excited.”

After 10 months of off-and-on contact with Michigan assistant Howard Eisley, communication picked up steadily in recent weeks, culminating in an offer from Howard and co. over Zoom on Tuesday night as Clingan’s national profile continues to rise. His offer sheet now spans the country, including Notre Dame, Michigan State, UConn, and Syracuse, among others.

Even so, the Michigan offer immediately resonated.