Announced on social media on Thursday, 2025 five-star defensive back DJ Pickett has put the Michigan Wolverines in his top-five list.
Oregon, Georgia, Alabama, and Miami are also among his top five.
The 6-foot-2, 170-pound player from Tampa, Florida has already made several trips to Michigan during his early recruitment; the fact that his mother is a U-M alumna and that they still have family there undoubtedly helps. His most recent visit to Ann Arbor was in November, during Michigan’s historic victory against Ohio State.
The fact that they have a plan for my youngster is what draws our attention. It appears that I am familiar with every member of the staff, including the recruitment coordinators. It felt very much like home.
Following his tumble, Andrew Ivins of 247Sports saw Pickett and wrote this about him:a tall, lean player who can provide balls and move quickly on foot. Although weight and size haven’t been confirmed in a while, length is clearly seen on tape. Works best as a deep safety that can roam over the top or as a field corner that can remove throwing windows. recorded a pick-six early in his junior season and came down with four interceptions in his sophomore year. Will put down the timber when the chance arises. closes gaps quickly with his exceptional burst and prefers to run support at steeper angles. possesses the reach necessary to reach perimeter and huge tight end targets. Will battle through hands, but open-field skills must be improved
tackler and will ultimately require some muscle growth. Given his range and capacity to produce takeaways while covering errors, he ought to be considered a possible impact player at the Power Five level. Considering production on both sides of the ball and a history in many sports (district champion in the long jump, 200-meter dash, and 100-meter sprint as a tenth grader), possesses a promising profile at this point. Though most schools see him as a back-seven defense on Saturdays, he is always capable of seeing wide receivers.
Ivins called Pickett a two-way player, and Michigan feels the same way about him. Wiltfong was also informed by Damien Pickett, “It’s appealing that they mentioned he plays both sides of the ball.” However, I like how often they play man coverage outside. Additionally, Coach (Steve) Clinckscale is a really grounded and honest person.
Pickett has already said he wants to conduct formal visits and make a choice in the summer, so there are no indications that he will be ending his recruiting anytime soon. Any one of these five universities might win this one, but as of right now, it’s certain that Michigan has one of the top slots. Hopefully, things continue that way.
According to the 247Sports aggregate, Pickett is currently rated No. 7 overall, No. 3 at cornerback, and No. 1 in the state of Florida for the 2025 class.
