The writing was on the wall for Elias Rudolph since he was crystal balled to Michigan last month, but he made it official Monday night.
Rudolph — a 6-foot-4, 235-pound four-star defensive end from Deerfield Beach High in Deerfield Beach, Florida — announced his commitment to Michigan Monday night at Taft High School in Cincinnati, Ohio, over his finalists in Miami and Pitt.
Rudolph held offers from 25 schools before narrowing down his list of finalists, with official visits to Pitt, Michigan and Miami — and a canceled visit to Ohio State.
He visited Pittsburgh over the first weekend of June, praising the experience in town and his bond with Charlie Partridge and the coaching staff.
“A lot of people want me to go to Pitt, like hometown, a lot of people I know, like a lot of them favor Pitt,” Rudolph told PSN in June. “A lot of them favor Michigan. And then a couple of them favor Ohio State. Miami just came in the picture, so.”
But in the end, Michigan landed the Cincinnati native.
247Sports rates Rudolph as the 291st-ranked recruit in the class (19th-ranked edge and the 39th-ranked recruit from Florida) while Rivals rates him as the 219th-ranked recruit in the class (13th-ranked weakside defensive end and 37th-ranked recruit from Florida).
On3 rates him as the 304th-ranked recruit in the class (21st-ranked edge rusher and 46th-ranked recruit from Florida).
Pitt has landed defensive commitments from four-star defensive tackle commit Jahsear Whittington, along with three-star Francis Brewu, three-star Zach Crothers and three-star Ty Yuhas. And the coaching staff is heavily involved with four-star defensive linemen in Mylachi Williams and Sincere Edwards.
