Q&A: OL commit Louis Esposito ready to get started at Michigan Football
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It took four months from the time Saline (Mich.) High offensive lineman Louis Esposito announced his commitment to when another 2027 prospect followed suit.
Now, Esposito and 15 others make up the No. 12 overall recruiting class in the country. Heading into Victor’s Weekend with a little less than a year being pledged under his belt, Esposito has followed closely the surge in additions the Wolverines garnered since late March, even being on campus first-hand on multiple occasions to see the action unfold.
It helps that Schembechler Hall is barely 15 minutes away from Esposito’s high school, allowing him to have several face-to-face periods with the coaching staff, including head coach Kyle Whittingham and offensive line coach Jim Harding. It’s also given him chances to do the same with those who ended up making the same choice that he did this past July and those who are mulling over Michigan and other Power 4 programs.
Esposito, who finished as the MVP among all offensive linemen at the Under Armour NEXT All-American Camp in Chicago at the end of May, is scheduled to take his official visit this weekend. He and a majority of the 2027 class will enjoy the two nights in Ann Arbor together before returning to preparations for the fall season.
Ranked as the No. 30 interior offensive lineman nationally by Rivals, with 247Sports listing him as the No. 9 in-state recruit, Esposito recently spoke with Maize n Brew about his excitement for the future, how the last few months have shaped his strong feelings about the Wolverines, and more. Here’s is our Q&A:
On taking home the MVP award:
“Anytime you get the chance to play in the Under Armour Camp is an honor. I was very blessed to receive the invite and even make blessed to win MVP here. The biggest thing they said to me was how they were blown away by how much I leaped from this time last year. The last (UA) camp, I was at 6-foot-3.5 and 260 pounds. (Now), I weighed in at 295 and was 6-foot-6.”
On the plethora of Michigan pledges this offseason:
“It’s been great. I feel like all these great kids from across the country are realizing that Michigan is the place to be. I’m really excited to get started.”
On Esposito’s connection with the 2027 class:
“I know this OV weekend, Victor’s Weekend, is going to be huge. But we have our group chat and everyone in there is showing love. Every time there’s a new commit, everyone’s like, ‘Let’s go’ and fired up, so it’s really great to see. We all want the same thing and want to be great.”
On fellow in-state OL commit Jakari Lipsey:
“I was really happy to see Jakari commit. I used to live out in Kalamazoo when my dad (Lou Esposito) coached at Western Michigan, so I grew up with him and played sports against him. It was really cool to see a kid I knew end up in the same spot as me.
“I remember seeing him at one of the spring practices. I went to every single one that I could. It was definitely good to see him and we got to do a lot of bonding. He’s a great kid and I’m excited to get started (with him.)”
On Michigan’s push for in-state talent this cycle:
“It’s definitely great to have those kids. I feel like you have to have those kinds of kids on every team to be successful. I know I talk to coach Harding a lot about how me and Jakari were a big priority. He talked a lot about building the class from the inside-out. So just getting those guys in-state, who know Michigan Football, are fans of Michigan Football, in here to help others continue to get better (is important.)”
On Jim Harding:
“He’s great. Coach Harding texted me (the morning of the camp) saying ‘Good luck.’ They’re always showing me love. That’s all you can really ask for is support and constant love. That’s all they’re doing.”
On the development opportunities while learning under Harding:
“I think it’s really impressive to put two offensive linemen in the first round from any school. But doing it at Utah where those guys aren’t five-stars every single time. So he’s really done more with less, and I’m really excited to be coached by him. He’s been talked about as the best offensive line coach in the country. There’s not much you can ask for to play for a coach like him.”
On the team during spring camp:
“I really enjoyed watching them throughout the spring. I watched them from the very first spring practice all the way to the end. I saw those guys grow better together under coach Harding and coach Whittingham. It was awesome to see them succeed.”
On expectations for this weekend and later on in the year:
“I’m just really looking forward to meeting the guys and create that bond with our class. Build the best class in the nation. For this fall, I really want to go win a state championship with my team. Obviously, I’ll be at almost every single (Michigan) home game. I’m just excited to continue building that bond and relationship with the players and coaches.”
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