When ESPN 300 defensive tackle Aubrey Solomon committed to Michigan, it was a surprise to everyone. Solomon was supposed to visit Alabama on Saturday, but decided a week earlier that he would take the trip to Michigan with his 2018 teammate, Otise Reese, and wide receivers coach, Kevin Pych instead.

“Aubrey shocked us today, we didn’t expect that,” Pych said. “... On the ride (to Michigan) he was saying that his official visits would be Alabama, Oregon, USC, Georgia and Clemson, so Michigan wasn’t even in the top five.”

A meeting with Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh on the visit in Harbaugh’s office changed things for the No. 61-ranked player from Leesburg, Georgia.

“He was basically talking about life after football,” Solomon said. “Some people aren’t blessed to make it to the league or stay in the league that long, so what is your back up plan and what are you going to do after football? I just liked what he said and the blueprint he set out for me.”

Solomon wasn’t making the trip expecting to commit, so when he called his mother to tell her that he had made up his mind, even she was caught off guard.

“At first she was a little shocked because she’s never heard me trying to commit somewhere just like that,” Solomon said. “So she said I must be in love with the school and I told her that academically I would be good there. They really want to develop you into a man and she knows that Jim Harbaugh is about his business.”

While Solomon’s commitment was a surprise, it wasn’t all that eye opening when his teammate, Reese, also jumped on board. Reese said he came up to Ann Arbor thinking he was 50-50 on making a commitment.

“I wanted to commit, but at the same time I wanted to see the campus,” Reese said. “When I saw the campus, hung out with Coach Harbaugh and how they do their business, I knew it was a great place to be and that I could play there.”

Both prospects were highly sought after, Solomon with offers from most of the major SEC schools as well as others, and Pych said that is in big part due to the head coach at Lee County high school, Dean Fabrizio.

Pych said that Michigan is getting two very well coached prospects that could make a huge impact for the Wolverines. The Lee County coach also acknowledged the Michigan coaches for their effort in recruiting his two prospects and that the staff is the major reason why they both are now committed to Michigan.

“The Michigan coaches are professionals,” Pych said. “They’re not sitting here blowing these kids’ phones up and they’re not pressuring them. That’s what sold these guys, that they care about making them into men.”