Michigan surges ahead of Ohio State with two 2013 commitments, including state's No. 3 player Wyatt Shallman

Two days after losing its 2013 recruiting lead to Ohio State, the Michigan football team pulled back ahead of the Buckeyes with a pair of commitments Saturday afternoon.

The arms race is back on between the rivals.

The Wolverines received non-binding verbal commitments from Illinois offensive lineman Kyle Bosch and Detroit Catholic Central fullback/defensive lineman Wyatt Shallman, both of whom were on campus with a group of elite junior prospects.

They are commitment Nos. 4 and 5 for Michigan, a Big Ten best. Ohio State is one back at four. Michigan State has two.

Bosch and Shallman join quarterback Shane Morris, safety Dymonte Thomas and tight end/fullback Khalid Hill in the 2013 class.

Morris (Warren DeLaSalle) and Shallman are two of their state's five best prospects, according to Scout Midwest recruiting expert Allen Trieu. That's a tremendous start, and one that follows a 2012 cycle during which the Wolverines earned commitments from seven of Michigan's 10 best players.

Trieu said he doesn't expect the Wolverines to grab seven of the top 10 players for 2013, but mostly because the in-state talent isn't as good as it was in 2012. He thinks Michigan will go out-of-state more than it did for Brady Hoke's first full recruiting class.

Shallman, a four-star prospect who projects as Scout's No. 3 in-state recruit, plays on the defensive line and at fullback for Detroit Catholic Central. He is expected to play offense at Michigan, Trieu said.

"He got hurt as a junior, so I think it makes it a little harder to evaluate him, but he's definitely an intriguing prospect because he's listed at 250 pounds, and he's probably even bigger now," Trieu said. "He could play tailback, but he's probably going to end up at fullback, and can play H-back.

"I don't think they know what they're going to do with him, but no matter where he ends up, he's a pretty athletic guy who can do a lot of things."

Shallman was high school teammates with defensive lineman Matthew Godin, a member of Michigan's 2012 class. He also works out with former Michigan strength and conditioning coach Mike Barwis.

Shallman chose Michigan over schools such as Cal, Florida, Michigan State, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Oregon and Wisconsin, among others.

His commitment came less than an hour after Bosch pledged to the Wolverines. The Wheaton, Ill., offensive lineman is a four-star recruit according to Rivals.

Scout has yet to rank Bosch, but Trieu said he will be given four stars and included among his state's top 10 prospects. That's notable because Illinois is loaded with 2013 talent.

Bosch is listed at 6-foot-5, 280 pounds. At that height, he probably projects to play guard, especially since the 2012 class includes three prototypical-sized tackles.

"He's a little bit of a throw-back," Trieu said. "He's a tough, blue-collar kind of guy. ... He definitely plays with intensity, almost like he has a chip on his shoulder.

"He's not a top national guy yet, but he'll be a high-ranking four-star. He's a dependable guy. I don't think you have to worry about him being bust."

Bosch had an impressive offer list that included schools such as Alabama, Michigan State, Missouri, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Stanford and at least 15 others.

Shallman's junior highlights

Bosch's highlights

Kyle Meinke covers Michigan football for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at 734-623-2588, by email at kylemeinke@annarbor.com and followed on Twitter @kmeinke.