Interview with Shekai Mills-Knight on recruiting Michigan football players

The 2025 recruits have long been ready for college programs after first attracting attention around this time last year, but three-star running back Shekai Mills-Knight from Baylor School in Chattanooga, Tennessee, was something of a late bloomer.

In late 2023, some Power Four schools started calling. First Ole Miss, then schools like Tennessee and South Carolina. It wasn't long before the Alabamas and Ohio States of the world were making him offers to play for them. Now, according to 247Sports, he has 35 offers and among them are the top names in college football.

So what is it like to attract little attention in the penultimate year of your studies and then be a sought-after object even before your final year?

“It's been a lot. But I'm trying to enjoy the process as much as I can and not let it overwhelm me,” Mills-Knight told WolverinesWire. “So I'm just taking it all in and going everywhere I can so I stay humble.”

It's understandable why schools are interested in adding Mills-Knight to their rosters. He's an electrifying playmaker, quick, elusive, and a big tailback.

“I'm 6'1″ and 220 pounds, I'm super fast and I can outrun pretty much any linebacker,” Mills-Knight said. “I'm a great pass blocker. I can catch, I can actually run and catch and I can run people into empty space. That's why I feel like I'm recognized as such a top talent.”

Michigan is a late entrant into the game, having only extended an invitation a few weeks ago to become a Wolverine on May 8. Although many other top schools are desperately trying to fill their spots, Mills-Knight plans to be in Ann Arbor on June 4, as the official visiting season begins soon.

He is education- and culture-oriented, brings many positive preconceptions to campus, and wants to find out whether his ideas about the University of Michigan match his expectations of the school.

“I was super excited because, obviously, they just won a championship,” Mills-Knight said. “And I know that their running back for the class of 2025 – by the time the class of 2025 gets up there, they'll be gone. So it'll be easy to compete for a spot.”

“And they have a good business program that I'm excited about, so I want to go there and see what the atmosphere is like and the culture, the environment. I love Coach Moore. I just want to go there because it's one of my favorite schools.”

Following his offer, Mills-Knight has developed a close relationship with Sherrone Moore, Michigan's new head coach, and now as they get to know each other, he's learning more about Tony Alford and the rest of the team.

Wherever he decides, he not only hopes to find a top-notch business school, but he also intends to find a place where he can play as a complete freshman without wasting time and getting on the field.

Mills-Knight also plans to visit some of his other top schools — Miami (Florida), Alabama, Auburn, Tennessee and Ole Miss — but before he does that, he plans to announce his top eight schools soon. After those visits, he will re-evaluate in hopes that one of the eight schools stands out from the pack.

If this happens, he will choose the school of his choice. If not, he will have to start all over again.

“I'll announce my top eight sometime next week. I'll take the official visits. The goal is to have somewhere settled and committed by the end of the summer before my senior year. But if I don't feel like I know where I've been and where I want to go, I'll wait until the end of the season to commit.”

Mills-Knight is ranked as the No. 562 player in the country regardless of position in the On3 Industry Rankings. He is also considered the 46th best running back and 19th best player in the state of Tennessee. However, given his offer list, it seems like recruiting sites are missing out on something, with all of the top schools in the country working hard to lure him to their campuses.