2021 Four-Star Small Forward Isaiah Barnes Commits To Michigan

Earlier this week, the Michigan Wolverines got some exiting news as the program learned marquee 2021 prospect Isaiah Barnes would be committing to the program. This is the first commitment for Juwan Howard in Michigan’s 2021 recruiting class.

Barnes is listed at 6-foot-6 and 180 pounds. He comes out of Oak Park, Illinois and is rated as a top five player in the state, per 247Sports. Along with Michigan, Barnes also had serious interest from Chicago State, DePaul, and Georgia among others. He is rated as the 85th best prospect in the 2021 recruiting class by 247Sports.

While Barnes is still more than a year away from arriving on a college campus, his skillset is clear. He works well in transition, can move without the ball, and does a nice job of elevating over defenders with his jump shot. If he can continue to mold his body and continue improving on the defensive end and in creating his own opportunities, there’s a lot to like about Barnes long-term.

As noted above, Barnes is Michigan’s first commitment in the 2021 recruiting class. However, he does continue Howard’s early recruiting success since being hired as Michigan’s head coach. Michigan’s 2020 class featured three top 100 prospects and was the highest rated class in the Big Ten last cycle. Fans will hope Barnes’ commitment is a sign that will continue into the future.

How Barnes will perform in Ann Arbor is unknown, but Howard and fans have to be excited about what’s to come.