DETROIT - Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez and most of his staff spent Thursday afternoon evaluating high school prospects at the “Sound Mind, Sound Body” football camp.

While that event, which features current Michigan commitments Delonte Hollowell of Detroit Cass Tech and Shawn Conway of Birmingham Seaholm, ends Friday, for Rodriguez another week of recruiting awaits.

Michigan’s four-day summer camp runs Saturday through Tuesday, and 7-on-7 and youth football camps follow next week.

Earlier this month, the Wolverines hosted a one-day camp for top prospects and a kicking camp, and Rodriguez said recruits are more inclined to take part in partial camp sessions now as they travel from school to school to get noticed.

Still, Rodriguez said the benefits of hosting recruits in camp - about 700 will be on campus this weekend - are innumerable.

“That’s a big reason why we’re here,” he said Thursday. “Not only from the evaluation standpoint of seeing the guys do football drills in camp, but also for them to evaluate us. Again, they get to know us as people and teachers. I think that’s absolutely critical when you can establish relationships.

“Everybody talks in recruiting about relationships and it is true. You establish relationships and the easiest way to do that is to be around them.”

Rodriguez has put extra emphasis on Michigan’s Youth Football Camp this year. The camp, June 26-28, drew about 300 middle-school players last year. About 400 campers are expected this year, though registration is still open at MichiganFootballCamp.com.

“We’re even reaching into the junior-high level and at least get them indoctrinated to Michigan, get a chance to see everything we’re about,” Rodriguez said. “We started that last year and it was a big hit, and there’s going to be even more this year for that.”

During a presentation at the SMSB camp Thursday, Rodriguez said about 100 college coaches will be at Michigan’s high school camp to evaluate recruits.

The 7-on-7 camp, next Thursday and Friday, is run in conjunction with a team offensive line/defensive line camp. This is the third year Michigan has hosted a passing camp.

“We still got good attendance for our camp and I think it’ll continue to grow,” Rodriguez said. “I think the 7-on-7 things that have popped out all over the country, that’s getting bigger and bigger so we’re having one of those ourselves as well. That should be fun to watch.”

Dave Birkett covers University of Michigan football for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached by phone at 734-623-2552 or by e-mail at davidbirkett@annarbor.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.