commitment posts

Jefferson Hills (PA) Thomas Jefferson linebacker Chase Winovich got his first offer from Pitt, and his home-state school appeared to hold the early edge in his recruitment ($):

Thomas Jefferson has sent four players to Pitt since the recruiting class of 2007, and Winovich knows about that pipeline. In fact, it's not hard for him to imagine himself joining it.

"I see the talent they have produced; my neighbors are the Nix brothers, and I watched them and the DeCicco's play at Pitt," he said. "Personally, I love Pitt. I love the coaching staff, I love Pittsburgh, I'm a hometown guy. I want to keep my options open but I can't really find too many flaws in Pitt. I'm looking at them a lot."

Childhood favorite Ohio State offered in early April and immediately vaulted to the top of his list ($):

"This really changes things for me, and I have to say it's a dream come true since I'm an Ohio State fan," he admitted. "I'm not ready to commit right now to anyone, but Ohio State is in my top-three. I can't deny that I love it, and it's going to be tough to find a school that will top Ohio State."

"Pittsburgh was the first school to offer me and they're right in my backyard, so they're a favorite of mine," Winovich added. "I'm still looking for that third school and I'm not shutting anybody out right now."

A short time later, Michigan came through with an offer, and after two visits to Ann Arbor—the second for the Spring Game—the Wolverines made a serious move of their own ($):

“Michigan is definitely in my top three,” he said.  “The only reason they really weren’t before was because they (hadn’t) offered.  It would have been them above Ohio State, but obviously they hadn’t offered me at that point.  It hurt that they didn’t offer before Ohio State got involved, but I’m just happy they’re in now and they’re definitely in my top three.  I’m excited about them.”

At various points over the last month—heck, the last week—insiders from all three schools have been confident that Winovich was leaning towards their program, despite him never publicly naming a leader. Today the speculation ended as Winovich announced his commitment to Michigan, according to multiple outlets.

GURU RATINGS

The scouting services are almost eerily in lockstep when it comes to Winovich; 247 is a slightly low outlier, and otherwise Winovich is placed just inside the top 30 outside linebackers in the class. Going by position rankings, Winovich is four spots away from a fourth star on Scout and ESPN, nine spots away on Rivals, and 21 on 247.

The services have a general consensus on Winovich's measurables, pegging him at 6'4" and around 215 pounds; his own highlight tape lists an updated weight of 218 as of last month. The Wolverines recruited Winovich as a strongside linebacker, and that frame fits the mold for the position.

SCOUTING

In-person scouting of Winovich is pretty scant at this point; if he hit the camp circuit before his junior season, nobody wrote about it, and in the lone camp he's been to this spring—the Rivals Camp Series event in Pittsburgh—he and fellow commit Michael Ferns were overshadowed by less-heralded prospects ($):

The biggest names at the linebacker position coming into the Pittsburgh Rivals Camp were four-star Michael Ferns and three-star Chase Winovich. While both prospects had solid performances, they were outdone by lesser-known linebackers during Sunday's competition.

Neither future Wolverine made the top ten defensive performers list, so no further details are provided on what constituted a "solid" showing.

ESPN sees Winovich as an outside linebacker all the way, praising his "long, sturdy frame," sideline-to-sideline range, and tackling ability. They also like his instincts...

Quick off the mark showing outstanding downhill ability vs. the inside run. Maintains good leverage on the ball and isn't fooled by misdirection. Although he needs to become a more physical take-on guy, his quick hands allow him to shed and get off blocks. Demonstrates the quickness, balance and agility needed to avoid blockers and make plays in tight spaces. Moves through traffic very well, showing excellent sideline-to-sideline range. Has the playing speed needed to chase down ball carriers when in long pursuit.

...and ability to drop into coverage or come on the blitz in third-down situations:

Shows the ability to open his hips, turn and run. Demonstrates good underneath route awareness with a closing break on underneath throws and screens. Will need to gain experience as a coverage defender. His ability to run and make tight turns indicates potential as a man coverage defender. Displays very good blitz timing with a burst to the quarterback. Developing a repertoire of moves is a must.

Areas for improvement are the usual: add muscle, refine technique. After an almost entirely positive rundown of Winovich's game, ESPN says he has "very good potential" ... as a special teams player, though they do note the possibility of early situational playing time.

247's Clint Brewster took a look at Winovich's junior film and came away very impressed, listing only bulk and pad level—natch—as areas for improvement; the rest sounds quite good ($):

[H]as an instinctive first step and blows plays up before they even happen. Winovich plays with outstanding aggression and is very explosive. He has excellent speed and can make plays from sideline to sideline. Winovich has enough speed to chase down running backs far down field. He does a nice job of using his hands to shed blockers and scraping to get to the ball carrier. Winovich is really long at 6-foot-4 and can really get in between passing lanes. He is excellent when dropping into coverage. Winovich can be a force coming off the edge as an outside linebacker and can really close on the quarterback. He is very good at finishing off his opponent when he tackles. Winovich has great form tackling.

Caveats about scouting based only on film go here—they're called "highlights" for a reason—but after looking at individual game cut-ups from Winovich's Hudl page, I see a lot of the same positives that Brewster does.

The coaches have made it clear to Winovich that they like him on the strong side, going so far as to show his film side-by-side with Michigan's current standout at the position ($):

“Coach Hoke wasn’t there (last time),” Winovich said noting the difference between visits.  “The environment was a lot different.  All the players were there this time, I got to sit in with the coaches and really discuss everything about me and my future there, and they seemed more excited about me this time around.  Kurt Mattes the film guy there he put together a (video) at the request of Coach Mattison.  It’s this film of me one play and then Jake Ryan the next play, and then it goes back and forth every other play.  It showed how comparable we are.  (Ryan) would do one play and then it’d be the exact same play or scenario (with me) on the other side.  It was really cool seeing the comparison.”

Winovich has a very similar frame to Ryan—who was listed at 6'3", 220 lbs. as a recruit—and displays a lot of the same athletic traits, especially in his ability to explode off the snap. Whether he can maintain that athleticism while adding 25-or-so pounds (Ryan is now listed at 241), not to mention develop Ryan's maniacal playmaking ability, is a question that won't be answered until he's on campus for a couple years.

As for the "would you let him date your daughter?" test, here's an excerpt from a Chantel Jennings article($) on Chase's relationship with his older brother, Peter, who played for Bowling Green from 2004-2008:

But there were similarities for many years. Peter took up baseball, so Chase did, too. Peter took up basketball, so Chase did, too.

But Chase went on to become student body president. Peter never did that. And Chase decided to start taking piano lessons last year. Peter never did that, either.

“As much as I like him following in my footsteps, he has definitely always done his own thing,” Peter said. “With football I think there was a lot of pressure on Chase … and he has been able to do it and do even more in his own way, so that has been awesome.”

Yup.

OFFERS

Winovich's offer sheet included Arkansas, Florida State, Michigan State, Mizzou, Northwestern, Ohio State, Pitt, Stanford, Syracuse, Tennessee, Virginia, Virginia Tech, and West Virginia. That's a pretty impressive list for a consensus three-star; it will be interesting to see if Winovich moves up the recruiting rankings during his senior season, as college coaches seem to be seeing something that the recruiting services aren't at this point.

HIGH SCHOOL

Thomas Jefferson High School boasts five WPIAL (Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League) Class AAA titles, including three straight from 2006-08, as well as state championships in 2004, 2007, and 2008. The Jaguars have produced six recruits rated three-stars or higher in the Rivals era; four of those players went to Pitt, including four-star prospect and current Oakland Raiders guard Lucas Nix.

STATS

Via Scout ($):

This past season, Winovich helped his team to a 11-1 record, another conference title and an appearance in the WPIAL Class AAA semifinals. He earned first-team all-conference honors, finished with 69 tackles, three forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries.

FAKE 40 TIME

247 lists a 40 time of 4.65, which appears pretty reasonable when you watch Winovich's film—he's got great straight-line speed for a linebacker prospect. I'll give it two FAKEs out of five.

VIDEO

Junior highlights:

Winovich's first step, play diagnosis, movement in traffic, and tackling ability all stand out on tape; you can see that linear speed at the :29 mark when he chases down a perfectly set-up slip screen from behind to save a touchdown.

Again, you can see much more of Winovich on his Hudl page.

PREDICTION BASED ON FLIMSY EVIDENCE

Winovich is destined for the strongside linebacker spot; when he gets to campus, the only returning players at the position will be a senior Jake Ryan and a redshirt freshman or sophomore Mike McCray. While Winovich appears likely to need a redshirt year to add weight and learn Greg Mattison's defense, he should be in the mix for playing time as early as his redshirt freshman season, and at the very least should contribute on special teams.

I've had Michael Ferns projected as a strongside 'backer in this space before, but my guess is he'll come to campus as an inside linebacker with Winovich in the fold; Ferns has the versatility to play inside or outside, while Winovich is more of a pure outside type.

UPSHOT FOR THE REST OF THE CLASS

Michigan now has 11 commits in the class of 2014 and should be finished recruiting linebackers with Ferns and Winovich in the fold. The Wolverines currently have room to take ~15 players in the class, though that number should swell to around 20 when all is said and done. The main targets moving forward are SDE Da'Shawn Hand, 3-tech/SDE Malik McDowell, slot receiver Artavis Scott, and a trio of highly-ranked defensive backs: CA ATH Juju Smith, CA CB Adoree' Jackson, and IL CB Parrker Westphal, with the latter the most likely to end up in the class. They'll also likely take one more offensive lineman, though the top candidate for that spot is less clear—IL OL Jamarco Jones is the highest-rated target and has Michigan among his favorites, but Ohio State is presumed to hold the edge in his recruitment.

Site note: I mean, I was gonna do a Dear Diary today, but then the first item became this thing…

As you may have heard, Dr. Hamlet III has committed to the Michigan offensive line. Uninformative portion follows:

GURU RATINGS

Those who ranked him as an offensive lineman are all "wait 'n see." Of those who classify him as a pig, only the National Pork Producers Council among the major sites lists Hamlet as anything but ELITE ELITE ELITE. He'll have a chance to change that in a couple weeks at their annual World Pork Expo.

It's worth mentioning that Global Pork lists every hog in its Top 25 as a 5-star, but will extend that to the Top 50 by the time it releases its final herd report.

SCOUTING

Let's start with the negative stuff shall we? Simmons:

STRENGTHS Pad Level Hoofwork Toughness Drive Blocking Skills

AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT Hip Flexibility Bipedalism Arm length OUTSIDE! DO THAT OUTSIDE!!!

Total hog! If there is any type of weakness in Hamlet's game at this time, it would be in his pass protection. He is solid there, but his biggest strength is run blocking right now. He drives opponents off the ball, he is excellent on the hoof, and he has that nasty streak you love in offensive linemen. Arm length and lateral quickness will limit his effectiveness. - Chad Simmons

This is echoed by Rivals' Mike Farrell($):

Powerful blocker who can get low and beat you off the hoof. Eats just about anything. Didn't use his hands much in drills, probably because he doesn't need to. Thrilled onlookers with a pitch perfect rendition of soliloquy.

And ESPN($):

Plays so low to the ground it's impossible for defensive linemen to get any leverage on him. Definite inside prospect since he doesn't possess the height to play tackle. High intelligence and build suggest a possible move to center. Not having hands will make snapping the ball a constant adventure, though.

As David Moosman showed Michigan can get by with a behooved ungulate at center, though it's hardly optimal. Anyway you see the theme across the services: Hamlet plays with excellent leverage, but is about 6 million years behind the rest of the OL in bipedalism experience and proper hand technique. Funk is going to have to start from scratch there.

Though an MSU graduate, according to his interview with 247's Steve Lorenz, Hamlet remains intensely loyal to Michigan ($):

HAMLET: "I'm still true blue through and through! You could even say I was weaned on maize and blue. Because I literally was weaned on a mix of feed corn and Blue Seal swine pellets." Hamlet told 247.

Lorenz also asked about his expectations and, well, he's probably not gonna be a playing time transfer:

247: How do you see your Michigan career playing out?

HAMLET: Oh, that's not up to me to decide. I'm going to go out there and compete, but my number one goal is to help the team any way I can. I'm here to get a Michigan degree, and to do whatever I can to help Michigan win football games, pure and simple. We've got an excellent, excellent group of linemen coming in and some of the best all time on hand right now, so I know it's gonna be tough to earn snaps. I embrace the challenge, and I think it will make us all better the more guys we have competing—if I bust my piggly tail for four years and that just makes another guy try harder to keep his job, then that's what I came for.

Humble, this guy. As you've come to expect from like every recruit in the Brady Hoke era ever, he's a wild animal on the field yet the kind of person you want in your home:

Hemholdt($):

Everyone I talk to says he's just a fantastic guy. Really wants to learn, does neat tricks.

TomVH($):

Terrific.

Magnus:

Radiant.

Charlotte's Website:

Some Pig!

Hoke recruits, man.

DOCTOR OF WHAT?

Despite being less than 3 years old, Hamlet already has a Ph.D./MD from the Van Andel Educational Institute, through Michigan State. He explains how he came by that doctorate:

"Coming out of high school Michigan was obviously my first choice, but State was really the only college accepting applications from farm animals. I was planning on getting my bachelor's degree in Agricultural Resource Economics but a professor there turned me on to Gastroenterology and it was love at first endoscopy.

"After one digestive performance they said I was a natural and put me in the doctoral program and I graduated in a few months. It was pretty easy, to be honest. "

Because he technically graduated from high school just a year ago, Hamlet still has all four years of eligibility remaining.

Cue Spartyfreude.

BREEDING

via

Dr. Hamlet III is a Vietnamese, better known as a "pot-bellied pig." As such he has the distinctive tall forehead, high ears and straight tail. He also appears to have the breed's distinctive swayed back (and corresponding pot belly that gives the species its name). His bloodlines suggest he can put on a LOT of weight, and his food intake will need to be closely monitored.

SIZE

The sites agree that he's between 3'2" and 3'3", and between 90-100 lbs. That's about normal for his breed at this stage in life. He should be able to hang a good 20-30 more pounds on that frame.

OFFERS

MSU, Nebraska, Iowa State, and Thorn Apple Valley. Reported interest from Wisconsin but committed before an offer materialized. Pork bellies have been steady at record highs since 2011.

STATS

Pigs and offensive linemen don't have stats.

FAKE 40 TIME

247 lists a non-food-aided 40 time of 32.25 seconds, but he was reportedly clocked at 28.22 seconds when a can of creamed corn was placed at the finish line. Since I just completely made that up just now it receives five FAKES out of five.

VIDEO

A Vine of Hamlet eating out of Kyle Kalis's belly button has been taken down, but this screenshot still remains:

Also: Junior highlights.

PREDICTION BASED ON FLIMSY EVIDENCE

Obvious redshirt as he gains weight, adjusts to real college life from the farm/East Lansing, and gains instruction on bipedal locomotion. From there, who knows. May never develop more than an okay pass protection game, or opposable thumbs. High character, non-academic risk, seems 100% committed to Michigan, so not going to hurt the APR even if he doesn't work out. Best guess is four-year Academic All-American who'll provide much-needed depth at center, with an outside shot at starting his senior year. Otherwise he'll be an important member of the position group and an expert on blocking assignments. Every team needs a third-generation doctoral pig center.

UPSHOT FOR THE REST OF THE CLASS

(Mathlete goes into greater detail). Dr. Hamlet III turned down purely academic scholarships in order to walk on the Michigan team, so he won't count against the 85 limit (his life expectancy is several years shorter than the length of his FAFSA loan). Adding a hyperintelligent pig makes the entire position group more awesome. Michigan players have been warned not to leave any impermissible benefits out where he can get into them.

ETC. Children of Yost wonder if he can skate too.

The worst-kept secret in college football recruiting went public this afternoon when the nation's top cornerback, Paramus (NJ) Catholic's Jabrill Peppers, committed to Michigan in a televised ceremony on ESPNU (well, eventually... but Peppers' own school just let the cat out of the bag). Peppers is the tenth commit in the Wolverines' 2014 class; as a consensus five-star, he's obviously the highest-ranked of the bunch.

Normally a commit's highlight video goes in a section near the bottom of these posts. In the case of Peppers, that would be a disservice. Lest the scouting portion read as unabashed hyperbole, please watch 12 jaw-dropping minutes highlighting Peppers' junior season:

This whole post will still read as unabashed hyperbole, sure, but now you see that's simply a result of play near-impossible to discuss in reasoned tones.

GURU RATINGS

Among the four recruiting services, only Scout doesn't consider Peppers the top player at his position, and he would be the #1 corner on 247Composite if they ranked him there (instead, he's listed as an athlete/safety). Should his rankings hold, Peppers would be the highest-ranked Michigan commit on Rivals or ESPN in the history of those respective outlets—unless, say, the Wolverines signed a higher-rated prospect in this very class, but let's take it one step at a time here. Each site save Scout (6'0", 190) lists Peppers at 6'1" and 205-210 pounds, giving him an NFL frame for both cornerback and safety.

SCOUTING

Let's start with the most negative scouting report, which comes from Peppers' Scout profile page:

STRENGTHS  Backpedal Quickness  Change of Direction  Closing Speed

AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT  Blitzing Ability  Hip Flexibility  Tackling Ability

There's a reason Peppers is five-star recruit. He doesn't [sic] so many things well, and he is also a very good leader. He can stay tight on a receiver in press coverage and also breaks on a ball well when playing off a receiver. He has size, speed, loose hips, is a tough competitor and can be a standout at receiver, running back, safety and cornerback. He is the total package. --Brian Dohn

Yes, that's the negative one, because there are multiple weaknesses listed: namely, Peppers' ability to blitz and tackle, as well as his hip flexibility. Scout's own Stanford outlet disagrees vehemently with the blitzing and tackling bit ($):

Finally, Peppers shows on video to be a very tough player and a violent tackler. If he does, as most expect, end up on the defensive side of the ball, his reaction skills could place him in the role of a top-end cornerback. However, his willingness and ability to strike and his blitzing competence could make Peppers an excellent safety, given that he is already around six feet tall and 200 pounds, or a corner who could master the nickelback role when necessary. He closes well on run plays and does so with a purpose, making him an all-around football player well worthy of his gaudy offer list.

That nickelback part is important—given how Michigan is using similarly-elite young athlete Dymonte Thomas this year, there's a very good chance Peppers plays there as a freshman. For a third opinion on Peppers' run-support skills, here's his ESPN evaluation ($):

Takes a lot of snaps at safety and shows great range coming downhill to make run stops near the line of scrimmage. Can play physical when needed and is an aggressive football player on run support. Quick to read and react and come up for support. Takes sharp angles, closes strong with great burst and will wrap and pop as a tackler. Box run support is still an area that he could improve on, particularly if he ends up playing safety at the next level.

Michigan is recruiting Peppers as a cornerback—first and foremost, at least—so his work inside the tackle box isn't as great of a concern, especially since we're not entirely sure it's a huge concern in the first place. Here's ESPN again, this time on his coverage skills:

Has the cover corner movements and length to lock down in man-to-man. Transitions sharply with little wasted motion. A naturally fluid athlete who is smooth changing directions and shows ability to quickly flip hips to turn and run with receivers. Shines in tight coverage as well with loose, sudden movements to mirror and the hand strength and length to take away leverage and reroute. Hard to create separation on. Also flashes an extra gear to make up ground when caught in trail position. Turns and runs well to accelerate under the ball in deep coverage. Deep reactions and positioning are excellent but he also excels at closing the cushion in underneath zone schemes and limiting run after catch.

Um, NOT BAD, especially when his size is taken into account. If you're getting the sense that Peppers is the type of athlete who could pretty much play wherever he wanted... well, Scout's staff agrees with you ($):

Peppers would be a four-star running back, and a four-star receiver, but he is best in the secondary, where he would be a five-star safety if his best position was not cornerback. He is physical on the jam, has the acceleration to play off a receiver and then close quickly to break up a pass. He has loose hips and the ability to close, and he enjoys shedding blocks and making tackles.

Case in point—in February, Rivals did an overview of the top running backs of the 2014 class, and Mike Farrell's kicker quote puts Peppers in the same category as three five-star running backs ($):

"High school football is about keeping the ball in your best player's hands," he said. "We saw a time when that was guys like Percy Harvin and Derrick Williams and sometimes it is a dual-threat quarterback like Vince Young or Terrelle Pryor, but right now it is these guys.

"Players like (No. 2-ranked) Jabrill Peppers, [Jalen] Hurd, [Bo] Scarbrough, and [Leonard] Fournette are so talented that you want the ball in their hands 40 times a game if they can handle it. Their size makes them physically able to take it, and the physical gifts make them stand out for rankings purposes."

When doing a similar overview of this year's strong crop of cornerbacks—headline "The Year of the Cornerback ... again?"—Farrell again put Peppers in elite company; namely, saying he'd compete as a junior for the top spot in 2013's senior class, a highly lauded group themselves ($):

"Peppers' instincts, athleticism, speed and playmaking ability are very similar to former Florida All-American cornerback Joe Haden," Rivals.com Mid-Atlantic recruiting analyst Adam Friedman said. "He is the type of cornerback who can lock down one side of the field and is not afraid to come up hard to stop the run. Peppers is almost at that same level as Kendall Fuller and Vernon Hargreaves and would push for the top spot in the 2013 cornerback class. The three of them have a lot of the same qualities."

...

"Jabrill Peppers reminds me a little bit of Vernon Hargeaves III in build and ball skills, but Peppers is more explosive as an offensive player," Farrell said. "On defense, however, both are exceptional."

Rivals named Peppers as one of their initial 2014 five-stars (obviously, that opinion hasn't changed), and Adam Friedman cited a reason beyond his considerable physical talents ($):

Analyst's take: "Physical tools aside, Peppers' leadership qualities and toughness set him apart from other players with comparable measurables and should prove invaluable at the next level. Peppers has a variety of skills that make him an excellent all-around athlete. His toughness and aggressive mentality make him a shoe-in for the defensive side of the ball, most likely at cornerback. Peppers' technique and footwork make it extremely difficult for a receiver to get any separation, especially because Peppers has great closing speed. He is very physical when going in for a tackle and is always a threat when it comes to causing a turnover, whether he is picking off a pass or causing a fumble. He is even a disruptive force when rushing the passer because he disguises the blitz and has the speed and strength to beat the blocker." -- Adam Friedman, Mid-Atlantic Analyst, Rivals.com

This sentiment is very much shared by Peppers' high school coach:

His coach says: "Put aside the fact that he's 205 pounds and physical and extremely fast, his mentality and the mental aspects of his game, I think, make him what he is. He is so smart on and off the field and he really gets it. He understands the game. He feels it out and understands the schemes and what we are trying to do. His leadership is also great. He really is the total package. His work ethic is excellent. He is a competitor in everything he does. You can't ask for anything more and he's a leader and pushes his teammates. I can't predict the future but the sky is the limit for Jabrill. If he stays on this path, we're going to see some great things out of him. When he does move on, he's going to choose the right place and do some big things with his life." -- Paramus Catholic coach Chris Partridge

Partridge has good reason to be so laudatory—Peppers won him a state championship last season with a virtuoso performance in the title game:

CB/RB Jabrill Peppers
Paramus (N.J.) Paramus Catholic, 6-0, 185, Class of 2014
CONSIDERING: A top five of Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Stanford and USC.
PERFORMANCE: Primarily playing as a Wildcat quarterback, Peppers rushed for more than 200 yards and had touchdown runs of 81 and 53 yards, the latter coming on Paramus' first offensive play, in a 37-34 win over Oradell (N.J.) Bergen Catholic in the Non-Public, Group 4 championship.
WHAT IMPRESSED: The physical gifts are obvious but most impressive is how Peppers handled himself this season in the face of criticism. Peppers left national power Ramsey (N.J.) Don Bosco for Paramus Catholic this season, and it ended with him winning a championship. -- Jared Shanker

Shanker mentions Peppers transferring from traditional powerhouse Don Bosco before his junior season. This was a big deal, as even in his freshman season Peppers had analysts trying to put his talent in a historical context—here's Farrell again ($):

Jabrill Peppers, Don Bosco, 5-9/150, CB, 2014 prospect
Peppers is a true freshman who is already the talk of the Bosco coaching staff. Are we looking at the next great Bosco player and how will he handle the pressure of starting for last year's No. 1 team? Is he the best cornerback at Bosco since Michael Ray Garvin or will he be even better?

Scout Rutgers As Peppers established his dominance last year at Paramus Catholic, the conversation quickly expanded, as both Scout's Rutgers outlet... ($):

1.) CB Jabrill Peppers, Paramus Catholic (N.J.) -- Peppers is, without question, the top prospect in New Jersey and may be the best from the Garden State in a few years. Already an impact player on three state-championship teams (at the highest level of competition), Peppers could be on his way to being one of the best players in the history of the state.

...and Rivals' NJVarsity...:

Peppers might very well turn out to be the best prospect ever to come out of the state of New Jersey. He could star as a defensive back for any program in the country and could also be just as effective as a running back. Peppers is currently the No.2 ranked prospect in the nation and there really doesn't seem to be much he can't do. He fled Don Bosco and it was no coincidence that after six straight Bosco state titles, Peppers and Paarmus Catholic took that state crown in 2012.

...well, you read the bolded text, presumably. Recent five-star New Jersey prospects include Florida S Will Hill, Florida State S Myron Rolle, and Virginia OT Eugene Monroe, who went eighth overall in the 2009 NFL Draft. New Jersey may not have the talent of Texas or Florida, but it still produces plenty of top prospects, and Peppers ranks up there with any player to come out of the state—with his senior season still to play.

MARLIN JACKSON SCOUTING

I exchanged a few emails with former Michigan All-American defensive back and Super Bowl champion Marlin Jackson, who was kind enough to give his take on Peppers' film. Get ready for the comparison to beat all other comparisons, non-Fred Jackson division:

This young man is the total package at defensive back, he even has the skills to be a legitimate threat on offense, or in return game. 

Top notch athleticism, speed, agility, and strength. Very, very instinctive player, anticipates snap count well when blitzing. He is more than a corner. This kid can be a lock-down corner and also slide inside and dominate at nickel back, covering and blitzing.

Closes on the ball extremely well, great ball skills, plays the ball well down field on receivers, goes up and makes plays. Exceptional tackler, closes ground fast and explodes on contact. My favorite thing about him is the passion and attitude he plays with, not cocky, but very, very confident, plays with swag and enthusiasm.

He will be a college football All-American, as long as he continues to work hard he should be a first-round draft pick, his talent is at that level. He's already built like a college corner, immediate starter from day one of stepping on a college campus.

Athleticism and skill of Patrick Peterson with overall football instincts of Charles Woodson.

Yes, please.

OFFERS

Anyone and everyone, basically—here are the highlights: Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Miami (YTM), Nebraska, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Penn State, Stanford, South Carolina, Tennessee, UCLA, USC, and West Virginia. Any major programs not on the list are missing for one of two reasons: they didn't have a chance and therefore didn't bother, or it reached the point where Peppers—like many top prospects making an early decision—stopped reporting each and every one of his offers.

HIGH SCHOOL

From Juwann Bushell-Beatty's commitment post:

Led by Jabrill Peppers, Paramus Catholic won last year's state title in the New Jersey Non-Public Group 4 division, which includes football powerhouses like Don Bosco Prep. Despite their recent success, Paramus Catholic hasn't produced a ton in the way of BCS recruits—before this 2014 group, only 2011 four-star DT Marquise Wright (Rutgers) and 2010 three-star OL Dan Foose (Florida State) committed to BCS schools since 2002, per the Rivals recruiting database.

With all the talk of Peppers possibly being the best high school player in the history of New Jersey, it's safe to say he's the best prospect to ever come out of Paramus Catholic.

STATS

According to ESPN, Peppers rushed for 1,552 yards and 18 touchdowns on 172 carries (9.0 ypa), caught 20 passes for 337 yards (16.9 ypc) and five touchdowns, and recorded 77 tackles, two TFLs, a sack, and three interceptions as a junior. The tape also shows that Peppers was a terror in the return game and even completed a couple passes, so the above somehow fails to capture the entire impact of his performance.

FAKE 40 TIME

247 lists a 40 time of 4.50 seconds, which is entirely believable and gets zero FAKEs because...

REAL 100/200 TIMES

"He could've just chilled..."

...Peppers has posted very real, very fast times on the track this year:

The Paramus Catholic junior speedster set a meet record as he blazed to a 10.83 clocking to win the 100-meter sprint at Thursday’s sixth annual Don Bosco Ironman Invitational at Ramapo College.

Peppers, who slightly strained his right groin at last week’s Penn Relays, beat the mark of 10.95 by Hackensack’s Conroy Walker in 2010.

"I didn’t want to aggravate it but I ran overall pretty well. I came out of the blocks quick and just kept in a natural rhythm," Peppers said. "I’ve done as well as 10.8 this year and my personal best is 10.77 last year, but I think I can get it down to 10.4 by the time the states come around. That’s my goal and I think I can achieve it."

Oh, and the 100 may not be his best event—Peppers believed he broke the state record in the 200-meter dash earlier this month, and while a review revealed a timekeeping error...

Fraulo said Peppers' time is 21.37.

"That stands as official,'' said Fraulo.

...yeah, still fast.

VIDEO

If 12 minutes of highlights is too much, here's a condensed version of his junior highlights with some different camera angles and lots of slow-mo:

MaxPreps picks out the top ten plays from his junior film, which couldn't have been easy:

247 has a short sophomore reel:

Bounce?

Bounce.

RAP VIDEO

Some people get all the talent, so of course Jabrill Peppers has considerable skill with a mic in his hand, not to mention a great ear for beats:

The song has a stamp of approval from Vin Rock of 90's hip hop legends Naughty By Nature—Vin (real name: Vinnie Brown) grew up in the same East Orange, NJ, neighborhood as Jabrill's father, Terry Peppers, and reached out to Jabrill (stage name: J-Reall) after seeing the music video on Twitter, according to this article from TomVH:

Brown happened to be looking through his Twitter feed when an article came across his tweets that mentioned the younger Peppers, whose rap name is JReall, and his new song, “Don’t Take it Personal.” Brown read the article and watched the music video and couldn’t believe what he had seen.

“I would always hear about [Jabrill], and it was kind of like we let him do his thing and now he’s surfacing on his own. That was the first time I had heard him rap, I didn’t even know he had a crew like that,” he said. “I watched the video and listened to the song and it is really good. Jabrill’s song is like a throwback to ’90’s hip hop and I was like, ‘Wow, I’m really impressed.’ ”

Peppers began making music at ten years old, using it as way to relax—and also deal with the absence of his father, who's been imprisoned since Jabrill was seven years old and will see him for the first time since when he's paroled in June (the two have kept in touch only by phone in the last ten years). If you need any further indication that Peppers is mature beyond his years, I strongly recommend reading that article.

PREDICTION BASED ON FLIMSY EVIDENCE

In case it isn't clear by this point, Peppers is going to get a chance to make an impact in all three phases of the game: while he projects best to cornerback, he could also line up at running back, wide receiver, wildcat quarterback, safety, and kickoff and punt returner. Yes, insert the Charles Woodson quote here:

"[Greg Mattison] compared me to (Woodson) a lot actually, but my goal is that I want to be better than Charles Woodson," Peppers said confidently. "I love the way Coach Greg Mattison uses his corners and his scheme. It absolutely fits into my style of play — aggressive (and) fearless. He wants his corners to be fearless. If he wants you to go lockup on an island, you had better lockup on that island. If he wants you to come off the edge, you better come off the edge ready to bring some pain."

(Woodson approves, by the way.) So, yeah, there's that.

In my opinion, Michigan is going to initially use Peppers much like they'll use Dymonte Thomas this fall—Thomas, who projects to safety down the road, has already locked down the starting nickelback job after enrolling early. Thomas should move to safety in 2014 when Thomas Gordon's spot will be available, leaving the nickel position available for Peppers to step in and make an early impact. I asked Marlin Jackson why it seems the Wolverines are putting their most physically talented freshmen defensive backs at the nickel spot before moving them to their natural position, and he provided this explanation—based in large part on his own experience at Michigan:

Nickel is just about raw athleticism, not as much about technique, more so about about natural football instincts and skills.  This is why most schools put top incoming freshmen in this slot.

Nickel was my starting position and I was starting by Big Ten play.  Allows you to get comfortable.  When you have players like Jabrill, myself, and Dymonte, who are athletic, have good size and instincts along with a physical style of play, you have good candidate for nickelback.

After a freshman year at nickel, Peppers could either wrest the starting boundary corner spot away from Raymon Taylor or stay in the slot for a second year until Taylor graduates. By 2015, I'd expect to see him locking down that boundary spot, where his size and skill in run support make him an ideal fit. He could also end up as a jack-of-all-trades defensive back, lining up all over the field to keep offenses on their toes, and he'll almost certainly make an impact in the return game and see some snaps on offense.

UPSHOT FOR THE REST OF THE CLASS

Peppers accounts for one of what should be two cornerback spots in the 2014 class; at this point, it looks likely that Peppers will be joined by IL CB Parrker Westphal whenever the latter makes his decision, though the Wolverines will also pursue five-star CA CB Adoree' Jackson and four-star DC CB Jalen Tabor, among others. Other remaining needs include strongside linebacker, a third offensive lineman, and a couple of three-tech/SDE types.

The biggest upshot from Peppers' commitment, though, may be the impact it has on the decision of other top recruits—namely #1 overall prospect Da'Shawn Hand, whom Peppers has told his fellow Michigan commits is his top recruiting priority as a member of Team 135. There's no question that Michigan landing a prospect of Peppers' caliber will send waves through the recruiting community and catch the attention of top national prospects, and with the way Brady Hoke is recruiting that could be enough to vault the Wolverines into serious contention for the top recruiting class in 2014—the only mitigating factor may be the small projected size of the class (currently slated to be 15 players but likely to approach 20 when all is said and done).

Take it away, drum major:

Indeed.

via Michael Ferns' Instagram

Southfield (MI) DE/LB Lawrence Marshall, a former Ohio State commit and presumed Michigan State lock, has committed to... Michigan, of course, per fellow commit Michael Ferns and confirmed by the various recruiting outlets. Marshall was on campus today with Ferns and receiver commit Moe Ways, a long-time AAU teammate of Marshall's who's been recruiting him hard lately.

Marshall was expected to make a decision soon, but the choice wasn't supposed to be Michigan—according to 247, he's visited East Lansing eight (eight!) times since the beginning on February, and all six of the 247 experts to weigh in predicted he'd choose Michigan State.

Where's the threat? Oh, it's right here, and it's devouring us alive.

GURU RATINGS

As you'll see in the scouting section, Marshall is a relatively raw prospect with plenty of upside, so it's not surprising to see a major outlier in his rankings prior to his senior season; while the other three services have Marshall safely within their top lists, Rivals pegs him as a three-star ranked three spots below the last WDE four-star (Gelen Robinson, incidentally). His listed measurables range from 6'3", 215 lbs. to 6'4", 230—based on recent camp reports, the latter figure is probably more accurate.

With the rankings for Marshall largely based on his potential, his senior season and future camp performances could spur plenty of movement in either direction.

SCOUTING

Allen Trieu's free report on Marshall's Scout profile is a good place to start—his listed strengths are athleticism, backside pursuit, and lateral range, with "techniques and moves" as his area for improvement:

Very long frame. Has great athleticism, change of direction and speed in pursuit. Has all of the tools to be an elite pass rusher, just needs continued work on his technique. Plays with hand down in high school, but may be a stand-up rusher in college. Has not been asked to drop into coverage much, but that's something he may be asked to do at the next level. Has to add some weight, but all of the raw tools are there. - Allen Trieu

I believe Marshall is more likely to end up at weakside DE—playing with his hand down—than standing up at outside linebacker, so this note from Trieu after an Adidas camp in March brings up an important point ($):

He's very long and athletic. He needs to still get stronger. Big, physical offensive linemen had success when they got their hands on him, but his feet and quickness are very impressive.

Until Marshall adds the requisite size and technique, he'll have a tough go against big offensive linemen. In college, that's every offensive lineman.

His athleticism, however, makes him a tantalizing prospect as an edge rusher. Steve Lorenz named him one of the top performers at the first HYPE Showcase in Canton, citing his size/speed combo as the primary reason, a couple weeks ago:

DE Lawrence Marshall (Southfield, MI/Southfield): Marshall was the headliner and for the most part performed as such. He continues to build himself up and has become a potentially lethal combination of size and speed. He still can occasionally struggle against bigger defenders a bit, but still usually gets to the tackling dummy without much of an issue.

And at the aforementioned Adidas camp Marshall even took a couple reps on offense... at wide receiver:

Southfield (Mich.) High Top247 defensive end Lawrence Marshall took a few reps at defensive end before moving over and showing his athleticism at receiver. The 6-foot-3, 225-pound Marshall was rocked up and continues to add size each time we see him.

The fact that Marshall is consistently adding size is, of course, also a major positive at this point. In fact, according to a report from Rivals' Josh Helmholdt during Marshall's junior season, while Marshall needs to add size his strength may actually be a positive ($) [emphasis mine]:

DE Lawrence Marshall, Southfield, Mich. (2014):: The last few weeks have been especially fruitful for Marshall. Although his team made a second-round exit from the Michigan high school state playoffs, a wave of new scholarship offers has helped assuage the agony of defeat. Among the most recent to offer are Big Ten programs Indiana and Michigan State, and the appeal of Marshall is evident on junior film. At 6-foot-4 and 205 pounds, Marshall still has a lean frame, but he does not have issues with strength at the point of attack. He does a great job creating upfield momentum, which all starts with his explosive first step. Marshall comes off the line hard and low, and puts an exclamation point on his sacks by being a heavy hitter.

That was five months and 20-or-so pounds ago. If Marshall continues to get bigger, as is expected, I don't think there will be much question about him playing on the line when he gets to campus. His athletic ability gives him much more potential if he's playing defensive end—where it's harder to find such an athlete that can also hold the point of attack—than if he's thrown into Michigan's deep pool of linebackers.

OFFERS

Marshall also held offers from Michigan State, Mississippi State, Nebraska, Ohio State, Ole Miss, Oklahoma, Pitt, Syracuse, and Tennessee, among several others.

HIGH SCHOOL

Southfield High School (Class A, Division 2) has been an above-average program for the last several years but hasn't had a lot of success in the state playoffs—last year, they fell to Oak Park in the second round. Marshall is the highest-ranked prospect the school has produced in the Rivals era—and that's going by his three-star Rivals ranking. Other notable prospects include 2012 TE Ron Thompson, who chose Syracuse over Michigan, and 2012 Cincinnati cornerback signee LEVITICUS PAYNE.

STATS

According to 247, Marshall recorded 79 tackles, 15 sacks, and four interceptions during his junior season.

FAKE 40 TIME

None of the sites list a FAKE (or real) 40 time.

VIDEO

Marshall's tape very much falls in line with the scouting reports. He's got a great burst off the line and gets to the football in a hurry; he's also hardly touched on a good number of these plays and needs work on technique—when he gets to Michigan, he won't be able to simply run right past offensive linemen.

PREDICTION BASED ON FLIMSY EVIDENCE

In case it hasn't been made abundantly clear, Marshall is a high-ceiling, boom-or-bust recruit. The potential is there for him to be a highly impactful edge rusher, but first he must add weight and refine his technique. [Insert praise of Michigan's D-line coaching here.]

It's possible that Marshall ends up at strongside linebacker, though I like him a lot more as a weakside end. Still, he has some positional flexibility and at the very least should turn himself into a situational pass-rusher. This comparison has been made elsewhere, but his size/speed combo and raw potential are very reminiscent of Frank Clark, this year's presumed starter at weakside end. Unlike Clark, Marshall should have a couple years of seasoning before he needs to see the field with Mario Ojemudia and Taco Charlton in the two classes ahead of him. From there, it's all about maintaining his athleticism while adding bulk and refining his technique—if he can do that, he's got double-digit sack potential.

UPSHOT FOR THE REST OF THE CLASS

I covered Michigan's defensive line situation in great detail yesterday; the short version is they'll happily take Marshall, Malik McDowell, and Da'Shawn Hand should the latter two also decide on the Wolverines. That would give Michigan one complete line in the 2014 class with Marshall (WDE), McDowell (3-tech/SDE), Bryan Mone (NT/3-tech), and Hand (SDE/WDE). This is by no means guaranteed to happen, but at this point it's difficult to not at least consider it a definite—and pretty damn awesome—possibility. Even if Michigan misses out on Hand, that's a heck of a D-line haul if they can keep McDowell in-state, which at this point is the expectation.

As for the class as a whole, Michigan now has nine commits (not including grayshirt Brady Pallante) in the 2014 class, which currently has room for 14 players but should end up closer to 20 when all is said and done. We know the Wolverines will take one more linebacker—probably either Chase Winovich or Kyron Watson—and probably a third offensive lineman, and spots will be held open for McDowell and Hand. Other priorities include a third receiver and, say, an elite defensive back (ahem).

STAT OF THE DAY

Percentage of ESPN 150 commits to total commits: Michigan: 88%, LSU: 50%, Florida: 44%, FSU: 44%, TAM: 30%, Tenn: 16%, Texas: 14%

— Tom VanHaaren (@TomVH) May 11, 2013

According to Sam Webb, Michigan just picked up their eighth commitment of the 2014 class—and third in the last week—in Paramus (NJ) Catholic OL Juwann Bushell-Beatty. Bushell-Beatty joins Mason Cole among offensive line commits in the class; like Cole, he also has an elite high school teammate being recruited heavily by the Wolverines—in his case, five-star corner Jabrill Peppers, for whom the recruiting tides appear to be shifting in Michigan's favor.

Update of the informative variety:

GURU RATINGS

There's a clear split in Bushell-Beatty's rankings, though Scout is more of an outlier here than they initially appear—the #28 OT on Rivals is a four-star, so JBB is just one spot away there. ESPN and 247, meanwhile, have him easily within their top n lists. The reason for the divide is almost certainly that Bushell-Beatty has played all of one season at the varsity level; until he amasses more game film and hits the camp circuit, opinions could be all over the place.

There's a similar disparity when it comes to his measurables: Rivals and Scout both list JBB at 6'5", 295 pounds, while ESPN and 247 both have him at 6'7", with the former listing him all the way up at 330 lbs. and the latter at 310.

SCOUTING

You'll be shocked to read that a player who's got one season of varsity football under his belt is described as "raw"—here by NJVarsity.com, which listed JBB as #14 in-state junior in March ($):

14.) OL Juwan Bushell-Beatty - Paramus Catholic
Bushell-Beatty has a Division 1 frame and moves decently for someone his size. He is still a bit on the raw side, but last year was only his first playing at the high school varsity level. What he showed last year was just a glimpse as he has plenty of room to grow as an offensive tackle. He is just learning the finer points of the game but has enough athletic ability and natural tools to be considered a solid BCS-level prospect.

ESPN's evaluation suggests that Bushell-Beatty could end up at either guard or tackle in college, depending on his development in pass protection ($) [emphasis mine]:

Bushell-Beatty possesses good height and bulk as an O-Line prospect and with some time in a college weight program looks to have a frame that can still support a little more good size. In the run game he can smother defenders and gain more positional leverage, but when he gets good placement with his hands and keeps his pad level down he can push defenders off the line. He does need to work to improve placement and pad level as he can pop up, get tall, not roll his hips into blocks, stop his feet on contact and not consistently create the push he is capable of. When blocking down can wash defenders down the line of scrimmage. Can work to second level with good control and get a hat on targets in his track. In pass pro can use his length and strength well. Uses his reach well and displays very good upper-body strength and can deliver a violent punch that can knock edge rushes off course. Flashes the ability to punch and lock on, but would like to see that more from him. His kick step is effective enough, though he can turn shoulders a little quickly and be a bit of a waist bender but makes it tough for rushers to get into his frame. Flashes the ability to slide with rushers once locked on but demonstrates adequate lateral mobility. Displays good awareness and some finishing nastiness.

It's not a surprise to see pad level as an issue for a raw tackle prospect who may still be growing; that's something that should improve with experience, and same goes for most of the technical issues that ESPN points out in JBB's game. It sounds like his run blocking is currently ahead of his pass blocking, which is typical for a player at this stage and also bodes well should he kick down to guard.

Given this quote from Bushell-Beatty's head coach, it sounds like he's taken quite strongly to football after some initial trepidation, per 247's Steve Wiltfong ($):

“We were like listen buddy you’re playing football,” [Paramus Catholic head coach Chris] Partridge said. “I give him all the credit in the world. We weren’t easy on him. He pushed through it and it wasn’t easy for him. He pushed through it and he’s mean and he’s getting it and it’s good to see that as a coach. We took a chance with starting him and giving him that spot and it worked out.”

...

“He was very raw,” Partridge began. “He’s now getting better and better. He’s a kid that can develop and be a big-time national kid. If he makes the strides he made from last year to this year he’ll blow up.”

In case you're non sensing the theme at this point, JBB is very much a developmental prospect. With his frame and raw potential, he could grow into a special player, but he's going to need a few years to refine technique—with Michigan's recent offensive line recruiting, there are few places better suited to letting a prospect marinate for a while before they're ready to see the field.

OFFERS

Bushell-Beatty's list reveals that Michigan isn't the only school that sees big-time potential in him—Florida, Florida State, Miami (YTM), Michigan State, Rutgers, Tennessee, and West Virginia also extended offers before his commitment, and he also fielded interest from Ohio State, Penn State, and Pitt.

HIGH SCHOOL

Led by Jabrill Peppers, Paramus Catholic won last year's state title in the New Jersey Non-Public Group 4 division, which includes football powerhouses like Don Bosco Prep. Despite their recent success, Paramus Catholic hasn't produced a ton in the way of BCS recruits—before this 2014 group, only 2011 four-star DT Marquise Wright (Rutgers) and 2010 three-star OL Dan Foose (Florida State) committed to BCS schools since 2002, per the Rivals recruiting database.

STATS

Offensive lineman, no stats.

FAKE 40 TIME

No available 40 time, not that offensive linemen tend to run 40 yards in a straight line during game situations unless they happen to be donkey-riding Manti Te'o.

VIDEO

Junior highlights:

PREDICTION BASED ON FLIMSY EVIDENCE

It's hard to say anything definitive about a prospect who's played one year of varsity football. That said, I like what I see from Bushell-Beatty, who's got an ideal lineman frame and appears to be a natural when it comes to certain aspects of line play, most especially in how he uses his hands. He'll have to develop significantly in pass protection to become a blindside tackle option; the potential is there, but it seems more likely he'll slot in at right tackle (or left, if lefty Shane Morris is the QB) or bump down to guard.

Regardless of where he ends up, JBB will assuredly take a redshirt year and likely a couple years after that before he competes for a spot on the two-deep; Michigan has too much depth and talent on the line to expect a relative football newcomer to make a serious push for early playing time.

UPSHOT FOR THE REST OF THE CLASS

The Wolverines now have a couple of commits who could play multiple positions on the line: Mason Cole is likely a guard but could also play tackle, while JBB is ideally the opposite if he develops. Michigan should take one, perhaps two, more lineman and be set for this class, especially considering they took a sixth OL last year.

The other upshot, of course, is that Michigan has another edge in the recruitment of Peppers. At worst, the Wolverines appear to be neck-and-neck with Stanford, and only one of those schools has Peppers' high school teammate in the fold. I still expect Peppers to visit Palo Alto before making a decision, but it's looking increasingly likely that he ends up in Ann Arbor. Yes, that would be very nice indeed.

Detroit Country Day receiver Maurice Ways has committed to Michigan. Surprise! He's the second receiver in the class, joining Drake Harris, and is in much the same mold: long, rangy, downfield threat.

Let's do it.

GURU RATINGS

Yes, sometimes Michigan does recruit consensus three stars. Ways is currently one of them. He doesn't look like one on film, though. He's long, lanky, and lopes away from the competition with long strides; he's a guy who makes you think "catching radius" all the time. He looks like a guy who would get an early offer from Michigan.

The catch appears to be, uh, catches. The stuff they don't put in the highlight film, like a this Country Day playoff game($) Tim Sullivan caught last year:

Junior wide receiver Maurice Ways caught two passes for 29 yards, including a 22-yard touchdown reception. He also dropped four passes. …

Ways definitely looks the part of a big, physical wide receiver at 6-3, 185 pounds. Though he's not a burner, he has good speed and agility. The question mark on Ways will continue to be his hands (he had a key drop in a previous game as well). He's reminiscent of former Michigan standout Braylon Edwards in that he'll make spectacular catches regularly, but drop easy balls with just as much frequency. Of his four dropped passes, at least two should have been reeled in, and he had a good chance at the other two, as well. He needs to improve his concentration in order to realize his potential as a wideout.

Oh, look, hives! On my skin! Thinking about that dropped pass against OSU that should have gone to Jason Avant! Hello, hives! We are going to die, all right?

The other game Sullivan caught($) also featured a crucial drop. Ways didn't get as much separation as you'd like but at 6'3" with a "very long wingspan" and leaping ability, he is a matchup problem, hopefully one like the guys Ways models himself after:

“I model my game after Calvin Johnson with our same body types and play-making ability,” said Ways. “I watch film on him a lot and try to emulate my game after his, and also A.J. Green.” … “Basketball was my first love,” Ways said. “But I noticed that I had talent in football and could go further in this sport. Rebounding in basketball is like going up for a jump ball. Blocking out is like blocking a defender.”

As long as he's catching the ball.

Ways has a good excuse for the drops and route-running issues: he's raw. He was gunning for a basketball scholarship when he entered high school and only focused on football last year:

"This is my first year on varsity," he explained. "… It's a big role, and I had to mature fast, had to learn the offense fast. The game speed is faster than JV of course, and the physicality is better. It makes me have to think more to try to manipulate defense in terms of route running."

Somewhat oddly, Trieu's take on Ways's Scout profile lists "hands" as an asset.

Kid with a great frame and height. Has filled out his body, but needs to continue to do that and add strength. Shows good ball skills and uses his natural athleticism to track down the ball and can go up and get it in traffic. No timed speed on him, but shows ability to get downfield on film and also makes some things happen after the catch. Relatively inexperienced, so needs to continue to work on route running and technique. - Allen Trieu

247 predicted he would be a riser this spring:

Maurice Ways, WR, Franklin (Mich.) Detroit Country Day

Film

If you follow recruiting even passingly in the Midwest, you’ve heard of the big, talented Derek Kief at wide receiver. We’re hear to tell you that you need to know the name Ways too if you don’t already. … With the way he moves on film, the ball skills he shows and the big play ability he threatens, Ways could see his offer list triple over the next month.

Both Steve Lorenz of 247 and Sullivan projected that their rating services would move Ways up in the near future. How much? The guess here is that vague four-star-but-not-ranked area.

OFFERS

Rutgers, Iowa, and Kansas were the other BCS schools. Ways had a number of MAC offers as well. He visited Ohio State a couple times; the Buckeyes seemed to have sincere interest but had not offered yet. The wanted him to camp.

That was not likely to matter since he's given multiple interviews in which he says he's a huge Michigan fan.

HIGH SCHOOL

You are aware of Detroit Country Day, surely. They were state runners-up last year. Michigan's only recruit in the past decade or so to come from DCD was Kenny Demens, thought they have acquired a number of walkons—including the spectacularly-named O'Neil Swanson III—in recent years.

STATS

Ways had an impressive 51 catches for 957 yards and 9 touchdowns last year. It helps that he had Rutgers commit Tyler Weigers throwing to him. Not a lot of schools in Michigan have a D-I to D-I connection going on.

Before that, he was on JV.

FAKE 40 TIME

Doesn't have one. Divide by zero fakes.

VIDEO

Rivals has a couple games of full-game highlights($) behind their paywall. It has some of those aforementioned drops. Braylon vibe: confirmed.

EXTREMELY IMPORTANT THING

Ways is a member of the Greg Oden "is that guy 45?" club.

PREDICTION BASED ON FLIMSY EVIDENCE

Ways will be put in the same opportunity-laden environment as a freshman that Harris will be. Amara Darboh is poised to lock down a starting job with a strong performance this fall, and Jehu Chesson will have a couple years on this class's PT candidates. Other than that, it's wide open with the three sleeper sorts from last year going up against the more athletic 2014 guys. I'd guess Ways gets a redshirt unless he ends up ahead of Harris. With Harris higher-ranked and planning to enroll early, that's approximately a 1/3rd shot.

Long term, he has plenty of upside what with the size and catching radius, and no one actually know how fast he is. You'd think that would be one of the easiest things to get right, but when Chesson was a recruit the main knock on him was his speed. Chesson tore up the track after his LOI and is now getting buzz from players and coaches as a fast-as-hell deep threat($). Also: Braylon. So… yeah.

He should spend the next year having the jugs machine throw babies at him. We'll see where we go from there. Could be big time, could be Tyrece Butler 2.0. Filed under boom or bust.

UPSHOT FOR THE REST OF THE CLASS

Ways and Harris help restock Michigan's outside receiver corps pending the departure of Jackson, Gallon, and Dileo in the offseason. That only gets them to seven players for 2.5 starting spots, so they're still looking. They could use a slot, and FL WR Artavis Scott fits that bill nicely. PA WR KJ Williams, another lanky outside threat, may have missed the boat. Mutual interest with AZ WR/TE Mark Andrews also just ended abruptly.

I actually wouldn't be surprised if Michigan took a fourth receiver somewhere along the line unless attrition is super-low. The numbers everywhere else project to be fine, and depth at WR comes in handy.

By the way, Michigan pass targets in the last two classes go 6'7", 6'4", 6'4", 6'6", 6'4", 6'3", 6'2", and 6'2". Al Borges is going to find Tacopants and starve him off the roster.