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Remember, for past updates, you can check out the 2011 Michigan Football Recruiting Board any time. It will be updated with information form this post later today.

Jake Fisher Goes Blue

As covered in the Hello: Jake Fisher post, the offensive lineman from Traverse City is the newest addition to the Michigan family. Local paper article:

On Fisher's first visit to Ann Arbor, he met a number of former U-M standouts and current NFL players. Then on his second trip, he and Wooer also got a campus tour with Rodriguez on a golf cart during the visit.

"It was after I left I thought 'that's it,'" said Fisher of when he realized he'd be going to Michigan. "I just didn't want to blow off everything else in case something happened."

One of our outstanding mgoboard members, 913Vaughn, dug up junior year stats for Jake Fisher at tight end. He had 10 receptions for 185 yards and a TD on an offense that only had 38 completed passes the whole season. A free Rivals story shows his potential as a college tight end... and beyond:

Michigan State initially recruited Fisher as a tight end, where he'll see plenty of time this fall (while switching to offensive tackle during spread situations and seeing extensive time on defense, as well). With Fisher's decision looming, MSU coaches broke down film for the standout and told him they'd bring him in as a tackle, too, unless he kept his weight down enough to play tight end. "That wasn't likely to happen," Fisher noted...

Fisher's admittedly made huge strides in the weight room, spending three days a week on heavy lifting and conditioning with a full body workout. He's packed on 24 pounds since the end of basketball season and is carrying the weight well, maintaining his quickness. His athleticism was on display at the Michigan summer camp when he went up (and held his own) against some of the top defensive ends in the Midwest, including U-M commitment Brennen Beyer.

The story also says that he received a Notre Dame offer, but after he was sold on Michigan. Magnus breaks down his game on Touch The Banner, and the crew at GBMW does the same.

Happy Trails

OH OL Ryan Kelly committed to Alabama. The writing was on the wall for this one as soon as Michigan picked up Jack Miller as a center.

PA CB Dondi Kirby has narrowed his list to a top 7 that does not include Michigan.

Visits! With Decisions!

MI RB Justice Hayes (at right) visited Ann Arbor last weekend, and will now push his decision forward ($, info in header). He'll officially announce his decision on July 30th (next Friday) at 11am. Michigan and Notre Dame appear to be a strong top two for him, but - unless Fred Jackson worked magic on last week's visit - I'd be surprised if his choice was something other than Notre Dame. UMGoBlog says this is bad news, but you only have 25 scholarships each year (significantly fewer this year). You can't take every kid, and you can't beat yourself up when one of them picks another school.

FL RB Demetrius Hart has been on campus plenty of times before, and his most recent trek was another positive experience:

Demetrius: It went real well. I've been up there plenty of times now, and every time I go up there I just like it that much more. The changes they're making, and the things they're going are really good. I really liked it.

Demetrius also managed to take a potshot at the press for their artistic license on reality, and said he'll be back in town for the UConn game. A commitment could come that weekend, but don't be surprised if takes takes a couple other visits first.

Nobody is expected to visit this weekend unless IL OL Chris Bryant makes it in. The next big visit planned is the 29th, when TX LB Kellen Jones hits campus.

FL OL Tony Posada plans to decide soon, possibly at a ceremony with fellow Plant Panthers QB Phillip Ely and RB/DE James Wilder. If Florida doesn't offer, there's a good chance he ends up in the winged helmet.

MI LB Ed Davis has reached a soft decision ($, info in header), and he's set to announce it at the end of August. Michigan was his first offer, and led for him earlier in the process, but that may no longer be the case. Iowa, Michigan State, and Cincinnati are the other finalists.

Other

FL QB Commit Kevin Sousa is named Central Florida's 2nd-best signal-caller, behind UF commit Jeff Driskel. With a productive season, Sousa could be a 4-star prospect by Signing Day.

Is Michigan soon to offer OH TE Frank Clark? ($, info in header). They seem to be set on taking a tight end in this class, and Clark reportedly impressed at Michigan's summer camp. He's a product of Cleveland Glenville, and Rodriguez has been trying to get back into that school ever since he's been in Ann Arbor.

MI OL/DE Anthony Zettel is down to 247 pounds. That's making the defensive end talk sound much more realistic, though he doesn't care which side of the ball colleges want him to play. Since he hasn't said otherwise, I assume Michigan still leads for him.

Tom's weekly recruiting post has updates on FL S/CB Jonathan Aiken, MD DT Darian Cooper, and more. Check it out for the latest.

Phil Kornblut's latest recruiting column contains a couple tidbits of interest to Michigan: The Wolverines are showing in interest in NJ Ath Sheldon Royster (and have extended an offer?) and TN DT Terry Redden. They're also still on the list of SC DE Gerald Dixon. I've added the first pair to the board, and have updated Dixon's section.

PA RB Collin Hegarty is also hearing from Michigan, but he doesn't have any offers yet, and it sounds like he's a longshot for one from the Wolverines.

2012

On Dee Hart's visit (more detail above), 2012 FL QB Nick Patti, a teammate at Orlando Dr. Phillips, tagged along. Tom caught up with Patti, who liked what he saw:

NICK: You meet the coaches, and you meet Rich Rodriguez, and when ever you meet a head coach you're meeting an important person. But, he's so down to earth. You can talk to him about anything. With Coach Smith it was all about business, but you still feel really comfortable. It's really easy to be around all of them.

Patti compared his game to Tate Forcier's, and you can see for yourself as his sophomore highlights are embedded in Tom's post.

Update from last week's post, which brought up MO WR Dorial Green-Beckham (OMG shirtless at right). Tom pointed out a fluff article from MaxPreps that discusses Dorial on the field, on the basketball court, and in life. 

Green-Beckham grew up the son of a single mother with a history of substance abuse problems. He bounced around a lot as a child, through his early high school career. This winter, his high school coach adopted Dorial and his brothers, and hopefully it's the stability he needs to excel on the field and in the classroom.

As one of the top prospects in the 2012 class, Michigan will have a ton of competition if they hope to land this guy. He's the type of kid that you'll root for at the next level, wherever he ends up.

MI WR David Perkins, who was going to be one of the state's top prospects next year, has moved to Indiana.

Michigan is "very interested" in 2012 PA OL/DE Tyler Alt. He's a high school defensive end who will likely play offense in college.

Believe it or not, I've had my eye on a number of 2012 prospects already, and I'm going to start putting 2012 notes in the Thursday Recruitin' posts more regularly. A 2012 Michigan Football Recruiting Board will likely not be unveiled until Michigan gets their first commit in the class.

Remember, the Michigan Football Recruiting Board holds all the info you need.

Tournaments, Visits, Decisions. Oh My!

FL RB Dee Hart and his Dr. Phillips teammates participated in the Nike 7ON tournament last weekend, and though the team results weren't the best, Dee tore it up:

Hart was easily the best player on the field for Dr. Phillips and when the team seemed out of sorts to start the competition, he stepped up to make some key plays.

That's an extremely positive review, the type that Michigan fans are used to seeing by now. That, along with Dr. Phillips's fourth place finish, earned Hart a spot on the all-tournament team, and the Orlando Sentinel explains why:

"One play sums up Hart's style of play: He caught the ball for a short gain and put a swift move on a linebacker and then sprinted toward the middle of the field to gain some separation. When two defensive backs came to meet him he side-stepped them and they collided as he ran past for an even bigger gain. Hart is electric with the ball in his hands and he can catch coming out of the backfield.'

Craig Haubert points out that he's great at going up to get the ball, despite his smaller stature. Here's a bit of recruiting fluff on Hart and his teammate FL S HaSean Clinton-Dix. Hart is also cryptic in his recruiting interviews, though reporters still haven't realized that he just wants to be left alone. He'll be in Ann Arbor today with 2012 FL QB Nick Patti.

AZ OL Cyrus Hobbi was in Ann Arbor this week ($, info in header). He told Tom that he really enjoyed the visit.

Tom talked to IL OL Jordan Walsh (pictured at right) prior to his Michigan visit this past Tuesday, and this week's Detroit News column by Sam Webb has the latest:

"It went well," said Walsh of his one-on-one time with Michigan's head coach. "We talked a lot about (different) stuff, and not always about football. He told me about the new additions to the Big House, the town, and everything. I like him. I guess you could say he's different from how he is portrayed. He's a really cool, laid-back person. He's always smiling, and the way he talks about things, you kind of just feel good talking to him."

Walsh, who grew up a Michigan fan, plans to make a pre-season decision. He is down to eight schools, including Michigan, conference mates Michigan State, Iowa, and Northwestern, and a pair each from the PAC-10 and SEC in the Los Angeles schools and the Tennessee schools.

MI OL Jake Fisher has made up his mind between Michigan and Michigan State, and will be announcing very soon. I hope Michigan State blogs didn't bother preparing Hello: Jake Fisher posts in advance.

LA CB Daren Kitchen has been openly lobbying for a Michigan offer, going so far as to say he'd commit to the Wolverines on the spot. According to Tom, he's not only been offered, but also upheld his pledge to accept. Rich Rodriguez recently returned from vacation, so we'll have to see if that offer becomes committable. If so, look for a Hello: Daren Kitchen post i the near future.

Happy Trails

Happy Trails, NC QB Marquise Williams. After the commitment of FL QB Kevin Sousa, it was clear that Michigan's staff knew Williams was heading elsewhere, now it's just been made official—he'll be a Tar Heel.

Michigan is not mentioned in a Rivals article about PA DE Desimon Green, who "knows where he wants to go." He's still on the board, but close to a Happy Trails moment.

Adios, FL LB AJ Johnson. He's narrowed his list to three, and Michigan is nowhere to be found.

Paring It Down

LA DT Mickey Johnson is down to a final five schools:

“UCLA, Nebraska, Michigan, Tennessee, and LSU are my final 5 in that order. I’m going to take 4 official visits, I won’t take one to LSU since it’s so close. I may enter a 5th visit down the line but we’ll see. I’m up to over 40 total offers right now so it’s been tough to narrow them down.”

Here's Johnson in action during his junior season:

Johnson is probably Michigan's last best hope for a high profile nose tackle in this class, though he maintains that UCLA and Nebraska have a healthy lead on the other three schools.

PA DE Deion Barnes plans to narrow his list to four or five schools by the start of his high school season.

GA S Avery Walls has a top 11, which includes Michigan. He plans to visit Virginia and Oregon, the only schools on the list that he hasn't seen yet, before making his mid-season decision. Remember, he spoke glowingly of Ann Arbor when he came through last month.

FL S Wayne Lyons has cut his list to 14 schools ($, info in header). Phil Kornblut shares the contents:

He announced a cut down list of 14 Saturday night that included the Gamecocks, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, LSU, Miami, Michigan, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Ole Miss, Stanford, Vanderbilt, UCLA and South Florida.

Michigan hadn't seemed too involved in Lyons's recruitment, but we'll see if interest increases now that it's obviously mutual. From the same article, Michigan is in a top 9 for FL S/WR Sammy Watkins. Clemson and Miami are his top two.

Michigan is in the final eight for OH CB Doran Grant. Ohio State and Michigan State (where his dad played) are still the presumed favorites.

Etc.

FL RB DeVondrick Nealy has a Michigan offer and the Wolverines are in his top five. He's likely a backup plan if Demetrius Hart doesn't end up in Ann Arbor.

OH WR AJ Jordan is up to 21 offers. He'll also make a return trip to Ann Arbor:

"I'm visiting Illinois, Wisconsin, Purdue, Indiana and Michigan this summer and hopefully I'll be able to make a decision before the start of the season.

He's been to Ann Arbor a couple times, so Michigan is likely near the top of his list. At this time, I think most people expect him to be Michigan's second outside wideout in this class. Here's his junior video, for those who are interested.

MI OL Anthony Zettel won't decide until after at least one official visit, to Iowa ($, info in header). Even just that header mentions that Michigan and Michigan State have a big lead on the field.

The Oakland Press's Scott Burnstein obviously turned on his BROTASTIC filter before writing this article about MI CB Valdez Showers:

Then summertime hit and with the increase in temperature, the Eagles very own, "REIGN MAN," caught red-hot fire and proceeded to BLOW UP like DA BOMB he is.

So, uh, yeah. Not really sure how I should react to that.

PA CB/S Dondi Kirby tore his ACL at Michigan's camp ($, info in header), and will miss his senior year of football.

Michigan is giving attention to OH CB Roger Williamson ($, info in header). I've added him to the board.

The Distant Future. The Year 2012.

As mentioned above, FL QB Nick Patti (right) is in town this weekend with his 2011 teammate, FL RB Dee Hart. Though he's a little guy, the Orlando Sentinel still points out that he's one heck of a QB:

"[H]e's going to make some school happy. He has a big arm, is smart and capable and was one of the better quarterbacks at the event."

Patti, just a junior, is heading into his first full season as the starting QB at Dr. Phillips. He recently won the Golden Gun award for accuracy, hitting all eight targets at the Las Vegas Elite 11 camp.

Offers, much less a commitment, for Patti are a long way off, but keep him in the back of your mind.

Michigan has picked up a couple players from Columbus St. Francis DeSales in the past couple years (Patrick Omameh in 2008, Chris Rock in 2011), so don't be surprised if they go after OH RB Warren Ball, who should be one of the Midwest's top running backs. Alas, they'll have to fight Ohio State if they want to land him.

SC WR Dorial Green, who holds a Michigan offer, will be a big-time recruit next year:

He helped lead the Hornets to a Class 5 basketball state championship. He also closed his sophomore year by winning two state titles, including the 100 meters, at the track and field championships.

Projections will have him as one of the most highly regarded national football recruits of the Class of 2012. The top programs in the country will be offering to Green, who is 6-foot-5.

The rest of the article is of the variety "his Rivals profile says he's interested in...," so take it with a grain of salt.

As a reminder, recruiting updates are saved for posterity on the 2011 Michigan Football Recruiting Board.

About To Drop?

FL OL Tony Posada may be getting close to a Florida offer ($, info in header). He just needs to lose 10 pounds and the Gators have promised he'll receive one. [Ed: Or that could be a slow-play and Florida isn't going to offer.] Florida was his childhood favorite, so that could dampen his Michigan lean. Posada and MI OL Jake Fisher (pictured at right) are both deciding soon.

If one or both of them pick(s) Michigan, that would be a fine start to Michigan's offensive line haul in the class. The Wolverines are the favorite for both, but Fisher plans to check out Michigan State once more before making a decision, and Posada is searching for that Florida offer.

Much, much more on their ability to play football if they commit.

Tops In State

Scout has released its Top 80 List for the state of Michigan. The Top 10, and other recruits of interest (or who might be at some point):

• 1 LB Lawrence Thomas (MSU Commit)
• 2 WR DeAnthony Arnett
• 3 DE Brennen Beter (Michigan Commit)
• 4 OL/DE Anthony Zettel
• 5 RB Justice Hayes
• 6 OL Jake Fisher
• 7 CB Valdez Showers
• 8 RB Onaje Miller (MSU Commit)
• 9 LB Ed Davis
• 10 CB Delonte Hollowell (Michigan Commit)
• 11 WR Shawn Conway (Michigan Commit)
• 13 RB Thomas Rawls
• 16 LB Taiwan Jones (Michigan State Commit)
• 21 DE Damon Knox
• 22 TE Ben McCord
• 35 TE Nate Dreslinski
• 46 FB Joey Kerridge
• 59 RB DaShawn Bell
• 66 LB Dwight Trammer
• 73 OL Bryan Bell
• 74 OL Willie Beavers

Right now, it appears as though Michigan State has the slight edge in-state, but the Wolverines have a good chance to close out strong.

In the same vein, Sam Webb's weekly Detroit News column runs down a few of the top guys in the state who are uncommitted. The main prospects of interest in that story are OL Jake Fisher and LB Ed Davis, but it sounds like RB Thomas Rawls could pick up a Michigan offer somewhere down the line.

Scott Burnstein of the Oakland Press runs down a couple in-state sleepers who impressed at Michigan's summer camp.

Assume The Position: Tight End

The times, they have changed since I last broke down tight end recruiting. With the number of offers Michigan's coaching staff has out at the position, I think it's pretty clear that they want one in this class (though they could be offering some guys with the intention of moving them to the defensive side of the ball).

The biggest recent news is OH TE Ray Hamilton's commitment to Iowa. Michigan had appeared to be very strong in his recruitment until he joined the Hawkeyes' class of 2011. Though his commitment seems firm, his dad's connection to Rich Rodriguez could help Michigan stay in the picture with a good season.

SC TE Jerrell Adams seems to have a Michigan offer, and the Wolverines are definitely in the picture ($, info in header). He's definitely a possibility for the spot.

NJ TE Taques Franklin has legit Michigan interest, and plans to take an official visit. However, a little birdie tells me that he has some work to do in the classroom to ensure that he will qualify to play at the next level.

NJ TE/QB Tanner McEvoy (maybe intent on being a QB?), NC TE Drew Owens, FL TE Brandon Fulse, and OH TE Austin Traylor and are guys that Michigan tossed an offer to, and haven't seemed to talk about the Wolverines too much since. I'll assume they're pseudo-longshots.

Happy Trails

Happy trails, NY QB Ashton Broyld. Though he's visited Michigan, he's not hearing from the Wolverines.

Happy trails, NJ RB Savon Huggins, who released a Top/Final 10 list without Michigan.

Happy trails to FL LB Kent Turene. For whatever reason, the staff never offered Turene, even as it became clear that Demar Dorsey's former teammate was going to wind up as a big time prospect. With adequate time to evaluate him (and obvious hints that he was interested in Michigan), I'll trust their opinion in not offering him. He's now committed to USC.

As predicted last week, OH S Ron Tanner picked Ohio State on Friday. Check out Rivals's video, in which he puts on a Michigan hat before actually picking the Bucks. OMG PUNK'D.

Etc.

NC QB Marquise Williams is still planning to decide soon ($, info in header). Michigan was already slipping, and the commitment of FL QB Kevin Sousa is another indication that he won't put on the maize and blue cap.

As The Demetrius Turns... FL RB Demetrius Hart still has Michigan and Auburn on top. Those two and Alabama are still the main contenders for his services. He's considering multiple Michigan visits this fall, and there's no reason to believe the Wolverines have slipped.

OH WR AJ Jordan plans to trim his list soon ($, info in header). Jordan is probably the hottest prospect on Michigan's board at wide receiver, as most expect him to end up donning the winged helmet. AJ should commit before the season starts, and could join his former teammates (Roy Roundtree et al) in Ann Arbor.

MI WR Willie Snead hasn't been hearing much from Michigan, but is getting attention from... Florida? I wonder if things will pick up with the local schools. If not, he'll slip right of the ol' recruiting board.

Though some Michigan fans have been expecting an early decision from MI OL Anthony Zettel, he tells ESPN that's not going to happen. He's considering a couple official visits, mainly to check out Penn State and Iowa (and maybe UCLA), schools on his favorites list that he hasn't had a chance to see. The Wolverines and Spartans still have a healthy lead on the rest of the field. Zettel seems like one of the many prospects that Michigan should land as long as they start the season strong.

Shoutout to MGoUser JC3 who brought this to my attention: IL OL Chris Bryant recently received a Big Ten offer ($, info in header), and Tom confirmed via Twitter that it was from the Wolverines . He'd been openly campaigning for such an offer, so does that mean he might join Michigan's class? He won't decide for a while, but the Wolverines are probably near the top of his list.

Though this local fluff on VA LB Curtis Grant (pictured at right) doesn't mention Michigan, it does say he's planning to take his time making a decision - and he has interest across the country.

In came Grant, a freshman who had played sparingly up to that point in the season for Richmond-based Hermitage. On the conversion attempt, Highland Springs' quarterback rolled to his right and stopped before attempting to catch Hermitage's defense by surprise with a pass back across the field. Grant batted the pass down to negate the threat.

"I was like 'Wow, the first play we send him in and he makes an impact play'" Kane said. "From then on, he was not afraid of competition. He just went out there and played. That was pretty special for a kid of that age — a ninth-grader coming into a playoff game to replace a senior."

Yay fun anecdote. VolNation doesn't mention a Michigan visit, but I think he's planning to take one in August.

PA CB Kyshoen Jarrett has released a top/final 9, with Michigan, Illinois, MSU, UConn, Penn State, Pitt, Stanford, Virginia, and Wisconsin. He plans to trim again in about a month, and take a few official visits before coming to a decision.

TomVH's weekly update has all the latest news on AZ OL Cyrus Hobbi, FL OL Tony Posada, GA S Avery Walls, and a couple more prospects. Check it out for the news. Speaking of Walls, he comes in for some local fluff. He genuinely enjoyed his Ann Arbor visit, and the coaches will be all over this top safety.