demetrius hart

With the coaching situation unsettled as it is, covering the day-to-day of the 2011 recruiting class is a little... short-sighted at this point. Instead, let's talk about the prospects already in the class, what the coaching change means for them, and the prospects whose interest in Michigan hasn't changed (or has dropped off completely) with the change. Hopefully, things will be back to normal next week. First things first:

Goodbye, Dee Hart

The writing's been on the wall for a while in this recruitment. As Michigan's season stumbled along to 7-6 after a 5-0 start, FL RB Demetrius Hart seemed to be looking elsewhere, especially to play with his buddy Ha'Sean Clinton-Dix at Alabama. Although Hart says his mind isn't yet made up, it appears that he is indeed Crimson Tide-bound - he announces a decision at the Army All-American Game on Saturday. With Rodriguez out the door, chances are nil that he recommits to the Wolverines.

Keeping it Together

Since the coaching situation is in such a serious state of flux, it's hard to know where to go from here. Among the current commits, OH CB Greg Brown is 100% to land in the class, because he's already enrolled in Ann Arbor.

Prospects who have committed since the turmoil began (MI LB Desmond Morgan, MD CB Blake Countess - strong with Michigan ($) - and CA K Matt Goudis) knew what they were possibly getting into at the time, and are also likely to be solid.

After that, most of the local-ish commits are solid, including OH DE/OL Jack Miller, OH DT Chris Rock, MI DE Brennen Beyer, and MI CB Delonte Hollowell. Though he's located in Texas, LB Kellen Jones is also a longtime Michigan fan who's likely to stick no matter what. MI OL Jake Fisher will look around a little bit, but plans to talk to the new head coach before considering a decommitment.

That leaves FL CB Dallas Crawford and FL OL Tony Posada as the largest question marks. People close to Crawford told Tom that he plans to stick with Michigan, but later opened up his recruitment, and he's told local source that he no longer considers himself a Michigan commit. Posada will wait to see who the new headman is before making any decisions. He's getting interest from Oregon, Notre Dame, and other schools.

OH LB Antonio Kinard's status with Michigan is still a question mark, regardless of who the coach is. At this time, it looks like Hart is likely to be the only defection in the class (coaching change-related, at least).

Going Forward

Michigan is in very good position with NC WR/LB Kris Frost (firing Rodriguez will only affect him a bit because he's made his decision based on school, not coach) and IL OL Chris Bryant (down to Michigan and Arizona, January 21st decision). I think those two are likely to end up in Michigan's class no matter who the coach is.

FL S Wayne Lyons also likes Michigan, but committing to a coach-less school might be too much for him, as he plans to announce at Saturday's Army All-American Game. CA WR Devin Lucien may be in the same boat, but with a decision further in the future - late January ($, info in header), which Tom nails down as the 30th.

Unfortunately, until a coach is hired, most of the news we hear from individual prospects is going to be about dropping the Wolverines from consideration, such as KY LB Lamar Dawson eliminating the Wolverines ($, info in header),

Etc.

Michigan has a couple prospects of interest in Saturday's Army All-American Game (Noon on NBC) - including some who are deciding live during the game, such as Frost and Lyons - and Sam Webb brings the latest info on those guys.

Note: 2012 updates will be on hiatus until after Signing Day.

Remember, all-time updates can be found on the 2011 Michigan Football Recruiting Board. If you have any recruiting tips or questions, you can e-mail them to me at t.w.sullivan1@gmail.com or tweet @varsityblue. For game updates on Wolverine commits, check out the Friday Night Lights series.

Blake Countess Goes Blue

MD CB Blake Countess committed to Michigan last week. Tom spoke with Blake shortly after the commitment, and he had this to say:

I just fell in love with the school, the facilities, and everything the University has to offer really.

He also talked to The Baltimore Sun's Matt Bracken:

“The Big House, I knew about it but hadn't really seen it at all,” Countess said. “When I went there, it was just unbelievable. I really fell in love with the school, the atmosphere and Ann Arbor.”

Touch the Banner on Blake's game:

I can't honestly say that he's "great" at any one thing. But unlike several other cornerback recruits over the past few years (Justin Turner was too big, Demar Dorsey was too thuggish, Boubacar Cissoko was short and harbored too much ill will toward delivery boys), Countess doesn't have any glaring deficiencies. He has decent size, runs well, has good hips, is a solid tackler, and tracks the ball well in the air.

And there was much rejoicing. For more on Countess, check out the Hello post and yesterday's Friday Night Lights.

Hypothetical Decommitment Apocalypse

We've addressed rumors (and facts) re: Demetrius Hart's commitment status time and again, but the case remains the same: He's committed to Michigan as long as Rich Rodriguez is the coach. Florida scrapping the spread offense for pro-style sets narrows down the likely competition for Hart's signature, helping Michigan hold onto him. Of course, Alabama just so happening to spend thousands of dollars upgrading Dr. Phillips's facilities is coincidence, I assure you.

Elsewhere in decommitment scuttlebutt, FL CB Commit Dallas Crawford is starting to hear from his childhood favorite, the Miami Hurricanes. Like Dee, Dallas is unlikely to decommit as long as Rich Rodriguez's job is safe, but this certainly throws a wrench in the works. Tom talked to his coach, who gave some reassuring quotes. At least Miami's fans are sure to show the love.

Jack Miller and Greg Brown are coming to Michigan no matter who's the coach, but both believe Rich Rodriguez will succeed in Ann Arbor. Fisher:

"I think it's a media thing, what they're trying to do, making it a big deal,"

Which is 100% true, of course. Fellow commit Desmond Morgan is effusive in his praise of what a "great guy" Rodriguez is. He's also confident that the staff will return, but will stick with Michigan no matter what. (in the article above, Blake Countess makes similar statements).

And, while we're on the topic, I guess I'll have to mention the Detroit News article stating Dave Brandon's timetable is affecting recruiting, if only because Tom is quoted. My personal thought is that he's not going to change his mind, regardless of how much people bitch about it, so what's the point in continuing to rail on about it?

Etc.

Looking for positive news? MI RB/Slot Commit Justice Hayes says more commits are on the way.

NC QB Marquise Williams is going to stick with UNC ($, info in header), unfazed by the USC-level sanctions headed their way. Of course, there's a contradictory article about his status every other day, so bear with that one.

NC WR/LB Kris Frost talked recruiting before participating in the Shrine Bowl last weekend:

"It's time for the (Army) All-American game in San Antonio and I'm really excited about that. [If he could choose what to play there] It would be receiver, my wish. That just goes back to showing what I can do. A lot of people want to stress and say, 'You're so good at linebacker so why are you thinking of receiver?' I haven't really been seen at receiver and I don't feel like it's that big of a deal. I'll always have something to fall back on. It's not like I'm running away from something. I feel like if I have an opportunity to do both I'm going to take it."

As for what's going to be the deciding factor between Michigan, LSU, and Auburn:

"It's pretty much going to come down to comfort level," Frost said. "It's going to be what is the best fit for me and what team is going to expose me the most and allow me to make plays and be the best I can be. I'm going to have some time now to look it over with my family and think about it and now's the time to get back to school, get back to studying and get back to the recruiting process."

He plans to make his choice at the Army game. Frost was named the defensive MVP for North Carolina in the game.

High school fluff on Shawn Conway's JuCo adventure.

Michigan sent a big contingent of recruiters to visit SC WR Hakeem Flowers ($, info in header).

OH TE Darien Bryant committed to Nebraska, but wait! He immediately decommitted, so he may still be an option.

Rich Rod recently had his in-home visit with NJ TE Jack Tabb. He's deciding soon, though he's pushed that date back a couple weeks.

Happy Trails, NC TE Drew Owens, who committed to South Carolina ($, info in header).

MI CB Raymon Taylor recently received his Michigan offer ($, info in header). I spotted him at practice on Saturday.

Local fluffon CA K Connor Loftus, who holds a Michigan offer:

He came into Saturday night's CIF state championship Open Division bowl game with 15 field goals, including a long of 53, and he hasn't missed from under 40 yards. In the Pac-5 semifinals, he had a 68-yard punt against Mission Hills Alemany. Even more impressive is his ability to put the ball consistently into the end zone on kickoffs.

Yes plz. He plans to visit.

In his weekly update, Tom has information of FL S Roderick Ryles and MD DT Darian Cooper considering Michigan.

2012

Michigan, Oregon, and Ohio State are the favorites for IL QB Robert Gregory. He likes that they "play athletes" at the QB position. Gregory was All-State as a junior.

The other part of Tom's brief interview with new Michigan commit Blake Countess regards recruiting for the Wolverines:

Ohh of course. Me and Stefon are really close, so thats definitely going to be something I look foward to doing in the future. We have a bunch of underclassmen studs at my school.

"Stefon" refers to MD WR Stefon Diggs, one of 15 wideouts Scout has already pegged with 4-star status for the 2012 class.

This should be the last regular edition of Friday Night Lights for the 2011 recruiting class, but there's more to come with new commits and all-star games, etc. If you can help out finding articles on any of the commits, @reply me on Twitter or e-mail me, and I'll try to include your contribution.

New Commit MD CB Blake Countess

As a defensive back at a program with lots of talent, Countess didn't have to spend much time on offense, and defensive stats go unreported in high school ball. Interpret the numbers below as a small part of his production this season.

Game 1. Preview. Good Counsel defeated Cincinnati St. Xavier 21-6. Article 2. Another article. None of the articles mention Countess, but his junior teammate Stefon Diggs stole the show (more on him in tomorrow's recruitin' post). Blake had 1 rush for 3 yards and 2 receptions for 22 yards.

Game 2. Game preview. Good Counsel is upset by Gilman, 7-28. Rivals recap. No mentions of Countess. He finished with 1 reception for 18 yards.

Game 3. Good Counsel beat State College 35-13. Blake had 3 receptions for 43 yards. Or was it 46?

Game 4. Good Counsel smashed Bishop O'Connell 53-7. Blake didn't accrue any offensive stats.

Game 5. Good Counsel pasted Bishop McNamara 48-0. Blake came up big on special teams:

The only score in the first quarter followed an excellent punt return by Blake Countess of 52 yards to the Mustang 17 yard line...

Then the "Play of the Game" ensued. With McNamara kicking from deep in their own territory, Blake Countess received the punt at the Mustang 39. He headed straight up field and then, behind some solid blocking, broke left and scampered to the end zone...

The Mustangs kicked off to open the second half and Blake Countess, the Gameday Player of the Game, took the kick at the 13 and raced 87 yards for another touchdown.

He also had a 16-yard touchdown reception. The kickoff return:

Game 6. Good Counsel fell to DeMatha 28-31. Blake had a 55-yard punt return and 3 catches for 29 yards.

Game 7. Paul VI. Blake had 3 catches for 39 yards and a score.

Game 8. Good Counsel beat St. John's 27-14. I don't think Blake played in the game.

Game 9. Good Counsel beat Gonzaga 50-38. Blake didn't accrue any offensive stats, but had a 9-ayrd kickoff return.

Game 10. Good Counsel beat Archbishop Carroll 42-0. Blake had 2 catches for 28 yards. He had an excellent pass breakup, but GC didn't keep stats on them, so it's not in the table below.

Game 11. Good Counsel crushed Gonzaga 44-0. Blake finished with 5 catches for 103 yards.

Game 12. Good Counsel exacted some revenge on DeMatha in a 42-3 laugher, winning the WCAC Championship. Blake had 1 rush for 4 yards.

The official website for Good Counsel Football is a little more... complete. I encourage you to check it out, because it links to a lot of 1-play highlights that aren't feasible to embed here. It credits Blake with the following stats on the year:

FL RB Demetrius Hart

Dee is the class 6A Player of the Year, which makes him a finalist for the Mr. Football award for the state of Florida. More Dee fluff. He got to attend the Heisman banquet as a candidate for Army Player of the Year.

Last Week: Opponent perspective. Game preview. Previews galore more . Dr. Phillips fell to Miami Central 27-42 in the State Championship Game, and Dee was kept out of the endzone for the first time all year. Video:

Stats below from the DP Website.

This week: Dr. Phillips season has ended at 14-1 as the State Runners-up.

FL OL Tony Posada

Last week: Pregame fluff. Plant fell to St. Thomas Aquinas 7-29 in the State Championship game.

This week: Plant's season has ended at 13-3 as State Runners-up.

FL CB Dallas Crawford

Crawford participated in an area All-Star game last week, throwing an 18-yard touchdown pass.

South Fort Myers' season ended in the State semifinals. Dallas finished 126/181 passing for 2349 yards and 26 TDs to only 6 interceptions. He ran 112 times for 450 yards and 17 touchdowns, and also had 4+ interceptions, a pair of them returned for scores. He's the career record holder for passing yardage in his county.

Seasons Complete After the Jump

MI RB/Slot Justice Hayes

Hayes missed most of his senior season with a broken wrist. Grand Blanc finished 7-4 and lost in the second round of the State Playoffs to Lake Orion.

MI OL Jake Fisher

Traverse City West's season is over, with a 6-4 record and a loss in the first round of the State Playoffs. Fisher was 1st-Team All-District as a defensive end. Postseason fluff. Jake was named All-Divisions First-Team All-State (Dream Team).

OH OL Jack Miller

St. John's finished the season 11-2 with both losses to Toledo Whitmer (in the second in Round 3 of the State Playoffs). Miller was also named 1st-Team All-District, and the District Lineman of the Year. Also 1st-Team All-State.

OH DE Chris Rock

DeSales's season ended at 5-6 with a loss in the first round of the State Playoffs.

MI DE/LB Brennen Beyer

Plymouth ended their season 11-3 and Runnners-Up in the State Championship. End of season fluff. Named captain of the all-metro first team. All-State Dream Team.

TX LB Kellen Jones

St. Pius X's season finished with a 10-3 record and a loss in the second round of the TAPPS playoffs. Jones finished with 110 tackles, 25 for loss, and 7 sacks, to go along with 3 fumbles forced, 2 recovered, and a punt block. He was named TAPPS first-team All-State.

MI LB Desmond Morgan

West Ottawa went 8-3 on the season, with a loss in the second round of the playoffs. Desmon was named the captain of the All-Area Defensive First Team, despite spending most of his time as a quarterback.

OH CB/S Greg Brown

Fremont Ross's season is over, with a 9-2 record and a loss in the first round of the State Playoffs. Brown was named All-District, and All-State at WR. Coach comments.

MI CB Delonte Hollowell

Cass Tech finished the season 12-1 with a loss in the State Semifinals. Named captain of the All-Detroit first team. All-State Dream Team.

For live updates of the games I'm attending, follow me on Twitter @varsityblue. If you can help out finding articles on any of the commits, @reply me on Twitter or e-mail me, and I'll try to include your contribution.

New Commit MI LB Desmond Morgan

Game 1. West Ottawa defeated Jackson 45-9. Video (Desmond is QB/LB #3 in White):

The Grand Rapids Press has a very brief rundown of his stats:

Desmond Morgan added 57 rushing yards and a touchdown.

Game 2. West Ottawa pasted Holland Christian 54-0. Stats:

Zac Boersema and Desmond Morgan scored two rushing touchdowns for West Ottawa.

Video link.

Game 3. West Ottawa beat Grand Haven 29-15. Morgan features heavily in the article:

Desmond Morgan wasn't worried about his team's sloppy start. He knew his West Ottawa football team had the fight in it to claw its way back against Grand Haven...

"We believe in ourselves," said Morgan, West Ottawa's senior quarterback and linebacker. "We never got down on ourselves, and that helped us a lot. Everybody stayed positive, and that really impressed me." ...

But West Ottawa blocked a punt that led to a 1-yard touchdown run by Morgan near the end of the first quarter and got the Panthers going.

From there, Morgan hit sophomore wide receiver Ryan Verhelst on a 23-yard touchdown pass, then hit senior running back Zac Boersema on a 4-yard scoring strike that gave West Ottawa a 21-15 lead just before the half...

Morgan finished the game with 79 yards on 20 carries, and Boersema had 73 rushing yards on 22 carries.

"Our goal this year is to have everybody's back and make sure we stay together as a team no matter what happens," Morgan said. "I thought we did that tonight."

Badass picture above courtesy of the Holland Sentinel.

Game 4. West Ottawa beat Jenison 31-14.

Desmond Morgan threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to Josh Wisbang and later ran in a 3-yard score of his own. Morgan finished with 196 total yards.

Game 5. Desmond missed the game with injury as West Ottawa fell to Rockford, 7-14.

Game 6. West Ottawa defeated Grandville 23-13.

West Ottawa is 5-1 for the first time since 2003. The Panthers bounced back from last week's loss to Rockford, and Morgan returned to West Ottawa's lineup after missing that game with an ankle injury. Morgan engineered scoring drives on West Ottawa's first two possessions Friday. Zac Boersema capped both drives with short touchdown runs...

Quarterback Desmond Morgan's 3-yard run capped the game's scoring.

Game 7. West Ottawa beat Hudsonville 38-20, clinching a playoff berth:

"It has been a letdown the past few years, but our goal at the beginning of the season was to make the playoffs," said senior quarterback Desmond Morgan, who threw a pair of touchdown passes. "And to get that sixth win feels great." ...

West Ottawa answered at the end of the first quarter as Morgan pushed his way over the goal line on third down and inches. Morgan hit Josh Wisbang with a 17-yard touchdown pass on third and long to put the Panthers ahead 14-7 in the second quarter.

Video:

Per the video, Morgan didn't play on defense, as he was coming off a shoulder injury and the team needed their quarterback too much to risk it.

Game 8. Game preview. West Ottawa fell to Muskegon 14-28.

Morgan finished with 55 yards rushing on nine attempts and Boersema had 57 on 16 carries...

[Muskegon Coach Shane] Fairfield was impressed with one West Ottawa slugger in particular — Morgan, who started his first game at middle linebacker in three weeks. “That kid can play at any college right now, and I’ve admired that kid,” he said. “That kid has inspired our defense, just watching him on film.”

He also had 22 tackles.

Game 9. West Ottawa pasted East Kentwood 50-14. Desmond ran for 34-, 15-, and 7-yard touchdowns.

Game 10. Pregame fluff. West Ottawa opened the playoffs with a 23-21 win over Grand Haven.

Facing a third-and-10 from their own 32-yard line, coach Jim Caserta reached into his bag of tricks and dialed up a reverse to Spencer Olson, who then turned and threw the ball back to Morgan, who was wide open on the sideline. He rumbled 22 yards for a momentum-changing first down.

Morgan later hit receiver Josh Wisbang on a big third-down conversion to the Bucs' 26-yard line. The Panthers got as far as Grand Haven's 14, but could get no farther, setting up Holmes' game-winning kick...

Grand Haven actually did a solid job slowing down Morgan, holding him to just 47 yards [and one TD] on 22 carries. He was more effective through the air, completing 7-of-13 passes for 73 yards.

"Both teams had their opportunities to win the game," [Grand Haven Coach Mike] Farley said. "Desmond Morgan is a great football player. These were two great football teams battling it out."

Article 2 is responsible for the Baby Rhino photo above.

Game 11. Pregame fluff on Desmond's presence in the lineup, after missing the first game against Rockford:

“Sometimes you’ve just got to take doc’s orders and take one on the chin on the sideline and root your guys on,” Morgan said of missing just his third game in four years as a varsity starter. “I had full confidence that they (could) win that game, and I have full confidence in them this time. It’s not about one guy, it takes the whole team.”

West Ottawa fell to Rockford, 13-35, ending their season in the second round of the playoffs.

FL RB Demetrius Hart

Last Week: Local fluff about Hart's prolific season. He entered Friday one touchdown short of the single-season state record. Game preview. Opponent gameplan and vice versa . Dr. Phillips beat Sanford Seminole 37-13.

Demetrius Hart became the leading scorer in state history with two touchdowns as undefeated Dr. Phillips unleashed its high-powered offense again and won 37-13 over host Seminole in a Class 6A football semifinal Friday night... Hart, a 5-9, 185-pound all-purpose running back, carried 17 times for 159 yards.

Hart spent most of the second half resting on the sidelines without pads, as the Panthers were in no risk of losing the game. Defensive fluff. Official stats below come from the Dr. Phillips website. Video:

Another highlight.

This week: Dr. Phillips will face Miami Central in the 6A State Championship game Saturday at 7 in the Citrus Bowl.

FL OL Tony Posada

Last week: Game preview. Plant pastes Lakeland 48-6. No mentions of Posada, but Plant averaged nearly 10 yards/carry on offense.

This week: Plant will face St. Thomas Aquinas in the 5A State Championship game Friday at 7 in the Citrus Bowl.

FL CB Dallas Crawford

Last week: Dallas fluff. Pregame fluff. SFM Offense fluff. Game preview. South Fort Myers fell to Miami Norland 28-44.

Crawford, the Wolfpack quarterback who is Lee County’s all-time leading passer, struggled under pressure from Norland’s athletic defense. Crawford entered Friday completing 73 percent of his passes on the season but was 12-of-26 for 196 yards and a touchdown against the Vikings.

Article 2:

“That kid — Sammy Watkins is a beast. Dallas Crawford is a beast,” said Norland defensive back Quincy Casimir. “They’ve got a great team. It was a great game.”

Based on the photos and video, Crawford wasn't helped by his wideouts, who dropped at least a couple passes (one of which was intercepted), and committed a pair of fumbles.

This week: South Fort Myers's season ends in the 3A State Semifinals.

Seasons Complete After the Jump

Remember, all-time updates can be found on the 2011 Michigan Football Recruiting Board. If you have any recruiting tips or questions, you can e-mail them to me at t.w.sullivan1@gmail.com or tweet @varsityblue. For game updates on Wolverine commits, check out the Friday Night Lights series.

Happy Trails

Though the writing has been on the wall for weeks, the decommitment of FL QB Kevin Sousa still came as a bit of a surprise, at least in terms of timing. However, he enjoyed his official visit to Wake Forest enough to switch his pledge to Jim Grobe's Demon Deacons. The kid had been saying for weeks that he wasn't getting as much attention as he'd like, so the decommitment was likely a mutual decision. Best of luck to him in the ACC.

Though I said in the decommitment post that I'm not sure it's worth Michigan's coaches going after another quarterback to fill the slot (assuming they can hold onto all three current signal-callers), the coaches seem to want one in the class. OH QB Cardale Jones is looking like the most likely candidate at this point, but he's not much of a runner, goes to Michigan kryptonite Glenville, and just cancelled a visit this weekend.

Happy Trails, MI DT/DE Damon Knox. He had a final three of Michigan, Michigan State, and Illinois ($, info in header), but he's since committed to Michigan State. He has work to do to qualify at the next level.

Elsewhere in Not-So-Happy News

As for the other decommitment scuttlebutt over the weekend, FL RB Demetrius Hart had a "big announcement" following his game on Friday, and speculation was that he would be decommitting for Alabama. That didn't happen, but there's a storm to weather yet, as Alabama will be conveniently holding their Capital One Bowl practices... at Dr. Phillips High School.

Dee tells the Orlando Sentinel he will end up in Ann Arbor as long as Rich Rodriguez is the coach, but Florida is the alternate choice, rather than Alabama. He no longer plans to enroll early. By the way, kid's a National Player of the Year finalist.

THE HITS KEEP COMING, as Shawn Conway will not be able to qualify, and instead will head to a junior college. Better now than after Signing Day, I suppose. This helps explain the staff's increased interest in wide receivers of late. Shawn still plans to attend Michigan eventually ($, info in header).

Looking for a replacement? CA WR Devin Lucien has scheduled a visit to Michigan for the January 7th weekend. That's shaping up to be the Wolverines' next big recruiting weekend after the Big Chill. Highlights:

If you're worried about Michigan's other commitments, most local ones say they'll stick with Michigan no matter what, but also that they'll disappointed if Rodriguez is fired (though most think there's very little risk of that actually happening). Jake Fisher fluff, in which he confirms that position. Delonte Hollowell will also attend Michigan, regardless of whether Rodriguez is retained. Greg Brown is good to go on early enrollment ($, info in header). Right now, it seems he might be the only commit joining the Wolverines in January.

Big Chill, Big Visits

Last week's recruiting update had a working list of visitors for the Big Chill at the Big House this weekend:

• IL OL Chris Bryant. Tom says a decision is not expected from Chris, but wouldn't be a surprise, either.
• MI DE/OL Anthony Zettel. He won't pick a school until January, so Michigan's coaching situation should be fully settled by the time he decides.
• MI LB Desmond Morgan.
• FL LB Ryan Petro.
• OH QB Cardale Jones.
• OH WR Shane Wynn.

The last two aren't coming anymore, but LA CB James Richardson plans to be there ($, info in header). There will undoubtedly be updates, so check out Tom's running list of visitors.

A mentioned above, January 7th looks like the next big recruiting weekend.

Etc.

MI RB Thomas Rawls is visiting soon, but there's still no word on a qualifying test score.

Alabama is starting to show interest in FL RB DeVondrick Nealy. He's said that Michigan leads for his services (even though the Wolverines are unlikely to have room in their class for him).

FL Slot Prince Holloway says (paraphrase) "if I can qualify, I will get a committable offer from Michigan," which leads me to believe that he's unlikely to get a qualifying test score. Justice Hayes probably has the slot position locked down for this class, unless Holloway can play corner (but even there, Michigan has higher prospects on the board).

Still the status quo for NC WR/LB Kris Frost, who will choose between Michigan and Auburn ($, info in header).

NJ TE Jack Tabb enjoyed his Michigan visit a few weeks back, saying:

“I had a great time. I couldn’t have asked for a better trip. They definitely have a need and a want for a tight end and that’s a very good thing. In fact, that’s one of the most important things. They would definitely have you moving all over the field, at tight end, in the slot and in the backfield.”

After his Iowa visit, he dropped the Hawkeyes ($, info in header), so his high praise may carry a little more weight than a recruit who loves every visit. He's still planning a decision before Christmas.

Michigan recently offered another player at the position, OH TE Darien Bryant. Bryant was 1st-Team All-Ohio, but will need some time in the weight room to contribute at this level.

PA OL/DT Rob Trudo, currently committed to Syracuse, will visit Michigan ($, info in header).

FL DT Tim Jernigan has a top four of Alabama, LSU, Michigan, and Florida State, but he told the Gainesville Sun's Ed Aschoff that "he could go to a school not listed in his top four." He lives within an hour of Jacksonville, so I wonder if he might take a trip to the Gator Bowl.

Michigan is still in the top five for MD DT Darian Cooper ($, info in header).

Recent visitor FL S Wayne Lyons has been selected to the Army All-American Game - and that's where he plans to announce his commitment. The schools in the running for his commitment (in no order) are Stanford, Michigan, Notre Dame, UCLA, Nebraska, Florida, and Auburn. The two SEC schools did not receive official visits from Wayne.

NJ S Sheldon Royster will visit in January.

Michigan is one of the favorites for MD CB Blake Countess, who visited Ann Arbor last week ($, info in header). He was certainly effusive about the visit on Twitter.

Tom gives a couple updates on Michigan's in-home visits, both past and upcoming.

2012

Like his classmate (MI CB Terry Richardson) a couple weeks ago, Cass Tech LB Royce Jenkins-Stone is the subject of the most recent recruiting column by Sam Webb in The Detroit News. The moneyshot:

Though he covets an offer from the Wolverines, Jenkins-Stone warns against expecting him to make a quick decision on a scholarship. "I would wait (to commit)," he said. "I would probably sign with them later on when I get the papers on signing day after my senior year of football. That is my No. 1 school. I just want to see what else is out there before I commit."

He goes on to say that he's not a lock to eventually go to Michigan... but that's about as close as it gets, right? Scout's Allen Trieu breaks down his game:

"He has good speed, a nice frame, and is comfortable dropping into coverage as well as coming forward. Most of all, I think he really likes contact, he's a strong kid, and a sure tackler. I'd like to see him keep filling out a little more. I think you'd like to see him at 225-235 pounds before he gets to college. He can play in the middle or outside. He's versatile enough to do both."

Since he's buddies with Richardson and MI LB James Ross from Orchard Lake St. Mary's, the three of them could be a great nucleus to an excellent defensive recruiting class in 2012.

MI DE Evan Winston is drawing interest from Michigan, among other Big Ten schools.

A little bit of local fluff on OH S Bam Bradley and his older brothers. Most interesting is that one of the top Ohio prospects in the class of 2012 hasn't heard from the Buckeyes.

For live updates of the games I'm attending, follow me on Twitter @varsityblue. If you can help out finding articles on any of the commits, @reply me on Twitter or e-mail me, and I'll try to include your contribution.

FL RB Demetrius Hart

Last Week: Touchdown record fluff. Dee is a finalist for National Player of the Year. Dr. Phillips defeated Seminole Ridge 38-28 in Round 3 of the State Playoffs (Regional Championship):

Hart rushed for 218 yards and two touchdowns, bringing him to 48 on the season -- one shy of the state record held by Glades Day's Kelvin Taylor.

His night could have been even better, but the Panthers' performance was sloppy:

The Panthers were penalized 180 yards. Hart had two TDs and 74 yards on runs and receptions nullified by holding calls. He also lost two fumbles.

"They gave us all we could handle," Hart said. "We had a lot of mistakes. We're going to clean those up next week."

Hart's official stats come from the Dr. Phillips website. Opposite perspective. Highlights:

This week: Dr. Phillips travels to Sanford Seminole for the State Semifinals.

FL OL Tony Posada

Last week: Pregame fluff, with a crazy tidbit of info:

Lost in all the preseason hype surrounding the nation’s No. 1 team was the ugly truth that Plant only returned three starters on offense: Ely, DE/RB James Wilder Jr. and OL Tony Posada.

Ely is headed to Alabama and Wilder to Florida State, but making it this far with a mostly-new offense is crazy at the high school level. Plant defeated Countryside 21-13 in Round 3 of the State Playoffs.

This week: Plant will face Lakeland in the State semifinals on Friday.

FL CB Dallas Crawford

Last Week: Pregame fluff. Fluff 2. MOAR FLUFF. Game Preview. In-depth preview. South Fort Myers beat Bradenton-Southeast 28-21 in Round 3 of the State Playoffs.

Crawford finished with 219 passing yards and three touchdowns. Watkins had three receptions for 110 yards and two scores. The Division I duo (Crawford is headed to Michigan to play defensive back) have connected for five touchdowns the past two weeks.

The majority of the article focuses on a fake punt pass for touchdown from Crawford to Watkins:

Crawford said he knew Watkins was gone as soon as he reversed direction around the 50-yard line. By the time the speedy receiver had gotten to the 5, three Southeast defenders had cornered him near the sideline. Watkins stopped dead in his tracks, though, and shot to the right, waltzing pass every Seminole and into the end zone.

“If you put (Watkins) one-on-one with anybody in the country, he's gone,” Crawford said. “He's electrifying. The best high school football player in the country, in my opinion.”

Video:

For 1st-3rd quarter highlights, click through to the article. Dallas finished 12/17 passing for 219 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception. He ran 8 times for 2 yards. Another article says that includes 4 sacks for 34 yards.

This week: South Fort Myers travels to Miami-Norland Friday at 7:30 in the State Semifinals.

Seasons Complete

MI RB/Slot Justice Hayes

Hayes missed most of his senior season with a broken wrist. Grand Blanc finished 7-4 and lost in the second round of the State Playoffs to Lake Orion.

MI WR Shawn Conway

Seaholm's season is over, with a 4-5 record. Conway finished the year with about 22 catches for 375 yards, and11 kick/punt returns for 393 yards.

MI OL Jake Fisher

Traverse City West's season is over, with a 6-4 record and a loss in the first round of the State Playoffs. Fisher was 1st-Team All-District as a defensive end. Postseason fluff. Jake was named All-Divisions First-Team All-State (Dream Team).

OH OL Jack Miller

St. John's finished the season 11-2 with both losses to Toledo Whitmer (in the second in Round 3 of the State Playoffs). Miller was also named 1st-Team All-District, and the District Lineman of the Year. Also 1st-Team All-State.

OH DE Chris Rock

DeSales's season ended at 5-6 with a loss in the first round of the State Playoffs.

MI DE/LB Brennen Beyer

Plymouth ended their season 11-3 and Runnners-Up in the State Championship. End of season fluff. Named captain of the all-metro first team.

TX LB Kellen Jones

St. Pius X's season finished with a 10-3 record and a loss in the second round of the TAPPS playoffs. Jones finished with 110 tackles, 25 for loss, and 7 sacks, to go along with 3 fumbles forced, 2 recovered, and a punt block.

OH CB/S Greg Brown

Fremont Ross's season is over, with a 9-2 record and a loss in the first round of the State Playoffs. Brown was named All-District, and All-State at WR. Coach comments.

MI CB Delonte Hollowell

Cass Tech finished the season 12-1 with a loss in the State Semifinals. Named captain of the All-Detroit first team.