du'vonta lampkin

McDowell Watch: Day Somethingorother

Let's go to Sam Webb, live on the scene ($):

"He talked with (Hoke) late last night," McDowell's father reported. "(Michigan's in-home) is for tomorrow. We (i.e. both parents and Malik) are going to Ohio State this weekend. Florida State is making it in tomorrow also."

Malik McDowell released a top four of Michigan, Michigan State, Florida State, and Ohio State—in no particular order—earlier this week. FSU and OSU seem like longshots—the 'Noles because of distance, the Buckeyes because it's tough to get a read on where they stand, though that could easily change after his official visit this weekend.

The in-home visit from Michigan is a huge one; the general consensus is that his parents are very much in Michigan's corner, but Malik is more enamored with Michigan State. With in-homes this week from U-M, FSU, and potentially MSU, plus a final official to OSU this weekend, McDowell is on track for his planned Signing Day announcement. The biggest question at this point: how much influence will his parents have on his decision? That could very well determine if he ends up a Wolverine. The mood is tense.

Also, it's pretty clear at this point that McDowell is the only 2014 prospect left on Michigan's radar. Michigan backed off in their recruitments of running backs Jeff Jones and Marlon Mack, who flipped his commitment from UCLA to USF yesterday, while the latest Rivals update on soft Arizona State commit Kalen Ballage—who some thought Michigan would continue to pursue as an athlete—contains no mention of the Wolverines ($).

[Hit THE JUMP for the most recent spate of underclassmen offers, updates on a couple key 2015 targets, and more.]