omaury samuels

Previously: Podcast 9.0A. Podcast 9.0B. Podcast 9.0C. The Story. Quarterback.

[Eric Upchurch]

[Bolded player rules: not necessarily returning starter, but someone we've seen enough of that I'm no longer talking about their recruiting profile. Extant contributor.]

FEATURE BACK	Yr.	SHORT YARDAGE	Yr.	3RD DOWN	YR.	SPREAD H	YR.
Chris Evans	So.	Karan Higdon	Jr.	Ty Isaac	Sr.*	Chris Evans	So.
Karan Higdon	Jr.	Kareem Walker	Fr*.	Karan Higdon	Jr.	Eddie McDoom	So.
Ty Isaac	Sr.*	Ty Isaac	Sr.*	Chris Evans	So.	Ty Isaac	Sr.*
Kareem Walker	Fr.*	O'Maury Samuels	Fr.	Kurt Taylor	Fr.	Karan Higdon	Jr.

Michigan loses their starter but returns 60% of their running back carries, so experience won't be in short supply. Neither will quicks, what with Chris Evans and Karan Higdon emerging into a one-two punch. This is a major shift from De'Veon Smith, a battleship of a back who was great at carrying defensive backs like recalcitrant children but never a visionary.

The nature of these gentlemen is interesting. Most are short, and quick, and clever. Mike Spath gathered this quote at Big Ten media days from an anonymous opponent:

"They have a lot of speed backs now that Smith is gone. They're not going to be a power-running team so I'll be curious to see what type of formations they run. They've got the two guys that could be really good as a No. 1 - Evans and [Karan Higdon]."

This is a sea change from the Smiths and Derrick Greens of the world where how mean you look is priority one. Chris Evans looks like a dang sweetheart, but he's a killer all the same.

RUNNING BACK: KID DON'T PLAY

RATING: 4

if we're being honest his hair is more Play than Kid [Bryan Fuller]

This is a good preview. It is not an infallible one, as last year's take on CHRIS EVANS demonstrates:

…our bet is the Evans hype is likely to peter out into not very much this year. There are only so many snaps to go around and you know Smith, Isaac, and Peppers are going to get their cuts.

Evans was first amongst equals in the three-man platoon behind De'Veon Smith and is now projected by many to start and have a huge breakout year. That includes this space, and not just because of this:

[Evans] coaches a local kids flag football team. This in and of itself is odd and very, very Harbaugh. An acquaintance of mine relates that his kid is in this flag football league, and that his game was at 7:15 in the morning, with a potential second game at 9:30 if his kids' team won. Chris Evans is at this game. Not because his team is playing—his team is the one waiting for the winner at 9:30. Chris Evans is... taking notes? Watching intently? Is Chris Evans, starting Michigan running back, scouting a flag football game at 7 in the morning? Yes. Yes he is.

Dan Murphy confirmed that was no fever-dream of an under-caffeinated parent, uncovering that and yet more Chris Evans coaching exploits. Evans immediately leaps to the front of the Jim Harbaugh 2040 list.

Also the depth chart. Early in camp there were some rumors that Karan Higdon had grabbed the starting job; those were forcefully debunked by both Scout and 247. Evans remains first among equals and should see a plurality—if not a majority—of the carries. His quick hook in the spring game is plenty of evidence in that department:

"I wanted to play more …but they said 'nah, nah, nah, you're not going to play, you're not going to play.'

Also his ability to deploy a sick crossover in a sport that doesn't have them:

Evans breaks ankles. He is superbly agile and able to juke guys in a quick one-two-three step ballet move. He needs little room to pull this off:

In the bowl game he did this literally while in the hole, running through the subsequent arm tackle it set up:

This offseason someone close to the team told me that Evans even had a tendency to juke guys there was literally no way he could see, because he knew what the likely structure of the defense was and what that meant for, say, a safety approaching from the side. He's not just scouting flag football.

This is no doubt part of the reason why Evans seemed immediately more instinctual than De'Veon Smith and Michigan backs since, jeez, Fitz Toussaint. I spent virtually the entire Hoke era complaining about straight-ahead running, bad cuts, and an inability to set up blocks. Evans was a breath of fresh air in that department. He had a feel for how to commit the second level and then burst into a different gap:

Evans was good at putting his foot in the ground after linebackers had decided, and slipping through tight creases in the line. He just knows that he needs to change direction once, and when to make that change:

As a true freshman he's already better at taking advantage of his blocking than anyone who's been in the backfield at Michigan for a minute. And once he gets in the open field it's jockstrap time:

Evans did all he could last year to establish himself as Michigan's top back, and that continued through the offseason:

"He's coached the flag football team. He's held youth camps," he said. "He did that all on his own. His nose was in the playbook all off-season. He put in the work to get bigger. His dedication to taking the next step has been a lot of fun to watch. He's relentless."

While it wasn't all sunshine and roses—Evans made an occasional wacky cut and drew some grumbles around here for going down at first contact too often—it was a freshman year to sit up and take notice of. Numbers adore Evans. Obligatory caveat: they should all come with a big flashing "SMALL SAMPLE SIZE" sign. They are all we have to go on, though, so:

• Evans is first among returning Big Ten RBs in PFF's "Elusive Rating," which turns a combination of broken tackles and yards after contact to "measure a runner's success beyond the point of being helped by his blockers." Ty Johnson and Akrum Wadley are 2 and 3, so the metric passes a basic sanity test.
• His 4.1 yards after contact were fourth best nationally for freshmen and second in the Power 5.
• Evans was the second most likely returning Big Ten back to get five yards on any particular run ("opportunity rate") and towards the top of the league in yards acquired after he got to five ("highlight yards"). He's behind only the two Maryland backs in highlight yards per attempt, and was significantly better than the other three Michigan backs last year in all categories.
• Evans just about swept the RB portion of Michigan's winter combine, winning everything except the powerball throw.

Evans's 40 at the combine was a somewhat alarming 4.64, but I wouldn't sweat that. That might be the first 40 time to ever receive negative FAKES around here. From what we've seen on the field Evans's long speed is at least solid; as a recruit his speed was unanimously declared his best asset, with a significant amount of data backing that up:

A 4.4-ish 40 at the Army Combine just after his junior year is legit. Last March Steve Wiltfong noted that Evans has run a "4.4 hand-held every time" he lays down a 40 yard dash. At Best of the Midwest he ran a 4.37 40, and while that's solidly in the realm of combine fiction Evans's track career was impressive. Tracking Football places him in the 87th percentile of RBs based on his lycra exploits, which include a state championship in the 100 meter relay and a narrow defeat in the regular 100 meter state finals.

Maybe that's a bad run, a dinged up guy, or a typo. I'd be surprised if Evans isn't a legitimate 4.5 guy and, depending on your definition of legitimate, 4.4. But hey, don't take it from me, take it from Drake Johnson, raconteur:

"He's mad athletic. You just see some people and think 'yeah, he's an athlete.' He's an athlete, he just does stuff. He's smooth, he's real smooth. He's like butter smooth, we're just like 'ooh, wow.' He's like *sound effects* someone flips to the side, like he had no chance. Like, I'm sorry you could've tried but it sucks to suck. He just makes it look easy."

(Someone give this man a job talking about things.) Evans's home run ability should be top notch. This doesn't feel like a slow RB:

If he has a problem in this department it would be the ability to turn 40 into 50, and all the evidence outside that 4.64 suggests he'll be fine

Evans's other potential drawback is much more real: pass blocking. He was barely asked to do it last year—14 snaps total per PFF, and when he did it was ugly. He's bigger and older now but still not that big and not that old. He's never going to be Mike Hart. Michigan has a solution and it's one with a lot of upside. Evans:

"I'm coming out of the backfield or in the slot because I'm bigger, but I'm not 230. I can't really step up in the hole and block people. Well, I can -- that's what I've been working on all offseason. [But] we can block with five and send five receivers downfield. Stretch the field out with guys -- the good receivers that stretch the field out. It'll give me more open lanes to run through."

With 91 catches his last two years in high school, Evans was as much a receiver as he was a running back. Michigan entirely neglected to explore that talent a year ago; plenty of spread looks in the spring game suggest they will not continue doing so this year. Webb reports that you should expect him to get more looks thanks to his "outstanding receiving skills" that could have seen him play slot.

Evans should bust out to become one of the Big Ten's best backs, and its most prolific receiver out of the backfield, give or take an Akrum Wadley. He's got the quicks, speed, dedication, and agility to make a great many folks look foolish. You can't project All Big Ten nods in a league where a pretty dang good running back is going to be the 8th-best guy in the conference; Evans should perform at that level.

[After THE JUMP: a cast of thousands! several, anyway. plenty. pedant.]

Previously: Last year's profiles. S J'Marick Woods, S Jaylen Kelly-Powell, S Brad Hawkins, CB Ambry Thomas, CB Benjamin St-Juste, LB Drew Singleton, LB Jordan Anthony, LB Josh Ross, DE Kwity Paye, DE Luiji Vilain, DE Corey Malone-Hatcher, DE Deron Irving-Bey, DT Donovan Jeter, DT Phil Paea, DT James Hudson, DT Aubrey Solomon, C Cesar Ruiz, OT JaRaymond Hall, OT Joel Honigford, OT Andrew Stueber, OT Chuck Filiaga, WR Oliver Martin, WR Nico Collins, WR Tarik Black, WR Donovan Peoples-Jones, FB Ben Mason.

Los Lunas, NM – 5'10", 190
		Scout	4*, #319 overall #20 RB
		Rivals	4*, NR overall          #21 RB, #1 NM
		ESPN	4*, #240 overall #22 RB, #1 NM
		24/7	3*, #386 overall  #22 RB, #1 NM
		Other Suitors	OU, Arizona, Texas Tech, TCU
		YMRMFSPA	Denard Robinson
Previously On MGoBlog	Hello post from Ace.
Notes	Twitter.
Film
Junior: I give this three-game senior reel a Kind of Good:

O'Maury Samuels was a guy from New Mexico hoping for UT-San Antonio offer when he showed up at a couple of camps and did this:

Samuels posted the top Nike+ Football Rating score of the year during a testing day Saturday at AT&T Stadium with a mark of 142.41. … He then went out Sunday at The Opening Regional in the Dallas area and hit 138, which included 4.4 in the 40 and a 44 inch vertical.

He left with an invitation to the Final in July in Oregon.

UT-San Antonio offered. So did some others. I like to imagine the amount of mail that came in afterwards, and wonder if they put a ski lift on it.

Probably not, since Samuels committed to Michigan mere days after the world learned his name. This short-circuited some fevered pursuit and possibly further rises up the rankings; once committed and back in New Mexico, Samuels didn't have much opportunity to continue climbing without an All Star appearance. For whatever reason, he did not make one.

I bring it up because the scouting doesn't really match the rankings here. Once sites were alerted to Samuels's existence and took in his high school film they came back with reports that are really, really encouraging. ESPN starts off by mentioning his merely "adequate" size before describing a demigod:

Quick, sudden but also fast with very good top-end speed and acceleration to separate.  Excellent vision. Runs with his eyes, very instinctive with a natural feel for the cutback. Will run with patience and let blocks develop, capable of getting through tight closing seams.  … 0-60 in just a few steps …great in-line burst to get through seams of traffic.  … not a pile pusher but he is a tough scrappy runner who doesn't go down easily. Twists and churns on contact and will pop out of arm wraps and make quality yards after contact. Runs with a lower base and possesses excellent balance. … Very natural runner with a ton of speed and quickness.

Hot damn!

Most of this shows up on film to this layman's eye. There are moments where Samuels is obscured by a churning mass of bodies before erupting at top speed from the middle of the pack. He will gear down in the backfield until he finds a lane and then explode into it. He'll reverse field when in trouble and then find a nonexistent crease to jet through instead of bouncing. The bits where he outruns New Mexico safeties are whatever, par for the course. The frequency with which he pauses, surveys, and then does something electrifying is where it's at. Samuels's film kind of feels like this:

I mean… I'm just sayin'.

Other evaluations aren't far off. Clint Brewster:

huge upside … great strength and quickness. … quick-twitch explosiveness pops out at you on film. He can start and stop with subtleness and get skinny through the hole to get to the second level. … combination of speed, quickness, and explosive power that Samuels has is very exciting. … lower-body strength allows him to run through arm tackles and behind his pads. …sudden, 1-cut ability on stretch plays. …toughness to run inside the tackles and can get to the perimeter on the outside zone plays.

Scout's Greg Biggins:

size and speed combo is obvious … plays with a suddenness to him, is a decisive runner who can hit full stride in just a few steps and he's gone. … fluid athlete with no wasted motion, can make you miss in the open field and isn't stiff or robotic like you see with some players that are as muscle bound as Samuels. …vision, patience and balance and projects at the next level as a player who can run between the tackles, bounce it outside and be used in the passing game. … easy to project, no matter what state he was playing in.  

They continue in this vein, with literally no criticisms. Even his less-than-Najee-Harris stature isn't really cited as a problem because he is a squat brick of muscle—see that picture above—and being low to the ground is an asset for tailbacks:

Samuels isn't necessarily a 'big back' in the typical sense of the term. He's 5-foot-10, 188 pounds but he is extremely impressive from a physical standpoint. The dude is jacked. Even at 190 pounds, he's going to pack a punch and be able to play powerfully behind his pads. …one of the most athletic athletes at any position in this entire class. … homerun threat.

In addition, his balance and ability to stay up when hit is a frequent discussion point:

… great running back frame at 5-foot-10, 190 pounds, strong and compact. He runs with great balance and has the ability to take a hit, spin off a defender and keep going or just run right through a would be tackler. He has a very strong lower body, is a decisive runner with no wasted motion and can hit full speed after just a few strides.

This 5'10" guy with a crazy SPARQ score gets described as "downhill running back," "classic power back," a "rock-solid, hard-nosed running back" and a guy with a "powerful running style." And yeah, the Versailles of thighs looks hard to tackle:

Touch The Banner praises him as "quick, speedy, strong, [and] instinctive"; Rivals's Adam Friedman says he's a "sturdy guy who can run the ball between the tackles as well as out on the perimeter." Both note his burst, because everyone does.

That about covers it as far as running back skills go. And yet.

It feels like there should be a catch. The rankings are middling. Samuels did open up his recruitment, and when he did the only school he visited was Arizona. (Oklahoma was also talked about.) There really isn't anything in the scouting, so… maybe Samuels's ability to go the distance? Nick Baumgardner was skeptical that he'd be a home run hitter:

He's not a breakaway back. He's a 4.6-ish back. … He's probably not going to be a home run hitter in college and that's not really something I'm sure he can improve. It just sort of is what it is. He's not slow, so don't get that confused. But his top gear comes out early and sort of remains.

This is a lonely opinion, but I mean… feels like there should be a catch, right?

Samuels's top end speed is tough to evaluate because of his competition and there's some confusion about what exactly he ran at camps. Some reports had him running a high 4.5 at the Opening finals—his breakout was at the regional—and others a 4.45 on a tweaked hamstring:

"I was nursing my hamstring, so I sat out track to get ready," said Samuels.  "I wished I was healthier for The Opening and I think if I was, I could have ran a 4.3 (he clocked a 4.45).  I would have ran it another time.  But I was pretty happy with my results."

His hundred-meter times were good for a state championship; his personal record of 11.02 in high school was not in Denard Robinson's class (10.56) and is a bit behind Fitzgerald Toussaint (10.86) and Christian McCaffrey (10.89) but easily beat Dalvin Cook (11.24). McCaffrey and Cook just ran 40s a hair under 4.5 at the NFL combine. Given his explosion—his vert was five inches better than anyone at this year's NFL combine!—he's probably gaining on all non-Denards over shorter distances.

So he's not Denard fast, but he's in line with a couple of the biggest home-run hitters in college football last year. That'll do.

Attitude issues? Doesn't seem like it, via Steve Lorenz:

"He's a great kid," a source told Wolverine247 on Thursday. "He's well built and his mind has been like a sponge so far as he's caught onto everything really well. He really has an awareness about him that you can't teach either which is really interesting."

I do not have a catch for you. Samuels is a super athlete, a natural runner with an excellent, squat running back frame and he's a fringe four star because he's from New Mexico. There is no way there are 20 better running backs in his class.

Etc.: Man, "Los Lunas" is really bugging me. How is it not "Las Lunas"? Argh.

Why Denard Robinson? This is a good point to assert these are playing style comparisons, not assertions player X is going to be Denard Dang Robinson.

But: same frame, same electric start-stop, same field vision and patience. Robinson showed up at the NFL combine at 5'10", 200 and ran a 4.43; his vert was 36.5. He was also Denard Robinson, acceleration machine. Samuels is never going to be as effective a runner because he is not also the quarterback, but he looks like the kind of guy who can go from zero to 60 faster than anyone else on the field. That's Denard. Hopefully he won't have the same fumbling issues caused by long-term ulnar nerve damage. Now I'm depressed. Let's fix that:

Other comparables include Fitz Toussaint, he of the stunning jump cuts and sudden failure to pass block, and Oklahoma's Samaje Perine, per Scout. The judges will also accept "Mike Hart, but fast!" if only for nostalgia's sake.

Guru Reliability: Low. Running backs cannot be evaluated in un-padded situations. New Mexico. Quick emergence and commit caused some fire-and-forget. Rapture scouting reports do not match rankings.

Variance: Moderate. Samuels is already a jacked up 190 and close to physically ready for the show, and there's no doubt what position he'll play. Severe uptick in competition level is always a question.

Ceiling: Very high. SPARQ champion who looks like a savant in highlights.

General Excitement Level: Very high. I'm almost embarrassed about how high I am on this class. Samuels looks unbelievable, and the stuff he's doing in his highlights is stuff that translates. Maybe it'll all fall apart because every run not on the highlights is a ridiculous Mike Shaw bounce, but if so all the scouting reports are lying.

Projection: I'd guess a redshirt since Michigan has four guys ready to go in front of him, but I doubt Samuels is going to stick around for five years so whatever. Still, New Mexico transition and obvious target for garbage carries (Walker) should allow Michigan the luxury.

How Samuels's  career develops depends not only on him but the rest of the crew as well, and there are too many moving parts for me to make a definitive declaration. The next two years will be platoon city with Evans, Higdon, Walker, and Samuels splitting carries. He'll get his chances, and he could be anything from Higdon 2 to Denard 2. Yes, both of those are good outcomes.

Offseason Harbaugh is a go

The long desert before football season resumes is among us, so it's time for Jim Harbaugh Antics to provide us succor. Here he is with a small child in a tiger-themed go-kart:

ICYMI, mother of Leesburg (Ga.) 5-star DT Aubrey Solomon called in-home with #Michigan "the best visit ever" ($) https://t.co/UvUWed9WLx pic.twitter.com/iEUxdVTJ1u

— Sam Webb (@SamWebb77) January 17, 2017

Yeah, that's the stuff.

As Webb mentions above, this was part of Harbaugh's in-home visit with 5* GA DT Aubrey Solomon. It appears to have gone well:

“Just finished such an awesome in home visit where we bowled, raced cars & finished a pre-k project celebrating 100 days of school for Lee County Pre-K, Solomon’s mother Sabrina Caldwell told The Michigan Insider. “He brought his daughter and it was the best visit ever.”

Or very well:

To say Jim Harbaugh and Chris Partridge crushed their in-home visit with five-star defensive tackle Aubrey Solomon may be an understatement.

That's what 247Sports was told Tuesday morning.

Yep, Harbaugh brought his daughter on a recruiting visit, which is no doubt causing the inmates of the RCMB to splutter in impotent rage. (Also targets of their impotent rage: women, people who don't drink Faygo, algebra.) Webb says he doesn't have a gut feeling on Solomon, but that he fits many of the criteria. It's usually a good sign when Webb starts getting a ton from the parents.

A couple of 247 guys have joined Barton Simmons with Michigan predictions, and they're both guys covering UGA. Both flipped from Alabama predictions, and while opinion on Solomon has blown like the wind since his decommit there's not much time for things to swing back—Solomon now says he's done with visits after he heads out to USC. Rusty Mansell, one of the Georgia guys who CBed Solomon to Michigan, is hearing that Nick Saban and Kirby Smart might not even get in-homes. That would be game over.

Solomon is obviously the top target left on Michigan's board and would almost certainly be in the two deep as a freshman; as the First Look post from last week noted, Michigan's interior line depth is nonexistent.

The other major targets

Georgia is buzzing for 4* AL WR Nico Collins, which would be deeply irritating after they swooped on Isaiah Wilson out of nowhere. At least Alabama is "no longer considered a factor" for Collins, per Lorenz. Webb says it's "become more of a toss up" since Fisch departed; Pep Hamilton will have to build a relationship in a short period of time. He still gives Michigan the edge.

Wiltfong reports that Michigan is getting back in the game with IA WR Oliver Martin, who most were projecting in this class until Brad Hawkins suddenly re-emerged. Martin has two officials left and Michigan could get one of them—his October visit was an unofficial. Wiltfong is still riding with ND.

4.5* MS LB Willie Gay fielded an in-home visit from Chris Partridge on Thursday that didn't generate much content in the aftermath. Mississippi State firing its defensive coordinator probably doesn't help the Bulldogs, but LSU is looming.

Lorenz reports that *4.5 UT DT Jay Tufele is now expected by most to stick close to home. Michigan isn't expecting much there.

Wobblers still wobbling

4* FL OL commit Kai-Leon Herbert took a visit to Auburn this weekend, and had a very crootin' quote in the aftermath:

"I'm definitely going to commit before National Singing Day or re-afffirm my commitment if I happen to choose Michigan," Herbert said. "I'm not that guy who does the hats."

Herbert is more of a Walking Dead parody video kind of guy. Herbert's commit is obviously butter soft at this point, potentially opening the door for Thorpe. Lorenz reports that Michigan is going to try to solidify him with an in-home after he visits Miami and UF the next two weekends; he doesn't see it happening.

4* NM RB commit O'Maury Samuels is the recruit most affected by Ty Wheatley's departure and has been somewhat soft for several months now. Michigan has an official remaining, which is good, and Sameul's father told Webb that there's only one other school in contention:

“I think (Arizona is the only other school being considered).  I think he narrowed it down to Michigan and Arizona.  There were other schools, but it’s Michigan and Arizona. If I had to bet on it.”

Much easier fending off one school, especially one coming off a tough year, than a full-court press from most of the SEC. Webb says it's "not a slam dunk"; Isaiah Hole reported that Samuels is "fully expected to qualify and to be part of the class."

2.5* GA RB commit Kurt Taylor landed a Michigan State offer and says he'll officially visit MSU on the 27th.

Weird guys watch

Happy trails to 3* CT CB Brandon Sebastian, who abruptly cancelled his upcoming visit and is now set to stick with BC. Brice Marich says it was a "mutual" decision—unlikely. This is made even weirder by another weird thing: 4* ND commit Elijah Hicks decommitted from ND... so he could immediately enroll at Cal, which did not have a head coach at that juncture.

Michigan now has zero realistic targets* at defensive back. Reports that Michigan is getting back in with IA WR Oliver Martin may not be entirely Collins related; it's possible the fifth DB is going to be a wide receiver they convert, probably NJ WR Brad Hawkins.

*[Definition of "realistic target": someone who has been on campus or scheduled a visit.]

Brooks

4* VA LB Ellis Brooks tells Rivals he will "probably" take a visit next weekend; he's currently at LSU and Oregon is on the docket this weekend. Michigan bumped ND, so there's that. Brooks is a big dude at 240; any Michigan pursuit should not be interpreted as pessimism regarding Gay. Brooks just took an official to Northwestern, so he's got a super weird top five: NW, Oregon, LSU, Michigan, and Maryland.

A couple of OL prospects now seem like somewhat reasonable possibilities. Bradon Justice reports that 4* PA OL CJ Thorpe will take an official next week. This space has mentioned Thorpe in passing after Michigan started poking around, but this is is the first indication this pursuit is anything serious. Thorpe is a legacy—thus that quote from his dad about how Urban Meyer can't recruit him—but a late January visit is always a threat.

Clemson OL Jake Fruhmorgen is transferring; Michigan and Florida are the schools most prominently mentioned for him at this early stage. Fruhmorgen played in 11 games as a true freshman and started the first eight games of Clemson's national championship season before getting knocked out with a shoulder injury. PFF reports that he didn't grade out well, but he's a true sophomore who has eight starts; probably some potential there.

Lorenz reports that Michigan is interested enough to check him out; in his opinion Michigan was second for Fruhmorgen during his initial recruitment. He'd have to sit out next year and then would have two to play; if Michigan has some extra spots, as it looks like they might, Fruhmorgen would be an opportunity to patch some holes in the upperclass OL.

Finally, Marich reports that Michigan has been in contact with 4* TN RB Cordarrian Richardson, a Clemson decommit. Jay Harbaugh is going to make an in-home with him, no doubt in the hopes of securing an official from him. Richardson has just three crystal balls, two of which are foggy—this is a potential Alpaca Out Of Nowhere recruitment if things go well.

Rivals finalizes top 100

Ruiz is the top rated center in a minute

The post-All Star rankings are generally the last ones, and Rivals is first out of the gate with a finalized top 100. Michigan commits:

• #12 Donovan Peoples-Jones
• #26 Jordan Anthony
• #41 Cesar Ruiz (up from 77)
• #52 Drew Singleton
• #74 Luiji Vilain (up from 181)
• #76 Tarik Black

Dylan McCaffrey was the only dropper; he's now outside the top 100 after being #52. TTB points out that everyone except McCaffrey took big upward leaps since the initial Rivals 100 for this class, so maybe not so much with the tinfoil hats this year.

User Indonacious collected relevant scouting. On Ruiz:

“The rare polished high school center, Ruiz is a natural fit for the position. He shined at this year's Under Armour All-America Game, where he displayed impressive extension and solid power. The fact that he's spent his high school career snapping the ball from the center spot is a bonus for Michigan, which could use him at both guard and center early in his time in Ann Arbor.” – Rob Cassidy, Rivals.com Southeast Recruiting Analyst

And Vilain:

“Vilain will be a great pass rusher at Michigan, but at the Under Armour All-America Game he showed that he's not a one-trick pony. He played with more power than ever before and had lots of success in practices. Vilain's presence in the backfield during the game showed he will have success against elite competition.” - Friedman

Etc.

Lorenz reports that Michigan is really high on OH DT commit James Hudson. Same.

2018 stuff

Names to keep an eye out for:

• NY TE Jeremy Ruckert, who has already been on campus and has a reputed top three of OSU, Michigan, and Alabama.
• TX TE Malcolm Epps, an Alabama commit who is "strongly considering" Michigan and OSU.
• NJ TE Elijah McAllister, who is still waiting on an offer, says he's got Michigan fans in his family.
• FL RB Chris Curry, who just got an offer.
• FL OL Curtis Dunlap, an IMG kid who says he wants to play with Jordan Anthony and Cesar Ruiz.
• FL OL Richard Gouraige, who Michigan is visiting during every evaluation period.
• GA OL Jamaree Salyer, who is almost named "Jamboree Slayer." In things that are actually relevant, he plans a spring visit.
• FL CB Asante Samuel, who has Michigan in his top six. Yes, he is the son of that Asante Samuel.
• GA CB Kyler McMichael, who has been on campus already. Florida is the early favorite.

Michigan will be heavy after tight ends in 2018 after taking a pass on the position this year.

Donovan Peoples-Jones remains ridiculous

The assembled Cass Tech students took this entirely in stride.

Cass Tech 2017 WR Donovan Peoples-Jones with the dunk and his QB Rodney Hall with the assist, taking the video pic.twitter.com/v2xFGIwMDJ

— The D Zone (@TheD_Zone) March 24, 2016

Or possibly lost their minds, as one does.

A tentative and incomplete list of Spring Visitors

There will be a ton. A bunch of in-state guys not listed will be there, but they often decide late. There will probably be another half-dozen regional guys who make it in who either aren't talking or haven't been unearthed by recruiting sites yet.

2017:

• NJ DT Corey Bolds.
• NJ LB Drew Singleton Bolds and Singleton are both at Paramus. Looks like it will come down to M or Clemson for both. The duo pushed back their visit from random spring practice to the game itself. Don't expect Singleton to drop; his dad told Sam Webb that they have a suite of visits set up ranging from Cal to PSU to Auburn. He also said having Partridge around was "huge" and "huge" and "HUGE."
• NJ DT Fred Hansard. Hansard's visit is a bit of a surprise since he set a decision date and usually that means your mind is made up. Nobody thought it was made up in favor of Michigan; a two-day visit will give them a chance to change his mind.
• AL WR Nico Collins.
• NM RB O'Maury Samuels. Michigan is the first major offer for Samuels. More on him in a bit.
• FL LB Jordan Anthony will be there.
• FL OL Robert Hainsey.
• FL OL Cesar Ruiz. All three of the FL guys are from IMG. Ruiz revised his visit schedule, trimming a bunch of teams but leaving M and FSU and maybe Maryland as prime contenders.
• MI OL/DL Phillip Paea. Paea's been on campus three times since his M offer. Spring will be #4.
• maybe CA DL Popo Aumavae. Said he was trying to work it out.
• maybe OH TE Trey Pugh. Pugh was up a couple weeks ago and said he may return.

2018:

• NJ DE Dorian Hardy. Michigan was Hardy's first offer.
• NJ DE Jayson Ademilola.
• NJ LB Justin Ademilola. Yes, twin brothers.
• OH DE Leonard Taylor. Taylor visited with new LB commit Antwuan Johnson a couple weeks ago; a return visit indicates serious interest.
• FL TE Judge Culpepper. Big ol' dude already who is a name priority so we can scream "I AM THE LAW" when he scores. Florida legacy.

Nico Collins impresses

AL WR Nico Collins is one of those kids who has a bunch of southern schools and then Michigan on his list. Normally those recruitments end up with the player staying in the SEC, but people say Michigan has a real shot with Collins thanks to his dad. Here's hoping pops wins the day here, since Collins brings something Funchess-esque to the table. ESPN scouted him at the local Opening regional:

He has tremendous height and nice length. He has big, strong hands and a wide catch radius and was consistent catching the ball. He was not the fastest target in attendance, but did display good ability to drive off the line quickly and among the biggest targets there he did flash ability to use his size.

Collins will be up for the Spring Game; Alabama is the favorite but Michigan will have an opportunity to overturn that. Right now Collins is planning to take his recruitment through official visits.

A running back or two emerge

Michigan's running back board to date:

1. EVERYBODY
2. some other dudes
3. lol idk

MA RB AJ Dillon is one of those dudes. He completed an unofficial on Tuesday and—surprise—enjoyed it.

"Toured campus, got a feel for Ann Arbor and was really impressed by the school after seeing the academic studies," Dillon said. "Seems like a great town. And the facilities were amazing."

In the aftermath 247 OSU analyst Alex Gleitman entered a crystal ball for Michigan. Lorenz says he's "as in tune" as anyone is with Dillon's recruitment. That ballz was quickly followed by a mighty one from Steve Wiltfong, who says the visit was a "game changer." Dillon has already been to Notre Dame and Wisconsin, the schools previously thought to lead. Those CB flips seem pretty meaningful.

If Michigan does land Dillon they're getting a heck of an athlete:

At last summer's New Jersey/New York Nike Football The Opening Region, Dillon posted the top Nike Football Rating of the day with a score of 114.12, Dillon measured in at 6-foot-1, 229-pounds and ran a 4.64 electronically time 40-yard dash, a 4.39 shuttle, a 38 ½-0 power ball toss and 36-6 inch vertical.

Donovan Peoples-Jones, who is ridiculous, turned in an electronic 4.45 at about 40 pounds lighter than Dillon—for a 230 pound guy dude can move. Heck, 4.64 is the same time Dylan Crawford ran at the Opening, which placed him eighth overall. If Dillon played better competition he might be a major, major recruit. Instead he's at the tail end of most top X lists.

Meanwhile, NM RB O'Maury Samuels is suddenly on the radar after crushing a Dallas Nike camp:

Samuels, who came into the event with just an offer from New Mexico State, was the talk of the event when it was done, beating out a number of Texas natives for RB MVP honors and more importantly, became the first player from the state of New Mexico to ever be selected to The Opening Finals.

He ran an electronic 4.45 just like Peoples-Jones and regrets that since his hamstring was a little wonky. Michigan fired out his first major offer right after that camp and he will be up for the spring game. Samuels is shaped more like Fitz Toussaint than an angry horse, so he and Dillon might not overlap much in terms of skillset.

Samuels has induced the first Ludicrous Statement About Running Back from Tyrone Wheatley:

"Coach Wheatley (compared me to) a young ‘AP’ (Adrian Peterson),” said Samuels.

Samuels is listed at 5'10", 188, which means two of him stacked on top of each other would equal one Adrian Peterson, who emerged from his father's head fully formed with switches in both hands. Must be something Fred stashed in the beverage fridge.

Finally, TX RB Eno Benjamin is still very serious about Iowa:

“They were both nice,” he said of his visits to Iowa and Michigan. “It’s hard to compare the two, but I think Iowa had the edge there.”

Benjamin cites the fact that Iowa is operating with two- and three-star running backs and he could have a bigger impact. I don't think he's heard about AIRBHG yet. Four star running backs who head to Iowa City are signing up for Final Destination: Cornfield. Benjamin's already visited a bunch of places; at this point you have to take the Iowa lead seriously.

Devin Bush Sr. goes to work

Just visit Michigan 〽️ pic.twitter.com/1mmYWQyNiI

— February 4 (@Eyecandy_WILDer) March 23, 2016

A bunch of guys from Miami were on campus all of a sudden yesterday:

Four-star linebacker DeAndre Wilder, who has an offer from the Wolverines already, is one of the notable names. Joining him will be freshman running back Nayquan Wright, a phenom who already holds offers from Alabama, Miami, Florida State, LSU and Notre Dame.

Wilder said he and Bush "go back." Lorenz believes he'll return for an official visit, which was M's primary goal.

Also in attendance was FL CB Naytron Culpepper. Sounds like they're taking a bunch of guys with various talent levels around, as one of the stops on their tour is EMU. MSU and ND are also on the docket.

Other visitors

Fast and furious they are as Michigan tries to import kids before spring practice ends. Cass OL Jordan Reid, who has an offer, was at Michigan for the third time in a month yesterday and may end up at that Ford Field practice. (I'm guessing one of the primary motivators for opening the practice is for its utility as a recruiting tool.) Ditto Cass S Jaylen Kelly-Powell, who is entering Lavert Hill territory as far as omnipresence in Ann Arbor goes.

Instate OL/DL Phil Paea, as mentioned, was also in. 6'8" MI DL/OL Robert Hudson, a new name, stopped by as well. Hudson is obviously far too tall to play DT, where Scout ranks him, but hasn't even tried out at OT yet. Probably a guy to watch through his senior season and a potential late riser.

I forgot to mention OH CB Amir Riep, who visited a week or so ago. Riep is from Colerain, Joe Bolden's alma mater. Bolden's dad is the coach there but OSU's DB coach was hired away from Colerain so there are connections on both sides. Riep said nice things about the visit but…

“It was really important for me to get up there to be honest,” he said.  “Growing up in Ohio and watching Ohio State, I would have never really thought much about Michigan.  It was so much different than what I had pictured in my head.  It amazed me how nice everything was up there.”

…sounds like OSU is still the favorite. ND and LSU are also in the picture.

AL S J'Marick Woods was planning to come up for the Spring Game but bumped that visit to right now.

Grudging 2018 section

Legacy MI DE Aidan Hutchinson picks up his first offer from LSU. Les (and Cam Cameron) do throw out random Michigan offers from time to time, especially when they know the family, but rarely do those end up with serious pursuit; guessing that's the case here.

This one is weird. Per Brice Marich, NV QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson says he will return to Michigan for the A4 QB camp "for sure." Michigan was very attentive on his recent unofficial:

“I talked to the whole offensive staff individually, toured through the football facility and campus, sat down with numerous people dealing with the school part of my visit, and went to the Big House.”

Harbaugh included—he talked to the head man for an hour. Probably about laser tag and fire tweets.

Okay. So that all sounds good.Here's Thompson-Robinson talking to Bucknuts:

"…at Ohio State every coached welcomed me. Only one or two offensive coaches and coach (Jim) Harbaugh welcomed me at Michigan. I kind of prefer Ohio State. It seems like more of a fit, especially the offense.”

WTF? This is why I try not to pay too much attention to 2018 at this juncture.

OH RB Jaelen Gill includes Michigan in a top five that looks like a top two:

"I love Ohio State," Gill said. "They are definitely in my top five for sure, along with UCLA, Michigan State, Tennessee, and Michigan. Ohio State and Michigan are very similar in a lot of ways. They are just two great schools and programs."

USC and UCLA are up next so he's not close to having a final list; could maybe probably come down to a classic M/OSU battle.

Michigan won't be getting the top QB in the country in consecutive years, it appears, as 2018 GA QB Trevor Lawrence seems lukewarm on a Michigan offer… possibly because M forgot they offered him months ago. Lawrence is ticketed for some SEC school.

Did I mention that OH LB commit Antwuan Johnson's dad is a Michigan fan? I might have. Either way should help that commit stick. Meanwhile, Johnson's teammate and OH DE Leonard Taylor sounds like a guy who Michigan might even lead for:

"When I was up at Michigan it felt like home, and I love the way Coach (Jim) Harbaugh is running things up there," he added. "They have a great academic program, and I really liked the city of Ann Arbor." 

I wouldn't be shocked if he dropped at or just after the spring game. Think that's < 50%, but it could happen.