royce jenkins-stone

Michigan has a 2012 commitment from MI LB Royce Jenkins-Stone.

GURU RATINGS

The recruiting sites are in near-complete agreement: Royce is 6-2, 215 pounds. When I saw him play early last season, I thought he looked pretty skinny, so either that's an overestimate of his weight, or he has the frame to get up to 230 or 240 pounds pretty easily. I think both are true to a degree.

Since it's so early in the process, there's very little out there on him. Scout's Allen Trieu:

He just might have as much upside as any other prospect in the state. He has a great frame at 6'2, 215-lbs, and has athleticism and speed to go with it. As a junior, he really stepped it up one more notch by adding discipline and the ability to make reads and attack to his game.

He plays as much fullback for Cass Tech as he does linebacker, and he's a punishing inside runner in their spread-type attack. The criticism on Royce has been that he needs to play with equal violence on defense as he does on O.

Once he learns to play with a nasty attitude, he seems like an excellent prospect. His frame and athleticism are both near-perfect, and he has a lot of upside if he lives up to his potential.

OFFERS

Cincinnati, Michigan State, Iowa, Pittsburgh, and Toledo were Royce's early non-Michigan offers. However, he blew up over the past month or so, earning offers from the likes of Alabama, Oklahoma, and Florida. This kid is a Big Deal.

STATS

ESPN has his junior stats:

Registered 90 tackles, five sacks and three interceptions. Rushed for 10 touchdowns..

Not bad, but keep in mind that Detroit Public Schools often inflate player stats. Adjust accordingly.

FAKE 40 TIME

None of the sites have listed 40 times. I'll shame them by saying five FAKEs out of five.

VIDEO

Youtube highlights:

You might be able to catch a few glimpses of him (#10) from last year's Friday Night Lights video on Delonte Hollowell.

PREDICTION BASED ON FLIMSY EVIDENCE

Royce has excellent physical skills and potential. He could eventually slot in at any of the linebacker positions, though I think strongside seems the most likely at this point.

With Michigan's huge haul of linebackers in 2011, Royce won't have to play right away, and should be able to spend his freshman year redshirting. The new depth in front of him should allow him to spend another year learning the system and playing special teams, before he works into a bigger role as a redshirt sophomore.

As an upperclassman, Royce should be a heavy member of the rotation, taking control of a starting position by the end of his redshirt junior year, and potentially earning All-Conference honors as a senior.

UPSHOT FOR THE REST OF THE CLASS

Royce is Michigan's second linebacker commit in 2 days. Since Michigan took several linebackers last year (though maybe not any who are naturals at strongside 'backer), they don't need more than a couple in this class. One more (probably the first of MI LB James Ross and OH LB Joe Bolden to commit) should close out the recruiting class at the position.

Basically every position other than linebacker is a remaining need in the class. Offensive and defensive lines in particular are needs, because Michigan's depth is light there.

Keep track of Michigan's offers on the 2012 Michigan Recruiting Board, which will see some format updates as soon as Michigan starts getting commits.

Weekend Practice Visits

Spring practice kicked off last weekend, and Tom had a full list of weekend visitors coming into the practice.

OH OL Kyle Dodson (in the epic shirt at right) told Tom he liked the visit, though he grew up disliking Michigan ($, info in header). TheRinger breaks down his game:

It is hard to envision Dodson needing a redshirt year once he enrolls at his school of choice. You just don’t see very many prospects with his size/quickness/strength ratio. He has areas where he needs improvement like any other high school junior. However, he’s already at a point where we foresee him competing for playing time as soon as he hits campus.

Ohio State recruiting guru says a qualifying test score is all that stands between Dodson and an Ohio State offer, so making in-roads before that offer comes is a Big Deal for the Wolverines. In Tom's interview, Kyle said he's not going to wait around for schools to offer him.

OH OL Caleb Stacey was blown away by his recent Michigan visit ($, info in header), and received a Michigan offer while on campus. He does not yet have a favorites list or a decision timeline.

MI OL/DT Kelby Latta was on campus over the weekend ($, info in header).

IL DT Vontrell Williams told Tom that he's always been a Michigan fan, and that the Wolverines are in his top 3, even though he doesn't hold an offer. He'll be back in town for the spring game.

OH DE Pharoah Brown liked the pace of Michigan's practice ($, info in header), and the visit moved Michigan up in his recruitment. He told Tom he'll decide after just a couple official visits in the fall.

Royce Jenkins-Stone was on campus over the weekend. Sam Webb thinks Michigan is the favorite for Royce, and says that Michigan was a hit with Royce's family. Royce is continuing to rack up bigtime offers, and told Tom about his decision timeline.

He plans on coming out with a top ten before the season, a top five mid season, and then a top three before he decides towards the end of the season. He was also nominated for the US Army All American game, so he may decide then if he gets chosen.

So, although Michigan fans were hoping he might break the seal on the 2012 class, it doesn't look likely.

MA LB Camren Williams spoke with Tom about how his Michigan visit went:

This visit was probably a 10. The visit was huge, it's definitely up there in my favorite schools. I want to make my decision in June, so I definitely want to get back up here for another visit. I really like Coach Hoke, Coach Smith, and Coach Mattison a lot. It's going to be a great place and I'm really interested in looking into Michigan more.

Williams is down to Michigan, Maryland, Penn State, North Carolina, and Wake Forest. He plans to take at least four more visits, including another to Michigan, before deciding. The Wolverines also made an impression on and excited his teammate, CB Armani Reeves ($, info in headers).

MI CB Terry Richardson likes the new staff following his visit($, info in header).

General visitor reactions to last weekend, and most seemed to love the energy.

IN DT Sheldon Day visited a couple weeks back, and gave that trip to Ann Arbor "high marks" ($, info in header).

NEXT! (Weekend)

KY QB Zeke Pike will visit Ann Arbor this week. He was recently named to the Army All-American Game.

MN OL Jonah Pirsig will visit this week.

On yesterday's recruiting roundup, Sam Webb said OH DE Chris Wormley will be in attendance this weekend, probably with his mom.

OH LB Joe Bolden has an offer from Michigan confirmed by his coach (slash father?), and he will be on campus this weekend. He has played MLB in high school to this point, but can also play outside.

Aside from those guys, Tom has an enormous list of prospects who will be in town:

• IN WR Aloyis Gray
• IN TE Pierre Aka
• MI TE Devin Funchess
• OH TE AJ Williams
• MI TE Matt Doneth
• IN OL Sid Anvoots
• MI OL Chase DeBack
• IN OL DeAndre Herron
• MI OL DaRon Brown
• MI DE Mario Ojemudia
• OH DE Alex Pace
• MI LB Royce Jenkins-Stone
• OH LB DeAndre Rollins
• OH S Allen Gant
• NY CB Wayne Morgan
• OH CB De'van Bogard

All those guys, plus some additional "maybes." Check out Tom's post for the full list. As for future weeks, CO TE Evan Baylis will visit Michigan on his spring break, and OH QB Austin Appleby will visit next weekend.

Other Updates

Not only is OH QB Maty Mauk (at right) closing in on national passing records (currently held by his brother, former Cincinnati QB Ben), but he's also closing in - slowly but surely - on a college choice:

Colleges have certainly paid attention. He has offers from Notre Dame, Michigan, Missouri, Illinois, Vanderbilt and Cincinnati. Those also happen to be his favorite schools at this time. "I would like to make a decision before my senior season so I have it down to those schools," Mauk said. "I have been to see all of them but Illinois and I plan on seeing this in the next month or two. I want to be in a spread offense with the coaches and people that I want to be around. I also want to get a good education."

Uh, maybe nobody told him Michigan doesn't plan to run a spread anymore? He seems to like Michigan, but his family's relationship with Brian Kelly may be hard to overcome.

I told you to beware a Bleacher Report link when I shared the info originally, so it's no surprise that CA WR Malik Gilmore does not in fact have Michigan and Notre Dame atop his list. Cal leads Notre Dame, Washington, Oregon, UCLA, and Arkansas. He does plan to use all 5 officials before deciding.

Tom broke the news last week that MI OL Ben Braden had received a Michigan offer, and it sounds like the big instate OT will not wait long to make a decision ($, info in header). Might we finally see the first Hello post of the year? Michigan State, Wisconsin, and Syracuse are the other finalists.

CA OL Erik Magnusson spoke with Tom about his recruitment... and it sounds good:

My list of top five changes about every week with new offers coming and what not, but Michigan is always in it. Right now it's Oregon, USC, Michigan, Miami, and Oklahoma.

"School X is always in my ever-changing favorites list" is usually code for "School X is my favorite, or close to it." Erik plans to take an official visit to Ann Arbor.

MD DE Brent Wilkerson has an interesting "best experience" of the recruiting process so far:

For me, it was talking to Michigan and getting that offer. They're a great academic school and they have a tremendous football tradition. I talked to the defensive line coach and the defensive coordinator, who coached with the Ravens. That was pretty awesome to talk to those guys.

Maybe that bodes well for Michigan's chances with Wilkerson and his teammate, DE Michael Moore.

Happy Trails

OH OL Anthony Stanko has committed to Penn State. He was on the radar, but unlikely to get a Michigan offer.

TX LB Jeremiah Tshimanga committed to Oklahoma State.

Etc.

Rivals has released their first set of 5-star prospects. Among those with Michigan offers are PA DE Noah Spence, MD DT Eddie Goldman, FL OL John Theus, MD WR Stefon Diggs, MO WR Dorial Green-Beckham, NC OL DJ Humphries.

Keep an eye on MI LB Lester Liston, from the same high school as Justice Hayes ($, info in header). MI DT Dakota Perry likes Michigan but isn't hearing from the Wolverines. IL DE Mikhail Dubose is hearing from Michigan. GA DE Jordan Watkins is hoping for a Michigan offer.

The mgouniverse is growing restless with a lack of commits in Michigan's class of 2012, so before digging deeper, let's see how some comparable schools stack up.

Within the B1G, Michigan isn't behind the curve at all. Only a few schools have commits, and among them only Ohio State and Nebraska have the same recruiting profile as the Wolverines. Nationally, they're a bit behind, but that seems to happen every year.

They haven't even had a single junior day yet - and started way behind the curve, as an all-new staff - so it's a little early to be worrying too much about a small class. At this time last year, there were only 2 commits (Greg Brown and Delonte Hollowell) that ultimately signed with Michigan, the second of whom committed after a junior day.

On With the Show

Michigan is looking at KY RB Ronjae Morris "pretty hard." Tennessee and UCLA are his top two, and he doesn't yet have a Michigan offer.

Beware with a Bleacher Report link, but CA WR Malik Gilmore appears to have Notre Dame and Michigan atop his list.

Michigan is recruiting ($, info in header) OH OL Caleb Stacey.

NC TE/OL Mark Harrell called his Notre Dame offer "a dream come true" ($, info in header). Early in the process, it seems like every kid is really high on the Irish.

Tom talked to NC OL Brock Stadnik about his recruiting process:

"I was really excited about the Michigan offer because Michigan is pretty huge, and I really liked Jake Long growing up," he said. "As far as visits go, it's tough to get up there right now with school and everything, so I'm not sure when I'll make it up... Michigan is a big offer too because it came from that far away this early. It's exciting to hear my name reaching places like that, and being talked about by those coaches."

Brock has a twin brother, Clayton Stadnik, who is not as highly-coveted a prospect. The two will consider going to school together, but they plan to make individual decisions. Brock will form a top 5 during the summer.

A tidbit on FL OL Avery Young: his brother plays for the Lions, which means he has some family close to Ann Arbor. Still doesn't mention Michigan in the article, of course.

PA OL JJ Denman has a top 5 that includes USC, Notre Dame, Michigan, Penn State, and Boston College.

Stanford leads for CA DT Aziz Shittu ($, info in header).

OH DE Tom Strobel was the focus of last week's recruiting column for the Detroit News by Sam Webb. Scout's Ohio analyst Bill Greene breaks down his game:

"He is a true 6-6, with long arms, and probably weighs 240 pounds. He could probably carry another 30-35 pounds easily on that frame. I think he has the chance to maybe be great someday. I think he's a guy who is kind of growing into his body right now."

...and Strobel talks about himself:

"I've got a really good work ethic," Strobel stated. "I'm always hustling to the ball no matter what. Even if it seems the play is already made, I'm always going to be there right behind the tackle or I'll be making the tackle. I'm always hustling to the ball. I think that's the biggest thing you'll notice -- hustle."

As for recruiting news, Strobel insists that his recent Ohio State offer does not mean an immediate end to his recruitment, though it is a big deal. Michigan and Michigan State will be contenders for his services, and he's academically-focused, which will help the Wolverines. Click through for the whole scoop.

Tom talked to OH DE Ifeadi Odenigbo about where he stands in the recruiting process. Stanford, Ohio State, Northwestern, and Notre Dame make up his current top 4, but he's going to take some visits in june - including to Ann Arbor and East Lansing - before coming up with a firm list of favorites.

Michigan is among the schools showing the most interest in CA LB Scott Starr. He currently holds offers from Colorado and the Arizona schools.

You may recall that OH LB Kaleb Ringer was on Michigan's campus last week. He left town with an offer, and is now having 2-part Michigan dreams ($, info in header). Unless those dreams involve Brady Hoke dressed as the Stay-Puft marshmallow man, that seems like a good thing. Sam rhetorically asks "is Michigan now the team to beat?" in the header, and I think it's safe to answer "yes." This seems like a situation to keep an eye on.

The presence of defensive coordinator Greg Mattison is a big boost to Michigan's chances with FL S Deon Bush ($, info in header).

MI CB LEVITICUS PAYNE is "working to improve." He is starting to get interest from BCS-conference schools, but doesn't mention Michigan.

The Package?

Tom talked to Good Counsel (MD) assistant coach Kevin McFadden about a number of prospects from 2011 Commit Blake Countess's team, including:

The Michigan coaches have targeted and offered DB Stefon Diggs, RB Wes Brown, DE Ryan Watson, and OL Mike Madaras so far from Good Counsel.

...but net yet a couple more:

"We have a couple other kids Michigan should offer, we have DL Rod Chungong (6'3", 240 lbs), 2013 DB Kendall Fuller (6'0", 175 lbs), and 2013 DB Kirk Garner (5'10", 165 lbs) that will get some looks from Michigan," he said.

I'm not ready to worry about 2013 guys quiiiite yet. McFadden says Countess has been talking up the maize-and-blue to his friends, and that they're serious players:

"These kids are NFL kids, they're good. They're right up there with some of the best kids we've had. They've seen the kids before them, and the appropriate measures they've had to put in place with academics, perseverance, and they've seen the outcome with those other guys."

It's no novelty to see a high school coach say "omg best players I've ever had," so take it with a grain of salt - though Diggs is considered a likely 5-star. GC's head coach talked with Gazette.net about Diggs in particular:

"He's just such a natural talent, not only the speed but the way he understands things; he's just very, very, very smart, football-wise," Milloy said. "Some kids, you have to rep them up, but he just understands what we're trying to do quickly.

Michigan has a shot with all of the Good Counsel kids, and they'll start taking visits this spring. Rivals talks with Diggs and Brown about life and recruiting.

In other possible packages, MA LB Camren Williams and CB Armani Reeves have a teammate in QB AJ Doyle who could become a target down the line. Reeves plans to visit Ann Arbor in the next few weeks, and Tom mhad an interview with Williams, wherein he discusses his favorites, visits, and decision timeline.

MI LB Royce Jenkins-Stone has picked up an offer from Miami YTM ($, info in header). A rivals header ($ article) certainly makes it sound like Michigan is slipping as he gets more national interest. He was originally the highest on Michigan of the trio that also includes LB James Ross and CB Terry Richardson, so we'll have to see what transpires.

Upcoming Visits

Though no official junior day has been set, a number of prospects have made or will make their way through ann Arbor early in March. As for recent visits, TX LB Jeremiah Tshimanga didn't make it to A2 this past weekend, but MI DT/DE Matt Godin did. Going forward, a tentative visit list for this weekend:

• IL OL Dan Voltz (possibly not until the following week). His decision isn't far off.
• WI LB Vince Biegel.
• MI LB Royce Jenkins-Stone. This visit isn't definite. As mentioned above, Michigan may have some work to do with RJS.
• OH S Allen Gant will make it to town before the weekend. He's looking for his Michigan offer. Video on Gant:

It looks like every weekend in March will have at least a few visitors, including March 19th:

• OH TE AJ Williams, for whom Michigan is "in the mix." ($, info in header).
• OH DE Pharoah Brown.

The further out we project, the less definite visits become, so stay tuned for the latest updates. Among others planning spring visits are IN TE Pierre Aka, in addition to KY QB Zeke Pike and MI TE/WR Ron Thompson.

Happy Trails

Notre Dame led for OH OL Taylor Decker last week, and and it's no surprise that he has since committed to the Irish.

Michigan has offered CA LB/S Jabari Ruffin, but he committed to USC shortly thereafter.

CA CB Tee Shepard has committed to Notre Dame. The Army All-American holds a Michigan offer.

CA S Shaquille Thompson committed to Cal ($, info in header).

WEEE OFFER PARADE!

CA OL Erik Magnuson has a Michigan offer. He was also a target of Hoke's staff at SDSU.

He's mentioned in an above section, but MD OL Mike Madaras has received a Michigan offer.

NY DT Jarron Jones has picked up a Michigan offer ($, info in header).

GA DT Jonathan Taylor has a Michigan offer.

GA DE Jarontay Jones has a "home state" that is not in the South ($, info in header). Since the interview is with GBW, dollars to donuts said home state is Michigan. Jones is a recent Michigan offeree. Not content to offer only one Stone Mountain product, the Wolverines sent them to DT Jafar Mann and LB Raphael Kirby as well.

MD DE Brent Wilkerson was offered by Michigan a couple weeks back (of course the article became available for free moments after I published the next Wednesday Recruitin').

“It’s definitely a big offer, I’m really happy that they are willing to offer me a scholarship. I’m very interested. I called their defensive coordinator and defensive line coach. I spoke to the recruiter in my area too, I’m very interested in them and they are after me pretty hard. I plan to get down there to see the place and get to know the coaches.”

His other favorites include LSU, Miami (YTM), and the better half of the Big East. He wants to visit Michigan sometime this summer.

Michigan has offered PA DE Noah Spence. Spence is a likely 5-star, so it was a head-scratcher that he wasn't holding a Michigan offer (until now).

OH DE LaTroy Lewis has received a Michigan offer, and has moved Michigan up his list accordingly ($, info in header).

TX LB Dalton Santos has added a Michigan offer.

Etc.

CA OL Jordan Simmons is mentored by a former Wolverine ($, info in header), which could help Michigan's chances. GA WR Jaquay Williams also has a Michigan connection ($, info in header). MD CB Kenny Crawley "wants to stay local" ($, info in header). MI WR Tyree Monroe is hearing from Michigan a bit. Rutgers leads for NJ LB Jazzmar Clax. IL DT Vincent Valentine is "building ties" with Michigan's staff ($, info in header). Michigan is not in the top 5 for NJ WR Leonte Carroo.

We're onto the 2012 class, eh? How many scholarships does Michigan have to give? What's the breakdown on commits at different positions? Who are likely options at some of those positions? All that and more inside Wednesday Recruitin'!

The Numbers and Positions

Take a gander at the Depth Chart by Class, and you'll see there are 83 scholarship players on the 2011 football roster (including Jordan Kovacs as a scholarship player). That means there are two open slots for the 2012 class.

In addition, Michigan will have 15 scholarship players see their eligibility expire following the 2011 season - Shaw, Hemingway, Stonum, Odoms, Grady, Koger, Huyge, Molk, Martin, Van Bergen, Watson, Herron, Fitzgerald, Woolfolk and Williams. Whether or not Mike Williams sticks around for his fifth year doesn't affect the 2012 class because he's gone after this season either way.

Altogether, that means our operating number for the 2012 class starts at 17, before there's any roster attrition. Assuming a couple players ultimately leave the team for any reason (unrenewed fifth years, early NFL entry, etc.), we'll peg the starting number at 19.

Without going into too much (boring) detail, Michigan needs by position are approximately as follows:

• QB: 1
• RB: 1
• WR: 2
• Slot: 0
• TE: 1-2
• OT: 2
• OG: 1-2
• OC: 0
• DT: 2
• DE: 2
• LB: 2
• S: 2
• CB: 1

If you want the nitty-gritty, you can peruse the Depth Chart by Class. In next week's recruiting update, I'll run down all the prospects Michigan has offered once more, and hopefully a recruiting board will be operational by then. After that, recruiting updates should be back to normal.

BH OfferBlitz

Don't get the reference? Acquaint yourself here and here.

Michigan decided to go on an offer blitz shortly after last week's recruiting update went up (great timing, guys!). Among the newly-offered prospects are:

Cass Tech teammates LB Royce Jenkins-Stone and CB Terry Richardson received offers ($, info in headers) from Michigan's staff on Wednesday. Richardson is turning into a serious bigtime prospect. Already holding an offer from Bama, USC entered the mix last week. Jenkins-Stone is planning to make an early commitment (HT: Mgomember LarryHarrison), and is getting bigtime offers of his own.

Unsatisfied with offering only one set of teammates on Wednesday, the Wolverines went up the road to Farmington Hills, giving offers to Harrison WR Aaron Burbridge, TE Devin Funchess, and DE Mario Ojemudia ($, info in header). FHH has been a Michigan State feeder lately, so it remains to be seen if Brady Hoke and Co. can steal any of these prospects away from the Spartans. 24/7 Sports fluff on the Harrison guys, and Burbridge tells them he's "always been a State fan."

OH QB Maty Mauk received a Michigan offer. He told Tom that he plans to make it up to Ann Arbor within the next couple weeks. As the younger brother of former Cincinnati QB Ben Mauk, most assume Notre Dame's Brian Kelly should be able to land him.

Michigan has offered NC RB Keith Marshall, who is likely to be among the top prospects in the nation. His highlight reel is a sight to behold:

CA WRs Derrick Woods and Malik Gilmore have both received Michigan offers.

MI TE Ron Thompson was offered by his favorite school ($, info in headers).

CA TE Taylor McNamara has received an offer.

IL OL Dan Voltz was offered by the Wolverines and plans to make an early decision ($, info in header).

The Wolverines have offered CA OL Kyle Murphy, according to a local paper.

AZ OL Andrus Peat (younger brother of 2011 Nebraska signee Todd Peat) received a Michigan offer this week. He should be one of the nation's top offensive linemen in this class.

IL DT Tommy Schutt has a Michigan offer ($, info in header).

OH DE Se'Von Pittman received an offer from Michigan last week, along with the likes of Ohio State and Michigan State.

“He is wide open,” [McKinley coach Ron] Johnson said. “There are a lot of different things he’s interested in. He’s going to go through the whole process and really get to meet guys. There are a lot of new staffs involved; guys he’ll want to meet and get to know. I just hope they go where they want to be, and where they’re going to have a chance for a good career.”

One of those places is Michigan. The Wolverines hired Brady Hoke to replace Rich Rodriguez. Hoke is from Ohio and seems to be making a renewed commitment to battling the Buckeyes in their backyard

Despite what his coach says, Pittman (pictured) is widely considered to be a heavy lean to the Buckeyes, and would be an excellent pull for Brady Hoke and Co.

WI LB Vince Biegel, who Tom says was offered Wednesday. Scout says he has three standouts ($, info in header), and considering the article was written by Sam Webb, smart money says Michigan is one of them. Biegel is a Mormon, but he says BYU doesn't have an advantage in his recruitment - although his father played there.

Other Updates

Michigan's new coaching staff is still interested in FL QB Bennie Coney. As mentioned in the fall, he didn't play football this season due to a disciplinary issue, but is still on good terms with his head coach.

Michigan State has offered and leads for OH RB William Mahone ($, info in header).

CA WR Bryce Treggs is hoping for a Michigan offer.

PA OL Tyler Alt impressed at the Army Combine ($, info in header). Tom talked to him this week, and it sounds like Tyler really wants a Michigan offer - as either an offensive or defensive lineman.

FL OL Cody Waldrop is hoping for a Michigan offer.

Michigan was "a childhood favorite" for IN DT Sheldon Day ($, info in header).

Tom gets an update from the coach of PA DE Noah Spence, who is one of the top prospects in the Keystone State:

"We'll try to get [Noah's highlight film] out in the next couple days, we'll email it to every program in the country probably next week," said Head Coach Jeff Weachter. "Michigan hasn't gotten it yet, but I'd imagine they will offer once they do, everyone else has."

Spence's father is researching every school in-depth, so Michigan's hire of Greg Mattison is certain to help the Wolverines. Mattison is also acquaintances with Spence's head coach.

Michigan's interest in OH DE Tom Strobel has "intensified" ($, info in header). He holds a Michigan offer.

OR DE Alex Balducci sent Michigan his film, and may get an offer soon.

Though he hasn't been offered yet, NJ S/LB DJ Singleton is expecting one from the Wolverines soon. Miami and Rutgers have already sent offers.

IN Ath David Perkins is interested in hearing from Michigan.

Tom's Weekly Update has a metric ton of information, and with limited space, I'm just going to link it and say read the whole thing. If you need more prodding, there's an update on LEVITICUS PAYNE within.

Visitors

IL OL Jordan Diamond is the subject of this week's Sam Webb column in the Detroit News:

"I'm most definitely still a fan of Michigan. No doubt about it -- Michigan is Michigan. I still enjoy watching those guys play. I'm in the process of getting some old film from Michigan. I'm really excited... We talk about (going to the same school) all the time," Diamond said of he and [2011 MIchigan Commit Chris] Bryant.

Scout's Alen Trieu says he's a borderline 5-star entering his junior season. Diamond would be a great and for Brady Hoke's staff. He's certainly no lock, but a visit this weekend could be a great start to building a lead. Despite being on-campus, he will not participate in the Best of the Midwest...

Speaking of which, it's not a University-sponsored event, but the Al Glick Fieldhouse will again serve as the venue for the Best of the Midwest Showcase this Sunday (last year it was called the Michigan Football Showcase). Allen Trieu breaks down the linemen who will participate. In similar news, New Level Athletics will be hosting a 7-on-7 Tournament in Ann Arbor again this summer. SI.com's Andy Staples explores how such tournaments are changing football recruiting in that article.

Both of the above-linked events provide an opportunity for prospects to experience Michigan's campus, even if the coaches can't use them as recruiting visits.

Happy Trails

AZ QB Connor Brewer left the board last week, as he committed to Texas, and now another prospect - this one already holding an offer - is off the table. FL RB Matt Jones committed to Florida.

Etc.

Rivals releases their initial 250 to Watch, and Touch the Banner breaks down which guys might have Michigan interest. Maxpreps's Top 10 includes a couple Michigan targets. 2011 Commit Frank Clark wants to reopen a Michigan pipeline to Cleveland Glenville ($, info in header). Ohio State recruiting guru Duane Long says "Hoke ain't no Joke." Dr. Saturday breaks down 2011 recruiting geographically. Fox Sports's Dave Dye runs down the 2011 class. SBNation Pittsburgh has a semi-novel idea with a Penn State offer matrix, so I ask you: would anyone be interested if I repeated that for Michigan?

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.

All-time updates live on the 2011 Michigan Football Recruiting Board.

POW!

At about the 0:55 mark, that's FL WR Sammy Watkins gettin' his crush on (good pad level, that). If football and school don't work out, there's a future in stunt acting, no doubt.

Camps And Visits

The annual Sound Mind, Sound Body Camp took place at Wayne State over the weekend, drawing many of the midwest's best prospects. Sam Webb previewed the event in his Detroit News column last week:

Thanks to additional help from sponsors like Powerhouse Gym, the U.S. Army, and Scout.com, Sound Mind-Sound Body has reached farther beyond Michigan's border than ever before. As a result, before the first whistle is blown at this year's camp, it will have already surpassed last year's mark of hosting 55 prospects that eventually earned scholarship offers.

"Seventy kids already have Division I scholarship offers," said Blackwell. "We have kids coming from as far as Arizona and Minnesota. It is astounding. I'm just in awe really. This is more of a regional event now."

Prospects of interest for Michigan fans were many, and included OH OL Aundrey Walker, IL OL Chris Bryant, MI WR Commit Shawn Conway, MI WR DeAnthony Arnett, MI CB Valdez Showers, and MI CB Commit Delonte Hollowell. The Class of 2012 was represented as well, with MI LB James Ross (pictured above), MI LB Royce Jenkins-Stone, and IL OL Jordan Diamond leading the way.

Michigan's summer camp also started over the weekend (and ended yesterday). Tom ran down some of the participants, and is updating that Diary as he gets new information. Check back for the latest updates, and to know who you should keep on commitment watch.

OH OL Ray Ball was in town for camp, though he didn't work out. He raved about the visit to Tom:

"I know the top schools I have on my list are Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, and UCLA, but this definitely puts Michigan in a better spot than before. "

In a class that will end up with many offensive linemen, that's a positive sign.

MI OL Jake Fisher did work out, on the other hand, and left Ann Arbor with an offer in hand ($, info in header).

NC LB/S Kris Frost was (is?) in town, and Michigan and Auburn lead LSU, Cal, and Clemson. for him.

Moving on to non-camp visit news, PA DT Delvon Simmons will be visiting Michigan eventually.

IL DE James Adeyanju visited Ann Arbor last week, and may be making a return visit soon ($, info in header).

GA S Avery Walls visited Michigan last week. Twice! ($, info in headers). MGoRecruit reports that he enjoyed his time there:

Safety prospect Avery Walls had a great visit to Ann Arbor last week, even his mother (an OSU grad) was impressed. Michigan really rolled out the red carpet, with virtually all the coaches greeting Walls in Schembechler Hall, and it paid off. He also visited MSU whilst he was up here, but UM probably has the better chance.

Walls would be a huge grab for Rodriguez and co., but don't expect a decision any time soon.

Michigan makes the top 5 for FL S LaQuentin Smith, who is visiting with his teammate, FL RB Demetrius Hart, for the Iowa game:

"I would say that right now my top five is Arkansas, South Carolina, South Florida, Ole Miss and Michigan," Smith said. "And I still have love for Colorado State because they were the first to offer me."

Smith also hinted in the article that both Smith and Hart are considering a Michigan commitment during the visit. Hart also came in for some spring fluff:

Top RB - Dee Hart, Dr. Phillips. Hart was wiped out after playing two ways for almost 15 games over the weekend as the Panthers had to fight their way back through the losers' bracket. He rarely showed that fatigued on the field, however, and he was DP's go-to-guy, as usual, helping them reach the championship game.

The Panthers were runners-up in the USF 7-on-7 Tournament.

Happy Trails

• IN RB Remound Wright. He held a (non-committable, I think) Michigan offer, but has committed to Stanford.
• TX RB Jarrell Oliver. He committed to Utah, where he'll be in the Utes' first recruiting class as a BCS program. Michigan seemed to cool on Oliver due to interest in other RBs (and teammate, TX S Sheroid Evans, coming off the board to Texas).
• IL WR DaVaris Daniels. He was going to choose between Miami and Notre Dame yesterday, but has pushed back the announcement. Michigan still appears to be out of the picture.
• OH WR Devin Smith. He received his Ohio State offer last week and, as expected, joined the Buckeyes' class of 2011.
• OH TE Nick Vannett, though he holds a Michigan offer, is not considering the Wolverines at this time. Conventional wisdom has him picking the Buckeyes.
• VA DE Corey Marshall. He committed to Virginia Tech.
• Future happy trails to TX CB Charles Jackson, who is deciding soon ($, info in header). He holds a Michigan offer, but hasn't really mentioned the Wolverines since receiving it.
• MI CB/Ath Raymon Taylor committed to Indiana. I, for one, will be shocked if he's still a four-star by the end of the process. The local BCS programs have had tons of opportunities to see him play, and neither considered him worthy.

Still With The Quarterbackin'

Michigan might not be dead for NC QB Marquise Williams, as he claims to not have made a decision yet, but VT or North Carolina (where he took a recent unofficial) is the presumptive choice. With his decision coming this week, we're approaching a "Happy Trails" moment for him.

That means FL QB Kevin Sousa (right) may finally be getting close to that coveted Michigan offer:

I called coach (Rod) Smith today, and they are going to recruit me. He is meeting with coach Rodriguez tomorrow as to a possible offer. He said that the guys they were recruiting are no longer interested in Michigan, and they have opened it up again as far as looking for a QB.

Should he receive that Michigan offer, don't forget he's said it would be hard to turn down in the past. He did tell Tom that he would visit Ann Arbor before making a decision for the Wolverines, but he may have that opportunity soon. He's roadtripping with his coach to several midwest schools, and if a Michigan offer is imminent, that schedule could probably be adjusted for a stop in Ann Arbor.

I've made it no secret that I think Sousa would be a great pickup for the QB in this class. If you want a little more on him, he has a variety of highlight videos available, including one from his spring game back in May:

Other

Michigan, Pitt, and Florida are the leaders for NJ TE/DE Taques Franklin.

“My top schools that I’m looking at right now are Florida, Cincinnati, Michigan, Pittsburgh and North Carolina. Those are the top ones I’m looking at. I know a little bit about each one of them. From talking to college scouts I like what those (schools) have had to say. They’ve been telling me how good their school is for sports and education.

He may visit Ann Arbor sometime this summer.

Michigan, USC, and Oregon had been a pseudo-top 3 for AZ OL Andre Yruretagoyena, but the sanctions against the Trojans may have affected that. He talked to Tom:

I asked him what his reaction was, and he said, "I want to say it doesn't affect me, but it does. It's two years, which would end after my first year, so I would be there for it. I don't know if there's anything more, but if the NCAA finds more, then who knows what else they'll do. You never know with the NCAA."

Yruretagoyena recently released a top 7, including all three of those schools, along with Arizona, Arkansas, Oregon State, and Washington. It may be notable (and discouraging) that Michigan is one of only two non-PAC10 schools on the list.

FL OL James Elliott has received a Michigan offer.

PA OL Paul Gaughan has also received the Michigan offer ($, info in header) that he's been waiting for.

LA DT Mickey Johnson tells Tom that UCLA and Nebraska lead Michigan, Tennessee, and LSU for his services.

Coach Rodriguez is a cool guy. They're going through some things right now, but I believe that they're going to get through it. Coach Fred (Jackson) is good friends with my dad now, too. They've developed a good friendship through this recruiting process, so that's pretty cool. Plus, they play in the Big House. I've seen pictures of the stadium, and campus online, and I just can't wait to see all that.

If (when?) Michigan gets him on campus, it could be a huge boon to Michigan's chances to land him.

Shortly after Michigan offered, they were the heavy favorite for MI LB Ed Davis. However, the Wolverines have fallen off slightly, thanks to some new offers and negative recruiting.

Added SC LB Dexter Staley, who includes Michigan in his top 5.

Michigan is showing renewed interest in OH LB Antonio Poole ($, info in header).

Tom talked to MI CB Valdez Showers, who recently received a Florida offer. Michigan is in his top group, and his friendship with MI WR Commit Shawn Conway could help the Wolverines recruit him.

2012 Note: Michigan is "courting" OH RB Warren Ball ($, info in header).