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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 F riday Night Lights series.

This week, Wednesday Recruitin' goes overview. This isn't a comprehensive list of prospects that are considering Michigan, but a look at several of the more likely guys to end up in the Wolverines' class. Tom published a Best Guess list last weekend, as well.

QB

UMGoBlog has an interesting interview with FL QB Commit Kevin Sousa (at right), in which he says he's not hearing from Michigan as much as he'd like:

He'll visit Middle Tennessee State this weekend [10/24]. He will also visit Louisville and Wake Forest later in the season and hopes to get two more officials planned soon.

The reason?

"My commitment to Michigan is the same as their commitment to me. I want to be their guy but I was also told that they are going after another quarterback. "

That quarterback is obviously NC QB Marquise Williams, who visited for the Michigan State game (and is up for the National Player of the Year award). Williams is committed to North Carolina, but one must assume he's not particularly excited about suffering through 3-4 years of severe NCAA sanctions, so that commitment is soft.

Whichever guy Michigan ends up with, it's likely there will only be one quarterback in this class when all is said and done.

RB/Slot

FL RB Demetrius Hart is committed, but Michigan is still pursuing a couple guys who could play running back or slot receiver.

FL RB/Slot DeVondrick Nealy is more of a combo guy than fellow Floridian Prince Holloway, but both have the Wolverines high on their lists, and are candidates to fill the spot.

NJ Slot Miles Shuler is still considering Michigan, and was recently named to the Army All-American game.

WR/TE

With OH WR AJ Jordan coming off the board to Wisconsin and VA WR Quinta Funderburke headed to Arkansas, there are dwindling options at outside wide receiver in this class. It appears the Wolverines want another wideout only if it's a top guy, but definitely want to take a tight end.

FL WR Chris Gallon (at right) has started picking up interest from some of college football's big boys, including the Wolverines:

"I'm considering all schools that have offered right now [Colorado State, Memphis, FAU, BGSU]," said Gallon, who visited Florida Atlantic last season. "My cousin (DeAndre Williams) plays at FAU and he likes it a lot and we both pretty much like the same thing."

Michigan, Nebraska, USF, Miami and Iowa State have also shown an increased interest in Gallon, who leads the Panthers with 317 receiving yards and five receiving touchdowns on 15 catches.

Gallon is yet another member of the Dr. Phillips group, and if Michigan continues to pick up interest, Dee Hart could help secure his commitment. Gallon is a tall wideout, listed between 6-4 and 6-5, and he could end up as a tight end if he lands with Michigan.

Fluff on FL WR Sammy Watkins, including the tidbit that Michigan sent coaches to watch his game on Friday (teammate Dallas Crawford is mentioned below).

There are a few more tight end prospects considering Michigan, such as recent visitor Drew Owens, but it seems like the Wolverines will have to wait to see how it all shakes out.

OL

The Wolverines are stockpiling linemen in this class, with Jack Miller, Tony Posada, and Jake Fisher already committed, and a couple more realistic prospects out there. Only one or two more will probably land in this class.

IL OL Chris Bryant has scheduled his Michigan official visit ($, info in header) for December 10th.

DT

Michigan may be in dire need of a defensive tackle or two in the class, and they're going hard after a few guys.

FL DT Tim Jernigan, who visited a couple weeks ago, has dropped Florida - who many presumed to be his favorite - from his tops schools list, and now has a top four of Michigan, LSU, Florida State, and Alabama.

The Wolverines are getting renewed interest from DC DT Kevin McReynolds.

DE

Though the Wolverines already have OH DE Chris Rock and MI DE/LB Brennen Beyer committed, they're going after other defensive ends (which could mean Rock ends up at defensive tackle).

Freep fluff on MI DE/OL Anthony Zettel, whom Josh Helmholdt calls "arguably the top prospect on left on [sic] their board." He keeps pushing back his decision timeframe:

He expects to start taking official visits once his senior season is complete and decide following those trips. Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State, Iowa and USC appear the most likely at this time to receive official visits.

It seems as though the Wolverines still lead, and as long as they're able to win a few more games this year, things look pretty good for Zettel.

Serious fluff on GA DE Ray Drew. He's a much more likely option if his buddy, GA S Avery Walls, picks the Wolverines.

PA DE Deion Barnes will visit after the season, and won't decide before January.

LB

TX LB Kellen Jones and OH/VA LB Antonio Kinard are both in Michigan's class already, but the Wolverines are still in need of some LB talent.

NC LB/WR Kris Frost has a top four of Auburn, Michigan, Florida, UCLA, and Cal

OH LB Sean Duggan has Michigan in his final four, but has put the recruiting process on hold until after his season.

Both premium sites ($, info in headers) mention that an in-state linebacker was recently offer, and that happens to be MI LB Desmond Morgan:

He also has a mid-season highlight reel that can only be watched on Youtube. Morgan is currently a 3-star prospect with offers from a few MAC schools and Boston College.

VA LB Travis Hughes has eliminated Michigan.

S

Michigan is looking for at least one true safety in this class, and maybe more.

GA S Avery Walls and FL S Wayne Lyons are two prime candidates to fill that spot, with Walls receiving a recent visit from Greg Robinson.

FL S HaSean Clinton-Dix and Karlos Williams are both committed to elsewhere, but will consider Michigan (unlikely though it may be that they actually switch commitments).

CB

Local fluff on LA CB Daren Kitchen and his buddy Jermaine Johnson, a Memphis commit. The article says that schools are waiting to evaluate Kitchen against better competition, which is an accurate assessment, methinks.

Michigan is no longer on the list for VA CB Demetrious Nicholson.

2012

Josh Helmholdt talks early offers in the Free Press, and concludes that the (idiotic) change in NCAA rules hasn't slowed that process down.

Michigan has only offered a couple quarterbacks in the class of 2012, but it seems that one of them, FL QB Bennie Coney, can't seem to keep himself out of trouble. With the negative PR swirling around Ann Arbor, I doubt Rich Rodriguez would be able to take a chance on this kid.

I talked about OH QB/Ath Demitrious Davis last week, and his teammate William Mahone is looking at Michigan as well ($, info in header).

Fluff on IL OL Dan Voltz. With a commitment coming at the end of his junior season, the lack of a Michigan mention probably means the Wolverines don't stand much of a chance.

PA OL Tyler Alt will visit Penn State for the Michigan game this weekend. He's already been to Ann Arbor this fall, and is very interested in the Wolverines.

OH DE Chris Wormley (at right) is the subject of last week's Sam Webb column in the Detroit News:

"It is Michigan and Ohio State at the top," stated Wormley matter-of-factly. "I don't really have them one-two right now, but they are definitely at the top."

At this early stage in his recruitment Wormley remains wide open to overtures from any schools. However, it is abundantly clear the Wolverines and Buckeyes have a few built-in advantages that will make them major players in his recruitment until the very end.

As you may recall, Wormley received his Michigan offer at the Iowa game a week ago, and conventional wisdom - even among Buckeye fans - has him eventually landing with the Wolverines.

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 F riday Night Lights series.

On Greg Brown

Some corners of the Michigan internet are up in arms about OH CB Commit Greg Brown taking an official visit to Syracuse over the weekend. In the aftermath, Scout has classified him as a soft commit, and nobody's quite sure whether he'll end up in Michigan's class when all is said and done.

Brown was an early offer (as in pre-junior year) who hasn't developed like experts were expecting. The reports from his games this year seem to indicate he's a decent offensive player, but all of his speed is straight-line, and he looks more like a high-end MAC recruit than a Big Ten guy.

I'm certainly not rooting for him to decommit from the class, but there's a chance that, should the decommitment come, it's a mutual decision from Greg and the coaches. With higher-level DBs (such as Dallas Crawford) now interested in the Wolverines, it's understandable.

Iowa Visitors

The Wolverines hosted a number of official visitors for the Iowa game. OH TE/LB Austin Traylor gave his opinion to Josh Helmhodt:

“I haven’t really sat down and thought through my visit,” Traylor said Sunday, “but it’s a good program, a good school and I like what I saw on my visit.”

as did NC TE Drew Owens:

"They set a pretty high bar for the other schools to compete with," Owens said. "My interest is still about the same. I just know a lot more about the program, a lot more about the staff, and a lot of questions I had were answered. I feel more comfortable about the school now."

The other official visitors included FL QB commit Kevin Sousa, SC WR Hakeem Flowers, VA WR Quinta Funderburke, and FL DT Tim Jernigan.

In addition, there were a few unofficial visitors in the house, including a top Florida duo in South Fort Meyers teammates WR Sammy Watkins and CB Dallas Crawford ($, info in header). Following the visit, the Wolverines now lead for Crawford ($, info in header). Tom's weekly update had more on Crawford, and his possible effects on Watkins.

There were a few 2012 prospects as well, and they're discussed below. The next big recruiting weekend for Michigan should be Wisconsin, though there's a chance that some recruits come in for the Illinois contest in a few weeks, and FL S HaSean Clinton-Dix's on-and-off consideration of Michigan may be on-again at that time.

Other Guys

Michigan and West Virginia lead Cincinnati for FL slot Prince Holloway ($, info in header), and he plans to pick between those three schools.

IL OL Chris Bryant has "the possibility of a commitment coming soon" ($, info in header). He's previously said he doesn't plan to decide until after his senior season, but keep an eye on Bryant. Michigan, Stanford, and Illinois are his top three, with Arizona just outside that group.

PA DE Deion Barnes will officially visit Michigan, but won't start taking visits until after his senior season ($, info in header).

FL S Wayne Lyons is considering an official visit to Michigan ($, info in header).

Michigan still leads for LA CB Daren Kitchen ($, info in header). Kitchen and the rest of Vanderbilt Catholic's team returned to the field a couple weeks back after the untimely deaths of a pair of their teammates.

MI CB Raymon Taylor is committed to Indiana, but that won't stop him from visiting other schools ($, info in header). No word on if the local product will check out Ann Arbor.

Happy Trails, Ye Wisconsin-Bound

• OH RB Trayion Durham committed to Wisconsin.
• OH WR AJ Jordan is deciding tonight . It's been a Michigan-Wisconsin race for quite some time, and it sounds like one the Badgers will win. He cancelled a visit to Ann Arbor for the Iowa game.
• OH OL Ray Ball committed to Wisconsin.

2012

Tom has film on 2012 OH QB Dimitrious Davis, a dual-threat with a number of teammates who could get a Michigan look in the class.

MI RB Drake Johnson visited Michigan a couple weeks back for the Michigan State contest. He's a local product out of Pioneer High School.

PA OL Tyler Alt has a new highlight tape of his junior season through five games:

He visited Michigan for the UConn game, and has a good relationship with Coach Frey.

OH DE Chris Wormley has received his Michigan offer, and Michigan is steadily improving their standing with him.

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.

The Afterglow

Tom's weekly update had a quick rundown of how some prospects enjoyed the game. Most Michigan fans were expecting a commitment from FL RB Demetrius Hart (at right), so not landing him is a bit of a disappointment. Tom says Michigan still leads, and a commitment at the MSU or Iowa game is still a possibility. On Hart's teammate, FL S Ha'Sean Clinton-Dix:

Speaking with a few people about him makes me feel like he's pretty solid with Alabama. That's not to say that it would be impossible to sway him, it would just take quite a bit to do that. If Demetrius makes another trip up to Michigan and Ha'Sean were to come with him, there would be reason for excitement. I've been told that there may be some teammates (possibly former as well) trying to persuade him to go north.

Swinging Clinton-Dix would be huge for the Wolverines, and I'm willing to bet his former teammate talking up Michigan is one Ricardo Miller. Fluff on him. The Orlando Sentinel covers the visits of Hart, Clinton-Dix, and 2012 QB Nick Patti. No news other than "it was a little unseasonably cold." Patti has an early top 4 of Michigan, Oregon, North Carolina, and Florida State.

Click through to Tom's update to see reactions from OH WR AJ Jordan and MI OL/DE Anthony Zettel (who Rivals say was "impressed with U-M win" ($, info in header)), along with a few 2012 guys.

GA S Avery Walls said:

"The game was great, and the visit went great," he said... "This visit helped Michigan a lot. I'm going to be watching their next few games," he said.

MIchigan was already the presumed favorite, so if the Wolverines perform well over the next few games, a mid-October commitment is a possibility (he has west coast trips planned for the 2nd and 9th).

Tom also talked to 2012 OH DE Chris Wormley, who said Michigan's attention has picked up now that it's, you know, legal for them to give it. The visit helped Michigan in his recruitment.

Josh Helmholdt runs down some of the prospects who were in attendance in that one Detroit paper. Of note other than the known 2011 guys:

Flint Northern running back Thomas Rawls, Crockett linebacker Bilaal Collins and Lake Orion running back Marques Stevenson also attended the game.

The class of 2012 was also well represented. Notable prospects in attendance included Crockett quarterback Brian Blackburn and running back Marcellous McElrath; Catholic Central lineman Matthew Godin; Flint Powers defensive tackle Danny O’Brien; King running back Dennis Norfleet; Kenton, Ohio, quarterback Maty Mauk; Orchard Lake St. Mary’s linebacker James Ross; Cass Tech teammates Terry Richardson and Royce Jenkins Stone, and Toledo (Ohio) Whitmer defensive end Chris Wormley.

I also heard from a source on 2012 PA OL Tyler Alt:

Ty had a blast at the Mich game. Got chills walking out of the tunnel and the recpetion by the Mich fans was unbleiveable.

Good to see younger guys enjoying Michigan. If Rich Rod and Co. can put it together on the field this season, the 2012 class could be a special one.

On the other side of the fence, FL S Wayne Lyons is the only mutual prospect officially visiting South Bend for Michigan's game against the Irish.

Etc.

I won't put him back on the board just yet, but NC QB Marquise Williams says he'll decommit from the Tar Heels if the NCAA puts them on probation. If that comes to fruition, there's a chance he'd consider the Wolverines again, especially since he's still planning an official visit to Ann Arbor.

OH TE/LB Austin Traylor is still considering MIchigan ($, info in header).

FL DT Timmy Jernigan won't be announcing his decision at an All-Star game:

He'll probably trim his list to a final three schools by the midway point of his final prep football season. National Signing Day is Feb. 2.

"I hope by signing day, I am pretty sure I will have something figured out by then," Jernigan said. "Of course there is pressure but I am pretty sure I'll make the right decision."

No word on exactly when he plans to visit Ann Arbor, but he still plans to.

IL DE James Adeyanju does not have Michigan on his fall visits list. He took a trip to Ann Arbor this summer, and is still considering the Wolverines. Both Adeyanju and IL OL Chris Bryant will make decisions after their senior seasons.

Recruiting fluff on PA DE Deion Barnes. He'll make his selection at the Army Game (if invited), or at the end of his senior season. He also talks a bit about his game:

Once he gets to a college campus and in an enhanced weight lifting program, Barnes figures to fill out and become even stronger. For now, his quickness and instincts have proven him to be a natural at rushing the quarterback.

"My instincts and my experience, I would say those are my strengths," he said. "And I like to think of myself as probably one of the smartest guys on the field."

Michigan's efforts at both offensive line and defensive end will become much more clear when we figure out how the recruitments of Zettel and Bryant shake out.

KY LB Lamar Dawson has reportedly been selected to the Army All-American Bowl.

OH LB Sean Duggan breaks down his top five of BC, Wisconsin, Michigan, Virginia, and Duke. On the Wolverines:

Michigan- "Again they have great academics at Michigan. Football is big in Ann Arbor, which is great. The coaches there are great, and the tradition is huge."

All of his schools are academic powerhouses, so he's looking as much for a good education as he is for good football.

FL S LaQuentin Smith, (a teammate and friend of the Dr. Phillips guys), has added Michigan to his list of favorites. He plans to visit Michigan before making a final decision at the end of this month. His highlights:

Happy Trails

MD Ath Darius Jennings does not have Michigan in his top/final 10.

Re-removed NJ OL Keith Lumpkin, who is deciding between five non-Michigan schools soon.

The Distant Future. The Year 2012.

Fluff on MO WR Dorial Green-Beckham.

MI TE Matt Doneth is a prospect to keep an eye on ($, info in header).

LSU is the favorite for 2012 FL OL Nacho Garcia. There's still plenty of time for other schools to overtake the Tigers.

Michigan leads for MI LB Royce Jenkins-Stone ($, info in header). As noted above, he visited for the UConn game.

Michigan is recruiting PA S Okezie Alozie ($, info in header).

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

Jake Fisher Goes Blue

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Happy Trails

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

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

Visits! With Decisions!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Other

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

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

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

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

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

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

2012

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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