xavier kelly

Ahmir Mitchell Visiting Saturday

Four-star NJ WR Ahmir Mitchell, Michigan's top target at the position, will visit campus with his mother this Saturday. This is an opportunity for M to seal up a commitment; as Tim Sullivan outlines at The Wolverine, Mitchell will visit Ohio State the day prior, and unless they make a much stronger push than they have of late then the Wolverines will continue to be in the driver's seat ($):

Mitchell will be in the Midwest to take part in Ohio State's Friday Night Lights elite camp Friday evening, and will make the trip up to Ann Arbor afterwards. He has previously named the Wolverines and Buckeyes his top two (with Notre Dame not far behind), though it's unclear whether OSU would push for a commitment - or potentially, even accept one - at this time.



"He's giving Ohio State their last shot for Friday Night Lights," said Rivals.com Mid-Atlantic Recruiting Analyst Adam Friedman. "He will be at Michigan for the Barbecue. I think he's trying to figure out where he does stand with a couple schools."

The presence of Mitchell's mother is also a sign things could be winding down. While the Buckeyes are a threat, it's unclear whether they'll make a strong push for Mitchell, as they're heavily involved with a few other WR targets they seem to have higher on their board. If that remains the case, Michigan is the heavy favorite.

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My Bad, Everyone

The roundtable that went up today featured a writeup on top-100 KS DE Xavier Kelly in which I mentioned Alabama and Michigan were reportedly the two schools standing out to him. I wrote my portion of that post last week. Over the weekend, Kelly visited Georgia for the second time. Michigan's standing isn't as strong in the aftermath, per 247's Kipp Adams ($):

While Kelly feels each of the schools in his top eight have their own unique advantages, he did name a few that are standing out right now.

"I think the three would be Clemson, Georgia, and maybe Michigan," Kelly said. "Alabama is up there too. Nothing is official though."

This could be reading too much into one word, but that "maybe" is ominous.

Dave's roundtable choice is looking much better. Four-star PA TE Naseir Upshur is focused on two schools, according to a source who passed info along to 247's Clint Brewster ($):

"Michigan or Florida State," the source told Wolverine247. "Alabama and Miami are really involved and could make a run but Michigan and Florida State have the best shot. I expect him to be at one of those two schools."

When it comes to FSU-related recruiting news, Brewster's going to get some solid intel; his father, former Minnesota head coach Tim Brewster, is the Noles' O-line coach and recruiting coordinator. In a potentially promising turn of events, Upshur wasn't able to make a previously scheduled visit to Tallahassee last weekend. He's scheduled to visit Ann Arbor for the BBQ on August 2nd with a decision date set for August 8th, though he's waffled a bit on that timeline in recent weeks. If Upshur sticks to that schedule, Michigan is in very good shape.

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The Question:

Ace: Recruit still on the board you’d most like Michigan to land, not named Rashan Gary?

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The Responses:

Ace: I’ll go with four-star KS DE Xavier Kelly. Michigan could use an edge-rushing terror, and while the film (http://www.hudl.com/v/Br2Pb) reveals Kelly will need to develop—he gets by largely on athleticism—it also shows a really impressive athlete; within the first couple minutes, you see a reverse dunk on the hardwood and a downfield catch as a receiver. Scout’s evaluation calls him “a prototype pass-rushing defensive end” and “a freakish athlete with high upside.”

Michigan and Alabama are reportedly the two programs that appear to have the best shot at him right now; several other top programs, including Florida State, Clemson, Oregon, and TCU, are in hot pursuit. While I like commit Ron Johnson’s potential quite a bit, I think he ends up as a strongside DE; Kelly gives Michigan their best shot at landing an elite weakside end, and those two could develop into a pair of very disruptive bookends.

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