2012 recruiting

[ed: bump.]

This is the continuation of my offensive post from yesterday. Michigan obviously addressed the defensive side of the ball in 2011, and luckily for Coach Hoke and Coach Mattison the Midwest is loaded with some great defensive talent for an even better haul.

I’d go far enough to say that a top-10 class is possible, and that’s not even considering states like Texas or California, which we know this staff can recruit.

I’m going to start off with the defensive backs and linebackers, since I know many of you want to know about all the tackle prospects! Patience.

CB Terry Richardson – 5'9, 160 lbs, Detroit, Michigan.

Richardson is the next great cornerback in the proverbial line of smallish Cass Tech cornerbacks. Terry is more similar to BooBoo as a faster prospect with good hips, though he will need to add some weight and be more physical at the next level. There is some worry amongst Michigan fans that Richardson is not being offered fast enough, but that offer will come soon.

Other offers: Iowa, Alabama, LSU, Toledo, Pittsburgh, Michigan State

Safety Bam Bradley – 6'2, 200 lbs, Trotwood, Ohio.

Bam is a great talent to go along with a great name. A player similar to current Wolverine Marvin Robinson, Bradley has the potential to be a safety or grow into linebacker at the next level. Bradley suffered through a hamstring injury his junior year, so his stats weren’t very good. Obviously Michigan has the Trotwood trio on their current roster, but Bradley is being watched by Ohio State and will likely be offered.

Other offers: Michigan State, Northwestern

Safety Deshaun Hall – 6'1, 205 lbs, Canton, Ohio.

Many think of Bradley as one of the top safeties in the state, but Deshaun Hall is quietly becoming one of the best safeties in the state of Ohio and the Midwest as well. He’s got very good size, and is a great free safety prospect in college. Unfortunately, Ohio State has been through his school a number of times and he’s visited them as well.

Other offers/interest: No offers, but Oregon, Pitt, Wisconsin, and others are interested.

CB Cody Quinn – 5'10, 165 lbs, Middletown, Ohio.

Quinn is a smooth cornerback with great hips and he has good speed to match as well. Helped his team go 10 in their regular season and is one of the top cornerbacks in Ohio. Cincinnati was the first to offer, but it’s a pretty down year in Ohio, so don’t be surprised to see Quinn get a lot of looks.

Other interest: Notre Dame, Michigan State

LB James Ross – 6'1 210 lbs, Orchard Lake, Michigan

One of the top players in Michigan, Ross struggled last season due to a number of injuries. Michigan has been in on him since his late sophomore year, and that interest is continuing. Ross was very happy with the hiring of Greg Mattison, and he will visit Michigan, along with Ohio State, and Notre Dame among others.

Other Offers: Michigan State, Purdue, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati

LB Royce Jenkins-Stone – 6’2, 215 lbs, Detroit Michigan.

Where Ross is a much more polished product, Royce is still tapping into his potential. A great physical athlete who can move sideline to sideline, Stone has turned into one of the top linebackers in the state and the midwest as well. One of Brady Hoke’s first stops once he arrived at Michigan was to see Coach Wilcher and his players at Cass, so you won’t need to worry about Royce getting an offer or not.

Other Offers: Iowa, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Toledo, Michigan State

LB Laron Taylor – 6'0, 205 lbs, Detroit Michigan.

While Jenkins-Stone is the more recognizable name at Cass Tech, an evolving star is Laron Taylor, who plays alongside Royce. Taylor is a bit undersized as a linebacker, but I had the chance to see him play in person once and he’s a terrific athlete who will be able to play linebacker at the next level. Iowa was the first to offer Taylor, but there is serious interest from a lot of schools after Taylor put out his junior film.

DT Vincent Valentine – 6'3, 300 lbs, Edwardsville, Illinois

Aside from having a cool name Valentine is a big talent who’s mostly upside at this point in time. He’s already visited Missouri and Kansas State, but Valentine is very open at this point and would be great to get on campus.

Other offers: Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas State, Tennessee, Wisconsin

DT Danny O’Brien – 6'3, 280 lbs, Flint, Michigan

A top-10 player in the state and premium talent. One of O’Brien’s “heroes” happens to be Mike Martin, and he’s visited Michigan a few times. However, Tennessee has been showing him serious interest as well, and they may lead. Hoke and Mattison really need to do work on this kid.

DT Matthew Godin – 6'5, 260 lbs, Deroit, Michigan.

Godin is another player who’s really come on strong since last year. He will probably end up as a three-technique in college, as he is more of a end right now. Buffalo and Cincinnati were the first to come through with offers, and Michigan State offered Godin recently on his visit to their junior day as well. Has strong family ties to Michigan.

DE Evan Winston – 6'4, 260 lbs, Muskegon, Michigan

A name you might not have heard much but will hear more of, Winston travelled all around the country last year camping, and he had a really strong showing on the field as well. He’s been collecting offers like crazy; Michigan State has been talking to him, and I expect Michigan will show interest as well. Brother plays at CMU.

Other offers: Ball State, Bowling Green, Toledo, Syracuse, Eastern Michigan

DE Tom Strobel – 6'6, 240 lbs, Mentor, Ohio

Ohio is absolutely loaded at defensive end in 2012.. which is why I think this guy may slip through the cracks. Strobel is a big body that moves well and plays for a very good Mentor program. He has visited Ohio State but I don’t think they’re heavily interested in him. High-academic kid too

Other offers: Cincinatti, Northwestern, Pittsburgh, Purdue

DE Chris Wormley – 6'4, 255, Whitmer, Ohio

A consensus top-10 (rated #3 by rivals) player in Ohio next year, Wormley is a big body who excels in pass rushing. He’s got all the physical tools, and simply needs solid coaching and a high motor to put it all together. The consensus from people in Ohio is that Wormley will go to Michigan. He’s visited there a few times and though he may not say it, is leaning that way. Still, a long way to go in the recruiting process.

Other offers: Ohio State, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan State, Toledo, Cincinnati 

You’ll notice I did not include some of the Ohio “Super” defensive ends. I did not include Washington, McMullen, Pittman, or Lewis (All top-10 players in Ohio). Frankly, I do not think Michigan will be able to pull any of them. Unless Ohio State takes 3, it will be incredibly difficult for the new staff to get in on these players. Most of them have been talking to Ohio State for 2 years and visited numerous times.

With that being said anything can happen.

[Ed-M: Edited and front-paged for great content.]

Now that National Signing Day 2011 has finally come to a close, the Michigan coaches have been reviewing film and sending out offers to 2012 prospects. As mentioned many times before, the 2012 class is extremely strong in the midwest, including Michigan and Ohio, as well as Illinois and Indiana as well.

Here are some local and regional prospects to look out for, on offense.

Note: Sorry for the massive wall of text as well.

QB Gunner Kiel – 6'4, 220 lbs, Columbus, Indiana.

With Michigan’s move to a more pro-style offense Kiel becomes an even more important prospect. Kiel was offered by the previous staff as well, and he has some mobility (600 yards rushing) to go with his big-time arm (2,700 yards passing). However, Kiel is an Notre Dame legacy recruit, and he’s also been offered by Alabama, Cincinnati, Colorado, Georgia, Indiana, Michigan State, Missouri, Oklahoma, Purdue, TCU, and Tennessee among others.

QB Robert Gregory – 6'3, 180 lbs, Chicago, Illinois.

Gregory is the teammate of 2011 signee Chris Bryant and 2012-super OL Jordan Diamond. Though Simeon ran a spread offense, Gregory possesses very good arm strength and could develop into a solid pocket passer. There are rumors out there that schools are looking at Gregory as an athlete, but he is only interested in playing quarterback. An interesting note as well, as Gregory recently said in an interview he and Jordan Diamond would be attending the same school.

RB William Mahone – 5'10, 200 lbs, Austintown, Ohio.

There is some serious talent at running back in the state of Ohio next year, and Ohio State has already locked down two studs in Warren Ball and Bri’onte Dunn. Michigan’s coaches are looking for another big-time back, and Mahone visited the campus twice last year, so there is mutual interest in both parts. Other offers: Bowling Green, Cincinnati, Miami (NTM)

RB Juwan Lewis – 5'11, 200 lbs, Muskegon, Michigan.

Many of you Michigan west-coasters will recognize the name, as Lewis starred on a very good Muskegon Big Red football team this year. Interestingly enough, Lewis played fullback in Muskegon’s shotgun/pistol offense. Like Mahone, Lewis has good size, but deceptively good speed as well. Lewis camped at Michigan last year, and is very interested in the Wolverines. Offers: None

WR Aaron Burbridge – 6'0, 175 lbs, Farmington Hills, Michigan.

Burbridge was one of the stars on a 14-0 Harrison squad that captured the state title this year. An excellent athlete, Burbridge played RB, WR, CB, and KR and excelled everywhere, though he will be a receiver at the next level. He reminds many of fellow Harrison alumni Mark Dell, and it is rumored Burbridge is very close to Dell as well. That is not true. Michigan State has offered and appear to be the early leader for this top 10 player in the state next year [Ed-M: Farmington Hills Harrison (Drew Stanton, Agim Shabaj) was a Michigan State feeder in my day, but haven't produced a Spartan since Dell; M got Charles Stewart from there] , but there is no doubt he will be interested in Michigan.

WR Amara Darboh – 6'2, 190lbs, West Des Moines, Iowa.

A big athlete with great speed, Darboh has the ability to stretch the field vertically and is very dangerous in space as well. Darboh will likely be the #1 player in Iowa, and that may not mean much but he is a very talented player. He has yet to narrow down his list, but if Michigan offers I fully expect Darboh to visit in the fall. Other offers: Iowa, Iowa State, Notre Dame, Wisconsin.

WR Stefon Diggs – 6'0, 175 lbs – Olney, Maryland.

Diggs is the teammate of 2011 signee Blake Countess. While he doesn’t possess great size, Diggs does have blazing speed and great hands to boot. He’s a crisp route runner and has dominated every camp he has shown up at. Diggs, along with Dorial Beckham-Green, will likely challenge for the top receiver spot in the nation in 2011. Just a few weeks ago Diggs said he was interested in Michigan, with Countess signing with the Wolverines. I don’t expect Michigan to land him, but there it is good to see interest there. Other offers: Cal, Florida, Georgia Tech, Maryland, Miami (YTM), Rutgers, Virginia Tech, Pitt

TE Sam Grant – 6'6, 230 lbs, North Royalton, Ohio.

Grant only caught 16 passes last season, but that’s because St. Edwards ran a primarily run-based offense. Grant has already tripped to Ohio State and Michigan State, and he will be a premium talent at the next level. With Michigan looking for more Tight Ends in their offense, look for them to get Grant up on campus soon. Other offers: Toledo

Athlete Drake Johnson – 6’1, 205 lbs, Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Johnson is a very talented athlete at Ann Arbor Pioneer, who played running back this season and excelled as a national track runner as well. In college Johnson’s career may take a number of possible routes, as he could play running back, wide receiver, or even linebacker. Being right across the street from the Big House, I expect Johnson to be very well-scouted by the Michigan staff and definitely a possibility for an offer down the road.

As for offensive linemen, I haven’t spent enough time looking at all the film, but there are a lot of talented linemen in the Midwest this year. It’s not quite as talented as the past, but there is much better quality throughout the area. I fully expect Michigan to stock up on at least 3-4, maybe 4-5 this recruiting cycle. Along with Jordan Diamond, whom we’ve known about for a while, here are names to watch.

OG Kelby Latta, 6'4, 295 lbs, Battle Creek, Michigan.

OT JJ Denman, 6'6, 305 lb, Fairless Hills, Pennsylvania.

OT Jake Meador, 6'6, 280 lbs, Whiteland, Indiana.

OG Caleb Stacey, 6'4, 275 lbs, Cincinnati, Ohio.

OT Ben Bradem 6'6, 285 lbs, Rockford, Michigan.

It looks like the staff sees the need for TEs on this roster, hopefully Chris Barnett joins us this year and we land a top recruit next year too.

Grant is large at 6'6" 225.  It looks like he has offers from us and Toledo, but is being looked at by Ohio State, Kentucky, Northwestern, Cincinnati, Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan State and Notre Dame.

http://www.buckeyeplanet.com/forum/football-recruiting/621788-12-oh-te-sam-grant.html

I realize that 2011 signing day is still several days away, but Brady Hoke took time this week to offer a QB target for 2012 so I thought we should acknowledge it.

Ht: 6-5 Wt: 225 40: 4.7

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Offers from:

Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisville, North Carolina, Oklahoma State, Penn State, Tennessee, Texas A&M, USC, West Virginia, Boston College, Cincinnati, Indiana, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Rutgers, and Wisconsin 

The son of former Georgia Tech and Buffalo Bill LB Mark Pike, Zeke will probable the number one Pro-Style QB prospect in the country.

“I got a call from the people at the U.S. Army All American Bowl Game yesterday, and I was told I was the first player selected for the 2012 game,” said Pike.

“Right now every team is fair game.  I visited a lot of schools this summer, but I am interested to see who is going to come see me.  I kind of have some favorites in my head, but I hope to have a list of 10 to 15 schools by February,” said Pike.  When asked if the in-state schools had an edge, Pike said, “I don’t favor them over anyone else.  I’m really open to go anywhere, and I really want to do my own thing.  In the end it will come down to where my heart is.”

Sources:

http://recruiting.scout.com/a.z?s=73&p=8&c=1&nid=4533253

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/recruiting/player-Zeke-Pike-108631

http://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/2010/quarterback-zeke-pike-2012/

This is a follow-up to Tom's recent post on top prospects still listing Michigan.

A lot of people have asked about Michigan's hot start and it's effect on the 2011 class. Now the start has gotten the interest of many players as Tom mentioned, but the real dividends for this season will be paid in 2012. 

Luckily for Michigan, the class of 2012 is extremely strong in-state. We've all heard about the Cass Tech boys of course, but there are a lot of quality players that are very interested in Michigan. Keep winning, and they'll come.

Here's a few names to watch out for...

LB Royce Jenkins-Stone, Cass Tech, Detroit Michigan - 6"2 205 lbs.

Royce is a terrific player that lines up at linebacker and fullback for the Technicians. He's very aggressive, shows good instincts, and plenty of speed in coverage. He will definitely one of the top 5-10 players in the state next year, and has been at most of Michigan's home games. You guys want linebackers, well this is a good kid to get. Royce will be a national recruit.

LB James Ross, Orchard Lakes St. Mary's, MI - 6"2, 200 lbs. 

I put Ross here with Stone because both of them are very good players. Ross will likely be a middle linebacker at the next level, and he and Stone complement each other very well. It helps that they're best friends too. Ross has camped at Michigan the past two years, and has been at many of the games with Stone and Terry Richardson. Ross will likely contend for the top player in the state next year, and he's already hearing from Alabama and a number of heavy hitters outside the state. If Michigan can keep winning though, they have a very good shot. 

CB Terry Richardson, Cass Tech MI - 5"9, 160 lbs 

Richardson is another Cass Tech player. He plays opposite of 2011 commit Delonte Hollowell, and between the two of them, they've really shut down most opponents this year. Terry is continuing the line of diminutive Cass Tech cornerbacks, but he's very talented and like his friends James Ross and RJS, is a national recruit and top 10 or so player in the state next year. He has already been offered by Alabama, LSU, and Iowa, so he will not be an automatic grab like many assume. 

LB Nathan Ricketts, Holland HS, Holland MI - 6"2, 215 lbs

Ricketts is a kid who wasn't on a lot of team's radars until recent camp performances have raised eyebrows. He doesn't play on a fantastic team but really showed out at Michigan's camp (as well as MSU's), and if things don't work out with Ross or Stone, I think he has a shot to land a Michigan offer. Ricketts is a very heady player who's going to be good wherever he ends up. 

DT Dan O'Brien, Flint Powers Catholic, Flint, MI - 6"3, 275 lbs

O'Brien has been a guy Michigan has been high on for some time. He named a top two of Michigan and Tennessee, and visited Michigan, being awarded with a verbal offer. Did I mention his hero is Mike Martin? O'Brien is an excellent player who will likely play nose guard in Michigan's scheme. He loves Michigan and I think if they can get him on another visit, they should be able to lock him up. As I said though, O'Brien is very talented and already receiving interest from Florida, LSU, and other big boys.

QB Bennie Coney, Plant City HS, Plant FL - 6"1, 205 lbs 

Coney is a talented dual-threat quarterback from Florida, who has been offered by the Wolverines among nearly a dozen others. Coney is not quite like Denard Robinson speed-wise, but he's got very quick feet and can be mobile when he needs to. I think it will be a battle to pull him out of the south, but if the Wolverines push hard, they could definitely get Coney up for a visit. 

OT Jordan Diamond, Simeon HS Chicago, IL - 6"7, 270 lbs

Diamond is the teammate of 2011 Guard and Michigan Target Chris Bryant. He's an absolute monster who will only get bigger. He plays tackle for his school but will probably be a guard in college. Imagine him and Chris Bryant at either guard spot, yikes! Diamond is very interested in Michigan, as he and Chris visited them earlier in the year. If Bryant does pull the trigger for the Wolverines, I expect that to help with Diamond as well. 

S Allen Gant, Sylvania Southview, Sylvania OH - 6"2, 200 lbs

Wolverine fans will recognize the name, as Gant is the son of former Wolverine Tony Gant. He is not a legacy lock by any means, with offers already trickling in and heavy interest from in-state power Ohio State. Gant is a terrific athlete who could play safety or even one of the hybrid positions for the Wolverines. He has already unofficially visited and will likely return again; Michigan needs to work but they definitely have his interest.

Nick Patti is a 2012 quarterback prospect out of Dr. Phillips High in Orlando. He was just up in Ann Arbor with his teammate Demetrius Hart, and I caught up with him to see how it went. Take a look at his highlights first, and then the questions.

TOM: How did this visit come about? What made you decide to go up there?

NICK: I got a hold of Coach Smith, and they invited me up there to get the recruiting thing going. I decided to invite Demetrius up with me, since he's on their radar too. We just kind of made it a good thing, and made it a good trip.

TOM: You're only a junior to be, so I imagine you haven't seen to many campuses yet. What were you expecting to see in Ann Arbor, and what did you see?

NICK: You're expecting to see a lot of tradition, and you're expecting to see a lot of stuff that makes Michigan, Michigan. That's exactly what we saw. We saw everything that makes that program special, a lot of things that mean a lot to the program, and saw that it would be something cool to be a part of.

TOM: Run me through the two days that you had there. What all did you get to see?

NICK: The first day we headed right over to Schembechler Hall, and we got to see the weight room, locker room, the practice facilities, and then the Big House. The Big House is really something special. That was all on the first day, so we did a lot. The second day we kind of took our time, and slept in a little. We headed back to Schembechler Hall and met with Coach Smith. He talked offense with us, and what they try to do offensively. We talked for about two to three hours with him about football, and then he took us around for a bit. We got a lot done in a short period of time. 

TOM: A lot of people come away impressed with the coaches when they meet them, what was your impression?

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.

TOM: Your dad was up there with you, did he feel the same way?

NICK: Yeah, my dad liked it. He was very impressed with the facilities, and how new everything was. He's basically on the same page as I am.

TOM: When you were talking to Coach Smith about the offense, how was he saying you fit in? Did he try to compare you to anyone?

NICK: With my size I'm sometimes compared to Tate (Forcier). He compared me to Tate, Denard, and Devin all mixed into one at some points. It really just all comes down to intangibles, and who can make the decisions. They have a set characteristics and intangibles that they want their quarterbacks to have.

TOM: You said with your size, how tall are you right now?

NICK: I'm 5-foot-11, and I weigh 185-pounds.

TOM: You're young, but how do you see your recruitment playing out? How do you want to dictate the way your recruitment goes?

NICK: I've heard from a lot of schools early, and I'm going to take some visits and see what I'm going to see. I don't want to drag it out all. I don't want to say I'm going to end it as soon as possible, but I definitely don't want to drag it out.

TOM: So if you think you'll decide relatively quickly, do you have some schools that stick out right now?

NICK: Michigan is definitely a school that sticks out. Oregon, Georgia Tech, North Carolina, and Florida State are all schools that stick out right now. I'll probably have a better idea as things get more serious.

TOM: On a non football note. Were you close with Ricardo Miller when he was at Dr. Phillips?

NICK: Yeah, I was pretty close with Ricardo when he was here, and we still have a good friendship. We're real close, so it was good to see him, and have him up there.

TOM: What's next from here? Are you going to try to make it back up to Michigan any time soon?

NICK: Coach Smith wants me to get up there as much as possible. We're planning on going up September 4th, for the first game against U Conn. I think that's our plan right now, and we'll try to get up there again as soon as possible.