Demetrius Hart

Looks like Denard is actually a triple threat, and I'm not talking about his punting. I wondered if Denard's breakout might be having any effect on Demetrius Hart, the 5-star #1 rated all-purpose back in the class of 2011, who was present at the UConn game. Apparently so: http://www.freep.com/article/20100914/SPORTS06/100913078/1356/sports/Orl... The tastiest bit from the article: [Heading into this season, Hart expressed a desire to see the Wolverines show that they are on the rise. After wins over UConn and Notre Dame, Hart is impressed with their play, especially the dominant performances by quarterback Denard Robinson. The prospect of playing alongside Robinson has high appeal for Hart. "I feel I can come in and play right now in that offense with Denard, then it will be 'pick your poison,’ ” Hart said.] I wonder if there are other players in the class of 2011 who would like to play on the same team as the most electrifying player in the country? The coaching staff just picked up a trump card to use on the recruiting trail that is going to be pretty difficult to beat: "Son, there isn't a player in the country like Denard, and you could be sharing the backfield with him/catching passes from him/blocking for him, etc..." Any thoughts on how much this could hasten the end of the rebuilding period and the beginning of a long period of annual reloading? I'm still marveling at the impact that one player could have, not only on a team, but on a whole program...

The game was obviously a success, and that has resonated through with the recruits in attendance. Here's a look at how this past weekend's visits went, and some reactions to the game from recruits. There's not many quotes from the first three, because I only spoke with them briefly, and Avery Walls is still in Ann Arbor.

Demetrius Hart

5'8, 190 lbs.

Running Back

Orlando, Florida

We'll just start off with the update you've been anticipating. Demetrius Hart decided not to commit this weekend. He came up with his uncle, teammates Ha'Sean Clinton-Dix and Nick Patti, as well as Tom Shaw (his trainer).

I will tell you that I thought this would be the weekend he would end his recruitment. I know this was a very good visit for him, and there's still no reason to believe that anything has changed as far as where he ranks Michigan (which is number one).

I don't have any deep meaningful quotes from him, but I did talk to him briefly. He's graduating early, so he has to make his decision soon. I wouldn't be surprised if he took a few more visits to other schools, and came back up to Ann Arbor for the MSU or Iowa game. Disappointing that nothing happened this weekend, but definitely a positive weekend for Michigan with his recruitment as a whole. Just stay patient.

Ha'Sean Clinton-Dix

6'2, 190 lbs.

Safety

Orlando, Florida

I spoke with Ha'Sean before the visit took place. He told me that he didn't want the visit publicized too much, and if it got out there that he was coming he might not go. As we all know it was reported everywhere that he would be in Ann Arbor, and he still came. Maybe he doesn't browse the interwebs, I'm not sure.

Anyhow, 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. We'll just have to wait to see how it plays out.

Avery Walls

5'11, 185 lbs.

Safety

McDonough, Georgia

Avery's visit will last until today (Monday), so we'll have to wait a little bit for an update on the visit. I wouldn't expect a commitment from him, but if the visit blows him away it's not out of the question. I have a feeling that Michigan is in the driver's seat. This is his third trip to Ann Arbor.

This time he brought his brother with him to have him see what he's been talking about. He will continue to take his planned official visits to Oregon on October 2nd, and Cal on October 9th. He wants to make sure he's found the right fit and I think taking those official visits is important to him. Again, be patient. Michigan is a good spot.

Extra:

• AJ Jordan - 2011 wide receiver from Trotwood, Ohio was in attendance. He thought very highly of the game and atmosphere, and will eventually take an official visit in Ann Arbor. Wisconsin is barely in the lead right now, and this visit has helped to close that gap.
• Danny O'Brien & Matt Godin - 2012 defensive tackles and best friends! They both had an amazing time at the game. Danny said, "(Mike) Martin is a beast. The defense looked good. Me and Matt both had a great time, it was an awesome game." They both REALLY like Michigan, but it's still early. O'Brien already has offers from Tennessee and Michigan.
• Nick Patti - 2012 quarterback from Dr. Phillips in Orlando, Florida. This was Patti's second time up to AA, and it was a good one. "It was great for me, I loved it. It's hard not to like it there," he said. Tom Shaw (who trains Nick, Demetrius, Ha'Sean, Karlos Williams, etc.) accompanied Nick on the visit, and also had a favorable view. "Tom (Shaw) said he thinks it's a fantastic opportunity if it's presented to me."
• Anthony Zettel - Anthony always enjoys himself at Michigan, and this game was much of the same. I've said this before, but Anthony is now waiting until the end of the season to make his decision. He's waiting to see how Michigan's season turns out, and if there ends up being a coaching controversy. This win is one step closer to landing him.
• The general feeling among the recruits was that this was a great  win, and it was an exciting game. The crowd played a big factor too as some recruits said it was so loud they couldn't hear the person next to them at some points. Denard is not only a fan favorite, but a recruit favorite as well. His performance stood out to everybody, and had all the recruits talking about how exciting he is to watch. 

I got a phone call this morning from Demetrius' Hart's Mom.......and the visit is 99.9% happening this weekend, according to her. There was a mix up with the paperwork, and they thought all the paperwork had to be completed, which apparently wasn't the case.

He was going to still postpone the visit because he wanted his uncle to come up with him, since his mom came on the last trip.They got that worked out though, and his uncle will be joining Demetrius this weekend.

They'll be arriving on Saturday and leaving on Monday. This is very very big for Michigan, obviously.

UConn Visitors:

This is the home of the U Conn visitors list. I'll update the list as I talk to more players. As always you can get more updates from me on my Twitter Page. 

2011:

• Demetrius Hart - The visit is back on, according to his mom. 
• Ha'Sean Clinton-Dix - He's coming with Demetrius.
• AJ Jordan - Trotwood wide receiver. Wisconsin may lead right now, so it's good to get him on campus.
• Anthony Zettel - He said he thinks he's coming, so it's not 100%. If he does it will be unofficially. Either way it will be good to have him on campus for a game..
• Avery Walls - Safety out of Georgia has been to Michigan twice, and rumors are that Michigan leads.
• Daren Kitchen - Defensive back from Louisiana might not be coming.
• Jake Fisher - Michigan commit will be there.
• Delonte Hollowell - Michigan commit.
• Brennen Beyer - Michigan commit.

2012:

• Coy Brown - running back from Indiana
• Brian Blackburn - Instate quarterback.
• Terry Richardson - Cass Tech DB.
• Chris Wormley - Ohio defensive end.
• Matt Godin - Instate defensive tackle from Detroit Catholic Central will be there. He's best friends with Danny O'Brien, and they'll be traveling together. They're both very high on Michigan.
• Danny O'Brien - Instate defensive tackle, big time prospect. 6-foot-3, 278-pound defensive tackle from Flint Powers. He has Michigan and Tennessee as his top two so far. He still wants to look at some other schools, though, so that's an early list. Says he was a Michigan fan when he was really young, and he has started to really like them this summer. Talking with Coach Rodriguez and seeing the facilities has brought his interest up.
• Tyler Alt: Tyler is a Defensive/Offensive Lineman from Greensbug Central Catholic in Pennsylvania. I've been emailing back and forth with his dad, and they will be in for the first game. Michigan is recruiting Tyler as a guard/center, or DE/DT. As a sophomore Alt was All State honorable mention, and listed by the Pittsburgh Post Gazette as one of the top 10 sophomores in western PA. He plays OT and DE now in high school, but at 6-foot-3, 260-pounds he'd be better suited as mentioned before on the interior of either line. Here's a look at his sophomore film. His dad said he is very interested in Michigan.
• Nick Patti (Still coming even if D. Hart doesn't) - 2012 QB, teammate of Demetrius Hart will be up with his Dad, and potentially with his trainer Tom Shaw. Shaw trains a ton of football players in Florida, including Florida State commit Karlos Williams. Nick told me that Shaw will play a big role in his decision, and he considers Tom to be an uncle. Getting him on campus could be a good thing for a few reasons.
• Hunter and Cam Stanley - 2012 offensive linemen from Toledo, Ohio. They're twins! The 6-foot-4, 260-pound linemen are both very high on Michigan. They camped at Michigan's four-day camp, and jointly took home the offensive line MVP award (they do everything together!). Hunter actually ran his best 40 time at Michigan's camp with a 4.75. Michigan is in their top three along with Notre Dame and Northwestern. They both want to make their decision relatively early, and as you can tell by their list they think they fit best in a spread offense.
• .....AND TWINS!! (I had to)
• Kaleb Ringer - 2012 linebacker from Clayton, Ohio. His uncle is Javon Ringer, former MSU star running back. He told me his family affiliations won't play into anything, and he's actually a Michigan fan (FWIW). He currently holds verbal offers from Cincinnati and Iowa, which is a good sign of his talent level. He and his teammate Jeremy Campbell (DL) will be there. Campbell is listed at 5'11-6'0, weighing in at around 250-pounds. Ringer says that Campbell can squat 750 pounds, which seems like a lot to me. [Ed: me too.]
• Royce Jenkins-Stone - 2012 Cass Tech linebacker will be there. He loves Michigan.
• Chase Deback - 2012 instate offensive lineman from Charlotte, Michigan. Says he's a fan of Michigan State, but will put his fandom to the side for his recruitment. He wants to go wherever he feels is the best place for him. Being a fan of MSU growing up won't play into it. It's often hard for 16-17 year olds to distinguish the difference, though.
• Nathan Ricketts - 2012 instate linebacker. Shameless plug here. Ricketts is a 6-foot-2 linebacker with some good speed from Holland, Michigan.

This weekly update will have a few brief notes about a couple prospects, and mainly be about some of the visitors I've confirmed for the U Conn game. This is an initial list that will most definitely grow as the first game gets closer, and as I talk to more people.

Deion Barnes

6'5", 225 lbs.

Defensive End

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Deion quiet with his recruitment, but has always listed Michigan in his list of schools he has interest in. He recently told me that his list is now down to five:

Michigan, Pitt, Penn State, Georgia, and South Carolina are my top five for now. I might wait until signing day to decide, or I might announce at one of the All Star games I was nominated for.

The main all star game he's talking about being nominated for is the Army game, which is a nice honor. He also told me the Michigan coaches want him to wait until the end of the season to take his official visit so they can make sure he's their main focus. Interesting strategy which could mean a few things. Either they really want to give him enough attention, or they don't want him to try to commit with Anthony Zettel still on the board and two defensive ends already committed. I'm not sure which is the case.

Damon Knox

6'5", 265 lbs.

Defensive End/Tackle

Muskegon, Michigan

Knox is an instate kid that has a couple MAC offers under his belt. Grades and qualifying test scores have been the issue with Knox, but he's working towards rectifying that.

I retook the ACT, I got a lower score but a better score on the math part. I have all core classes my first trimester, and if I ace those classes then I'll be qualified.

So there's that. He told me he really likes Rich Rodriguez, and if he gets qualified Michigan has a good shot. His top three is Michigan, Michigan State, and Illinois. His fate is in his hands.

UConn Visitors:

I'll post these here for now. Since this is on the front page I'll create a diary later with more updates so you can follow along.

• Avery Walls - Safety out of Georgia has been to Michigan twice, and rumors are that Michigan leads.
• Daren Kitchen - Defensive back from Louisiana told me he 100% will be there for the U Conn game, and also said his written offer from Michigan is in the mail. I've heard that before, and don't really have any way of verifying, so we'll see. We will all find out together soon, I promise you that.
• Demetrius Hart – Obviously. He's bringing some friends:
• Nick Patti - 2012 QB, teammate of Demetrius Hart will be up with his Dad, and potentially with his trainer Tom Shaw. Shaw trains a ton of football players in Florida, including Florida State commit Karlos Williams. Nick told me that Shaw will play a big role in his decision, and he considers Tom to be an uncle. Getting him on campus could be a good thing for a few reasons.
• Ha'Sean Clinton-Dix(?) - He's not 100% coming yet. They're still figuring that out. Patti and Hart don't think Clinton-Dix would consider decommitting from Alabama, but a visit can't hurt.
• Jake Fisher - Michigan commit will be there.
• Delonte Hollowell - Michigan commit.
• Chris Bryant - The Illinois offensive lineman is a maybe, depending on his game schedule. He'd like to be there, but his team has a game in East St. Louis, so he doesn't think he'll be able to make it. I'm in contact with Chris quite a bit, and he has said he'll most likely wait a few games into the season to make his decision, but may get it over with before the season. If that happens Michigan is in good position. As per usual, they just need to win.
• Hunter and Cam Stanley - 2012 offensive linemen from Toledo, Ohio. They're twins! The 6-foot-4, 260-pound linemen are both very high on Michigan. They camped at Michigan's four-day camp, and jointly took home the offensive line MVP award (they do everything together!). Hunter actually ran his best 40 time at Michigan's camp with a 4.75. Michigan is in their top three along with Notre Dame and Northwestern. They both want to make their decision relatively early, and as you can tell by their list they think they fit best in a spread offense.
• Chris and Demitrious Davis – More twins! Seriously: both 2012 prospects, Chris (5'9", 185 lbs.) is a WR/DB and his brother Demitrious (5'10", 183 lbs.) is a QB/DB. I had a great conversation with Chris, and he wanted me to make sure I told the Michigan fans this next part. "My Dad loves Michigan. Our family hates Ohio State." Chris said his dad was standing next to him grinning ear to ear because he's such a Michigan fan. He also said his dad has always told him and his brother that they should go to Michigan. The twins(!) have an early top five of Michigan, West Virginia, Cincinnati, Tennessee, and Miami. Michigan has a good chance here. Chris says his brother is quicker, but he's faster. You can watch for yourself if you'd like. Their film is actually pretty impressive sophomore film. Chris Davis and Demitrious Davis.
• .....AND TWINS!! (I had to)
• Kaleb Ringer - 2012 linebacker from Clayton, Ohio. His uncle is Javon Ringer, former MSU star running back. He told me his family affiliations won't play into anything, and he's actually a Michigan fan (FWIW). He currently holds verbal offers from Cincinnati and Iowa, which is a good sign of his talent level. He and his teammate Jeremy Campbell (DL) will be there. Campbell is listed at 5'11-6'0, weighing in at around 250-pounds. Ringer says that Campbell can squat 750 pounds, which seems like a lot to me. [Ed: me too.]
• Royce Jenkins-Stone - 2012 Cass Tech linebacker will be there. He loves Michigan.
• Chase Deback - 2012 instate offensive lineman from Charlotte, Michigan. Says he's a fan of Michigan State, but will put his fandom to the side for his recruitment. He wants to go wherever he feels is the best place for him. Being a fan of MSU growing up won't play into it. It's often hard for 16-17 year olds to distinguish the difference, though.
• Nathan Ricketts - 2012 instate linebacker. Shameless plug here. Ricketts is a 6-foot-2 linebacker with some good speed from Holland, Michigan.

Highlight tape of Demetrius Hart @ Gridiron Kings 2010. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZRrSYhOaI4