Initial Rivals 100 for 2014
Interesting that they already have 5 new 5 stars and dropped a kid's 5th star from their ten early 5 stars list. Players of note:
Malik McDowell #21
Damon Webb #32
Montae Nicholson #47
Alex Bars #55
Drake Harris #56
David Cornwell #63 (although he now seem unlikely)
Michael Ferns #84
Artavis Scott #93
At least these are the kids who have shown the most Michigan interest early, other than Webb and Cornwell. Webb is included because he is an Ohio guy, Cornwell because there was buzz on him recently.
February 11th, 2013 at 12:33 PM ^
I've heard on these boards that Hand is also both a solid Michigan lock, and that there is no way in hell he comes here. Any clarification on that?
February 11th, 2013 at 12:36 PM ^
Somewhere in the middle. No way he's a lock, but he has expressed interest. Don't get excited unless we can get him on campus.
February 11th, 2013 at 1:00 PM ^
I'm pretty sure he's planning on taking his official for the ND night game.
February 11th, 2013 at 12:36 PM ^
He's both.
/Schroedinger's Recruit.
February 11th, 2013 at 12:49 PM ^
Don't open that box, don't open that box!!!
February 11th, 2013 at 12:49 PM ^
We are solidly in his top 5, but probably trailing VT and Bama.
Positive assertions are based on the fact that we're in his top 5.
Negative assertions are based on the fact that we're trailing VT and Bama.
So I'll let you decide which you wanna believe.
February 11th, 2013 at 1:00 PM ^
I am more optimistic about him than a lot of other top guys in recent years. Way more optimistic than I was for Derrick Green. Just the combination of good kid, engineering, loving the coaching staff, and wanting to go to an acedmic monster. Plus he's the #1 recruit in the nation and VT has no business getting one of those...
February 11th, 2013 at 1:03 PM ^
...considering the last 3 #1 prospects in the country have gone to Ole Miss, Missouri, South Carolina...
I'm not sure any of those schools had any business landing the top prospect in the country.
February 11th, 2013 at 1:37 PM ^
I like your optimism. Now it's time to crush it:
- Ole Miss (probably) paid for RN and his brother goes there (they have been paying that family for a while...??).
- DGB was from Missouri.
- Clowney was from South Carolina.
I am still one of the optimists with regards to Hand, but your argument = weak sauce, bro.
February 11th, 2013 at 1:40 PM ^
It wasn't optimism. His assertion was that VT doesn't have any business landing the #1 kid in the nation. Mine was that our perception of who belongs at the top doesn't matter. If anything, that's pessimism. Bro
February 11th, 2013 at 1:45 PM ^
What exactly did you crush...?
February 11th, 2013 at 3:26 PM ^
I think by crush he meant grind, and by it he meant his weed, because Mr. Rager sure has been smokin a lot of it.
February 11th, 2013 at 1:54 PM ^
Ole Miss also had 2 top recruiting coaches in Hugh Freeze and Chris Kiffin (Lane's brother) and they had some of Nkemdiches teammates and are getting his brother through Juco. Money wouldn't surprise me at all, but if it was shelled out it wasn't the only incentive.
February 11th, 2013 at 3:23 PM ^
DGB is from Missouri, Clowney is from South Carolina, and Hand is from...Virginia. Solid logic on why he would never wind up at Va. Tech.
I hope you're not a lawyer.
"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury. My client is totally innocent of murder because he totally shot that guy. I rest my case."
February 11th, 2013 at 4:01 PM ^
The coroner's analysis clearly showed that it was the blunt-force trauma to his head and NOT the gunshot wound to the chest that killed him.
February 11th, 2013 at 6:08 PM ^
February 11th, 2013 at 6:28 PM ^
I DID NOT READ THE POST HE WAS RESPONDING TO.
If you just read DGDestroy's post there is no mention of Hand / VA.
You all are ASSHOLES.
February 11th, 2013 at 12:52 PM ^
February 11th, 2013 at 12:39 PM ^
How about "the kids who have shown the most interest in Michigan early on" instead of "kids most likely to end of at Michigan."
I hate wording that tempts fate.
February 11th, 2013 at 12:39 PM ^
Point taken, fixed.
February 11th, 2013 at 12:35 PM ^
I've still yet to see any particularly impressive film on Malik McDowell, in games, camps, or otherwise. Go watch his film, then watch Taco's, and tell me he isn't way behind where Taco was at the same point in his development.
February 11th, 2013 at 12:50 PM ^
I'm also not sure why you're comparing those 2-Taco's a WDE, McDowell's either a 5-tech or a 3-tech. Compare him to Poggi and tell me he doesn't look more dominant.
February 11th, 2013 at 1:15 PM ^
I heard he doesn't play against the best competition right now. I think it was Sam Webb, but he said he was surprised that he didn't transfer to a different school.
February 11th, 2013 at 1:20 PM ^
But a lot of what there is to like about his film doesn't require elite competition. His burst/pad level/athleticism are there regardless of who he's playing. He's also torn up several camps WITH the 'elite' guys, so I'm not too worried.
February 11th, 2013 at 2:02 PM ^
Any insight into how Alan Branches brother Desmond is developing? Or about any interest in a future offer? I remember hearing about him expecting to grow to be a much larger future recruit.
February 11th, 2013 at 4:14 PM ^
The only time I heard of him was when Tremendous ran their introductory piece on him. Nothing since.
They have a highlight video up on youtube from December- he doesn't really look too athletic for a dude that's supposedly 245. I wouldnt' really expect Michigan to offer, at least not based on what I've seen.
February 11th, 2013 at 1:29 PM ^
His parents won't even let him open his recruiting mail until the end of his junior year, so that may explain why no transfer has occurred. Of course, there's still time to transfer, but they seem to be the type of people who might not want to move their kid just to play football. It would be a little contradictory if they didn't let him open his mail but then they had him switch schools entirely just to get more exposure.
February 11th, 2013 at 6:23 PM ^
he plays D-7 football in Michigan and outweights his opponents by about 100 lbs. In fact, the 160lb linemen from Ispheming did a fantastic job against McDowell in the state title game.
February 11th, 2013 at 1:24 PM ^
I'm not even sure what you're talking about. At this point last year, Taco Charlton was a speed rusher who couldn't do anything against the run and wasn't even a full-time player for Pickerington Central on defense. If he didn't beat you with his speed rush, then he didn't beat you, period.
How could anyone be "way behind" where Taco was at that time? The only way that would be possible is if McDowell were tiny or slow, and he's neither.
February 11th, 2013 at 12:38 PM ^
February 11th, 2013 at 12:40 PM ^
Pshhh no they're not brothers. They just both happen to be from Nashville, play O-Line and have the last name Bars.
February 11th, 2013 at 1:02 PM ^
February 11th, 2013 at 12:43 PM ^
yes and yes. he would love for him to come here and is trying to get him to
side note of how I know this: am friends with the family
February 11th, 2013 at 12:45 PM ^
February 11th, 2013 at 1:18 PM ^
I prefer the duo of Taco Charlton and Taco Pants.
February 11th, 2013 at 3:58 PM ^
February 11th, 2013 at 12:58 PM ^
Doesn't he have several brothers, at several differnt schools?
February 11th, 2013 at 1:00 PM ^
He has one other brother, Brad, who is a DE at Penn State.
I would assume any other brothers you're thinking of would be Poggi brothers. Or perhaps Kugler's brother, who's at Purdue.
February 11th, 2013 at 12:54 PM ^
Michigan is supposedly in the top 5 for Jabrill Peppers, and the top 10 for Quin Blanding and Andrew Brown. They are #2, 4, and 6 respectively.
5*s Adoree Jackson, Lorenzo Carter, and Elijah Hood have all received offers and showed interest towards Michigan recently, as well.
Not that I think we'll land any of them, but yeah.
February 11th, 2013 at 1:20 PM ^
Michigan is also high on the lists of Montae Nicholson and Drake Harris.
February 11th, 2013 at 1:25 PM ^
Is Urban Meyer gonna pull the scholarship offers from his commits that aren't in the early top 100? Stay tuned.
February 11th, 2013 at 1:31 PM ^
If things keep going his way, he may not have to worry about it much...
February 11th, 2013 at 1:44 PM ^
February 11th, 2013 at 1:34 PM ^
Michigan is really the only school he has visitied. I know UM is high on his list and I think he wanted to see PSU. He just got an offer from FSU this month.
February 11th, 2013 at 1:35 PM ^
February 11th, 2013 at 6:55 PM ^
I read a while back that Montae grew up a hugh ohio fan (same high school as dorian bell) and would likely commit there if they really go after them. I know they are in on some other safety prospects however.
February 11th, 2013 at 1:45 PM ^
12) Elijah Hood (RB/ATH)
41) Marshon Lattimore (WR/ATH) - Longshot
47) Montae Nicholson (S)
49) Tyler Luatua (TE)
70) Nyles Morgan (LB)
82) Joe Mixon (RB)
February 11th, 2013 at 1:50 PM ^
I have no clue why Michigan hasn't pursued Clifton Garrett. Maybe it's because Ferns is already committed and the two play positions that might overlap, but Garrett is in the Big Ten footprint, is huge, can run, and hits like a Mack truck. It can't be his talent that's keeping Michigan from offering, so there must be some other reason...
Also, both Cornwell and Caleb Henderson are on this top 100 list, but no Speight. I like the attitude of Speight, but I'm going to be very interested to see how these 2014 quarterbacks pan out. Michigan had a chance with both of the guys on the list, and they passed. I guess we'll find out in four or five years.
February 11th, 2013 at 1:59 PM ^
The only thing that worries me about Speight's lack of ranking visibility is it's impact on him as a recruiter. I think Morris doesn't get enough credit for helping recruit the 2013 class. Speight is in a similar position, but I kind of cringe when I imagine a potential recruit looking him up after getting a tweet from him and finding that he's a 3-star not even in the top 500 nationally (247), or not even rated (Rivals). Hopefully that will change soon.