Malik names a top group devoid of Michigan.
January 1st, 2014 at 9:59 PM ^
You know how many kids Michigan has pulled out of Ohio that grew up "lifelong OSU fans"? More than u think, dude. Trust me. Those that ended up at Mich did because they thought they fit in better here, whether it be earlier PT, they clicked better w/ the coaches who were recruiting them, fell in love w/ the campus on visits, etc.
A different sport, but Tyus Jones will end up at Duke, though earlier in his HS career said he grew up w/ MSU as his favorite school...and MSU is considered an ELITE bball program. Problem is, Izzo isn't producing lottery picks. Kyrie was #1 a couple years ago. Jabari could follow this year. When it came down to it, MSU wasn't even in his top 3 or so.
We can give examples all day, point is, kids ending up at schools they didn't grow up rooting for ALL THE TIME. I will give u that the "academics/lifelong fan" isn't the same "canned answer that sounds good". Whenever a kid says that tho, all that means to me is he'll definitely consider that school, but not a lock by any means, especially if they didn't grow in said state of school/has family ties to it.
That's not "program cynicism" at all, its "I've been a HS recruiting nut for far too long to just those type of quotes w/o a grain of salt". Cynicism of the information these kids are willing to give annoying "recruiting analysts" that keep blowing up their phones? Thats probably it.
...and I never said anything about Mich's "scheme". Don't know if you were directing that at me or not.
January 1st, 2014 at 6:11 PM ^
The whole "I've been a lifelong fan...but I'm not going there" is really indicative of how bad things have gotten for Michigan. If they were still a top program and winning 9, 10 games a season on the reg, then they would be pulling in the majority of these types of kids.
But the fact of the matter is, the program isn't very good, so despite being big fans of Michigan, the kids find it in their best interest to go elsewhere. Its sad.
January 1st, 2014 at 9:52 PM ^
January 1st, 2014 at 4:45 PM ^
January 1st, 2014 at 4:46 PM ^
January 1st, 2014 at 4:59 PM ^
January 1st, 2014 at 5:04 PM ^
Kind of creepy. Message board guy following a high school junior's twitters. EEEWWWW
January 1st, 2014 at 5:40 PM ^
A 16 year old kid changing stuff on twitter?
"He changed his background! OMG...he's gonna decommit! Fire everyone!"
srsly.
January 2nd, 2014 at 12:56 AM ^
He took it off a while back, but I am not worried. He is good friends with Peppers and even tweeted today saying how much of a role model Peppers is for him. Peppers will keep him around.
Also he is playing as Michigan on NCAA. Come on now, everybody knows that whoever you use on NCAA is your dream team.
Lord, please forgive me for being so unholy to this man @GalenHarris__
January 1st, 2014 at 5:17 PM ^
These are young kids and they want to play @ a school that is trending upward and we are going in the other diorection with no end in sight
January 1st, 2014 at 4:43 PM ^
This is one source, none of the michigan guys have said anything.
January 1st, 2014 at 4:50 PM ^
January 1st, 2014 at 4:45 PM ^
January 1st, 2014 at 4:46 PM ^
January 1st, 2014 at 5:06 PM ^
January 1st, 2014 at 5:19 PM ^
January 1st, 2014 at 4:48 PM ^
January 1st, 2014 at 4:51 PM ^
Balls
January 1st, 2014 at 4:51 PM ^
The best news I have to offer is an unsubstantiated rumor [from Ace Williams that is certainly fabricated because it came from Ace Williams.]
\grasping at straws
ED:BISB - NO ACE WILLIAMS.
January 1st, 2014 at 4:55 PM ^
January 1st, 2014 at 4:57 PM ^
January 1st, 2014 at 5:00 PM ^
Even if that rumor were true, the interest would have to be mutual. Brandon already has his Michigan man in place. Hooray for the program.
January 1st, 2014 at 5:01 PM ^
January 1st, 2014 at 5:11 PM ^
With emphasis on rumor, this comes from Ace Williams.
Like Aerosmith said, "Dream on. Dream on. Dream on. Dream on. Dream unitl your dream comes true."
January 1st, 2014 at 5:14 PM ^
LOL, ace williams.
January 1st, 2014 at 5:16 PM ^
ACE WILLIAMS ISN'T A THING.
Quoting Ace Williams is punishable by catapult
January 1st, 2014 at 5:34 PM ^
"unsubstantiated rumor" and ""emphasis on rumor" is clearly not quoting anything. Is it? Keep it straight.
But now that you mention catapult, Johnny of Jimmy could catapult Michigan into the Empyrean heights of college football in a heartbeat. Do you want to try to tell me stranger things have never happened?
Thank you. Seriously, cool dog BiSB.
January 1st, 2014 at 6:11 PM ^
January 1st, 2014 at 5:46 PM ^
Isn't The Ace Williams a kid in suburban Detroit according to fearless leader?
"Ace" rumours not historically credible though periodically interesting for conversational purposes.
January 1st, 2014 at 6:10 PM ^
Trebuchet has a nice ring to it.
January 1st, 2014 at 4:53 PM ^
Harris took the UM stuff down weeks ago, but is still committed to UM.
January 1st, 2014 at 4:53 PM ^
You don't go through a season like Michigan with players saying they did not have their heart in it without consequences. As well as Hoke can recruit, the stench from this season has become toxic. The coaches need to be all over these recruits trying to keep them in the fold. Let's hope the MIchigan brand with its outstanding academics will prevail.
January 1st, 2014 at 4:54 PM ^
January 1st, 2014 at 4:55 PM ^
and I think we're going to have at least one additional high-profile decommit.
January 1st, 2014 at 5:35 PM ^
January 1st, 2014 at 6:04 PM ^
We've had an enormously disappointing season that ended about as poorly as you could fear, which in turn simply amplified the growing questioning of our coaching staff's abilities that arose during the season. The success of MSU has brought to the forefront the issue of developing talent, and right now it doesn't look favorable to UM.
Combine this background situation with the fact that so many kids are committing so early these days, and I think that it's just human nature that some kids will be privately wondering about the direction of the Michigan program, and I think it's likely one of those will break ranks and bolt. Other schools don't back off just because a HS kid verbally commits to UM, and if one of those schools has a football program that at the moment is on the upswing, it will be very seductive to at least some of those kids who are wavering.
If Hoke & Co. manage to keep all the present commits and add a couple more quality kids with the remaining scholarships, it will be a tremendous sales and marketing job.
January 1st, 2014 at 5:49 PM ^
Wouldn't Malik McDowell have to commit prior to decommit occurring or are you relating this to G. Campbell?
January 1st, 2014 at 6:07 PM ^
I'm just thinking of the class of current verbal commits, that's all. Believe me, I hope I'm dead wrong. If anybody can keep the class intact, Hoke is up to it, but I think it will be a very tough task.
January 2nd, 2014 at 3:21 AM ^
I hope you're right Don, and I hope that high-profile decommit that we're going to have is Da'Shawn Hand, in what will be the first miracle performed by the Commish.
January 1st, 2014 at 4:58 PM ^
kid has got to do what's best for him, if he somehow commits to Mich, I will welcome him with open arms, if not, on to the next guy and so on.
January 1st, 2014 at 5:10 PM ^
January 1st, 2014 at 4:58 PM ^
I read that we made his top 7, which is it?
January 1st, 2014 at 4:58 PM ^
January 1st, 2014 at 5:06 PM ^
January 1st, 2014 at 4:59 PM ^
January 1st, 2014 at 5:18 PM ^
January 1st, 2014 at 6:18 PM ^
Michigan hasn't done very well on the recruiting trail since he left either. As the best or one of the best on the staff at recruiting, it'll be interesting to see how they do down the stretch and in to 2014.
January 1st, 2014 at 4:59 PM ^
Michigan will prevail. Though it might require a different regime.
January 1st, 2014 at 5:00 PM ^
January 1st, 2014 at 5:01 PM ^
There is, of course, a NOLA.com article from yesterday - HERE - which still includes Michigan on the list and reports that he does not yet list a favorite.
"I feeling all of them a lot right now," he said. "I wish I could go to all of them. It's going to be hard. It's going to be real hard."
It may not be us in the end, but this is simply to illustrate that not all sources believe we are more or less out of it as the OP seems to suggest.