2015 OLB/S Tyriq Thompson (Detroit MLK) offered
Per his high school coach, 2015 OLB/S Tyriq Thompson of Detroit MLK has been offered. He's a 3-star to Rivals, #29 at his position, and #10 in the state of Michigan for 2015.
MSU had already offered and was presumed the favorite since UM hadn't offered, but this could change things. Steve Wiltfong from 247 had a tweet insinuating that Thompson may have been ready to commit elsewhere (read: MSU) had this offer not come through. Has offers from Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, NU, Wisconsing, Pitt, and NC St, among others.
His dad, Clarence Thompson, played football at UM in the mid-90's and was All-Conference in 1995. That should make many of you feel really old.
January 16th, 2014 at 1:07 PM ^
Friggin finally. So tired of us ignoring kids with sky high interest for months on end before finally crossing off the big fish above them and sending out the offer. That's life recruiting though.
January 16th, 2014 at 1:12 PM ^
So we shouldn't go after higher ranked players first and just take commitments from kids with high interest? I'm confused what your point is.
January 16th, 2014 at 1:18 PM ^
Ours have certainly changed. 2014 hasn't even signed yet, but we're still worried about offers for a 2015 kid. Its amazing.
January 16th, 2014 at 1:18 PM ^
Isn't that exactly the right strategy? You wait as long as you can with the top prospects until you have to move with the higher-probability, lower-ranked (but still very talented) guys?
January 16th, 2014 at 1:18 PM ^
This is looooooooooooooooooooooong over due
January 16th, 2014 at 1:35 PM ^
what is so overdue. 3-Star kid in 2015 class - lots of time before NSD (2016!!!). Pretty sure we would focus on higher rated athletes before pulling the trigger on guys like Thompson. I'm sure he's a great guy and great player (clips Magnus offered up below seem solid) - but we're shooting for the best of the best here.
This is Michigan! (fergodsakes!) /s
January 16th, 2014 at 1:48 PM ^
NSD for the Class of 2015 is in February 2015... just over a year from now.
January 16th, 2014 at 3:15 PM ^
my bad. Was trying to demonstrate it's a long time away and shot myself in the foot. Thanks for pointing that out.
January 16th, 2014 at 7:28 PM ^
by the amount of o's in your post. That's a lot of o's!!!
Good luck to Tyriq. Go Blue!
January 16th, 2014 at 11:49 PM ^
yeah real foreign concept dude but these coaches rank prospective targets and then pursue accordingly. if they offer the top 5 at a position but receive no interest in return from those prospects, then they move on to #6. its an odd strategy but all football programs seem to attempt to sign the players they view as the most talented and envision having the most future success in their program....and guess what jimbob, the championship teams actually accomplish this by stocking their rosters year after year with the top rated kids on their boards. michigan would be turn into indiana or illinois pretty quickly if they simply signed the kids most interested in the school, regardless of talent level or future impact on the program envisioned by coaches. im sure hes a good kid and good player but they just offered him now for a reason and its likely bc higher rated prospects have been crossed off their board. heart and work ethic and physical and other "hokish" little terms dont equate to much without superior athleticism executing on the field every weekend. well see how much of an impact a certain legacy OL makes when enrolling in few years but those are kinds of offers great teams would question....all 85 matter, every single year, especially when you have like 4 OT prospects total projected on depth chart for 2015 and 2016 and adding undersized, less athletic legacy to C and OG position already stockpiled with unproven recruits
January 16th, 2014 at 1:10 PM ^
Yes, I feel old.
January 16th, 2014 at 1:10 PM ^
I have an unforgettable memory of Clarence Thompson blitzing off the corner and nailing Purdue's QB in the end zone for a safety in the 5-0 ice bowl of 1996.
January 16th, 2014 at 1:13 PM ^
That game was the single worst sporting event I've ever attended in my life. I love Michigan football, but I almost lost multiple digits because it was so freakig cold.
January 16th, 2014 at 8:15 PM ^
January 17th, 2014 at 2:26 AM ^
that game single-handedly made my little cousin no longer interested in michigan football. he ultimately decided to go to unc and became a basketball fan.
January 16th, 2014 at 1:29 PM ^
I had heard GMat was at MLK today. So this offer makes sense. Glad he came packing with an offer in his back pocket. I also heard MSU (Pat N) and IU at MLK today as well. Nuss was also out to see Damien Harris today at his school in KY.
January 16th, 2014 at 1:26 PM ^
He got a 30 on his ACT? I don't think he'll have a problem getting into UM.
January 16th, 2014 at 1:35 PM ^
where did you get that information?
January 16th, 2014 at 1:37 PM ^
The video that Magnus posted said so. 30 on his ACT along with a 4.3 GPA. Kid is smart.
January 16th, 2014 at 1:44 PM ^
Always a little wary of GPA's, but his ACT confirms it. Glad we finally offered!
January 16th, 2014 at 1:41 PM ^
Yeah, and with a 4.3 GPA. Very impressive.
January 16th, 2014 at 1:53 PM ^
Sigh. Don't know what makes me feel older; Clarence Thompson's kid has an offer, or John Runyan's kid is a verbal. Lesigh
January 16th, 2014 at 1:55 PM ^
Would be a decent hybrid player, but in Michigan's system I think he's likely a WILL LB.
January 16th, 2014 at 2:00 PM ^
Agreed. He lacks the foot speed to play safety, especially if Mattison wants the two safety positions to be interchangeable.
January 16th, 2014 at 2:12 PM ^
But he looks a lot like he could almost be a SAM. Maybe that's just because of his tape (where he's basically a 3-3 stack edge guy, a la Early Craig Roh).
January 16th, 2014 at 2:21 PM ^
I think his skill set fits better at SAM, as he's more of a straight line player that is pretty good off the edge. I also don't think he has the instincts right now to play ILB. But I'm not sure he's big or long enough for the SAM position, and he certainly isn't a MIKE.
January 16th, 2014 at 2:44 PM ^
Seeing how he's only 16-ish, he could still be growing.
January 16th, 2014 at 2:44 PM ^
Which is harder: teaching a guy to be taller. or teaching a guy instincts?
I can't get a feel for his instincts based off the highlight reel, as he was almost always just comin' regardless, he didn't strike me as James Ross out there. He did look pretty okay the one time he dropped into coverage, but I don't get 'safety' when I watch him.
January 16th, 2014 at 2:53 PM ^
Eh, all he needs is a clever series of illusions to create the appearance of being taller.
January 16th, 2014 at 6:24 PM ^
He seems to be in the Jared Wangler mold.
I apologize for the lack of racial congruence with that comparison, though.
January 16th, 2014 at 10:14 PM ^
But it was the one I was going to make as well. Think Wangler is a little more physical at the POA, Thompson a bit better athlete, but both are WILL sized with SAM qualities.
January 16th, 2014 at 5:56 PM ^
His offer sheet doesn't seem that impressive.
January 16th, 2014 at 6:27 PM ^
It's not a bad offer sheet for being January, 13 months before National Signing Day. It includes a good chunk of the Big Ten - Iowa, Michigan State, and Wisconsin among them. If he holds off on committing, I'm guessing you would see some other solid programs start to swoop in with offers, too. I don't think he's a great prospect, but he's got potential.
January 16th, 2014 at 8:52 PM ^
January 16th, 2014 at 6:06 PM ^
January 16th, 2014 at 8:11 PM ^
has some of the best insticnts in the nation after finally watching the film of him and deciding to offer him today......so that kind of contradicts those that say he doesn't have good instincts :p.