Tuesday Recruitin' Is On Vacation
Ace is on vacation this week.
Big Fish
Rashan Gary is never impressed
NJ DT Rashan Gary, the consensus #1 player in the country, has been on Michigan's radar for a while. Michigan has been the tentatively presumed leader after they hired Chris Patridge, Gary's high school coach, to be their recruiting coordinator. Gary himself hasn't said much, but after a swing through the Midwest on visits that's beginning to change.
Sam Webb recapped Gary's visit on the Scout message board($). Gary's mom:
"Michigan hit every detail," Jennifer Coney said. "EVERY detail."
There's a bunch more at the link. The vibes there are pretty good; Gary is planning one more trip this summer, to Georgia, and then they plan on narrowing his list. It does not sound like OSU is going to be a main competitor.
But it's never easy with a guy as highly touted as Gary. 247's Steve Wiltfong:
If I'm #Auburn or #Michigan, I feel good about five-star DT Rashan Gary, who will narrow list after @TheOpening: http://t.co/7M9bvzfC5F
— Steve Wiltfong (@SWiltfong247) June 29, 2015
Sounds good... except that Wiltfong put in an Auburn Crystal Ball for Gary. Gary's mom again($):
“You can know for sure Michigan is going to make the cut,” Jennifer Coney, Gary’s mother said. “You know Auburn is going to make the cut."
That would be a top two, then.
Michigan is also in on five-star CA LB Caleb Kelly, who was in attendance for a satellite camp in his area. He has a very practical take on things:
"It's like any other coach: you get told what to do, and you go ahead and you do it. It's just cool to have it be from the Michigan coaches. It's a big-name school and that's cool."
He has a who's who of offers; Oklahoma is currently strong on his Crystal Ball.
The New Jersey Migration of the Early Harbaugh Epoch
A pile of New Jersey (and environs) players made it out to Ann Arbor last week, with great success. Four star NJ DE Ron Johnson is already in. Four star NJ WR Brad Hawkins, Johnson's teammate, is probably next. He is scheduled to announce on Friday; Michigan and South Carolina are pretty much the only contenders; he has a visit scheduled to Michigan for July 19th.
Rule eight of following recruiting is that "a recruit who has a visit scheduled for after an announcement is going to the school he is visiting." (Rules 1, 3, 7, 13, 50, and 121 are "DON'T TWEET AT RECRUITS." Number 144 is "SERIOUSLY.") Also, Michigan has fielded every Crystal Ball pick since February.
Ahmir Mitchell has a bowling trophy
Fellow NJ WR Ahmir Mitchell is also nearing a decision. Star-Leger reporter Todderick Hunt:
2 teams stand out 4 Mitchell although he's not ready 4 me 2 release them at this time. But seems to B gettin closer. pic.twitter.com/BEOgONFUZF
— Todderick Hunt (@TodderickHunt) June 27, 2015
Michigan is one of those teams. OSU is the other according to Rivals. Mitchell just announced that he would not be doing any more interviews before his decision, so he's clearly thinking about making one in the near future. Lorenz is hearing positive things($), and the Crystal Ball is an M blowout.
BTW, Mitchell's pretty good($).
There are few players in the country that are comparable to Mitchell. His size, explosiveness, competitiveness and reliable hands were on full display on Saturday. Cornerbacks that tried to jam him at the line of scrimmage were quickly dispatched and errant passes were hauled in with ease. There was one pass that Mitchell hauled in with one hand between two defenders. He had to pin it against his body because the defender was holding onto his other arm.
In not-quite-New-Jersey-but-pretty-much, Philly-based PA TE Naseir Upshur came back from the trip beaming, rating it a "ten of ten($)". He's got a commitment date scheduled for August 8th. Rule nine of following recruiting is "a recruit who issues a commit date soon after a visit is probably going to that school." When that doesn't happen, it's usually because another school swoops in with a visit before the announce date and changes things. That is a possibility here($):
*Alabama is still very likely to add another tight end to its current 2016 haul of two standing commitments at the position, and one of their top targets - Naseir Upshur - a 6-foot-2, 233-pound four-star prospect out of Philadelphia, will be visiting Tuscaloosa with his family on July 17. Michigan is trending with Upshur on the Crystal Ball at 74 percent at the moment. Upshur plans to commit on August 8.
We saw Alabama grab Khalid Kareem. It could happen, but Steve Lorenz notes that($) "Michigan's lead has reportedly grown into a very strong one at this point" and that he is one of the safest bets on Michigan's board" at the moment.
Finally, 2017 NJ OL Cesar Ruiz was on the trip, picked up an offer($), and sounds very excited about it. Michigan is a tentative early leader.
Waiting, waiting
Sometimes I get the feeling that a certain player is not going to end up at Michigan despite everyone assuming they'll end up at Michigan. This usually happens when Michigan's lead goes on and on and on without a commitment actually happening. See: Parrker Westphal.
In related news, FL LB Jonathan Jones still maintains that Michigan is his leader($):
Sam Webb: It seems like someone is committing to Michigan every day. Is the number of scholarships they have left something that is on your mind at all?
Jonathan Jones: “Not really. I’ll be honest when it comes to all my top schools. Four years is a huge part of my life and I’m going to train that out and I’m not going to rush myself for any school. … I’m going to be honest with you, I’m real pressed to go there. There my leader most definitely, but it just wouldn’t be a wise decision to check out that school and leave all my other options unsettled."
Jones wants to take all his officials and may decide as late as signing day, and doesn't appear to be the type of guy to get sped up because Michigan is filling up. Michigan would definitely take him now. Will they take him in December or January? Depends on a lot of things.
FWIW, Jones has an academically-oriented top five of M, Notre Dame, Duke, Stanford, and Oklahoma and seems to be the kind of guy who Harbaugh is after.
End options
Michigan makes the top eight for KS DE Xavier Kelly, who says nobody is in front. Kelly on M:
"Jim Harbaugh is their new coach and he has a lot of NFL experience," he discussed about the Wolverines. "He can translate that to the college game, and I can gain a lot of knowledge from what he has to offer. I have a lot of family on my father's side that lives in Detroit. That's not too far away so I'll have them there to support me if I went there. Their academics stand out."
They'll have to beat out some heavy hitters here. Alabama, FSU, Georgia, and Clemson are also on his list. Kelly came out to Sound Mind, Sound Body, so there's real interest there. Wiltfong says Michigan is "very much in it."
Michigan's also recruiting AZ DE Connor Murphy, who relates his weird history with Harbaugh on the tubes:
This one's a longshot, but Michigan's trying to get GA DE Antonneous Clayton on campus for a visit($).
Swenson still around
IL OL Erik Swenson has been committed to Michigan for over a year now—his recruiting profile is going to start the same way Tyree Kinnel's did—and Nick Baumgardner would like to remind you of his existence:
"The first thing (Harbaugh) told me was 'you're a lot bigger than you look in pictures,' " Swenson laughed. "He's a great guy. He's not the guy he sometimes gets portrayed as in the media, the guy who is always yelling and screaming, doing anything for a win. He wants to win, obviously and he can be serious, but he's funny, relaxed. He's got a great personality."
Swenson's now a part of a great OL recruiting class that is currently four deep on touted prospects and could add a fifth any day now if MD OL Terrance Davis decides to drop.
Reese maybe not so much
Michigan has a couple of wavering linebacker commits. One is instater David Reese, who apparently committed as fullback but is now having second thoughts. This might have something to do with MI WR Desmond Fitzpatrick's recruitment. The two are teammates and Fitzpatrick seemed like he was about to flip from Louisville to Michigan… and then didn't.
That and Reese's desire to play linebacker have him poking around. He took a visit to Maryland:
"I just want the initial opportunity to play linebacker because that's where my heart is. But I understand that if I didn't start for two years then I would want to see the field-of course I want to play. So of course I would go at fullback. But I feel like I can actually play at linebacker."
He offered the "I'm committed but keeping my options open" spiel as well. If I had to bet I'd guess he ends up flipping elsewhere.
Etc.: 2017 TN RB Cordarrian Richardson is a guy to keep an eye on.NC OL Landon Dickerson sets an official for Oregon State. Michigan has faded with CA CB David Long but he is planning a visit($) before a decision. Stanford is a heavy leader.
I hope we get Ahmir Mitchell! He is a great playmaker - I think he's going to be a gamechanger like Mario Manningham! His brother Damon was really good too, but too bad he went to Arkansas (I feel bad for anyone that has to play for Bielema).
Auburn is in play for Gary...
Everyone is quick to make bagmen jokes and Auburn jokes but I'm sure no one is willing to make any Harbaugh hired the No. 1 overall recruit's coach with no previous connections to Michigan who has always lived on the east coast to a position he has no experience with that also is 100% aimed at recruiting. Hmmmm.
Can I make that joke?
You can. There's no law against bad jokes.
I feel good about the changing tide of New Jersey residents coming to Michigan to play in real bowls instead of the Mud Bowl.
For real, NJ probably has the largest out of state population at Michigan (along w/ New York and Illinois)... so we might as well get the NJ football players to match!
California actually has the highest out of state population, followed by New York followed by Illionois. Interestingly enough, there are more students from China then there are from California.
How many Californians are there in China? That is the key question.
Haha. But California is also a huge state - it should really be two states.
Michigan, Stanford, Duke, ND and Oklahoma. Weird fifth school.
exactly. one of these schools is not like the others.
Cinderella, Belle, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, and Jenna Jameson.
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The Newport peninsula is beautiful but it's a complete shit show for the 4th of July weekend. Me and my wife are getting the fuck out of Dodge Thurs night and won't return until Monday.
Yep, I've been to a few parties on the 4th on the peninsula, and while it can be fun, it can also be a cluster f.
is that Mrs. Jameson wears her day job on her face?
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That fifth school has won and appeared in 2 other NC games in the last 15 years. The other 4 combine for just one APPEARANCE.
I guess that makes good at football for sustained periods the outlying characteristic fo rthat 5th school.
I feel bad for Rutgers, losing all their top recruits.
I don't think RU was ever in play. RU needs much more funding in order to be competitive. Their facilities are not on par and the current governor is not supportive of the school. RU needs Lesniak to step up with the next governor to invest in the facilities, but I don't know if Kyle Flood will last that long.
They truly believe they're in it for Gary. For the longest they thought Mitchell was a very realistic option. But obviously I doubt a lot of those guys were seriously considering going there.
NJ is a pro football state - Giants and Jets are what they know. Most of the RU fans have only been "fans" for the past 5 years. They have no idea who the traditional powers in college football are and they have no sense of respect for Michigan football. It's hard to talk sense into them.
Everytime that I talk to a Rutgers fan (and I know a few from tailgates and my wife's work), I tell them that they should aim to be a Minnesota or Purdue. A good team once every five years and otherwise a clean program. They are somewhat delusional and think they will compete with Michigan and OSU for recruits and that once the full share of the B1G funds come in they will hire NFL coaches.
It's hard arguing with them, and they are otherwise generally nice people, but they have no perception of college football. They think it's like the NFL where the worst team will be on top soon because they get higher draft picks or whatnot... They don't get that in college football, the powers will always be the powers and the doormats will always be the doormats, with only modest change and alteration across the years.
A lot of them feel only Ohio State is clearly above them. They believe they'll be the new MSU (of the last few years) for some reason. Hopefully Michigan beating them like they should will humble them a bit. They actually had a post on OffTackleEmpire, which I don't really like much as a blog, about how they'll be a dynasty soon. Some even say they'll win a national title before Michigan.
I read NJ.com and I felt obligated to create an account to refute their libel of Harbaugh re: the Pipkins story. They copied and pasted the ESPN story and created a narrative equating Harbaugh to Saban.
They're not too bright over there, 2 posters in particular.
Wait a minute. Didn't Rutgers beat us this last season? Your argument is moot.
BTW they have a lot of very dedicated fans, win or lose.
Yes, the AD is subsidized by student funds from the general student population (similar to most schools). I know Michigan is not like that - Michigan is one of the few schools with an AD that runs in the black.
Most state schools receive sizable amounts of state funds to support stadium development (whether it be through actual grants or through bond support - i.e., sharing the state's high credit ratings to get cheap debt in order to fund construction). I'm not saying it's a good idea, but that's how it typically gets done.
Christie has run the state into a huge deficit and is at war with the public sector (basically refusing to fund state pensions except for the bare minimum). Without getting into politics, many in NJ feel that the state is logjammed and unable to even support bonds for state schools, libraries, highways, etc.
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2015/03/31/university-senate-report…
MSU is kicking butt under Snyder? Has Christie singled them out for something?
It's a NJ thing that is too hard to explain to outsiders. Christie's administration is a total mess and NJ is at a standstill. NJ citizens are mostly just frustrated and waiting for it to be over. That's about all I have to, or want to, say about it.
Todderick, huh?
Todd or Rick?..Why not both?
I think he left some characters on the table when writing that tweet. He could have afforded to spell the rest of those words out.
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Jordan Diamond
Laquon Treadwell
Yes. I don't think the LaQuon Treadwell recruitment dong-punch has gotten enough credit around here. Our offense may have looked completely capable with him for the last two years. But then again, maybe that would mean no Harbaugh.
The previous staff struggled tremendously at getting anyone to perform at that kind of level. There were a few cases (Martin, Lewan, Ryan) but even they were inherited. Who knows what the problem was, but the near-total lack of stars suggests some kind of systemic issue that may have stunted Treadwell and anyone else who might've come here as well.
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We're at 20.
If Reese leaves we drop to 19.
Gary, Mitchell, Hawkins, Upshur, Jones, Kelly...FAB25.....Fin
We're going to 28 and we're not getting Jones. I think we get the others you mentioned (but I would replace Bush for Kelly), plus a DE and Quinn Nordin (the staff wants him). Otherwise, there are a few spots to play with, but that will depend on what the remaining needs are. Perhaps another WR in Chase Claypool or Pie Young.
Pie Young?
Must.have.him.on.name.alone.
High 3-star, almost 4-star WR. Friends of the Flanagan trio. Keyshawn "Pie" Young. Along w/ Taco, we will have dinner and dessert on our team!
http://247sports.com/Player/Keyshawn-Young-35712
whos the other LB mentioned as wavering or looking elsewhere? im guessing that dude hoke signed a while ago from watson and canteens school (cant recall his name)?
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