2011 Michigan Football Recruiting Board

A Note on Premium Info: No illicit sharing of said material will appear on this site. Players are listed with interested schools in their profiles; this information is public. Commitments are by definition public. Any assertions as to schools in the mix, decision dates, or leaders I will back up with links to public information.

Projected Class Size:

  Names Count
Expired Eligibility Banks, Dorrestein, Ezeh, Ferrara, Mouton, Patterson, Rogers, Sagesse, Schilling, Warren, Webb 12
Transfer Emilien, Turner, Forcier 3
Early Entry Koger, Martin --
Unrenewed Fifth Watson, Williams 2
Other Unused (Dorsey, D. Rogers, Kinard) 5

Total: Michigan has about 22 to give right now. More detail on the scholarship situation can be found at the depth chart by class.

The Board

Legend:

Icon Name Meaning
Sad Josh The genre of player with unrequited interest in Michigan. Unlikely to receive offers; most will eventually fade off the list and go to Duke or Michigan State or something.
Nefarious Eduardo Player is a longshot. Either they've declared someone else a leader publicly or popular opinion holds that they're likely to go to another school.
Data Either no opinion or Michigan is one of a fairly even group of chasing schools. Players in this category maintain no leader or change their leader frequently. The default category for players that we don't know much about yet.
Happy Teeth Players who have Michigan in a small leading group or have Michigan as a tenuous favorite. Should be regarded as a good shot, not a slam dunk.
Mr. Blue Player is either a verbal or is expected to be one sooner or later. Players with this designation are 65%+ to be Michigan commits.

Additional note: (EE) next to a Michigan commit indicates the player intends to enroll early.

Quarterback

Needs: Minor. Michigan has three 4-star QBs in the past two classes, plus another 3-star in Conelius Jones if he ever makes it to campus. HOWEVA, the offense requires a number of (healthy) QBs on the roster, so another top-rated guy would do just fine, thank you. Barring that, a couple lesser-rated guys who can be given a shot at QB then moved to a different position if it doesn't work out are the goal.

Status: Michigan has offered a few guys very early in the process. I'd be surprised if they landed a top guy, unless they hid the depth chart from him.

Projected Commits: 1

Quarterback
Commitments
Name State Stars Schools Y/N Notes
Russell Bellomy TX *** M, Purdue Purdue Decommit.
Offered Prospects
Name State Stars Schools Y/N Notes
Cardale Jones OH *** M, OSU, Illinois, others Has an M offer. Junior Day visitor. Has his own website. Visits and enjoys Ann Arbor. Profiled by Sam Webb. Gets some love from ESPN. TTB film breakdown. Left on despite Sousa's commitment.
Max Shortell KS *** Minn, M M offer.
Unoffered Prospects
Name State Stars Schools Y/N Notes

Running Back / Fullback

Needs: Miniscule. Michigan is taking a bunch of guys in the 2010 class, and though they graduated three after 2009, there is nobody whose eligibility will expire following the 2010 season. They'll take 1 versatile speedy guy, and who knows after that.

Status: With Hart now in the fold, we'll have to see if they keep offering guys. Since Hopkins is playing this year, there's room in this class for a Minor-type blocker/bruiser to take a redshirt and have a two-year separation from the next guy.

Projected Commits: 1 RB, 1 FB?

Commitments
Name State Stars Schools Y/N Notes
Justice Hayes MI **** M (ND decommit) Likely brought in exclusively as a slot.
Offered Prospects
Name State Stars Schools Y/N Notes
Trayion Durham (FB) OH *** Wisc, Minn, M, Others M offer.
Unoffered Prospects
Name State Stars Schools Y/N Notes
Thomas Rawls MI *** M, MSU, MAC, others Looking for offers, but has to improve his grades first. Webb fluff.

Wide Receiver

Needs: Low, depending on position changes from the 2010 class. With 5 wide receivers currently committed for 2010, they can't need too many more, even if a couple make a switch.

Status: Conway gives M one big target; Watkins looks promising given the standard "keep winning" caveat.

Projected Commits: 2. Maybe one inside guy and one outside guy?

Now blowin' up with offers.

Wide Receiver
Commitments
Name State Stars Schools Y/N Notes
Offered Prospects
Name State Stars Schools Y/N Notes

Shawn Conway

MI **** M Commit Will not qualify, intends to enroll at Michigan after JuCo. Committed on February 20. Big leaper with good hands. Also a huge dunker on the hardwood. Impresses at Michigan Football Showcase. "Dominant" at Badgersports combine. Rivals thinks he's four-star-worthy. A change in custody might leave him unable to play his senior season. Team should improve. Disciplinary issue this spring.

DeAnthony Arnett

MI **** Tennessee, MSU, M #2 instate 2011 prospect. Considered an early Michigan lean, but he claims to be open. I talked to him in August. 3 official offers. M Junior Day. Impresses at Michigan Football Showcase. Still taking visits, top 7/5 before the season. Favors Michigan State. Combine wideout MVP. Rocks M gear in Columbus. Army Game nominee. Webb fluff. Camp visitor.
Prince Holloway FL ** M, others Michigan is his only offer. M in the top 2.
Prospects
Name State Stars Schools Y/N Notes

Devin Lucien

CA **** UCLA, M, SDSU, others M wants him as a DB, possibly submarining their chances.

Tight End

Needs: Michigan will lose secret-blocking-weapon Webb this year, and Koger next. An athletic blocking guy would be a good haul.

Status: Eh.

Projected Commits: 1.

Tight End
Offered Prospects
Name State Stars Schools Y/N Notes
Taques Franklin NJ **.5 M, Syracuse, others An enormous HS RB with a Michigan offer. Favors M, Pitt, and Florida. Local fluff, will officially visit.
Brandon Fulse FL **** SEC, M, others Wants to visit M. Hearing from Rod Smith a lot.
Frank Clark OH **.5 M, MSU, MAC, others Impressive at M camp. Glenville. Mich soon to offer?
Darien Bryant OH *** M, MAC, others Michigan offer.
Name State Stars Schools Y/N Notes
Unoffered Prospects
Jerrell Adams SC *** SoCar, Clemson, Ill, Bama, others. M offer? Michigan is in the picture.

Offensive Line

Needs: High. The 2011 line is expected to be exceptional, but the next generation needs to sign up now. Michigan mostly struck out on their targets in the 2010 class, with the obvious exception of Christian Pace. High-potential guys who will take longer to see the field should be okay with Michigan's good 2008 and 2009 OL classes.

Status: Michigan is on its way to a good OL class, with several good prospects committed, and a good shot at more. Zettel should come..."keep winning!"

Projected Commits: 3-4.

Commitments
Name State Stars Schools Y/N Notes
Jack Miller OH *** open Has been to Ann Arbor. Visits Michigan again, this time leaving town with an offer. Choosing soon between M and Boston College.
Tony Posada FL *** M, USF, Kansas, Wake   Wake, Kansas, USF. M offer, in his top three. M leads, plans to visit. Visiting in the summer. Mentions M first. M was his first offer. Camp visitor, even considering a commitment. M atop his list. Close to florida offer. Deciding soon. TVH update. August 11th decision.
Offered Prospects
Name State Stars Schools Y/N Notes
Jake Fisher MI ***.5 M, MSU, Others Picking up some D-1 interest. Leaves M camp holding an offer. Deciding soon. Webb fluff. After M and MSU visits, he's made up his mind. Announcing that decision soon. Mich commit.
Aundrey Walker OH **** OSU, others Expected by many to end up better than Marcus Hall (Glenville c'09). Michigan will likely never land a Glenville kid that OSU wants. M offers. OSU probably leads. Do they have room for more OL? Profiled in Detroit News. Camp visitor.
James Elliott PA ** open M offers.
Chris Bryant IL *** M, others Impressed at M Football Showcase. Wants an M offer. Camp visitor. Waiting for the M offer. Michigan follows through. M visit.
Prospects
Name State Stars Schools Y/N Notes
Bryan Bell MI ** MSU, M others Grew up an M fan, but hasn't heard from them as much as from MSU and the like. Tackle prospect. Top 12 instate. Top two of Michigan and MSU. Will try to earn an M offer at elite camp.
Kody Woods IN ** open Will visit M this summer.

Defensive Tackle

Needs: High. Michigan got two slasher types in the 2010 class (Ash and Talbott). But Patterson is graduating, Martin could jump to the NFL and Campbell could switch to offense, leaving just two scholarship DTs on the roster, and both more built to play the Banks/Sagesse DT spot; we need a Nose.

Status: Nobody favors M, but there are a couple offers out there to top prospects.

Projected Commits: 1-2.

Committed Prospects
Name State Stars Schools Y/N Notes
Chris Rock OH ***.5 M, OSU, others M has offered. Grew up an Ohio State fan. Enjoyed Night of Champions. M commit. Hello: post. Local paper commitment fluff.
Offered Prospects
Name State Stars Schools Y/N Notes
Darian Cooper MD **** open M coaches on him hard down to the end.
Delvon Simmons PA *** open The M offer has them in his top 3. Visiting M eventually. Fluff.
Prospects
Name State Stars Schools Y/N Notes
Mason Fuller IL *** open Impressed at the Michigan Showcase, but not mentioning M.
Phillip Dukes SC **** Clemson, SoCar, M, others. Wants to visit M, which resides among his favorites.

Defensive End

Needs: High. Need pass rushers.

Status: Michigan's tough 2010 likely cost us a shot at OH DE Steve Miller and MI LB Lawrence Thomas. Beyer and Rock are already signed, but M hasn't slowed its pursuit of several 3-4* rushers.

Projected Commits: 2.

Defensive Ends
Commitments
Name State Stars Schools Y/N Notes
Brennen Beyer MI **** M M offer, and he grew up a Wolverine fan. M Junior Day. Will decide before his senior season. I saw him at MIchigan Spring practice. Will visit ND before making a decision. Willing to work. Still likes M. Commits. TTB film breakdown.
Keith Heitzman OH *** M  
Offered Prospects
Name State Stars Schools Y/N Notes
Prospects
Name State Stars Schools Y/N Notes
Sascha Craig PA ** OSU, M, Pitt, PSU From Monroeville Gateway, a former M pipeline that has been kind to OSU of late. Could also be an MLB.

Linebacker

Needs: High. Michigan has filled the past couple classes with bodies, but not elite players who are natural to the linebacker position. Let's get some of those, K?

Status: Not landing elite backyard prospects Trey DePriest or Lawrence Thomas is disappointing, but M has a solid pickup in Kellen Jones and ("keep winning!") looks good for Kris Frost.

Projected Commits: 2.

Commitments
Name State Stars Schools Y/N Notes
Kellen Jones TX **** Cincy, MSU, M others Gets M offer, calls it a "dream come true." Decision timeframe set. TomVH tidbits. Full interview. Visiting M July 29th. Commits.
Desmond Morgan MI *** M, Northwestern  
Antonio Poole OH **** M M commit.
Offered Prospects
Name State Stars Schools Y/N Notes
Leilon Willingham CO **** M, TAMU, Colo, others  
Branden Jackson PA *** M, Pitt, Big East, Others Enjoys Big House BBQ. Fluff.
Prospects
Name State Stars Schools Y/N Notes
Dwight Trammer MI *** M, others From the emerging Inkster pipeline. Rod Smith was scouting him earlier this year. M is co-leader.
Terrell Porter MI **.5 open Excelled at BadgerSport combine. Plans to unofficially visit M.

Safety

Needs: Er...Moderate? Plenty of youth and depth at bandit/spur, but an elite guy to play deep safety is the No. 1 need for this class.

Status: Michigan in the mix for some serious players, but doesn't lead for any of them. CB Avery Walls could play FS.

Projected Commits: 2.

Safety
Commits
Name State Stars Schools Y/N Notes
Greg Brown OH ***.5 Michigan Committed to Michigan shortly after receiving his official offer in September '09. Army nominee. Soft? Visited Syracuse. Early enrollment.
Offered Prospects
Name State Stars Schools Y/N Notes
Name State Stars Schools Y/N Notes
Maika Polamalu PA *** open Interested in Michigan.

Desman Carter

CA *** Pac-10, TXAM, Duke, M, Others. Hearing from Michigan.

Cornerback

Needs: High. Like deep safety, the cornerback depth chart has lots of young bodies, but an elite player likely sees the field immediately. An S/CB hybrid type to play FS in the 3-3-5 is a major need. M needs bodies to fill the depth chart, because right now the dime package uses every scholarship CB on hand.

Status: Brown (soft verbal) and Hollowell are elf-kind, but fill the need for depth. Not a good year for cornerbacks: Rivals has no 5-stars at the position, but M's currently the 3rd wheel of their No. 1's (Doran Grant) top three.

Projected Commits: 2.

Commitments
Name State Stars Schools Y/N Notes
Delonte Hollowell MI ***.5 Michigan The latest in a long line of little corners to come out of Cass Tech. Michigan and CMU are his only offers, and he currently favors M. Committed on 1-17-10. Army All-Combine. Looks good in a combine. Firm to M. Great play in a combine. Camp visitor. Fluff.
Blake Countess MD **** M, GT, Maryland  
Tamani Carter OH *** M commit.  
Raymon Taylor MI *** M commit, IU  
Offered Prospects
Name State Stars Schools Y/N Notes
Prospects
Name State Stars Schools Y/N Notes

A reminder: the Star Scale for Rumor Credibility.

  • 0-star: incoherent ravings.
  • 1-star: clearly biased speculation without backing.
  • 2-star: Some guy saying something on some board that claims insider info due to a chance occurence.
  • 3-star: Information from someone less established as an insider but a frequent poster who seems sane and useful.
  • 4-star: recognized insider-type person with no ax to grind who has established his bonafides on past recruits.
  • 5-star: actually verified by an article and a quote from the player, a family member, or a coach.

So. Cutoff is two stars... sometimes three. Played by feel. In the future there will be denotations as follows:

UV: the information in sum(star rating).

Links will be provided so you can judge for yourself; posts that will fall into the memory hole will be copied for posterity.