Commits To Invade Ann Arbor Comment Count

Brandon Brown

Team 135

Maybe four of these guys will wear that number at Michigan, but go ahead and update your NCAA dynasty anway

With the regular season in the books and almost three weeks until the bowl game the upcoming weekend has turned into a commit party, with almost every committed 2014 prospect planning to be in attendance. There are a couple that can’t make it and with good reason but the coaches are expecting almost every future member of Team 135 on campus.

Visiting Commits

DT Brady Pallante

DB Jabrill Peppers

OL Juwan Bushell-Beatty

DB Brandon Watson

WR Freddy Canteen

WR Drake Harris

LB Chase Winovich

OL Mason Cole

DE Lawrence Marshall

QB Wilton Speight

TE Ian Bunting

LB Jared Wangler

WR Moe Ways

LB Noah Furbush (was told by other recruits he will be there)



RB Vic Enwere (Currently committed to Cal, was recently visited by Fred Jackson, wants to wait until signing day to make final decision)

Not Visiting

LB Michael Ferns – Ferns used his official visit for the Ohio State game and won’t be able to make the trip this weekend. His parents are busy with basketball season for his younger siblings and Michael is very busy finishing up his coursework as he prepares for early enrollment.

DT Bryan Mone – In about a month Mone will also enroll early and has decided that the lengthy trip from Utah isn’t necessary since he’ll be in Ann Arbor on a more permanent basis very soon.

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The closeness and camaraderie that this class has developed since Ferns first committed over a year ago has always been apparent from the joke-tweeting back and forth between them and the Project 135 campaign created by Ferns and his family. All of the recruits seemed very excited to be getting together this weekend and the visit should help to solidify that bond as signing day nears.

If anything changes or any other names surface I will update as needed.

Comments

Alumnus93

December 13th, 2013 at 9:06 AM ^

Brandon, by now you should know that any crap you get comes from a cornucopia of trolls, msu and osu fans posting here under guise, etc..... and knowing this, that you should ignore it..... for the true Michigan people, many are here, and often are silent, but appreciate your info, more than you know....   so I guess I represent the silent ones, and give a big THANK YOU to you.  Keep up the good work.

I digress.....   Seems like Hoke is just nailing it at LB, WR, OL... but the numbers worry me at DT... Granted Mone and Pallante are coming, and Mone is by far my favorite recruit... but it just seems odd how low our numbers are at DT recruits, notwithstanding a possible draw of having Hoke AND Mattison coach the DL.  Maybe could that be a detriment in the eyes of recruits?  Maybe other programs are negatively pitching that we don't have a full time DL coach?    Maybe Ive been thinking this because Pipkins is out and that we just missed on Hand..... but I have thought this since RR, that our DT spot is our biggest issue... It just seems that DT is the biggest issue to me.....

Magnus

December 13th, 2013 at 1:27 PM ^

I'm not sure why you think the recruiting at DT is so poor. We have an injured Pipkins, perhaps the best DT on the team (Henry), potentially Chris Wormley kicking down to 3-tech, Bryan Mone coming in, a highly recruited guy coming off a redshirt (Poggi), and a good all-around athlete coming off a redshirt (Hurst). Defensive tackle isn't a spot where most guys come in ready to dominate, so I'm not sure why you expect Hoke's recruits to be tearing it up already.

WolvinLA2

December 12th, 2013 at 6:19 PM ^

I get your overall point, but you don't want all of them to redshirt.  First of all, we have 3 really good WRs in that group, two of whom will be enrolling early.  No more than one of them will redshirt, and that's a good thing.  If you could take the average of Butt and Funchess as freshmen, it would be Bunting.  Maybe more like (Butt + 2*Funchess)/3, if that makes sense, since he's probably closer to Funchess than Butt.  Anyway, he shouldn't redshirt.  

Outside of that, they probably all will redshirt, save maybe Mone who also enrolls early and is college ready.  Ferns is also ready, but we have so many LBs, he can wait until at least Morgan graduates.

mgobaran

December 13th, 2013 at 8:38 AM ^

IMO if Bunting is more Funchess than Butt, then he needs to be redshirted. If Bunting is more Butt than Funchess, than let him take over Williams spot in the TE rotation, unless Williams just has an amazing transformation in the offseason.

We need our TE's to be able to block, plain & simple. I'd rather Bunting have a higher chance at being a dual threat TE as a RS Fr. than throw him to the wolves as a true Freshman without learned blocking technique.

If Bunting follows the career path of Funchess, we are going to be in trouble at the TE position, unless one of the freshman Shea-type-H-backs develops into Aaron Shea.

BrokenRhino

December 13th, 2013 at 11:17 AM ^

I think Canteen and Harris will play. Mo Ways might redshirt. We are very thin at experienced receivers next year. Canteen should slide right into the slot. Then Harris can battle later in the season with Darboh for playing time.

Bunt Butt Funch will are going to be hard to handle.

 

Also, a bit telling with Harris wearing #1. I hope he gets it and then earns it.

Magnus

December 13th, 2013 at 10:35 AM ^

Left to right (front row): Noah Furbush, Freddy Canteen, Brandon Watson, Drake Harris, Chase Winovich, Ian Bunting, Wilton Speight, Mason Cole, Lawrence Marshall, Michael Ferns, Brady Pallante.

Left to right (back row): Maurice Ways, George Campbell

WolvinLA2

December 12th, 2013 at 6:21 PM ^

Probably because in 2015, we will Green, Smith, Drake Johnson and true frosh at RB.  That's not a lot of depth.  That also assumes Drake comes back from his injury 100% and there are no other issues with Green and Smith between now and then.  Since signing day 2015 is a long way off, it makes sense to grab one in 2014 for safety.

Todd Plate's n…

December 12th, 2013 at 6:24 PM ^

A combination of a few or all of the following:

1) both Smith and Green played as freshman, maybe they thought Smith would possibly redshirt as they developed their initial recruiting plan for 2014

2) Drake Johnson injury, haven't heard anything...so those in the know, is it a possible career ender?

3) Hand choosing bama opened up a spot in the class (I'll leave this here, even after realizing that Pallante basically took this spot)

4) Someone buried on the depth chart is transferring (I'm not saying that's the case, just maybe possible, thus changing their strategy for '14 at the RB position

Go Blue!

User -not THAT user

December 13th, 2013 at 10:14 AM ^

Georgia has two stud RB's, Gurley and Marshall ("Gurshall", they are lovingly referred to around here...funnier still because their jersey numbers are 3 and 4), both of whom got injured this year and let the UGA offense in a place where they could lose to Vanderbilt.

You can never have enough talented players in high-impact positions.

Magnus

December 13th, 2013 at 10:34 AM ^

As for your first question, it's been answered by some other people, and also running backs tend to be good athletes who can play other positions (WR, S, LB). I think Enwere could be a decent inside linebacker if running back doesn't work out.

As for your second question, we really don't have "needs" at this point. These are no longer the Rich Rodriguez years where transfers, quitters, etc. are killing our depth. We have numbers at every position. Michigan can take the "best available player," in some respects. Running back happens to be a spot where there is a gap between Smith/Green and then Damien Harris, so it makes sense. But I wouldn't be opposed to Michigan taking another QB, WR, TE, OL, DT, DE, LB, CB, or S either.

LSA Superstar

December 12th, 2013 at 5:03 PM ^

Faces with names is fun!  I'll list the ones I know:

LEFT TO RIGHT:

Furbush, Canteen, Watson(?), Ways (standing), Harris, Winovich, Bunting, Campbell(?) (standing), Speight(?), Cole, Marshall, Ferns, and Pallante.

Hotroute06

December 12th, 2013 at 5:11 PM ^

I have high hopes for Chase Winovich.  Once he outs on some weight this kid could be scary good.  His motor and athletecism are elite.

blueuphoria

December 12th, 2013 at 6:32 PM ^

Can someone give me a rundown on the story with Pallente?  I missed his commitment and haven't heard a thing about him.  Rivals has him rated a 2-star, so I am assuming there must be some story there.

WolvinLA2

December 12th, 2013 at 6:38 PM ^

He was originally offered as a grey-shirt, but has since been given the go ahead for immediate full-ride.  

Not sure why he's rated that low, other than he's not a great athlete and doesn't have elite size, but has been a very successful HS player as well as wrestler (which usually translates well to the DL).  I think he should be more like a 3-star guy, but there's no reason he can't be a starter on the DL at some point.  

blueuphoria

December 12th, 2013 at 6:46 PM ^

Is the thought that the staff is trying to build a relationship with a Florida school and thus made this offer?  Considering how Mattison wants to use the DL in his defense, it seems like kind of an offer to a kid that will likely never start.

WolvinLA2

December 12th, 2013 at 7:02 PM ^

You can't say this early that a kid like Pallante will never start.  At this point in their recruiting timelines, I'm sure no one thought guys like Frank Clark, Desmond Morgan, Jake Ryan, Thomas Gordon or certainly Graham Glasgow would ever start, and they will all (likely) be multi-year starters before they graduate.  Those guys were all near the bottom of their recruiting classes (or were walk-ons).  People thought Drake Johnson was an after thought recruit, and before his injury he was #2 on the RB depth chart as a RS Frosh and showing promise.  

Point is, you never know how these guys are going to develop.  Hoke and Mattison know a thing or two about the DL, and like something they see in him.  There are lots of DTs between here and Naples they could have offered instead.

blueuphoria

December 12th, 2013 at 7:42 PM ^

Maybe you're right, but I am underwhelmed.  Michigan hasn't had a truly dominant defensive line in forever (they have had players, but not a whole line of wreckers), so you'll have to forgive me if I am a little incredulous when it comes to believing that Michigan has the ability to consistently develop underrated talent along the DL.