Friday Recruitin' Buckles Up
Today's recruiting roundup discusses the latest on Laquon Treadwell, Kendall Fuller, and Derrick Green, plus much more. Also included is an interview with 2014 running back Jonathan Hilliman.
Pursuit Of Quon: Successful?
The eyes of the recruiting world are on Oregon this weekend as Nike's mega-camp The Opening officially kicked off yesterday. Michigan sends a contingent of seven commits—Shane Morris, Kyle Bosch, Jake Butt, Taco Charlton, David Dawson, Jourdan Lewis, and Mike McCray—and other top targets are in attendance. None is getting more attention right now than IL WR Laquon Treadwell, however, after he tweeted yesterday morning that a decision could come imminently:
So much going on my decision coming soon.
— Laquon Treadwell (@SuccessfulQuon) July 5, 2012
This is a stark departure from Treadwell's recent statements about taking his officials before making a decision, but a later tweet appeared to indicate that his mind is largely made up. Mike Farrell subsequently reported that a decision could come as soon as this weekend; even if Treadwell waits until he gets home, there's an overwhelming sense that this one is just about over.
By a stroke of luck, Sam Webb had the same flight to Oregon as Treadwell, and he posted a two-part video interview from the gate at Chicago O'Hare. Part one is free; Treadwell attributes his change of heart to simply waking up with that feeling in his gut and says that his mom has given him the go-ahead to commit if he so desires. In part two($), he reiterates that Michigan leads for his services; Oklahoma State is the other school mentioned as a favorite despite Treadwell not visiting Stillwater yet. He also discusses his friendship with Shane Morris, saying that Morris is practically his "best friend."
Treadwell does say that he still wants to see a couple of his favorites—likely Oklahoma State and Oklahoma, as he had a previous trip set up there that was cancelled due to a tornado—so one gets the sense that he's still trying to sort things out. While his decision timing is uncertain, there's little doubt as to the favorite for his services: Treadwell says Michigan "feels like home," while he's yet to even set foot on the campus of the one school (Ok. St.) that appears to have even a remote chance to unseat the Wolverines. Now Treadwell will spend the weekend with seven Michigan commits—including recruiter extraordinaire Morris—in his ear. You know what to do...
Fuller, Green Plan Visits
If Treadwell does commit, Michigan will be left with one scholarship slot (barring unexpected attrition) and several worthy candidates to fill it. Several of those candidates, including MD CB Kendall Fuller and VA RB Derrick Green, are currently at The Opening, where they'll surely get a visit and recruiting pitch from the Wolverine crew.
Mike Farrell tweeted yesterday that Clemson and Virginia Tech are "neck and neck" at the top for Fuller, with Michigan in his top three but trailing. Fuller has visits to both of his leaders set for later this month. While this doesn't bode well for Michigan's chances, Tim Sullivan reports that Fuller plans to take an official visit to Ann Arbor ($, info in header). The Wolverines are playing catch-up here, so an opportunity to get Fuller on campus is one they must capitalize on.
Green, meanwhile, texted me a top 13 this week of Tennessee, Michigan, Oregon, Ohio State, Ole Miss, Virginia Tech, Auburn, Clemson, Alabama, Miami, Pitt, Oklahoma State, and Oklahoma. He also talked to ESPN's Damon Sayles about visiting Ann Arbor for the BBQ at the Big House on July 29th($), saying he's looking forward to chatting with Brady Hoke in person since Hoke wasn't on campus for his first visit. Green has played things pretty close to the vest thus far but Michigan likely has ground to cover here, as well.
CA DT Eddie Vanderdoes trimmed his list to a final ten that does not include Michigan($), likely because the Wolverines are no longer in need of a defensive tackle.
247 updated their 2013 rankings. Tremendous has the full breakdown of risers and fallers; most moves were minor save for David Dawson (up to #157 from #196) and Patrick Kugler (up to #154 from #206).
Chris Fox "Fully Committed"
Despite recent rumors of a potential decommitment, Chris Fox told 247's Todd Worly($) that he's "fully committed to Michigan," and "nothing is going to change." Until further notice, there's nothing to see here.
Speaking of nothing to see here, David Dawson caused a stir yesterday when he tweeted that his Michigan teammates had "left [him]" while at The Opening, then saying he was chilling with a group of Florida commits. Dawson has recently discussed camping at Florida, so we now have a new panic about a possible decommitment. I'll only say this on the matter: STOP hanging onto every word a recruit says on Twitter. In fact, I'll reiterate that you should probably stop following recruits entirely, especially if you're the type to worry about stuff like Dawson's tweet. It's just not worth it. It's the job of people like myself, TomVH, Tim Sullivan, and Steve Lorenz to follow these recruits and pass along any information that's actually pertinent. If anything newsworthy arises out of the Dawson situation—and hanging out with Florida commits is beyond not newsworthy—we'll keep you posted.
2014 Updates
Sam Webb's latest piece at the Detroit News covers FL WR Corey Holmes, one of Michigan's early offerees. Holmes talks about getting "butterflies" and being speechless upon receiving the offer, while his father has high praise for Michigan and Brady Hoke:
"I was thoroughly impressed with everything Michigan had to offer, from A to Z," Mr. Holmes said. "From the academics, to the facilities, the coaching staff, and definitely Coach Hoke. I've always respected him, and thought, 'Hey, what a great coach.' But to meet him in person — I walked away with a big smile on my face because he's a motivator, a straight shooter, and that's all you can ask for. You want your kid to be in the hands of someone that's going to take care of them. The family atmosphere that they preach is legit. I got a chance to see some of the players, and some of the coaching staff — they were unbelievable. It was better than I expected."
The younger Holmes grew up as a Michigan fan, and while he says he's still open, the Wolverines are "a favorite." Holmes also provided a diary of his Michigan camp experience to Tremendous, and you have to like Michigan's chances after reading a quote like this:
I sat in Coach's office and didn't really know what to do or say. It was such an indescribable feeling. He sat down and talked to my father and I about himself, his love for Michigan and complimented me on my performance at the camp. It was then that he offered me a scholarship to play for Michigan. I really had no idea how to react. I had accomplished what I set out to do. After getting offered, I was given a full tour of campus, the amazing facilities and best of all, the Big House. It was a breathtaking experience, one that I’ll never forget. To think that a kid from South Florida made it all the way to Ann Arbor and received an offer to play football for the University of Michigan is just too much to think about. Truly a mission complete.
Both articles are well worth your time. Holmes appears to be an early favorite to end up as a member of Michigan's class of 2014.
Massilon (OH) Washington OL Nathaniel Devers has visited several schools over the summer and he tells Matt Pargoff that Michigan and Northwestern have emerged as his top two. He's yet to earn a Wolverine offer, but if he does he's another player to keep an eye on.
An Interview With Jonathan Hilliman
One of Michigan's first offers for the 2014 class went out to NJ RB Jonathan Hilliman, who also holds offers from Miami (YTM), Nebraska, Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State, and Wisconsin, among others. Hilliman stands at 6'0", 201 pounds, and according to 247 he rushed for 426 yards and four touchdowns on just 58 carries as a sophomore in 2011. I caught up with Jonathan earlier this week to talk about his recruitment, visits, timeline, and more:
ACE: First of all, which schools are talking to you the most right now in your recruitment, and how many offers do you have right now?
JONATHAN: I'd say the schools that have been reaching out the most have been Michigan, Miami, PSU, Rutgers, and Ohio State. I have 11 offers so far.
ACE: Out of the schools you've been in contact with, do you have any early favorites or a top group?
JONATHAN: I can't really say that yet. I'd have to take some visits and meet coaches before I could narrow it down.
ACE: Discussing Michigan specifically, who have you been in contact with from the school? What are the coaches telling you about your potential role in the offense?
JONATHAN: I talk to a lot of the coaches, but we haven't discussed those aspects as of yet—probably [will] during my potential visit.
ACE: Do you have any visits set up yet? Which schools would you like to check out?
JONATHAN: I'm taking four visits this summer and I pretty want to see every school at this point.
ACE: When you visit schools, what factors are you looking for that will help you make your decision?
JONATHAN: The support staff for student athletes, the coaching staff, the campus itself, and the recruits at the school.
ACE: I know it's very early in the process, but do you have any idea of when you'd like to narrow down your options or make a final decision?
JONATHAN: The end of my senior season.
ACE: If you had to scout yourself, what would you say are your biggest strengths as a player, and what are you working on to improve for your junior year and beyond?
JONATHAN: I'd say the speed and power I have for my size. I have good vision and I can elude tacklers. One improvement I would have to make is my explosiveness and flexibility.
ACE: Coming from St. Peter's Prep, I'm sure you've had the chance to talk with other D-I level recruits [they had three FBS signees last year]. What advice have you received for how to handle your recruitment?
JONATHAN: Stay humble, be personable, take all your visits, speak clearly, and give off a good impression to potential coaches.
"He also discusses his friendship with Shane Morris, saying that Morris is practically his "best friend."
/trying not to get too damn excited
but I'm really glad I saw this at home and not at work tomorrow. On behalf of everyone with a job at a computer, who would totally get in trouble if a boss saw this picture on an otherwise harmless website, can we please tone it down a little bit with the embedded pictures?
A-train. Good size, shorter strides but still decent speed. It was a short clip, but seems to have good vision and cutting ability too.
Kugleybear? Please tell me you know him personally and feel comfortable calling him that...
How bout Kugleyquon?
man, how did Coleridge know that far back?
Rush knew...
Check out the last question from his interview with Tremendous:
http://www.michigantremendous.com/2012/04/tremendous-makes-friends-with…
We all know Brady Hokes stance on committed recruits visiting other schools, but that camp in FL isn't considered a college visit right?
I completely agree on the don't follow recruits advice. I followed maybe a dozen of them and then it just felt creepy and excessive to get 80% high school thoughts and 20% relevant football stuff on my feed. I only follow Shane now and even that's a bit much at times. Do your civic duty people, follow the pros and you'll still get all of the relevant stuff.
I love following recruiting, but too many of these recruiting people try to be friends with the recruits, whether it's on Facebook, Twitter, or personally. It's definitely a little weird.
That's great. You look up to them. They're role models for you.
If you're 30 years old or 50 years old and trying to be friends with 17-year-old kids, that's when it gets strange.
I just noticed your tag and were probably around the same age and I also agree. While I was recruited to play a sport before getting hurt it wasnt at this type of level or for football although it was D1. Also only of note to you I go to Bloomsburg and Im also class of 15
There are a lot of people out there who are would-be recruiting analysts at best. I've been trimming them down lately as well.
Add me to the list of people who think that no one over 21 should be following a high school prospect's twitter account... I even think it's exploitive, but this probably isn't the format for that discussion...
love,
jdon
Ace has told us not to worry about David Dawson. So I won't. Or I'll try not to.
I will say this however. Despite having no knowledge whatsoever about offensive lineman skills, potential, etc., David Dawson has quickly become the offensive line recruit I am most excited about.
This is likely due to the fact that there has been more out there about Dawson, (and exciting tidbits like the coach using Dawson as an example to the others over and over to teach technique at the one camp, which seems like a real indication of skill, as opposed to a review, somehow). Magnusson or Kalis may be better, but we just haven't heard as much about them.
That said, it's sunk in, and I'm now convinced David Dawson is awesome and the best ever.
So please don't break my heard Mr. David Dawson.
That is all.
Don't break UP the heard? Or your heart? Or don't have the heard trample on your heart? Or don't have your heart beat as loud as a heard?
We didn't hear much about Kalis?
....
....
....
....
....are you sure?
And didn't we hear a lot about Magnuson too? He was in big camps in CA and the AAA game. We haven't heard much about him lately, well, because he's not a recruit anymore.
we heard tons about Kalis. I think he's forgetting Kalis was a 2012 recruit..naturally we're not hearing as much about them anymore.
what kind of a player is corey holmes? #are the rankings for his class out yet?
The rankings aren't out, but considering his offers so far, my guess is that he'll be a top 250 recruit. I don't think he's top 100 material unless he grows significantly or gets faster, but he's pretty good.
We shouldn't worry about David Dawson visiting Florida? Because according to 24/7 he is going to take a visit there.
Where he might visit isn't one of them.
the "trust us to pass along pertinent information" advice isn't so convincing next to the claims that dawson's constant grumbling is nothing. what other revealing stuff do you guys think isn't pertinent information?
one of 'those' fans. i don't even have an active twitter account. (iirc, i have my full name reserved on a protected, unused account that's following nobody.) but i think it's reasonable to talk about stuff like this on a dedicated site.
Where exactly did the one more scholarship assumption come from? Have the coaches been telling the recruits this? I know this already accounts for some attrition. Given the substantial likelihood of at least one decommit between now and signing day it's prudent to keep recruiting.
What does the (YTM) stand for whenever Brian types Miami (YTM)? I am aware he is referring to the Canes, but was just curious as to the longform of the acronym. Thanks.
YTM: Yes, that Miami (FL)
NTM: Not that Miami (Miami, OH)
Good to see we have Salma as plan B if Kate decommits.
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