This is my last round on crootin, as Ace will take over during the season and I can go back to caring about the players on the field (for other teams). There's a 2021 recruiting board and a 2022 recruiting board I left as well. Use in good health.

Over the last 8 months I've learned a lot about recruiting. I also learned being a recruit coveted by coaches around the country/region is much like being a swing voter when every politician on the ballot has your phone number.

In the process I have discovered five main themes that candidates running against Michigan will use in their negative campaigns, and you can usually tell the source from the type.

• A: Those coaches will be gone in a year. Whenever Michigan's doing well, Harbaugh's a candidate for every NFL opening and Brown's ready to fulfill his lifelong dream of becoming the head coach of UConn. If Michigan's down, Harbaugh's getting fired and Brown's off to be the head coach of a high school in Chester's Mill, Maine.
• B: Michigan will never beat Ohio State. One time I literally saw Michigan end a game with more points than Ohio State, and they still didn't beat Ohio State, so this one's pretty on the nose.
• C: It's so cold up there that your boogers will freeze inside your nose and if you don't rub really hard and fast the frozen boogers will grow up your nasal canal and cause brain damage. You'd be amazed how many sunbelt kids come on a visit and are like "This is actually really nice," either because as elite athletes they're putting out so many BTUs that it's never less than 60℉ around them, or because it's October and actually 60℉.
• D: Michigan doesn't have any love for Michigan. This is a complaint heard mostly from some metro-Detroit high school coaches who are never pleased that Michigan recruits out-of-state, and from some players who have to go to some second-rate program nobody cares about like Kentucky or Michigan State because Michigan had eyes for some Florida speedster.
• E: Ann Arbor is Murder Capital, USA. "You're not from around there, so you don't know how rough it is in and around Detroit. Have you seen Robocop? Do you think your son would be safe there?" –Notre Dame, really.

I now understand why so many recruits respond to follow-up polling with "I just want to get it over with and focus on the season."

So let's do it.

[After the JUMP: Benny moves it back, McBurrows moving up?, a cornerback from distance]

Normally when I use stuff from the paid sites I share a tiny bit or some title information only, but I'm going to have to make an exception with a bit from Rivals's EJ Holland's recent ITF($) because the longest-running recruiting plotline that only I care about is close to coming to fruition:

[Branden Jennings' commitment] doesn't not mean the Wolverines won't continue to pursue Indiana athlete pledge Maurice Freeman. I was originally told that the Freeman offer was for a general linebacker spot. After more evaluation, Michigan likes Freeman as a Viper/Jumbo Safety. A Jennings commitment would have no affect on Freeman. He is a take for the Wolverines at this time. How realistic is a flip? Well, Freeman has never visited, but he is not enrolling early, and there is definitely interest there. I think it's a very realistic flip situation.

/does a flip.

In recruiting not about a 3-star viper I'm obsessed with, that link has some pretty good news about a pretty good shot at a pretty damn important pretty good cornerback($) in the 2021 class.

BENNY MOVES IT BACK AGAIN

After suddenly moving up his commitment timeline last week, MI 4* DT Rayshaun Benny has moved his decision back until after the season, citing focus on the season and playoffs($). (Oak Park is 0-5 but all teams in Michigan are eligible this year and he's just getting back from an injury.) Benny originally planned to take his time and commit in the winter, but with visits off he said last week there's nothing more to learn and gave schools until this Sunday to make their final pitches. Now it's pushed back to December again as he mulls them.

Each time it seems those things are just somebody else burning their jet fuel to catch the pace car. Last week it was Michigan State talking NIL. This week it's Kentucky taking trash about in-state recruiting($) that has various people worried about the usual things Michigan fans worry about. The source for both seems to be Wildcats commit Maxwell Hairston from West Bloomfield, who convinced the Cats 247 guy the Wildcats are in it($) because "Benny recently had a good, long conversation with his former teammate Justin Rogers." He told Rivals' Austin Fox something far more worrisome($). Holland said afterwards he's a bit concerned Benny buys it($) and the Rivals roundtable was all over the place. All sources agree the nature of this talk was Type D.

One of our most useful tea leaves for a player's true intentions is which media he and his family are talking to. With Benny, we're hearing about MSU's pitch because Benny told Sam Webb about it, hearing about new doubts because he told Austin Fox about it, and we're hearing about Kentucky's "we're more Michigan than Michigan" approach third-hand from a Kentucky commit. It's never a good sign to be the team that leads for ever and ever and can't seal it. The consensus still appears to be Michigan, and that it was probably better to have a commitment on October 25th than wait around while other schools in his finalist list lob Type A or B aspersions.

OTHER DT OPTIONS? If Michigan misses on Benny or NJ 4* George Rooks, who closed down his recruitment for football season, there aren't many more options. One who's been on the board forever is LSU soft commit Anthony Hundley, who's at IMG with Crippen and McCarthy. EJ Holland recently shared there may be some hurdles($) but that seems like the next place to look if things turn south (or north). CMU commit Pius Odjugo is 6'3/324 and local (River Rouge), but told Lorenz he hasn't heard from Michigan in a long time($) and nothing from Odjugo's 2020 season seems likely to change that.

FLORIDA PIPELINE CON'T.

Sam Webb and Brice Marich discussed the potential fallout of the Branden Jennings commit on the rest of the class in their latest podcast. The short version is the Jennings is so versatile it doesn't scare them. It might even help steady the wobbly commitment of FL 4* Jaydon Hood, who's a very different kind of player and might like having another Florida guy in the class.

Speaking of Hood, Sam said the athletic LB is struggling with the transition to Aquinas as he works to get the scheme down, but physically still reminds him of Kalel Mullings. Hood is "solid" to Michigan but still planning to take visits after the new year; if the dead period gets extended again that can't happen, which actually sucks for Michigan because he hasn't visited here still.

There's some disagreement between the sites whether Jennings would move FSU commit Omarion Cooper. Marich said the two know each other but don't really know each other. EJ Holland said "the two actually talk often"($) and more. Next to Michigan's full-staff effort, Jennings jumping into the recruitment of Cooper is probably a drop in the bucket either way. Marich called Cooper "a three-point shot" since getting him on campus is a big challenge. Also FSU just won a huge game against then #5 UNC. Also also Michigan isn't the only school recruiting him away from FSU now($) says Holland.

Sam also saw commit Ja'Den McBurrows, whose hips/speed are LEGIT, and whose pick turned the tide of the game, reminds Sam of Jourdan/Vert (pre-hamstring)/Long, except none of those guys hit like McBurrows. He's 100% locked into Michigan, which is good because he too hasn't visited. Sam wrote up his thoughts on the game and all but begged Michigan to jump on the 2023 WR superstar on the other team($). 247 Miami (YTM) guy Gaby Urrutia was also at the game and also noticed the big plays($):

The Michigan commit I did come away impressed with was three-star cornerback Ja'Den McBurrows. I thought he showed some pretty sharp instincts and coverage skills. He picked off two passes and one should have gone for a touchdown, but a penalty away from the ball wiped the score off the board.

The low-3* is due for a rankings upgrade says Ivins($).

Sam also shared that McBurrows and Hood insisted they add 4.5* DE Dallas Turner to the photo "because he's going to Michigan!" Sam says Turner was "a beast" in that game but there doesn't seem to be much hope($) of flipping Bama's #5 commit beyond the fact that two teammates are working him.

WE'RE GETTING THE BAND TOGETHER

Official visits can't officially happen, but a group of Michigan recruits, led by JJ McCarthy of course, have been planning to get together here and watch a game together. Dates have fluctuated as they worked out how various important targets (e.g. 2022 CB Domani Jackson) can fit it in their schedules($, info in title), and it looks like it's going to be the Wisconsin game. The big news from this is 2021 4.5* CB Ceyair Wright and his family are planning to be on campus($), reports 247's Greg Biggens and Holland($). Both Jackson and Wright are friends with freshman Darion Green-Warren from their 7v7 program.

I've been calling Wright one of those California corners (Leon Hall, David Long et al.) Michigan works on quietly for an entire cycle, gets on campus, and yoinks at the end. Without a visit I think everyone, including me, was giving up hope, and when Wright announced an Army Game commitment date the predictions flew in for USC, where he's visited numerous times.

The Army Game was canceled by the way, but they're still going to broadcast a bunch of commitments. Anyway, now there's hope.

I got questioned on CB recruiting in last week's post:

Why aren't top flight 2021 CB recruits just sprinting to Ann Arbor right now? CB depth is worrisome.

And then gave a long answer that people were like "uh, why didn't you put it in the roundup?" So here you go, junkies. Not like there are enough words on this blog already today:

Ohio State is selling "We'll make you Jeff Okudah" even though Ohio State didn't do anything to Okudah, and Michigan's impressive string of small corners who put up ridiculous numbers with much better technique keep falling to the 3rd round because they're small. Michigan also keeps losing that Game, and cornerback is one of those positions where natural talent and size are most of the mix. So the top guys are the top guys, and go where they're going to get the most rings, or stay close to home where their family can come see them play (especially since COVID). High schoolers always think they're going to start.

All that said, it's been a bad time for Michigan to get elite corners. When they cast out offers for 2020 the only elite guy who was giving Michigan a look was Tony Grimes, and he quickly and succinctly moved on (he told Sam Webb flat out he's not going to Michigan). It took an incredible amount of work to get Darion Green-Warren after starting early and taking the entire cycle.

The 2021 cycle was similar. There were few local options and none of them really eye-popping; Penn State did a great job of prioritizing the King twins from Cass Tech, and Max Hairston of West Bloomfield wasn't a take.

Michigan was in very early on Jordan Hancock of North Gwinnett but he blew up into a 5* and chose Ohio State over Clemson/Bama. The next guy on their board is Ceyair Wright and Michigan's going to keep trying but without visits how are they selling a Cali kid on their B school when USC can sell him on their film school? Avante Dickerson was Nebraska's to lose until he was lost to Minnesota, but I don't think Michigan had any connections, and he has family in Minneapolis and is from Nebraska. RB/CB ATH Prophet Brown always seemed to have Michigan third behind Oklahoma and USC; Michigan tried the RB angle but when he realized he was a CB he committed to USC. Those are all the elites who were interested in a down year for CBs nationally.

Meanwhile Michigan had guys they ID'd early as Dudes—Ja'Den McBorrows is one—but they're not the only people good at scouting and a lot of those guys fell off the table. Tyreek Chappell got really into Texas A&M out of nowhere (similar story with PA S Donovan McMillon, whom Michigan was on first but he blew up and got SEC eyes). Then there's Omarion Cooper, and I sense if official visits were allowed he'd be in the class by now, but they're stuck working it from afar. Michigan also liked CB/S Ryan Barnes but he chose Notre Dame in a close battle. They also really liked AL 3* Kamari Lassiter but he's got Clemson after him and is an Auburn local so Michigan's out.

They're in WAY better shape to start for 2022. 5* Domani Jackson loves them, 5* Will Johnson is a legacy and local, though Ohio State is selling their bullshit again. NJ 4.5* Jaeden Gould looks like a future commit. Larry Turner-Gooden is Zordich family and could play CB or be Peppers, and we're leading for Bishop-Gorman's Fabian Ross. Those are all guys on the Jourdan Lewis+ line. Under it they are in early on Myles Pollard from Tennessee before anybody else.

A COACH QUOTE ON LOUIS HANSEN

The Massachusetts TE commit of the year can't produce any game film with his league shut down but they did have a recent New England camp that he won. Rivals has the video if watching 260-pound giants abuse Massachusetts kids on a field with soccer goals and a barn is your thing:

Via Chris Balas's recent ITF($) Hansen has the Erick All factor:

“Most of what we’ve done with him is on the receiving side, and he’s a total weapon and a mismatch because of how well he catches,” Burke said. “A quarterback threw a ball the other day, it was thrown behind him, up high. It was not a great ball, and he caught it. And the QB was like, ‘No one should be able to catch that ball.’ It’s unbelievable, some of the catches that he can make. I think that’s one of the things that really sets him apart from other tight ends.”

The jump has another 2900 words of current insider talk (including nice things about current cornerbacks), recruiting, by the way.

2022 DEFENSIVE TACKLE OFFERS HOW ARE YOU?

EJ Holland got up to Bay City to see Michigan's commit Alex VanSumeren, and dumped a scouting report that seems like it's mostly responding to a guy on his message board wondering if AVS is a "dirty" player($):

He is mean, and he plays angry, but I did not see him do anything dirty during my time out in Bay City. Yes, he rag dolled the opposing quarterback even though he didn't have the ball, but it was a read option. I didn't see anything wrong with it.

Football, everybody! AVS is also fielding offers from Alabama, PSU, Stanford, and MSU, and told Holland he plans to take visits($) though he's "not a recruit." That he's blowing up is good; that Michigan could lose him if they have a sucky year is bad news.

Michigan might have a legit shot for 4.5* AL DE/DT Justice Finkley, who has all the SEC offers. Finkley personally asked Marich to come down and see him, and Finkley's parents shared academics will be a big deal($) for a guy who wants to be a neurosurgeon, mentioned Myron Rolle. He's also been to Michigan twice—for OSU last year and in 2016 for the Colorado game with his uncle, a huge Michigan fan.

They also have a good shot at least one of two DT prospects they're targeting in Indiana. 4* Joe Strickland, who seems like the best bet, recently had a fly-by visit($) that mom liked a lot too($). His one crystal ball is to Notre Dame but that's just Tom Loy. 4.5* Caden Curry, who's the top-ranked player in the state, said he's hearing from Michigan a lot ($, info in title), and might get up for a visit soon. Both are build-a-bears: Strickland is 6'4"/245 right now, and Curry is currently listed at 6'4"/240.

MO 4* Tyson Ford blew up at the UC Elite Camp in Columbus this summer but Michigan is just now getting involved($). They also offered($, info in title) MO 3* DT Marquis Gracial, whom you'll be happy to hear is already 295 pounds. Michigan is evaluating($, info title) AZ 3* Zac Swanson.

AS LONG AS I'M DOING THIS THE FALCON GETS HIS OWN SECTION

The guy from my high school, MI 4* ATH Jaden Mangham, seems to be a priority at wide receiver ($, info title).

WERE THEY EVEN ALIVE LAST MARCH?

Sam says remember the name of Brandon Innis, the #1 receiver in the 2023 class, who's at Aquinas and impressed Sam on the field. Michigan was the first visit($) for MO DE Samuel M'Pemba, who is 247's #1 WDE in the cycle.

ETC.

Lorenz has free commitment overviews up on commits Giovanni El-Hadi, Xavier Worthy, Cristian Dixon, Tyler McLaurin, Junior Colson. El-Hadi is playing defense this year($) as well. TE commit Louis Hansen was MVP at the New England Camp ($, info title). Tavierre Dunlap had another 10+ YPC on 20+ carries game. 2022 RB Arlen Harris expects to commit this fall($), is basically down to Iowa and Michigan. Lorenz visited with top 2022 LB target Jaylen Sneed. OSU coming($) for 5* CA CB Domani Jackson, who then immediately planned an unofficial($, info title) to Michigan for the Wisconsin game. IA 4* DT Hunter Deyo is interested in Michigan, doesn't have an offer yet($). Michigan is targeting AL 6'2"/180 3* ATH Omari Kelly at receiver($). GA 3* TE target Oscar Delp got his offer($), might blow up soon($). DE commit Quintin Somerville on the (now-canceled) Army Bowl.