That sound you hear outside is your FSU friend. For your health and safety, please read this before answering the door.

YOINK

So Michigan finally has a 2016 offensive tackle! Last night they secured a commitment from LA Tech (and onetime LSU commit) 2021 grad transfer OT Willie Allen. The 6'6"/345 Allen sat out this season because of COVID and entered the transfer portal a couple of days ago. Experiencing their own tackle hell, 247's FSU site jumped on the news that the Seminoles had been in contact. Alas, one of the OL super-rich wanted him more. Allen plans to enroll here next spring, when Mayfield is expected to be in the NFL.

I'll get more into it when I get around to a Hello next week but it's a good idea for Michigan to pursue grad transfers for the 2021 class. The NCAA won't be counting any current senior against the 85 cap next year, and a year of graduate education at a top-echelon grad school is some world-class bait. 

Your FSU friend is peeved about this, but not as much as he's going to be now that…

YOINKY YOINK.

As you no doubt noticed, Recent 4.5* FSU decommit Branden Jennings, a top-100 LB, is committing sometime today committed at exactly the same time this article was scheduled to post. Not that we were surprised; 247's Miami guy Andrew Ivins noted when the date was announced($), that Miami (YTM) hasn't communicated lately and Clemson is full, leaving just the M hat. This is how a near-5* sneaks into your class without raising an explosion.

Ace's hello post was a couple of hours ago but that's enough time for the sites to get their react articles up. 247's Steve Wiltfong has more from Jennings's head coach about Branden's college preparedness and what he meant by "Big Ten linebacker":

““He could go to practice with them tomorrow night after our game and you wouldn’t know which kid is from high school and he would look better than 75 percent of their linebackers and be just as intense as they are. ... They got themselves a vicious linebacker that just wants to hit. When I say vicious it’s between the rules. He plays football the way it’s supposed to be played and you’re going to be hit and driven. That kid is a Big Ten linebacker. I told him you remind me of (James) Laurinaits, those big inside Michigan, Michigan State linebackers hitting that 225-pound running back from Wisconsin on inside zone on 4th and 1.”

Rivals says Jennings is already up to 235 and also got Geis on record about readiness, though this time the Big Ten LB comp was to a former Illini:

“Branden breaks helmets. He plays so violent. He’s just different. He plays like Dick Butkus played back in the 1960s."

I take it he means Butkus when he wasn't getting planted on his ass by Jim Conley. There's some question about what position Jennings might play on the next level. We also neglected to mention his nickname is Godzilla. Quick watch of that tape (all at MLB) bears that out—he tackles, you stop—but his bend is his most impressive/translatable asset. Immediate and close comp is Victor Hobson, and I'll let you use Brown's imagination to figure out what that is in a modern defense—they're even ranked close together.

Sucks for the Noles; he was their highest-rated recruit, in addition to a legacy.

[After THE JUMP: Michigan may not be done raiding the Noles 2021 class. Little Bro wants to play Brandball. Your author adds recruits to the board]

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YOINK, YOINKITY YOINK-YOINK?

Michigan still badly wants FSU CB commit Omarion "Duke" Cooper, and as I mentioned in football bits, Omarion's mom told 247's Brice Marich that we're "showing they need my son" ($, info in title). He also told Marich that Zordich has made a strong impression. The visit situation is a problem because getting up here from Florida before an early enrollment is going to be difficult with official visits disallowed. Mom's quote from that first article:

“Of course, I would like to visit and see Michigan,” Ms. Duncan said. “I would want to see what they are offering in terms of education, what are their plans and how would they help him study if he was to fall short of anything. That’s my main thing, which is education. Football is secondary.”

If visits were on I think we'd feel really good about this. Since they're not, we're hoping Michigan can pull off something like Oklahoma's trying to do to get Donovan Edwards up there unofficially. If Michigan loses this one, it won't be an effort thing. Marich again($):

“Well, they aren’t coming so heavy, but once in awhile,” [said] Cooper of FSU's contact. “They aren’t coming as heavy as Michigan. It matters, but I also know they are busy.”

Yea, busy losing.*

*[Do not share this line with your angry friend outside]

BRAND AWARENESS

MI 4* DT Rayshaun Benny announced a commitment date of October 25 along with an official top four of Michigan, MSU, PSU, and Kentucky. Michigan seemingly led this one ever since they made it clear they want him on defense. The latter two are not considered that much of a threat—Kentucky has recruited his school well but he's a different kind of guy than some former teammates, and Penn State wanted him mostly on offensive line. But MSU head coach Mel Tucker is coming in desperate. 247's Sam Webb talked to Benny (free article), who shared that MSU's taking a novel approach:

“I think it was only Michigan State that did it for me… that showed me how they can build my brand. I think it was just Michigan State. It might have been somebody else, but (the only one) that I could think of right now, it's Michigan State."

Most programs have been wary about directly discussing how name & image licensing will affect earning potential because the details are still so unknown, but it's an interesting tack for MSU. On our recent WTKA Roundtable segment Sam noted MSU's Nike contract (10 years, $34M) is a fraction the size of Michigan's (11 years, $169M). And that was after MSU's best run since the 1960s, not the desperate times of Mel Tucker. Since State broke the seal, Michigan now has a couple of weeks to make the easiest case in recruiting.

THEY LISTENED TO SETH!

Several months ago a guy on the 247 message board mentioned Michigan should offer this 2-star viper prospect out of Virginia named Maurice Freeman. I checked out the video, felt the Khaleke feels, and added Freeman to the board thusly:

A Guy Seth Unilaterally Added to the Board
Player	State	Stars	Schools	Y/N	Previously
Maurice Freeman	VA	**.5	IU commit		Guy on 247 boards, Seth adds to board, Don't click here.

He since committed to Indiana and that was going to be that until Rivals EJ Holland put this in a Blue Chips($):

*** Michigan recently extended an offer to two-star 2021 Chesapeake (Va.) Oscar Smith athlete Maurice Freeman, who is committed to Indiana. There have been reports that Michigan likes him as a safety, but I've been told that this was a general linebacker offer. Freeman is 6-foot, 200 pounds and is only going to get bigger at the next level. With that said, Freeman does have experience playing safety and could fill multiple roles in Don Brown's scheme. So can Michigan flip him?

Holland answers that at the link, along with his thoughts on Jennings and CB target Ceyair Wright. FYI Freeman intends to enroll in December so this would have to get done quick. Please do it.

THEY SHOULD LISTEN TO SETH AGAIN

Brian put it in UV already but it bears repeating that this quarterback/defensive tackle is a 2021 Iowa State commit.

Meet Howard Brown, a 6'2" 275 lb QB/DT combo.

Committed to @CycloneFB, Brown has thrown for over 6,000 yards and 82 TDs pic.twitter.com/Zobk7eRuME

— RADIO.COM Sports (@RDCSports) October 14, 2020

Please inform your local quarterback- and defensive tackle-deficient collegiate football organization.

2022 OFFENSIVE LINE THINGS

Lorenz put out his mini-board($). 2022 TN 4* OT Fisher Anderson, who could be a national prospect, visited this week, soaked in the sun, and watched practice from the bridge, according to Marich on the podcast—sounds like Ann Arbor in the fall and the Brown Jug worked their thing.

ANOTHER 2022 SAFETY TO REMEMBER

Brice Marich was down in Florida and started talking to FL 3* S Devin Moore, who's "very familiar with the Wolverines" ($, info title). Moore has family up here, has family ties to the Lions. Marich also said Moore was the clear star of the game, which included 2022 #1 RB Richard Young.

HAPPY TRAILS

Michigan got nowhere with their offer to AL 3* CB Kamari Lassiter; he's committing in a few weeks to Auburn if not Clemson or Georgia.

ETC.

ESPN moved up TN LB commit Junior Colson. More good signs ($, info title) for Donovan Edwards to Michigan. Free article on DE commit/recently named All-American Quintin Somerville. Separate Rivals updates on Traverse City 2022 LB target Josh Burnham($) and Michigan's many New England prospects($). Offer($, info title) to 2022 4* DE Tyson Ford. PSU may now have a slight edge for DT George Rooks($) since he didn't commit before his season. Andre Seldon's brother got a Bama offer.