Introducing The Recruiting Overview Board Comment Count

Brian

Hello. This is an attempt to give you a 1,000 foot view of Michigan's current recruiting class. It lives as a wiki post under the "Useful Stuff" heading as well, and can be updated by anyone with 500+ points.

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not eligible sry [Patrick Barron]

SCHOLARSHIPS

We assume Michigan will go to 28.

Michigan has 16 open spots right now plus three specialists who may be on one of those "you get the first spot that opens up" kind of deals. In addition there are 2-4 guys who probably won't get fifth years.

Thus Michigan is expecting to lose at least 5-8 current members of the roster (other than fifth years) before Signing Day. (Big Ten rules prevent teams from oversigning unless they can explain where the scholarship is coming from.) That's not an inordinate number given the roster composition, the sudden possibility of NFL interest, and the fact that this is the first year of a new coach. We know of one guy who is already planning a playing-time transfer, FWIW, and there are no doubt more.

CURRENT CLASS SIZE

We are not considering Dele Harding a commit. He was removed from the Rivals commit list and any insider you poke will tell you they don't expect him to end up at Michigan.

We have also heard that some of the camp commits in the class were explicitly offered grayshirt deals. We are not exactly sure who, but depending on how things go Michigan could end up with extra spots in the class as guys reclassify to 2017 or take opportunities for 2016 elsewhere.

In addition, Chris Evans, Kingston Davis, and David Reese have all announced plans to take visits and should be considered soft commits.

So: the current class is somewhere between 14 and 20 guys. Welcome to 'crootin.

ROOM LEFT AND WHO MICHIGAN IS TARGETING

Michigan can take somewhere between 8 and 14 additional players. They are targeting approximately

  • one running back
  • one wide receiver
  • one tight end
  • one OL
  • one kicker
  • two or three DL
  • two or three LB
  • one or two CB
  • one or two S

The only spot that is definitively full right now is QB.

MICHIGAN FOOTBALL 'CROOTIN OVERVIEW

Position

On The
RADAR

DECENT SHOT TOP GROUP LEADER HARD
COMMITS
QB
(2)

 

B. Peters*
V. Viramontes

RB
(2)

K. Walker

K. Davis* K. Enis
FB
(0)
     
WR
(2 +1)

D Corley

D Stewart

 

D Crawford

B. Hawkins
A. Mitchell
Slot
(1)
P Young
C. Evans
TE
(1+1)
D Asiasi

I Nauta
J Mathis

 

S. McKeon*
OT
(2)

A Akingbulu

J. Delance

 

E. Swenson
D. Hamilton
OG
(2+1)

J Valentin#

 

T. Davis

B. Bredeson
M. Onwenu

C
(0)
 


 

DT
(+1)
B Tagaloa R. Weaver
NT
(+1)
  K Camp
J Elliott
SDE
(1)
C Murphy

R. Gary

R. Johnson
WDE
(1+1)
T Lucas#

L Onwnuzurike

Q Alexander C Kemp
SLB
(0)
    J McCulloch
ILB
(3+1)
D Jackson C Kelly
J Jones
D Reese
D Bush Jr

D. Johnson

CB
(8+1)

M Hardman

D Long

L Hill

A. Richardson
S.P. Scott
S
(1+1)
A Posey# J Fuller 
C Brown
L Jackson D. Gil
J Metellus
P/K/LS
(0+1)
Q Nordin

commits in bold
guys who Michigan haven't offered or might not have as a "take" have a # after their names 
early enrollees denoted with *

Latest Updates: Debut

Comments

M-Dog

October 23rd, 2015 at 1:04 PM ^

Yeah, I don't understand the numbers in the parentheses.  Are they the total to be taken?  The total new-commits that can be taken?  Something else?  What's the difference between (2) and (1+1)?

You could read them any of these ways.

If they are total to be taken, then why are we still recruting OTs, for example, when we already have 2 hard commits?  Just in case?

 

M-Dog

October 23rd, 2015 at 1:23 PM ^

Makes sense.  But if you need (2) at a position (and not 2+1) and you already have 2 hard commits, why are there other recruits on the board for that position?  Just in case they don't sign?

Should a position like SDE really be (1+1) because if Gary commits he's obviously in, and they are not going to yank the exisitng offer from Johnson?

Space Coyote

October 23rd, 2015 at 2:35 PM ^

I didn't put it together, but my guess is that Gary doesn't even count toward a position. Michigan has no need for another SDE. But if Gary wants to come on board, they'll make room for him. He's kind of his own thing all together. Same goes for Walker (i.e. Michigan is full at RB unless Walker wants to come on board)

In reply to by ijohnb

UMForLife

October 23rd, 2015 at 12:10 PM ^

I hope it is not him. He is starting to get more touches. He hasn't been playing for two years and he still needs to add weight. I will be very surprised if it is him. It feels like he is getting a fair amount of time in the game.

ijohnb

October 23rd, 2015 at 1:15 PM ^

Drake snag a pass against NW.  I will be honest and tell you that I was at full black out stage for the entire second half of the MSU game.  I did not handle the pressure well.

But I would be curious to know what other comments you are referring to, because I do watch.

Rabbit21

October 23rd, 2015 at 12:10 PM ^

Let's not use specific player names in transfer speculation.  It's disrespectful to guys who have put far more into Michigan football than anyone on the board(save Reader71)  ever will.

I think we all can guess who might have transfers in the works, but it might be easier to say, I wouldn't be surprised if it's a running back or a receiver, rather than calling a specific player out.  

UMVAFAN

October 23rd, 2015 at 12:25 PM ^

He went to an elite prep school and knows the value of a Michigan education if professional football isn't in the cards. Unless the University of Virginia, Northwestern, Stanford, Notre Dame, Boston College, and the like are potential options, I don't see him leaving Michigan. 

MI Expat NY

October 23rd, 2015 at 12:32 PM ^

Agree with those that think it's disrespectful to discuss specific players who may want to transfer, so hopefully this isn't taken that way.  That said, a guy like Speight, smart guy, etc. could transfer to an Ivy or some similar academic minded FCS school and not sacrafice academics in the pursuit of playing some more before his football days are behind him.  

Again, this is not meant to suggest that Speight in any way will be or should be looking to transfer, just that there's other ways to get a similar value of a Michigan degree while also seeking playing time.  

Valiant

October 23rd, 2015 at 3:54 PM ^

I can't see Morris transferring next year.  If he successfully redshirts this year, then he is competing to be the starter next year, with an opportunity to transfer as a 5th year for immediate playing time if it's not happening at Michigan.  Best case for him in this scenario is to somehow win the starting job next year or to get extended playing time as the back-up before moving on.

If he instead transfers next year, he'll have to sit out the year and then will still only have 1 year left of eligibility to win a starting job.  There is very little upside for him in this scenario. 

Now if he were actully playing as the back-up this year, thus burning his redshirt, I would see a transfer as being much more likely.

Unless of course, I'm understanding nothing about how this all works, which is entirely possible...

umhero

October 23rd, 2015 at 11:03 PM ^

It has been mentioned on this board somewhere that Morris will graduate in the spring. That means if he does transfer he will have two years as a grad transfer. 

Personally I'm a De La Salle grad, so I'm rooting hard that Harbaugh works his magic and Morris realizes his potential. Ideally Morris wins the job in the spring and gives us two great years. If he doesn't win the job I hope he transfers somewhere where he can play and Michigan faithful cheer for him.

alum96

October 23rd, 2015 at 12:25 PM ^

Being in a position because you are a body on a roster and being in position because you can actually be a starter or key backup in a P5 conference are very different things.

PburgGoBlue

October 23rd, 2015 at 2:03 PM ^

Gant was a Safety in Hike School, came in as a safety, played against weak competition as well. I think he is too slow for the safety spot so he bulked up to play linebacker.(althought not sure his current ht and wt) I doubt he sees the field here, unless he enjoys special teams, maybe transfers back home to Toledo/BGSU and would land a spot on a MAC level defense. I AM NOT SAYING or ASSUMING he is transferring though, don't yell at me. Also, he is a legacy commit. 

Mr Miggle

October 23rd, 2015 at 12:34 PM ^

about who's going to transfer can make me that way. I think it's poor form to name names. Btw, you said it "had to be Green". Different than the first name you thought of.

ijohnb

October 23rd, 2015 at 12:57 PM ^

than wanting to be awesomely politically correct, why is it poor form to discuss who may transfer?  How is it any different than discussing who we think should play?  It is actually even less of a sensitive discussion because we are only discussing who we think might, not who we think should.  And it is not "baseless," the author of the post and the creator of the fricking blog said it was a possible playing time transfer, so it is not baseless, it is based on that.

You are just grumpy.

93Grad

October 23rd, 2015 at 1:17 PM ^

We speculate on the roster all day every day whether it be additions, substractions, presence on the depth chart, etc.  It is one thing to speculate about who might want to leave, versus openly rooting for that to happen.  I see no problem with the former.

Gulogulo37

October 23rd, 2015 at 11:13 PM ^

Well, I think part of it is that any time a guy leaves for any reason, some people bash that player for being a quitter. But I can't think of anyone I was mad at for leaving besides someone unfairly shitting on the program on the way out, like Boren.

Sometimes guys just don't mesh with a new staff, sometimes guys just wanna see the field and play football, sometimes guys have personal problems, sometimes guys need a fresh start, etc.