Michigan Offers Jalen Bates Comment Count

Brandon Brown

Jalen Bates

Name: Jalen Bates

Position: Defensive End

Ht/Wt: 6'5" / 235 lbs.

Location: Kaplan – Kaplan, LA (2015)

Offers: Louisiana Tech, Louisiana-Lafayette, Michigan, Texas Tech

Rating: N/A

Ranking: N/A

FILM

The Michigan coaches were burning the midnight oil on Tuesday night as Coach Jackson got on the phone with Louisiana native Jalen Bates to extend him a scholarship offer.

One of my coaches texted me the number for Coach Jackson because he watched my film and really wanted to talk to me. I called Coach Jackson and pretty much right off the jump he offered me. He said that he had just seen my film that day and was really impressed with it. After he offered he said they’d really like to try and get me up there for a camp or to see the campus. It was just like that.

Being a Louisiana kid and not hearing from Michigan until yesterday, I was curious to ask Jalen about his Michigan knowledge.

Well I have a cousin, Jonas Mouton, and he played football for Michigan. I believe he was an all-conference linebacker. So actually I know a little bit about Michigan. I definitely wouldn’t mind going up there and following in my cousins footsteps because he’s in the NFL now. Michigan is on a big stage and anybody would love to play on a stage like that so I’ll be considering them.

Bates is another one of these under-the-radar guys that the coaching staff seems to have identified early as his budding offer list contains just three other schools. LSU isn’t on his offer list as of yet but I asked Jalen if an in-state power like the Tigers is an offer he covets.

I actually didn’t grow up an LSU fan, I grew up a Ragin’ Cajun fan. I live close to the campus and I grew up watching them. They are a program on the rise right now. I’m just a fan of them more than LSU because I feel like sometimes people just go to LSU because of the name and because they are big. I’m not really a fan of LSU.

Even though Jalen seemed to like the idea of playing for a program like Michigan he was very apprehensive of playing and living that far away from home. He recognizes how different it would be moving from Louisiana to Michigan and that will be a big factor for him.

When I get ready to commit I just want the place to feel like my life. It has to feel like home, like a down-south type of hospitality. I don’t want it to be such a change that I’m miserable. I want it to feel like a family.

Jalen said that his recruitment is really starting to blow up so his summer plans are very fluid right now. He’d like to take some visits and check some places out, Michigan included, and continue to work on his technique, get faster, and put on good weight. Once his senior campaign starts he’ll likely commit either at a homecoming type of event or after his season is over.

-------------------------------------

THE VIBE

5 – Trending Blue

4 – Solidly in a top 2-3

3 – Contender in a top 3-7

2 – Among large (8-15) group under consideration

1 – Let’s see if he visits before we talk

0 – Passing interest or none

This score is a little misleading as Bates only has four offers. He receives a vibe score of 3 by default but I’m not sure Michigan is a top 3-7 type of interest for him. With a family member recently playing at a high level at Michigan he may be inclined to check out Ann Arbor, but with the amount of emphasis he put on his southern roots and the fact that he needs a place to feel like home, I just don’t see Michigan getting serious consideration. Bates also flat out said that Louisiana-Lafayette was his leader and I’m not sure that will change. If his recruitment really does blow up he may be forced to look at other, more prestigious programs, but if not, he’s likely to stay close to home.

Comments

Son of Lloyd Brady

April 16th, 2014 at 6:02 PM ^

If he is serious about a school having a home atmosphere then I feel like that has consistently been a strength of this staff. However, if he really wants the southern close to home school, then Michigan is obviously at a disadvantage.

Don

April 16th, 2014 at 7:47 PM ^

which translates to 1 – Let’s see if he visits before we talk.

A2 is a great place, but down-south type of hospitality it ain't.

Don

April 17th, 2014 at 8:45 AM ^

Do you think that coaching staffs—whether Michigan or anybody else—sometimes make an offer to somebody to essentially "plant the flag" in a particular area or specific high school with an eye to future recruiting?

jared32696

April 16th, 2014 at 8:17 PM ^

Being that im born and raised in lafayette and still live here... Michigan has an uphill battle for this kid. I worked with a bunch of people from Kaplan (town 30 mins from Laf), they are very closed minded and it would take a lot to get him out of his comfort zone. I do have to make mention that his fan hood is a lot like mine. I love UL cajuns and despise LSU. Granted he doesnt have a love for UM like I do but thats beside the point. Jalen made it a point to say he doesnt like LSU. Which means he likes UL alot. True Cajun fan. You got dbags from Baton Rouge who think they are superior in everything bc they just discovered how to be good at football. Sorry just went off on a tangent. But you either Hate or love LSU.

boliver46

April 17th, 2014 at 9:42 AM ^

How is it that a 2015 guy is unranked this "late" in the game?  And wondering about why Michigan offers an unranked guy?

Film looks good though, so guessing his ranking may explode - just thought there were other more highly rated guys out there we should be in on instead.

Thoughts?

GoWings2008

April 17th, 2014 at 10:18 AM ^

I'm not sure what it is, either guys who haven't been rated because of geography or if the coaches are doing a great job of identifying those diamonds in the rough or if the rankings are lagging behind lately.  But I do like this kid's motor and his speed.  Why he isn't ranked is a mystery.  I imagine he will be before long.

Arlo Pear

April 17th, 2014 at 10:38 AM ^

Not sure but, my guess is since there are so many players to evaluate and he may not be a big camp guy which is where most players are seen. A lot of guys from smaller towns aren't highly recruited. That's how you find Michael Strahan out of Texas Southern or DeMarcus Ware at Troy. Sometimes guys slip through the cracks.

maize-blue

April 17th, 2014 at 11:49 AM ^

A few immediate random thoughts:

-Maybe the coaches are thinking that their chances with Lucier-South or Cornell are trending down.

-They do not want to wait on 5* guys until 2015 signing day to fill the DE position.

-More DE offers create a little more competition for someone to pick UM.

Hopefully it's as you mention, in that they believe that this could be someone who will start to recieve alot of attention and want to get in early.