The Pattern™ Personified

Steve Griffin | The Salt Lake Tribune

Stop whatever it is you're doing (reading this post, presumably) and read The Salt Lake Tribune's touching feature on 2014 Michigan commit Bryan Mone, who fits The Pattern™ as much as any recruit in recent memory:

To the 6-foot-4, 320-pound Mone, this is being a man: Wiping your brother’s chin as a spoonful of his lunch dribbles out of the corner of his mouth. It is giving your brother a drink when he’s so thirsty that he bangs on your door, unable to articulate what he feels or what he wants.

"He’s the head of the family," Bryan said, dangling a piece of cantaloupe by his brother’s mouth. "He runs things around here."

Bryan’s brother, Filimone Mone, is 22 years old. He never has been able to feed himself. He wears a diaper, which often is Bryan’s responsibility to change. He very nearly is blind, only capable of seeing bright lights. He can’t recognize his family members. He can’t watch a football game.

Filimone never has been able to say "thank you" to Bryan. He doesn’t have to, because Bryan is the one who is grateful.

The teen tells him as much every day with his actions when he cleans, feeds and watches over Filimone: Thank you for my life. Thank you for giving me football. Thank you for teaching me what it means to be a man.

If that doesn't get you to click through and read the whole article, you are not human, and I'd like to thank Nick Saban for taking the time to read the blog.

[Hit THE JUMP for Jabrill Peppers scrimmage highlights—and his thoughts on Michigan's chances with Da'Shawn Hand—plus another commit getting a rankings bump, a familiar name emerging as a potential future target, and more.]

We're Talking 'Bout... A Scrimmage, Actually

High school football season is nearly upon us, and last weekend Paramus (NJ) Catholic—featuring some guy named Jabrill Peppers—faced off against St. Augustine (NJ) for a friendly scrimmage. Wait, scratch that "friendly" bit:

Jabrill Peppers knocked some poor young soul into a 540° barrel roll, and that's why you always keep your head up never play football against Jabrill Peppers. Further, very blurry evidence supporting this point:

St. Augustine's attempts to respond in kind were thwarted by a quick tap of the circle button:

There's a better angle of this spin move in the video at the top of this section, but unfortunately whoever edited said video decided to set it on the "instant seizure" filter. I probably should've put this warning under the video itself but whatever.

In more Jabrill Peppers Makes Sunshine And Rainbows, his latest blog post for USA Today includes his take on Michigan's chances with a couple high-profile targets:

I know DaShawn Hand scheduled his visit for November and I have a really good feeling about getting him. I've definitely stressed to him how much we need him and how big of an impact he'd have on the defense that Coach (Greg) Mattison runs.

Now Leonard (Fournette); I feel a little iffy about getting him, but I think there's still a chance. We'll see. Visits can change the game.

But I feel really good about Da'Shawn. Like I always say if they choose to go elsewhere there won't be any love lost; they're still my boys.

There's also an extensive discussion of Kendrick Lamar's outstanding verse on "Control" if you're into that sort of thing.

Biggs, Part II

Tim Sullivan checked out intrasquad scrimmages at Cass Tech and Orchard Lake St. Mary's; it's a very bizarre experience to see a list of CT prospects that doesn't include a single Michigan commit, but barring the Wolverines turning up the heat on Josh Alabi that could easily be the case until the 2016 class. Meanwhile, a certain OLSM linebacker could be following in his brother's footsteps—or toe-steps, if you will ($):

Joshua Ross - 2017 - linebacker/tight end
Ross is likely to be the top prospect on the team… eventually. Even though he's just entering his freshman year, the younger brother of Michigan sophomore James Ross III should start on defense. He's taller than his older brother, probably about 6-1, but still very skinny at this point. Aside form [sic] those physical differences, he's very reminiscent of his brother, right down to the pre-snap stance - on his toes, ready to attack forward. He is a good athlete, and with more experience should end up one of the state's top 2017 players.

This is hopefully the last time I mention a class of 2017 prospect for the next year or so, but the fact that James Ross has a younger brother who'll start as a freshman in the Catholic League is certainly worth noting.

Etc.

2014 TE commit Ian Bunting is one of eight prospects to earn a fourth star but stay just outside the Rivals250; Rivals now ranks him as the #11 tight end in the country.

The M Block catches up with 2015 five-star LB Malik Jefferson, who could potentially visit for the Ohio State game this fall. They also talk to 2015 IN QB Riley Neal, one of several quarterbacks competing for an offer when Josh Rosen inevitably commits elsewhere.

Top-100 2014 RB Elijah Hood decommitted from Notre Dame and most likely will end up at North Carolina.

Joker Phillips must be stopped.