BREAKING: ESPNU Host Doesn't Understand Concept Of "Freestyle"

In case you didn't put off your Sunday dinner plans while the Nebraska/Oregon softball game dragged on interminably, above is Jabrill Peppers' unsuspenseful-but-still-quite-worthwhile announcement of his college decision. Peppers decided on Michigan, of course, and you can find what I'm pretty sure is the longest "Hello" post in MGoHistory here if you spent your Memorial Day weekend doing things like "go outside and grill like a normal person."

The commitment post covers Peppers' considerable potential to make an on-field impact; he should also make a big splash as a recruiter now that he's in the fold, and told WolverineNation's Mike Rothstein that he's already got some key targets in mind:

"Oh yeah. Tell Da'Shawn Hand I'm coming," Peppers said. "They call me, 'Commish.' Commissioner Peppers. Malik McDowell. Da'Shawn Hand. You need those defensive linemen.

"A great defensive line makes a great DB and a great defensive secondary. Those guys are definitely on my radar. I'm coming strong. Emphasis on strong."

It may not stop there, though. The mere presence of the nation's best defensive back in Michigan's class should have other elite prospects giving the Wolverines a hard look—instead of shying away from competition, top prospects are looking to play with other top prospects these days—and Tim Sullivan lists a couple of very intriguing possibilities to fill the final defensive back spot should IL CB Parrker Westphal also join the class ($):

If U-M reels in Westphal, there may be only one space remaining in the secondary. It could be either a safety or a cornerback, thanks to the versatility of both Peppers and Westphal, but would almost certainly go to an elite player. Prospects such as Gardena (Calif.) Serra five-star cornerback Adoree' Jackson and Long Beach (Calif.) Poly safety John "Juju" Smith are likely options.

While the Wolverines aren't the favorite to land either Jackson or Smith, both plan to visit Ann Arbor during the recruiting process—Smith even set up an official for the Notre Dame game—and we've seen what this coaching staff can do while hosting a prospect on campus. The limited space in the class, number of interested top prospects, depth on the current roster, and positional flexibility of the current/recent recruits (i.e. 2013's defensive back haul) all give Michigan the ability to hone in on a few top targets; think last year's USC class minus the overhanging NCAA sanctions and Lane Kiffin factor.

Oh, and regarding one particular five-star...

[Hit THE JUMP for the latest on Da'Shawn Hand—is Michigan now his leader?—and more.]

Tied At The Top?

I think #Michigan and #hokies are tied in lead for Da'Shawn Hand with #gamecocks behind them at this stage.

— Mike Farrell (@rivalsmike) May 25, 2013

Farrell's positing on the status of the nation's top recruit doesn't appear to be coming out of nowhere, as this past week was apparently Da'Shawn Hand Talks To The Media Week*, and the trend appears to be a positive one for Michigan. In an article published two days before that tweet, Farrell said he believed Virginia Tech led the field, while his colleague Adam Friedman had a slightly different view ($):

Friedman: Lawing is one of his favorite coaches and I know that he is why Florida is in the hunt right now. My feeling is that Michigan is the slight leader right now with VT in a very close second but that could all change when he gets a chance to visit Florida. We've all seen in the past how big a difference one visit can make and Florida has changed the minds of some big time players in the past with just one visit.

The Florida mentions are because the article was for Rivals' UF outlet; Hand's recruitment is still considered a probable two-horse race at this point.

What's clear is that Hand is tiring of the recruiting process, something he told Scout's Sam Webb is the reason he's now telling schools outside his top five (U-M, VT, Alabama, Florida, S. Carolina) that he's simply not interested in being recruited by them anymore ($):

“I don’t want to play no games or anything,” Hand explained.  “I don’t want to hold nobody’s time up.  If I’m not interested, I’m not going to come off like a jerk or anything, but I’m going to tell the straight up before they even give me the spiel or anything… just say, ‘look man, I ain’t interested.’” 

Hand is already scheduled to visit Michigan officially for the Notre Dame game, and he's discussing the possibility of visiting for July's BBQ at the Big House—he should know for sure once the coaches decide on an exact date for the annual event. Right now, Virginia Tech insiders still feel that Hand will stay close to home—while acknowledging Michigan is a serious contender—and Michigan insiders have a largely positive outlook themselves. It doesn't sound like Hand's recruitment will stretch all the way to Signing Day, which is a positive for both the Wolverines and Hokies—it's doubtful that another school is going to enter the fray if he's looking to wrap things up.

Marshall Impresses At Midwest Elite 7-on-7

With Michigan's need for a strongside linebacker in the class and the numerous available options along the defensive line, weakside end commit Lawrence Marshall has been suggested as a player who could possibly fill that role in a pinch. While he'll hit campus as a defensive lineman, an impromptu camp appearance last weekend makes him sound like a viable linebacker candidate, per GBW's Kyle Bogenschutz ($):

Michigan commitment Lawrence Marshall was hanging out in the stands throughout Saturday’s action but decided to strap on his Maize & Blue gloves Sunday morning to compete for his HYPE team, hoping to walk away with a crown. Marshall was playing out of position, rotating in and out at linebacker, playing one-on-one coverage against tight ends -- and he did so very well. It’s clear Marshall’s future is on the defensive line in Ann Arbor but for him to go out and showcase the ability to stay with tight ends, have good awareness and ball skills in pass defense, and overall agility to stick with his man, is very impressive and emphasizes his skillset as an athlete. HYPE ended up falling in the championship game to AWP, a very talented team from Indiana.

Even if Marshall never ends up playing linebacker—and, to be clear, I think he fits best at weakside end—the fact that he possesses the athleticism to play in space is a good sign for his development and makes him a real threat to make plays when Mattison dials up a zone blitz.

Marshall, by the way, lands at #10 in the newly-released Rivals in-state rankings; other Michigan commits on the list include Drake Harris (#3) and Moe Ways (#8), with uncommitted Detroit Loyola DE Malik McDowell at the top.

Etc.

2014 FL OLB Darrion Owens is a top candidate to fill Michigan's final linebacker spot, and his coach tells Sam Webb that the Wolverine offer elicited his strongest reaction thus far ($):

Sam Webb: What has Darrion said to you about his interest in Michigan in particular?

Derek Chipoletti: “I think Michigan was a definite…what’s the best word? There was a lot more reaction with the Michigan offer than some of the others, so I know Michigan is definitely up there with his interest level. I know they’re doing a great job of recruiting him; I think he likes them a lot. We’ll see how that ends up.”

Sam Webb: Can you give me an idea of some of the other schools that you believe might be up there right now?

Derek Chipoletti: “I would say, top five, in no specific order, and again, just from my talking with him... I would say Michigan, Louisville, Miami, West Virginia, and Boston College.” 

Another linebacker to watch is Illinois prospect Nile Sykes, who's making the transition from defensive end and could earn an offer at Michigan's camp, per GBW's Josh Newkirk ($).

247's Steve Wiltfong mentions Michigan as the "biggest threat" to unseat Ohio State as the leader for four-star OL Jamarco Jones, with Michigan State up there with the Wolverines and Notre Dame trailing ($).

The father of FL WR Corey Holmes—who's expressed strong interest in the Wolverines in the past, so much so that early on he was a presumed lock—told Sam Webb that his son will be at the BBQ at the Big House unless "something changes" on Michigan's end ($). Holmes could fill that final wide receiver spot if the coaches indeed want to take him. Another potential fit there is PA ATH Malik Hooker, who recently pulled in a Michigan offer—among several others—and could play on either side of the ball at the next level, per Scout's Brian Dohn ($).

Five-star CA QB Josh Rosen is Michigan's clear-cut top target among 2015 quarterbacks, having earned their only offer at that position in the class thus far; should that not work out, the Wolverines could look nearby for their next target, as the Coach Ferrigno worked out CA QB Kyle Kearns, 247's #26 overall prospect for 2015, and got film of him throwing, per 247's Steve Lorenz ($).

Michigan made the top 13 for 2014 NJ ATH Juwann Winfree, per Brian Dohn ($).

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*As well as Memorial Day Weekend, The Festival Of Peppers, and No Touching! (The Pause Button On My Netflix Account) Awareness Week.