Tuesday Recruitin' Unveils Surprise

Today's recruiting roundup covers #Project135, reactions from last weekend's unofficial visitors, and much more.

#Project135

2014 commit Michael Ferns unwittingly incited mass speculation last week when he teased a recruiting-related "big surprise" on Twitter that he dubbed "#Project135". Fans hoping for a new commit were disappointed, but what Ferns revealed on Friday was actually a pretty cool idea:

Kids pick the darndest fonts

Even before this, Ferns had been very active in recruiting his 2014 classmates—it's clear that Shane Morris and his tireless efforts to bring in commits for Team 134 have influenced the next wave.

One of Michigan's other 2014 commits, Wilton Speight, got the profile treatment from MLive's Kyle Meinke; in the piece, Speight talks about flying 2,000 miles to train, and also why he felt comfortable with Michigan's coaching staff:

"Michigan's staff was the first staff to be 100 percent honest with me throughout the whole process, and that meant a huge amount to me," Speight said. "There's lots of coaches from all over the country who will come in and say, 'You're our guy, you're our guy. Just wait, you're going to get an offer.' And then they go out and find someone who's better.

"Michigan, they didn't necessarily tell me I was their guy. They said, 'We're looking at two other guys too.' The thing is, I already knew that, because the quarterback recruits, we're a tight circle. We're all pretty close, and I knew who else they were looking at. And the fact they were up front with me about that meant a lot.

"It was just a perfect fit for me. It was a no-brainer."

It seems like every time Michigan pulls in a commit, one of the top two or three reasons they give for their choice is the level of honesty and openness they experience with the coaches. That's a very good thing, of course, especially in today's recruiting echo chamber—gone are the days when a coach could tell three players at the same position that they're all the school's number one priority and get away with it, not with the pervasiveness of recruiting news and recruits staying in close contact with each other.

[Hit THE JUMP for visit reactions from Parrker Westphal and Daniel Helm, the latest top schools for several recruits, and more.]

Still The Standard

While this upcoming weekend will have a longer list of visitors, Michigan hosted a couple 2014 prospects last weekend with strong interest in the program. The first, four-star IL CB Parrker Westphal, should be a very familiar name at this point—he told Steve Lorenz he's lost track of how many times he's been to Ann Arbor (four or five, he's not sure), and while he hasn't named a leader, Michigan still sets the standard ($):

"Yes, they are still the standard," Westphal said. "Today's visit was about me going down to talk with the coaching staff a bit more and to continue to develop that relationship. I got to talk to Coach Mallory and Coach Hecklinski a lot at the game and after the game I talked with Coach Mattison for more than 45 minutes. It was a great trip."

Westphal says he would like to make a decision before his senior season; despite him holding several other big-name offers, that would put Michigan firmly in the driver's seat.

Also on campus was Rivals250 IL TE Daniel Helm, who took a two-day visit and came away with Michigan as his early top school, per Steve Lorenz ($):

"I'm really kind of new to this whole recruiting process and am still learning as I go, but Michigan is the school I like the most right now," he said. "I have a lot of other schools showing interest in me and I want to see what else is out there."

Helm's first impression of the coaches was that he "really like[d] how they are straightforward about everything with you," so add another data point to the set. Westphal seems far closer to making a decision than Helm at this point, but Michigan certainly gave themselves a leg up with both prospects last weekend.

Leaders and Best (Or At Least Top Five)

Five-star NJ CB Jabrill Peppers talked about his top five—Stanford, Ohio State, Michigan, Notre Dame, and Alabama—with Scout's Brian Dohn, and here's what he had to say about the Wolverines ($):

“I grew up a Michigan fan,” he said. “Michigan is always going to be in the mix.”

However, Peppers added his fondness for Michigan while growing up will not be a factor.

“It’s almost going to be the same thing (as college), if God lets me to go to the NFL,” Peppers said. “My favorite team is the Cowboys, but if I don’t play for the Cowboys, ok. It’s like I don’t have a favorite college team any more. I watch college football for the game speed, the talent they have out there.”

Peppers also said that he was leaning towards Stanford until picking up strong interest from Michigan and Ohio State; it may be an uphill climb for the Midwest schools, but they should be a factor in his recruitment until the end.

Michigan is making a move with an elite two-way prospect out of California, John "JuJu" Smith, a five-star to 247 and a four-star to Rivals. Smith, who can play both safety and wide receiver (Michigan is recruiting him for the former), wouldn't name the Wolverines as his leader, but did say this to Rivals's Adam Gorney ($):

Michigan is up there but Smith, who goes by JuJu, went short of calling the Wolverines or any other team his top school at this point.

"I love Michigan," Smith said.

"I want to major in the medical field and they have a good medical program for me and also I was talking to the coach and they said I could go both ways. I like that and I like the kids who have already committed in my class.

"The most important thing that caught my eye was that they play with a lot of defensive backs on the field throughout the whole game. I'd be able to get on the field."

Smith has offers from a large group of mostly West Coast schools, including USC—he was one of the top players regardless of class in the state last year.

247's Tom Loy reports that Michigan and Florida State are tied for the lead($) for OH TE Chance Sorrell, though as of yet he doesn't hold an offer from either school.

2015 blue chip KY RB Damien Harris still has Michigan and Ohio State as his leaders, per Allen Trieu ($).

Michigan extended a grayshirt offer to FL DT Brady Pallante, per Steve Lorenz ($). Pallante called the offer a "dream come true," and could be close to a commitment; a grayshirt offer means he wouldn't go on scholarship until after the 2014 season.

Sam Webb's latest piece in the Detroit News discusses the possibility of 2014 high school teammates Mason Cole and Artavis Scott, as well as their 2015 teammate George Campbell, being a package deal:

"(Mason and I) talked about it -- we're going to go to the same school," Scott said. "We know for a fact we're going to the same school."

"I feel like there is a pretty good chance we'll wind up in the same place," Cole concurred. "We talk about it a lot. I know what schools I like and he doesn't like, and which schools he likes that I don't like."

If their plan to be a package deal actually comes to fruition, the winning program would instantly become a major factor in Campbell's recruitment.

"I talk to them all of the time because all three of us have a close bond," Campbell said. "We're always talking to each other about everything. With those two at the same place I think that'd be a (school) that I'd need to get out to (take a look at)."

Michigan has offers out to all three players and is in a very strong position with Cole, who will be on campus this weekend; the idea of the Tarpon Springs (FL) trio being a package deal is probably a welcome one to the coaches.