Ace

Pickerington (OH) Central DE Vidauntae "Taco" Charlton is a member of both the ESPNU 150 Watch List and the Early Top 247 for the class of 2013. The 6'6", 240-pound junior tallied over 40 tackles with 7 tackles for loss, 7 pass breakups, and 2 forced fumbles as a sophomore last year in just his second season playing defensive end. On top of early offers from Cincinnati, Purdue, Syracuse, and UCLA, Charlton has drawn interest from Michigan, Ohio State, Notre Dame, LSU, Iowa, Wisconsin, and several other schools as his recruitment gains some serious steam.

Taco will be one of several recruits at the Notre Dame game this weekend for an unofficial visit, and he took the time to answer a few questions about his recruitment, Michigan, and, yes, his name.

ACE: I know it's early on in the process, but which schools have been in contact with you so far? Do you have an early list of favorites?

TACO: Well I have offers from Cincinnati, UCLA, Purdue, and Syracuse. I've talked to all the Big Ten schools, Notre Dame, Kentucky, Virginia, N.C. State, and more. [My] early favorites would be the teams that offered me already because they showed me a lot of love.

ACE: What's your interest level in Michigan, and who from the coaching staff has been in contact with you? What will you be looking for when you visit this weekend?

TACO: I like Michigan a lot, it's somewhere close to home and the people there love their football and that is one thing that attracts me. The coach I've talked to is Coach Singletary. This weekend I'm just looking forward to enjoying the good game, seeing how crazy the crowd is, and geting to meet some of the coaches.

ACE: Have you been in contact with other recruits who will be at the Notre Dame game? If so, who?

TACO: Nope, I haven't really talked to anyone that I know that will be at the game recruit-wise but I'll probably meet some of them while I'm there.

ACE: For people who are unfamiliar with you, describe your game. What position do you think you'd fit at best in college, and what are you working on to improve as your recruitment picks up?

TACO: Well to round it up I'm a real big guy that's athletic and can move. I am still learning the position, I've only played it for two years. Most people say I am a great pass rusher but I believe I can stop the run also. In college I will most likely be a DE and I am just working on just dominating and taking over a game with my play.

ACE: I apologize in advance for asking the question that I'm sure you get from everyone, but I think the MGoBlog readers will revolt if I don't: How did you get the name Taco?

TACO: Yeah I get that a lot. It actually came from my grandma. My mom was having me real early so my grandma used to always send cards to the hospital [saying] don't let the baby come down south and sign it Taco. So once I was born my nickname became Taco and it stuck.

Thanks to Taco for taking the time to do this interview; he's definitely a player to keep an eye on for a potential offer, perhaps in the near future, as it looks like he'll be one of the top players in Ohio in the class of '13 -- Duane Long listed him as the #3 rising junior in the state back in April. He's looked at as a raw player (again, he's only played DE for two years) with a ton of athletic upside, he impressed over the summer at Ohio State's junior camp ($, info in header), and he should be a very hot commodity as the recruiting process wears on.

The latest week in recruiting sees Notre Dame pick up their highest-ranked recruit in DT Jarron Jones while Purdue and Northwestern each add some lower-ranked players to their classes. Other than that, nothing really happened. Action since last rankings:

8-28-11 Northwestern gains commitment from Jaylen Prater.
8-29-11 Notre Dame gains commitment from Jarron Jones. Purdue gains commitment from Carlos Carvajal.
8-30-11 Northwestern gains commitment from Terrance Brown.
9-3-11 Purdue gains commitment from Aloyis Gray.
9-4-11 Purdue gains commitment from Devin Smith.

Chart? Chart:

*ESPN doesn't rate JUCOs, so Isaac Fruechte (Minnesota), Darius Stroud (Indiana), Steffon Martin and Devin Smith (Purdue) are exluded from their respective team averages.

On to the full data, after the jump.

Michigan maintains their stranglehold at the top of the rankings. Sione Houma moves from two to three stars on Rivals, and he's now ranked as their #5 fullback in the country.

The Irish land Jarron Jones, their highest-rated recruit across the board to date. They still have some ground to cover to catch Michigan, going by pure numbers, but in terms of quality of commits this class is right up there.

J.P. Holtz earns a three-star ranking from Rivals.

No change for the Buckeyes.

Kodi Keiler is upgraded from unranked to three stars on Rivals. Interesting, but completely irrelevant, sidenote: Rivals and Scout are in complete lockstep when it comes to ranking the Spartan commits (requisite dig: because they're almost all three-stars—but, you know, national three-stars).

No change for the Badgers.

Shawn Heffern gets a three-star ranking from Rivals, while Alex Todd picks up three stars from 24/7. I'm still keeping them just a hair below Wisconsin, but if the average rankings get any closer or the Hoosiers pick up another commit that'll probably change.

The Wildcats pick up a pair of unheralded recruits in LB Jaylen Prater and S Terrance Brown. This drags down their averages considerably, but I won't punish a team for picking up commits. Iowa is hot on their heels, though.

No change for the Hawkeyes.

Nick Rallis, Maxx Williams, and Rodrick Williams each pick up three stars from Rivals after being unrated. 24/7 does the same for Scott Ekpe and R. Williams.

The Boilermakers land ATH Aloyis Gray, OL Devin Smith, and TE Carlos Carvajal. Jimmy Herman picks up three stars from Rivals. By the power of sheer volume, Purdue moves ahead of Nebraska. File that under: 'Things I Never Thought I'd Write About Football and/or Recruiting'.

No change for the Huskers. Still. Bo Pelini isn't expecting some sort of Big Ten Expansion Draft, is he?

No new commits for the Illini. Joseph Spencer picks up three stars and Joey Warburg two from Rivals.

Anthony Standifer (right) goes in for a tackle [photo credit: Debra Edwards | The Commercial-News]

2012 defensive back commit Anthony Standifer is regarded as one of the hidden gems of Brady Hoke's current recruiting class. The Crete-Monee (IL) product is coming off an eight-tackle performance in the Warriors's 32-8 season-opening victory over Thornton Fractional South. Standifer leads a talented team that includes highly touted junior receiver Laquon Treadwell, and as he says in the following interview, he hopes to take home a state title for the Warriors after they bowed out in the third round of the playoffs last season. Here's what Anthony had to say about his goals, recruitment, and his teammate Treadwell when I caught up with him:

ACE: What have you been doing to prepare for this season? Anything different from past years now that you're a senior and you know you'll be playing in college?

ANTHONY: I've been watching game film, working out with the team and on my own, and I've been studying the other team more.

ACE: You went from being an under-the-radar recruit to choosing between Michigan and Notre Dame pretty quickly. What was that experience like for you?

ANTHONY: It was a good experience. Sometimes I liked the attention, some of the time I didn't, but i just took it day by day and made the best decision.

ACE: Your teammate Laquon Treadwell is getting a lot of attention, including from Michigan, for the class of 2013. How has he looked this fall, and have you been trying to recruit him to Ann Arbor at all? Are there any other players you've been in contact with?

ANTHONY: He has been doing real good. He keeps progressing and he knows just as much as I do about Michigan, and I'm not pressuring him to make a decision.

ACE: What are your goals for your senior season, both for yourself and for Crete-Monee?

ANTHONY: Win [the state championship], and get more interceptions and tackles than I did last year [44 tackles and nine interceptions].

Thanks to Anthony for taking the time to answer my questions. You can follow him on Twitter, username Freakyy_Chewyy (your guess is as good as mine on that one).

Under new management, obviously. The B1G (plus Notre Dame) must've known there were changes going on at MGoBlog, because barely anything happened on the recruiting trail these past couple weeks. Thanks, everyone! Action since last rankings:

8-14-11 Purdue gains commitment from Jordan Roos.
8-21-11 Wisconsin gains commitment from D.J. Singleton.
8-24-11 Penn State gains commitment from Malik Golden.
8-25-11 Northwestern gains commitment from Greg Kuhar.
8-27-11 Iowa gains commitment from Ruben Lile.

Chart? Chart:

*ESPN doesn't rate JUCOs, so Isaac Fruechte (Minnesota), Darius Stroud (Indiana), and Steffon Martin (Purdue) are exluded from their respective team averages.

On to the full data, after the jump.

Michigan remains solidly at the top of the rankings. Sione Houma picks up three stars from 24/7 after previously being unranked.

No change for the Irish.

ATH/WR Malik Golden COMES TO PENN SCHTAAAAATE. He isn't quite enough to bump the Nittany Lions past Notre Dame, but they're hot on the Irish's heels for the #2 spot.

No change for the Buckeyes, despite the rumored Adolphus Washington commit. He's not in this class... yet.

Kodi Keiler is upgraded from unranked to three stars on ESPN.

The Badgers pick up safety D.J. Singleton. Hugs Etienne goes from unranked to three-stars on 24/7. Hugs all around, I guess (sorry, that was too easy). If Wisconsin can pick up a couple more commits, they have a good shot of passing MSU in the rankings.

The Hoosiers add Sebastian Smith. Tanner Kearns gets 3 stars from 24/7. Four players (Kearns, Cornett, Todd, and Fletcher) earn two-star rankings from Rivals after being previously unranked. Alex Todd upgraded to three stars on Scout and 24/7, and Dawson Fletcher gets two stars from 24/7.

The Wildcats grab Greg Kuhar. Chris Fitzpatrick picks up two stars from Rivals and 24/7, and Mike McHugh gets his two stars from 24/7 as well. Northwestern inches closer to Indiana, but, well, Gunner Kiel.

The Hawkeyes picked up a commit from Cass Tech ATH Ruben Lile last night, which vaults them ahead of Minnesota (larger class, far lower quality) and Nebraska (still stuck on six commits).

No new commits for the Gophers. Mitch Leidner gets three stars, and Brian Nicholson and Samad Hinds each two stars, from 24/7.

No change for the Huskers.

The Boilermakers land Jordan Roos, although 24/7 has yet to catch on despite the fact that they have him as a three-star and he committed two weeks ago. B.J. Knauf gets a third star from Scout and 24/7, Jonathan Curry gets bumped up a star by ESPN, and Anthony Brown and Paul Griggs get three stars from 24/7. Scout is still missing Andy Garcia, Steffon Martin, and Knauf from their commitment list -- thanks for making this task easy, guys. At this point, I'd say Purdue is pretty close to leaping Nebraska, but the lack of a single four-star player (on any service) makes it tough to justify that move unless they pick up a couple more commits.

No new commits for the Illini. Joseph Spencer picks up a three-star rating from ESPN. Zach Jackson and Joey Warburg each get three stars from 24/7.

Tristan Nickelson on an unofficial visit to Auburn. [Photo courtesy of the Nickelson family]

League City (TX) Clear Falls offensive tackle Tristan Nickelson projects to be one of the top offensive tackles in the nation in 2013, and it looks like Michigan will be a serious player in his recruitment. The 6'7", 280-pound prospect is an ESPNU 150 Watch List candidate and could receive consideration for five-star status when the 2013 class is ranked. Excelling in the classroom as well as on the field, Nickelson carries a 4.1 GPA (!) and plans on studying mechanical engineering in college. His father was kind enough to update me on Tristan's recruitment as he prepares for his junior season, which kicks off tomorrow against the Hitchcock (TX) Bulldogs.

ACE: Who has been recruiting Tristan from Michigan? What is his interest level in the Wolverines, and are there any plans to take a visit at this point?

MR. NICKELSON: Coach Funk personally sent Tristan a hand-written invitation to attend one of the summer camps in Ann Arbor last June -- unfortunately we had a conflict in scheduling and were unable to attend. Based on NCAA rules, Tristan can’t receive any recruiting information until September 1st, 2011.

At this point (still very early in the recruiting process) Michigan would be his top choice, based on the new coaching staff, Coach Funk, the engineering department, and the incredible facilities. Tristan asked me several years ago, “Which top-25 program also has a world-class engineering department?" I answered Michigan, so since that time Michigan has been his favorite college team, even though I played for coach Jim Wacker at TCU (4-year letterman 1984-1988) and his mother played volleyball for Texas A&M.  (Our daughter Taylor is a freshman at Texas A&M.)

We would like to explore taking an unofficial visit to Michigan to expose Tristan to the game day environment, and we're thinking that invitation will happen -- but again, most likely after Sept. 1st. It would be Coach Funk’s call or the recruiter assigned to the greater Houston area.

Tristan also plans on attending the Michigan Football Camp in June 2012.

ACE: What other schools have shown interest, and does Tristan have an idea of which programs are among his favorites?

MR. NICKELSON: Michigan, Ohio State, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Virginia Tech, Clemson, Florida State, Auburn, LSU, Alabama, Florida, Arkansas, TCU, West Virginia, Arizona State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas and Texas A&M -- basically everyone on the list has started showing interest in recruiting Tristan by inviting him to games and unofficial campus visits.

His top three at this point (in order) would be: Michigan, LSU and Texas A&M.

ACE: Does Tristan have a timetable in mind for his recruitment? How has he handled all the attention so far?

MR. NICKELSON: We plan on attending a number of college football games this season, then continuing with unofficial visits throughout the spring and summer. Tristan is being considered for the U.S. Army All-American Game (Jan. 2013) and could wait until then to announce his final choice. I guess the timeline is still undetermined at this point. Schools can start contacting him directly on April 16th, 2012 -- I’m sure it will get crazy at that point.

ACE: This might be tough to answer, being his father, but how would you evaluate Tristan's strengths and weaknesses on the field? Is there anything specific he's working on in his game right now?

MR. NICKELSON: Although several publications have him listed at 6’6”, 255 lbs. [and playing for] Clear Springs High School, the correct information is 6’ 7 3/8”, 281 lbs. (with a shoe size of 17) at Clear Falls. So we need to improve on his “feet work” along with his 40 time; at the Under Armour Combine he was timed in the 6.4’s, which he has since improved to under a 6.0. Based on the top 10 OT numbers, Tristan really needs to be under a 5.2 by spring football (March 2012). His shuttle times have also continued to improve, and I would say at the point in his career, he is a much better run blocker than he is on pass protection. On over 50% of the run plays, he ends up with a “pancake block.”

From a positive standpoint, he is very strong and increasing weekly as he matures. Several programs, including Auburn, feel like Tristan will play in the 310-320 range. He has a wingspan of 82.5” and extremely large/strong hands (Tristan had the strongest hands at the UA Combine -- 165 lbs. on pressure). He is also on the wrestling team, placing 4th in district last year as a sophomore in the 285-pound class (his weight was 241 during the season). He is being trained by one of the top Olympic lifting coaches in the country, Tim Swords.

ACE: You said that your son is planning to study mechanical engineering in college. What qualities is he looking for in his future college choice?

MR. NICKELSON: As I mentioned, the combination would be a top-25 football program with has a top-tier engineering school; it’s only a handful of schools that have both. In addition, we have talked about playing for an offensive line coach that played the position in college or in the pros, along with a head coach that will have some level of flexibility in regards to the engineering curriculum.

Based on recent events, it will also be very important that the program is in good standing with the NCAA, and not under any type of current investigations.

If Tristan has the opportunity to play in the NFL that will be great, but we have always stressed the need for a great education, which he has done a great job of managing to date. So from our perspective, the pursuit of the [mechanical engineering degree] should always be equally as important as playing for a major university.

Cincinnati Oak Hills OL Caleb Stacey was Michigan's second commit of the 2012 class, pledging all the way back in March, when people were still freaking out about Brady Hoke's ability to pull a solid class together. Stacey, of course, is still committed, while any concerns about Hoke's ability to recruit have been shunted aside for full-scale Hokeamania. Caleb was kind enough to agree to an interview as he prepares for Oak Hills's opener against Cincinnati La Salle.

ACE: What are your goals heading into your senior season? Doing anything special to prepare for Michigan?

CALEB: Heading into my senior season there is only one goal on my mind, and that is to take my team to the state playoffs for the first time in school history since joining the GMC conference. Preparing for Michigan right now really isn't on my mind much because I have another season to play in high school, but I'm definitely trying to get better week by week -- whether that be working on footwork, getting stronger in the weight room, or really focusing on fundamental things like hand placement and zone steps.

ACE: Do you have any visits planned at this point?

CALEB: Yes, I have a visit planned for the ND game. Although it's an unofficial I'm still ecstatic to get up there again. Already have my hotel booked!

ACE: Have you been talking to any other recruits, either in your class or 2013 players? Now that you're committed, are you doing any recruiting yourself?

CALEB: I try to do as much recruiting as I can to help The Team out. When I get a chance to talk to some of the recruits I really sell what a great place Michigan is and how when you visit there isn't much you don't like, if anything.

ACE: With the news that Tony Posada is transferring, it looks like Michigan is going to have to rely upon some young players on the interior line in the very near future. Does the prospect of being on the two-deep as a freshman change how you approach preparing for college? Have the coaches asked you to do anything specific to get ready for Ann Arbor?

CALEB: It doesn't really change how I approach preparing. I'm always going to work as hard as possible at what I do. That's just the type of player I am. The coaches haven't really told me anything specific I need to prepare for when I arrive on campus, just to be ready to work hard and have a great attitude.

Many thanks to Caleb - who's already caught on that at Michigan, "The Team" is capitalized, often thrice - for taking the time to answer my questions. He asked that I make sure to let you know that you can follow him on Twitter. Help a future Wolverine out, MGoTweeters!