TomVH

With sixteen commitments now on board it could start to get interesting for Michigan recruiting. They arguably have anywhere between 21-25 spots total for this class, which means they have at most 9 more scholarships available. Here's a look at what could happen next and some notes from a few prospects.

As always you can follow me for more updates on Twitter @TomVH, and email me with any tips or questions at TomVH@MGoBlog.com.

Eric Olson

6'6", 265 lbs.

Offensive lineman

Cambridge, Massachusetts

Olson's name popped up later than the other linemen Michigan has been looking at. He has an offer and took in Ann Arbor this past week.

Our flight was delayed so we got in late Tuesday night. We pushed everything to Wednesday, but I have a buddy who's a freshman there so we went out to dinner with him on Tuesday. On Wednesday we met with Coach Mallory, went to the business center, the academic center and met with the academic advisor. They took us on a tour, went to the facilities, the Big House, and Al Glick field house. It was pretty unbelievable, they have the best facilities of any school that I've been to. It's a pretty special place. I got chills walking down the tunnel and seeing the Go Blue across it. The Big House was great.

As I reported last time academics will be a huge factor in Eric's decision. He's done his homework on each school and got to see what Michigan has to offer in person.

The Ross business school is a prestigious place. They talked about the rankings and the opportunities you have from there. I asked how difficult it is to be on the football team and in the business school. They said that Zoltan Mesko did it and he was near the top of his class. With summer classes you can get some of the core classes out of the way.

With the academic side layed out clearly he also got a chance to sit down and talk with his potential position coach.

We met with Coach Funk and talked about his experiences and where he's coached. My school runs basically the exact same offense they want to run, a two-back pound it play-action offense. Their depth chart is a strong point for their recruitment because it's pretty wide open. There's a chance to play early there. Coach Hoke told us that he wants to recruit high character kids and his main focus is to get them a degree. 

Since this was Olson's last visit he now has some thinking to do, but he's not sure of when a decision will come.

I've dabbled with the idea of going out to Stanford's camp, but I'm not sure. These past couple days we've been talking about it. We'll make a decision to either commit somewhere or I might go out to Stanford. I don't know when it could happen, could be a week, tomorrow, a couple weeks. I'm honestly not sure yet.

I believe him when he says he's not sure. I think he has it narrowed down in his head, but probably doesn't have his decision yet. That's at least as of when we spoke. If he decides not to go out to Stanford I think that bodes well for Michigan's chances. I'll have more on the offensive line situation further down.

Adam Bisnowaty

6'6", 275 lbs.

Offensive Lineman

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Bisnowaty was making his way through an unofficial visit tour and stopped in Ann Arbor to check out Michigan. The four star lineman's athletic director filled me in on how the visit went.

Adam told me that he really enjoyed the visit. He liked everything very much, and he said that he was impressed with the head coach. The facilities were out of sight, and I know we have nice facilities, but he said it was really great there. I think he's been interested in Michigan for awhile, how can you not be interested in Michigan. Academics are important for him, and our old head coach is friends with one of the new Michigan coaches. He's traveling out to Michigan, Notre Dame, Michigan State, and Purdue. 

These trips were for Adam to gain more comfortability with each program, and to potentially help him make his final decision.

He's hoping to get [a decision] taken care of before the season, but I think he's realizing that might not be possible. He's planning on taking some official visits, and I doubt he'd take all five. His options are pretty open I don't think he's sold on any one over the other.

His athletic director, Mike O'Brien, had nothing bad to say about Adam and thought that any program would be lucky to have a kid like him. He'll probably know more about where he stands with each school once he's done taking his visits.

Erik Magnuson

6'6' 275 lbs.

Offensive Lineman

Carlsbad, California

As you know by now Erik has committed. He told me it would be happening around two weeks ago, he just wanted to take this visit to see everything in person. Now that he is committed he will be putting on his recruiting hat.

It wasn't anything that I expected at Michigan, it was crazy. It was such a cool place and everyone was so nice. I want to get the best players to commit there now so I've been talking to OL Isaac [Seumalo, 4 Star], DT Aziz Shittu, and OL Jordan Diamond. The coaches didn't know much about Isaac because he's from a small school, but they know of him now. If they offer him, we want to play together, so I think he'd be really interested. 

Erik was on campus for the jersey reveal, but as I said on Twitter he was NOT allowed to attend the event.

They didn't want to take any chances with any NCAA stuff so I couldn't be in there. I did see some pictures of them and they look good. I'm going to try to come out there for the Notre Dame game with my family and then I'll probably take an official visit by myself for another game.

Magnuson was a huge pick up in himself, but it sounds like he could be a good recruiter for Michigan as well.

Se'Von Pittman

6'5", 245 lbs.

Defensive End

Canton, Ohio

I spoke with Pittman's head coach this past week, and since then there have been some rumors flying around. I'll discuss some of what I was told this week here and a little bit further down. First, here's what his coach had to say.

There's four schools that have never really wavered in his top group, Michigan, Ohio State, Notre Dame, and MSU are the four and the southern schools are in there because they've won National Championships and all that. When it comes down to it though I think that distance might be an issue for him. Brady and Greg have done a great job with him in recruiting. He plans on getting up there sometime at the end of the summer.

The Ohio State mess is not the only factor playing into why Pittman feels strongly about the Wolverines.

I've known Greg [Mattison] and Brady [Hoke} for awhile and think the world of them. Brady at Ball State, we spent a lot of time together. I've worked several camps with Greg at Notre Dame and MIchigan. He's a first class guy.

As far as how his recruitment is going to play out, his coach had this to say.

[Se'Von] wants to take a couple official visits. They're going to be game day officials because his intentions are to be a mid-year graduate and enroll early. He's done a lot of homework, he's gone to camps, spring balls, evertyhing. He might be going up to Michigan's camp, we have a couple kids going up there, so he might come up too.

I was told by someone that I trust, and that is very close to the situation, that Michigan a few weeks ago thought they were very close to landing PIttman. Since then I was told that they have slowed things down with him. I don't want to get into too much or speculate but we'll see how it plays out as he gets closer to his graduation, and if he does indeed graduate early. It's not over with him by any means.

Offensive and Defensive Line:

That's a good segue to now talk about where Michigan is at with both offensive and defensive line recruiting.

First the offensive line. With Magnuson committing that gives them a true left tackle and Ben Braden and Caleb Stacey on the interior. Michigan is still in great shape with Illinois OL Jordan Diamond. If you missed it I spoke with his mother about where they're at this past week. He and his family will be visiting Ann Arbor this week for the Sound Mind Sound Body camp, and will also pop in to see the coaches.

Eric Olson and Adam Brisnowaty are fresh off visits as I just talked about. Colorado OL Paul Thurston should be deciding within the next few months and has Michigan in his final group. Someone that hasn't been talked about much is Tennessee OL Blake Bars (6'5", 275 lbs, 4 star), who is originally from Michigan and is still an option. The coaches could potentially offer Magnuson's friend Isaac Seumalo, who happens to be ranked 175th overall in the nation per Rivals. 

There is still some drama with the offensive line, however. Ohio State commit Kyle Kalis told me this past week that he is still committed to Ohio State but is listening to other schools. Michigan is one of those schools he's listening to and he could potentially visit. The possible kicker here is that Kalis and recent Michigan commit Tom Strobel are friends. I asked Kalis if Strobel's commitment would have any effect on him and he said, "I'm not sure, maybe." That might sound like nothing, but to me it sounds like Strobel has an opportunity to get in his friend's ear. This could be something to watch as Kalis has said the sanctions on OSU and their potential head coach would matter in his final decision.

You will likely see the final offensive line commits come from this group. What the combination is, I'm not sure yet. 

As for defensive line recruiting, this gets a little more confusing. With Strobel's commitment Michigan now has DE Pharaoh Brown, DE/DT Matt Godin, DE/LB Mario Ojemudia, and the aforementioned Tom Strobel. The good thing about these commitments is that a lot of them are versatile and can be moved to different spots if necessary.

Michigan will likely take three more defensive line commitments. That sounds like a lot, but the prospects they're in on are the kind that you have to take. DE Chris Wormley has said openly that Michigan is his leader and I wouldn't expect him to wait much longer before deciding. Outside of Wormley you have DE Se'Von Pittman, DE Adolphus Washington, DT Ondre Pipkins [who should be visiting soon], and DT Aziz Shittu. I'm only going to include these names for now, because these are the kids I think MIchigan has the best shot at landing in the current time. 

With what I mentioned about Pittman above I am wondering if that will alter anyone else's decision timeline. For example Adolphus Washington plans on announcing his decision at the Under Armour All American game, whereas Pittman plans on graduating early which means he needs to decide sooner than Washington. Wormley will likely announce before the season, and if he picks Michigan that's one less spot available between Washington and Pittman. If the coaches wait for Washington then it probably means they will not get Pittman.

Extra:

Pennsylvania RB Greg Garmon told me via text that he will be visiting Michigan on Monday. I'll have more from him soon, or after the visit.

Cali DT Aziz Shittu was mentioned above in the defensive line recruiting, because I think Michigan has a legitimate shot with him. Shittu has a top eleven right now that includes Michigan, Cal, Notre Dame, Auburn, USC, UCLA, Stanford, Florida, Washington, Arizona, and Nebraska. "I might make it out [to Michigan] for the Notre Dame game, those jerseys were dope," Shittu told me. Dope is good. He will probably wait to see how teams perform during the season before making any decisions. Ondre Pipkins has wavered on when he will make his decision, so Ondre's decision could potentially alter where Shittu ends up if he were to pick Michigan.

Pennsylvania DE Noah Spence is still interested in Michigan as well. His father told me this past week that they are just laying low for right now and letting Noah enjoy some time off. He just took the SAT on Saturday. Not a lot is going on right now, but the Michigan coaches did take a visit to his school during the evaluation period. 

2013 WR LaQuon Treadwell is teammates with current commit DB Anthony Standifer. Treadwell is hoping for a Michigan offer, and there's a chance he would commit right away if he received the offer. The Michigan coaches plan on watching his film and going from there. Just something to keep an eye on. I'll have more from him later on.

Ohio RB Bri'Onte Dunn has been talked about a lot lately. I've previously reported that he and his father are waiting to find out what happens with the OSU sanctions, and they will definitely have an effect on his commitment. His father told me this past week that they plan on making it out to Penn State as the next stop, and there's also a chance that they will be at the Michigan-Notre Dame night game during the season.

Utah FB Sione Houma did not commit during his visit to Michigan this weekend. He doesn't say much, but he told me that his parents went with him on the trip, and that he could potentially see himself going to Michigan. He will probably wait everything out, and I think distance might factor in here.

To stick with the fullback theme, I mentioned on the board this past week that Michigan currently leads for Texas FB EJ Fatu. He doesn't talk much either, but he sounds pretty excited about Michigan. We'll see if he makes it up soon for a visit.

I've gotten a lot of questions about quarterbacks lately. Maty Mauk took a visit to Ann Arbor this past week and Indiana QB Gunner Kiel postpponed his announcement that was supposed to take place on Sunday [the 12th]. From what I was told I wouldn't get too excited about Kiel, but I'm not sure that anyone really knows what's going on. His family keeps everything very close and doesn't leak too much. Both quarterbacks will likely decide soon and Michigan is still in the mix for both of them. If they miss on both then I would expect Austin Appleby to become a real option. He plans on camping and if the coaches like what they see, he could get an offer. I preface all of that with the fact that I don't know what is going to happen with Mauk or Kiel---both keep everything quiet.

2013 instate OL Steve Elmer was offered by Wisconsin. He now holds offers from Wisconsin and Mississippi State. I spoke to his dad a few weeks ago, I just haven't posted the interview yet. That will go up this week.

Illinois OL Jordan Diamond has been one of the most sought after prospects in the midwest. The four star prospect has taken a ton of visits, and done his homework on each school he's interested in. Diamond's popularity has been fun, but has also been overwhelming at times for his family. I spoke with his mother today to get her perspective, and where Jordan and the family are at with his recruitment.

TOM: I know that you all have taken quiet a few visits now. Were you on all his visits with him?

MRS. DIAMOND: I've been on all the visits and we've really liked all of them. Everywhere we go when we leave I've said pick this one. We went to Wisconsin over the weekend and I loved it. They're only two and a half hours away. I love Michigan because of Christian [Bryant, 2011 signee], the staff, and my mom is an hour and a half away. I love each school for different reasons. I loved Ohio State believe it or not. I think they showed us the best time when we went there. I loved Notre Dame because of the prestige, I love Illinois because Coach Smith is always there. Like Michigan's staff, he's always available. If I had to pick, I would put them all in a hat and pick one.

TOM: You mentioned Michigan, was there anything that has stuck out about their program to you?

MRS. DIAMOND: One thing I can say about Michigan is that they've been there since day one. Even since Coach Rodriguez left they've always been there. I always tell Jordan that he has more fans at Michigan than anywhere else. They like him, they appreciate him, and if there's a Michigan fan wherever we are, they know him. Christian [Bryant] is coming to Michigan too, and my mother lives an hour and a half away, so those are the good things.

TOM: You've mentioned your mother living there, is that something that will play into all this?

MRS. DIAMOND: My mom lives in Saginaw, Michigan. That's pretty close to the university. She wants to move back to Chicago because that's where she's from. I've asked her to stay there for now because if Jordan goes to Michigan then I would probably move there soon. So before she does anything I want to know what he's going to do.

TOM: Does that mean you guys are hoping he decides soon, or you're just waiting for him to decide then go with it?

MRS. DIAMOND: I was hoping that he would have made his decision by now. I can't imagine how in the world he's going to make a decision. Every place we've been has been nice. I know that we're ok right now, but I'm not sure where we'll be at in two or three years, what situation we'll be in. I don't know if we can drive across the country to watch a football game. If he went somewhere four to five hours away then we could get there.

TOM: It sounds like this has all been pretty overwhelming for you. Are you guys going to take any more visits any time soon?

MRS. DIAMOND: Next weekend, we'll leave here Wednesday morning for Michigan and we'll be back Sunday. He's not participating in any more camps, but he'll be watching some of his teammates at the Sound Mind Sound Body camp. We'll go down for that and then we'll take in the University afterwards, we take that opportunity every time we get it. I don't believe we'll be doing any more traveling far away. He has enough on his plate so I don't think he needs to see anything else. How many schools can you decide to pick from?

TOM: As a parent what has it been like going through this process? Your son has garnered so much attention and has a huge opportunity, how does that feel?

MRS. DIAMOND: I'm a proud mom and I love my son to death. It's hard to describe, it's hard for me to talk about it to people because people don't understand. My strength comes from Chris Bryant's parents, because they've been there. I call his parents if I need a shoulder or have a question. My friends don't know what I'm talking about and can't relate. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity for him, but it's overwhelming and I'll be glad when it's over.

TOM: It's been overwhelming for you, do you think it's been the same for Jordan, and have you seen any growth from him out of this process?

MRS. DIAMOND: I think this is making him stronger. I think that he's the most humble person I know. I don't even know if it's bother him like it's bothering me. He just takes it all in and keeps going. He's not arrogant, he tells me I talk too much because I do all the talking. He's the same quiet, dedicated kid he's been all the time.

With all the turmoil surrounding Ohio State's recent implosion, recruiting has suddenly become an interesting topic for the Buckeyes. Normally the instate prospects don't stray too far and end up committing to Ohio State. The resignation of Jim Tressel and the impending sanctions however have thrown a huge wrench in their well oiled machine. One of the most important prospects for new head coach Luke Fickell to try to keep on board is St. Edward offensive lineman Kyle Kalis (6'5", 300 lbs).

Kalis was distraught when the news came of Jim Tressel's resignation. He even went as far as calling the interim coach Luke Fickell to tell him he was decommitting from the program. Fickell talked Kalis down and got him to remain committed to the Buckeyes for now. Here's what Kalis had to say about where he stands with Ohio State and what could happen with his commitment in the near future. First his film, then the questions.

TOM: Where are you at with your commitment to Ohio State? Are you still listening to other coaches?

KYLE: I'm still listening to coaches. I want to go to Ohio State, but I want to know that Coach Fickell is going to be my head coach when I'm there, and if we don't have more than a two year bowl ban. 

TOM: What other schools are you entertaining right now? Do you have a group that you'll listen to?

KYLE: Yeah, I think I've narrowed it down to Auburn, Alabama, Wisconsin, Miami, Iowa, and Michigan. That's not in any order, but those schools I would be interested in if anything happened. I'm still committed to Ohio State, though.

TOM: Would you potentially visit those schools just to make sure you're covered?

KYLE: Yeah, I mean I'm not in a rush but whenever I can I'd like to just go give them all a look.

Kalis wanted to make sure that this didn't come off as demanding in anyway, and wanted to make sure that everyone knows he still wants to end up at Ohio State. He has to have a backup plan though in case anything happens with the NCAA sanctions. Just so that's clear.

It has almost been a year since Ohio offensive lineman Jack Miller decided to commit to play for Rich Rodriguez and the Michigan Wolverines. A lot has changed since Miller's announcement, and despite the fact that the program has gone through an overhaul Miller's excitement has never dwindled. "I sat here and read all the articles about me projecting to go there, and then me signing there, and now it's time to be a part of Michigan football," he said. "It's not just football, it's being part of that tradition. We all report on June 25th, that's when we move in."

Miller had fallen in love with everything that Michigan brought to the table, so when the coaching change happened his commitment was never in question. He embraced the new coaching staff and was pleasantly surprised with Brady Hoke and his new position coach Darrell Funk. "I've been really impressed with the coaches. You obviously don't wish bad on anyone, and this isn't anything against Coach Rodriguez, but I think this coaching change is good for me and good for Michigan football," said Miller. "Everyone is buying in and is happy to play for them. I'm speaking real prematurely here and I've only gotten to know the coaches off the field, but I'm excited to get up there and learn." The major recruiting sites had Miller as a defensive line prospect but Michigan recruited him to play on the offensive line. 

While most fans were nervous and didn't know what to expect with the new coaching staff, Miller said he knew everything would be ok. "I don't follow recruiting too close, but I've looked at it. I wasn't surprised that the coaches have done so well," he said. "The fans don't know Coach Hoke on a personal level, and I read that Greg Mattison is one of the best recruiters in the country." The fans might not know Hoke on a personal level, but there is mutual optimism now that the 2012 class has been rolling in. "It's a new transition for Michigan and who wouldn't want to come to Michigan," asked Miller. "Coach Hoke is bringing back the old Michigan, they're players' coaches, and they've been successful."

He speaks highly of head coach Brady Hoke, but Coach Darrell Funk has been the main contact at Michigan for Miller, and he's been preparing for his new role with his new family. "I think the way it looks right now I'll be playing center. It's an interior offensive line position and a lot of time it's need based so I wouldn't rule out guard either. In a perfect world with nothing wrong I think it would probably be center," he said about his new position. Jack played both offensive and defensive line in high school, so he has familiarity with the position. Jumping from high school to college as a lineman can be very difficult however, so Miller has been trying to gain every advantage he can. "I've been training first and foremost. Working out, and I've been trying to use some resources I have in the NFL," he said. "I've been watching film on different centers in the NFL, and I've been trying to figure out what transition will be like on the field. I have to accept the fact that my life is about to do a complete 180." 

One aspect of his transition that many people can relate to is college life off the field, and discovering a whole new world. "I'm excited for what college represents, branching out as your own person and not relying on any one else," Miller said. "Becoming and developing who you are. It's exciting, not nerve wracking, but it does make you anxious." Luckily for him he has gotten a head step on befriending his new teammates. "I'm trying to room with Chris Rock [2011 DE signee]. We became friends once we both committed," he said. "I know Kevin Koger being from Toledo, and he and I have been in touch. I talk to Taylor Lewan and Patrick Omameh when I go up there, so I'm getting to know the guys and it's been good." Miller, like any offensive lineman, will likely redshirt his freshman year. With Dave Molk's senior status and only two others in front of him, Miller will have an excellent chance at contributing early if he can manage this transition properly.

Ohio DB Jarrod Wilson's name has been popping up lately because of a visit he took last week to Ann Arbor, so I caught up with his coach, former Wolverine, Ricky Powers. Here's what Coach Powers had to say about his star DB and where he's at in the process.

TOM: How did Jarrod's visit to Michigan go last week?

COACH POWERS: It's funny, Jarrod is a lot like myself, he's just a laid back kid and nothing really shakes him. I asked him how the visit was and he said it was good. He went to Penn State this past Friday and he said that was good, too. He doesn't emphasize a lot, but I think both visits went very well. 

TOM: Where is he at in the process as far as top schools and timelines.

COACH POWERS: His top three are Notre Dame, Michigan, and Penn State [ED: in no order]. He's going out to Notre Dame on the 10th, and he's already been to Michigan and Penn State like I said. I think those will be his last visits, I'm not positive, but I think so.

TOM: Does that mean he'll be deciding shortly after that?

COACH POWERS: We definitely want to get it done before the season starts. He wants to graduate early, so we want that to be out of the way and taken care of.

TOM: What kind of advice have you given him, or what kind of questions does he ask you throughout this whole process?

COACH POWERS: The only advice I've given him is to look past some of the stuff, all of them are going to have great tradition. He needs to find where he'll be most comfortable as a person. He has a pretty good checklist, I haven't seen it, but he has a good checklist that he asks schools. He'll make a great decision wherever he goes.

TOM: Is he looking at depth charts, or who is committed where at this point?

COACH POWERS: No, nope. He is a very confident kid and he doesn't look at that kind of stuff.

The evaluation period is over, which means no more off campus visits by the coaches. There is a quiet period from now until July 31st. A quiet period allows a coach to write or call a prospect and recruits can visit the school's campus.

So the next big events for Michigan will be unofficial visits and camp (June 19th-23rd). Here's a look at what could be happening in the near future, and where a few other prospects are at in their recruitment. As always you can follow me on Twitter at TomVH, and feel free to email me with tips or questions at TomVH@MGoBlog.com.

Jehu Chesson

6'3", 175 lbs.

Wide Receiver

St. Louis, Missouri

Chesson received an offer from Michigan this past week, and it was one that he thought would be coming in soon.

They had been looking at me for awhile, and they told me that I'm among eight kids that they were evaluating. Coach Hecklinski visited my school and they didn't offer right away, but he said to hang in there with them. He finally told me that the staff wanted me and they offered.

Jehu is an interesting prospect because he had been recruited by the old Michigan staff, and actually knew them better than the current staff.

We visited campus last summer. I kind of wanted to see it so we sacrificed a little and made the trip. They obviously have a different coaching staff from last year. Right now I just need to build that relationship with them. I know Coach Hecklinski. The number one thing for me is to have a role in the offense. I'm a receiver, I'm a little bias to having the ball in my hands. I can control how good I become, but they're the ones that choose how to use me.

Chesson plans to take his time with his recruitment, and wants to wait to see what schools offer before he makes any decisions.

I'll take all of my official visits. I would definitely consider Michigan for an official visit because it's not a place I can easily get to. Take an official to Michigan would make more sense than a place like Mizzou. I want to narrow my list down at the end of the summer. It should be a pretty long list still but at least I'll be getting it somewhere. After that I'll try to get a top five.

Michigan would obviously like to land a receiver in this class and it looks like this is one position that they'll have to wait to find out who they get. Chesson plans on waiting, Dwayne Stanford wants to announce later in his season, and Aaron Burbridge has some work to do in the classroom.

Eric Olson

6'6", 265 lbs.

Offensive Line

Cambridge, Massachusetts

I mentioned this past week that Olson would be visiting Michigan this Tuesday (the 7th). His Michigan offer came in recently and Michigan will be the last school he sees.

About two months back Coach Mallory said that the offensive line coach had watched my highlights and loved them. We kept in contact and I told him the interest was mutual. Eventually about three weeks ago they pulled the trigger and offered me.

Some prospects only say that academics are a big part of their decision but Olson's final list makes it clear he means it.

I really want a school that combines academics and athletics. It's something that's really important to me and I've told a number of schools not to waste their time recruiting me because of their academic standing. I have a 3.2 GPA, but I'm at a very rigorous private school and I scored a 1930 on the SAT and a 29 on the ACT.

So yeah, he's pretty serious about that. Olson says he's playing everything by ear, but he would like to have a decision made by mid summer. With Michigan being the last visit and a good combination of what he's looking for, they have a good shot.

Jarron Jones

6'5", 308 lbs.

Defensive Tackle

Rochester, New York

Jones has been committed to Penn State for some time, but has said that he will continue to visit schools. Michigan is one of the programs he and his family would like to see more of. I spoke with his mother about where he's at, and when he should be at Michigan.

If you asked Jarron he would say Penn State was the best place for him, but that was after visiting Rutgers and Pitt. Before talking to me and his dad he told a reporter that he was committed to Penn State. We said he should have talked to us first. He does feel he loves Penn State and Larry Johnson was the first person to critique Jarron. I loved that because I don't want someone to feed my son, he needs reality. Life is reality, and he needs a dose of that. It's not that we don't like Penn State, if that's still the best place for him then Penn State it is. We're going to discuss it as a family.

As far as what schools they're looking into now, his mother outlined some of the programs they like and how they feel about distance from home.

He told the Florida coaches he's not really interested in going that far, and we're not interested in him going to the west coast. I want to be able to get to him if something were to happen. Virginia Tech is a school he's loved since childhood so we'll be going there. We're going to Michigan in June when we visit Notre Dame at the end of June. At the end of July we'll go out to Louisville and maybe Ohio State.

The Jones family doesn't know too much about Michigan yet, but they're eager to learn more.

I called and talked to Coach Montgomery. We had a long talk and he seemed excited to get us up there. Me personally, I have no real knowledge of Michigan. I understand that they're a great institution. Jarron has some knowledge as far as the football side of things. I told Michigan that I would like to see their APR score for the last few years, too. I need to know the coaches are going to do a good job of being a mentor to him. It's very important for us to know what type of coaches they have.

These visits will help their family get to know everyone, and help them figure out where the best place for Jarron is. There obviously won't be a decision until after the visits are done, so they won't know anything at least until after July. [Ed: APR score should come with lots of explaining.]

Extra:

California OL Erik Magnuson is visiting on the 10th. I outlined this in the last Weekly Update, and he has Michigan as his number one team. This is a very big visit for Michigan, very big.

Massachusetts DB Armani Reeves told me that he has dropped Michigan from his list. He says he is no longer going to camp at Michigan, but will visit Notre Dame instead. His list is Penn State and Notre Dame now.

As you can see New York DB Wayne Morgan decided to hold off on making his announcement. There probably won't be room for him once he's ready to decide, since he wants to take his official visits now.

Ohio S Jarrod Wilson did visit Michigan last week, and now has Michigan in his top three with Penn State and Notre Dame. I should have more from his coach Ricky Powers this week. Wilson could potentially be making his visit in the near future.

I will outline a list of recruits that I think Michigan could get, or is in good shape with sometime this week. There's been a lot of people asking about that, so I'll post that soon. I'm trying to confirm a few visits, so I'll post those when I get them as well.

For everyone asking about DE Chris Wormley, he does have Michigan as number one right now, but still hasn't decided when he wants to make a decision. I'd imagine it won't go too long though.