2019 in-state DE Michael Fletcher names top 6
Flint (MI) Carman Ainsworth DE Michael Fletcher named a top six that includes Alabama, Kentucky, Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska, and Wisconsin. He'll announce on June 29.
https://twitter.com/bigmike810_/status/1000769430933078016
I know people have been worked up about Devontae Dobbs, Logan Brown, etc., but I think Fletcher has the potential to be the best of the in-state bunch. Right now he's a 247 Composite 3-star, the #25 strongside end, and #387 overall. He has Taco Charlton-like potential, in my opinion.
By the way, MSU has 73% of the crystal balls, while Michigan has the other 27%.
In the past 40 years we have got about 1 out of 10 players from Flint compared to MSU. Since Rick Leach who have we pulled out of Flint?? My bet is he goes to state.
4-star SDE
in 2017
Thomas Rawls and Quintin Patilla come to mind.
Patilla was also from C-A but didn’t last long at UM.
Do not get me wrong “Big Mike” is a good kid. As you know, sometimes you make an offer to get into the school to have a better shot at future players coming down the pipeline.
Well, the three most recent picks (Wiltfong, Trieu, Bud Elliott) are all for MSU, and they have all come since mid-April.
Kentucky?
Since I posted this thread:
- Happy Memorial Day POSBANG!!
- OT - Reddit CFB Risk Update 5/28 - Holding Steady
You see any news in those threads?
THIS.
I really don't give a rip about top lists either, but I like that Magnus posts stuff like this as it keeps me in the loop on the top talent and I value his opinion on the kids ability.
There isn't much other football recruiting news being posted on this site these days.
There isn't much about players, signed/or could sign.
And when there are, there isn't enough interesting conversation in them.
A lot of it turns into burgeoning food fights. Oy vey!
Currently on the sidebar:
- There are...
- OT: NBA ECF Game 7
- OT - Potential move to Boston-area
- OT - Reddit CFB Risk Update 5/27 - Target on Our Backs
- There are...
- OT: NBA to have 2 Game 7 Conference Championships since 1979
- MGoGarderns, How Does Your Garden Grow + Adult Beverage Time
Go ahead and post a similar comment in each of those seven threads, and maybe then I'll take your comment seriously.
Is there any update on Zach Harrison, enough to make a post like this one about him? I am holding outside hope he chooses Michigan, not just because of his skills, but because of the type of person he is.
But the post is on football, and does touch Michigan football.
No offense, but there's really not much new to be said on the topic. Michigan has not been doing a great job of in-state recruiting in the 2019 class, and most of the top guys are looking elsewhere. I really like Karsen Barnhart and he's been moving up in the rankings, but we probably have the best shot at:
#4 Mazi Smith
#18 Tre Mosley
#25 Ruke Orhorhoro
We probably could have landed #7 Marvin Grant, but Michigan backed off of him.
I think losing Tyrone Wheatley, Jr. lost them some energy and credibility within the state, and they haven't found a great guy to replace him. The new guys are solid recruiters, but they simply don't have the connections within the state like Wheatley did, who played/coached in Dearborn and was a legend at Michigan.
in 2016, 2017 and 2018
if we don't win it in 2019 we'll survive
we also have had better recruiting classes in all seasons overall and will again in 2019
is currently a TE on UM's team.
That's what the "J" in "TJ" Wheatley stands for.
Yep. Careless mistake on my part. My bad.
and we dock your pay!
Whatever happened to these two may highlight the problem.
Why did senior leave? Why was Junior passed on the TE depth chart? If he wasn't working out as a TE and we have such a need at tackle, why didn't he switch?
Something tells me Drevno was the broken wheel and Harbaugh had to decide who side to take between he and Wheatley. He made the wrong choice, me thinks.
Hopefully with Drevno and Frey out of the picture TWJ can get a few snaps. And maybe his pops can come back and recruit MI again.
injuries have held him back if I remember correctly
years as he wants to coach in the NFL.
TJ has been snake bit by injuries. He's a great athlete but might have outgrown a position where he is going to catch a lot of passes. I'd be more than happy to be wrong about that. But with McKeon, Gentry, and Eubanks we have some guys out there who can really run.
I agree and said those exact words when he left and also said it would be hard to replace what he brought to the table. I like the guy from Jersey and I thought they made a great 1-2 combination on the recruiting front. Wheatley was the answer to OSU's Larry Johnson. A guy who players and and parents (particularly those kids from rough inner-city upbringings) could look at and relate to because he lived it. We need someone like that that has a swag that the kids feel. Pep may be good at what he does, but his swag doesn't translate well with that demographic because he's more like Obama than Deon Sanders, and trust me there is a difference (lol).
I always thought that Bush senior would move up and become "that" guy but perhaps he's busy doing more important things for the team (I really dont know) but he shares a lot of the same qualities in terms of his pedigree as Wheatley. He's a proven winner has street cred and looks the part. No knock on the Obama types like Pep, because they probably make great recruiters for the prim and proper Catholic/prep school kids but those angry, raw super athletic hard nose pit bull type guys relate better to guys like Wheatley. Someone send him a text and tell him we miss him and to please come back.
I don't really want Wheatley back that much. He's a good recruiter, but on the field, his backs didn't do much. Michigan's top three backs in 2017 all averaged 5.07 YPC or better. In 2016 the only guy who didn't average that much was the guy who got most of the carries (De'Veon Smith at 4.67). In 2015 the only guy who topped 5.07 YPC was Ty Isaac...who was #5 in carries amongst the running backs.
Michigan might be able to put together a solid recruiting class despite Wheatley's absence, but I'd rather have results on the field. Give me a squad of running backs that average 6.06 (Higdon), 5.07 (Evans), and 6.23 (Isaac) yards per carry, please.
For all the screaming that goes on about Tim Drevno by some people, he actually has a pretty good history in the run. Maybe that's why USC hired him in the run game....
Anyway, the run game is going to be noticably better with Ed Warinner. Ohio St led the BIG 10 in rushing 6 times when he was there. I am going to put together a post (when I have the time), just a simple one, about Ed Warinner's history in the run game. His history is pretty impressive.
I feel you, and no sense in beating a dead horse because we all know he's not coming back. I think beside me giving him his dues and propers, the bigger point was that we needed a recruiter who could appeal to "that" demographic. Sparty, OSU and Bama will always win those kids because they have recruiters and a perceived culture that speaks to them. Its pure marketing. I know their is a demographic that Partrige speaks to and one that Pep speaks to. The double edge sword is that Michigan is already perceived as the prim and proper ivy league type of school that parents and high academic minded athletes would really fall in love with. Hence we compete with Stanford, and Notre Dame for those guys and we win our fair share. Unfortunately the athletic freaks from the other side of the tracks, we dont appeal to as much because 1. we aren't winning like OSU and Bama and 2. some of those athletes are more interested in playing and being able to shine on ESPN, than putting in that work in the classroom that goes along with big-time college athletics.
I get it, and I think in a lot of cases, we go for the guys who we know will adjust to the rigorous demands of our academic standards and not all of those guys can balance it well enough. But there are guys who come from Inkster, King, Robichaud, Carmen-Ainsworth and other schools who make the grade and do very well (Tyrone Wheatley and Jourdan Lewis for example). However we miss out on others because the mindset is, I dont want to work that hard, I just wanna play Football and be on TV. I was saying that Wheatley and Jourdan Lewis types, speak to those guys because they have done it and have been very successful and have received big contracts in the NFL. To your point, I think Wheatleys RB's would have gotten better #'s with better OL play and a time proven system of developing them (continuity). Althogh it appears that Jay Harb is doing a good job for not having coached RB's or playing the position himself, I dont think he's better suited for developing and preparing RB's for Saturday and Sunday than Wheat.
More importantly, is there a plan in place to bring in someone, or elevate someone like Bush to reach those kids? or have we written those kids off as "Thanks but not really our type"? No disrespect to anyone, I just love Michigan Football and want to see it back the way it was.