BBrown: 2015 Names To Watch: Jack Dunaway
Position: Weak- Side Defensive End
Ht/Wt: 6'2" / 215 lbs.
Location: Brother RIce High School – Bloomfield Hills, MI
Offers: N/A
Rating: N/A
Ranking: N/A
FILM
The Michigan coaches hosted a few prospects this past weekend for the Minnesota game and one of the young men on hand was DE Jack Dunaway. Dunaway is another known name around Ann Arbor as Jack's father, Craig, played tight end for the Wolverines in the early 80's. Jack is an unranked, unoffered prospect at this time, but he is bound and determined to change that.
Coach Mattison and I have talked about whether or not I will get an offer. He has told me that the 2015 class is going to be very small, he said it's 15 right now, and they do not intend on offering anyone at my position of weak-side defensive end. Althought he said he still wants me to come to Michigan as a preferred walk-on. While I understand the situation that they are in this year, I want to change his mind and get a scholarship offer as an incoming freshman. We will see how it plays out.
Jack knows that he will have to work much harder than most to get that offer he covets, but he knows that other schools could potentially come calling. If that does happen he'll have some things to weigh out.
Michigan has always been where I want to end up but if I was offered by some other schools I would definitely consider them. In the end my decision will come down to wherever I feel the most comfortable and also on the standing of the schools academics. It will definitely be a tough decision. Time will tell.
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Dunaway gets it. He's not a highly talented player, but he knows with work some offers could come. Will Michigan be one of those offers? Right now it doesn't look like it but with his dad's legacy, growing up in Michigan, and his high standards for academics, enrolling at the University of Michigan is obviously what he'd like to do.
THE VIBE
0 - Not going to happen
1 - Doesn't look good right now, but we'll see
2 - 50/50, yes or no, wouldn't be surprised
3 - It looks like an offer could come in the future
4 - I fully expect an offer to come
5 - Guarantee this kid is offered
I wouldn't be surprised at all if Dunaway eventually becomes a Wolverine, but I'd bet it would be as a walk-on. He's quite undersized for his position and with the 2015 class being extremely small, the coaches probably won't be able to find room for him to take up a scholarship. You never know though. Sometimes these are the kinds of kids that grind harder than anyone else and carry a big chip on their shoulder, turning them into a diamond in the rough.
I'm curious about why the coaches would choose to host an unranked prospect at a position not likely to be offered. With the class being so small, I get wanting to have a fallback plan in case another position of need doesn't pan out. However, I would envision hosting a higher caliber of recruit.
This is not to denigrate the abilities of this young man, but more a question of the direction of the program in regards to recruiting. We've been "shooting for the stars" it seems and missing out (Hand, McDowell). I would think we would set our fallback plans a little higher - especially for a position not likely to be filled in this class.
Thoughts?
I agree with your point on Peppers - the point with Hand and McDowell were the lack of backup options. Recent visitor lists contained clear targets for scholarship offers vs. preferred walk-ons. Probably overthinking it, I am sure.
And I misspoke when using the word direction. I wasn't questioning the direction of the program per se. More questioning the value of hosting a recruit who is highly unlikely to be offered. As you stated, and others have commented - there is value in bringing him in that I wasn't originally thinking of at the time I posted.
Thanks for the feedback.
As mentioned, I am not aware of the time/effort involved from the coaches in hosting these guys. Quick, ten minute hello/goodbye, or are they actually sitting down with each prospect and discussing their fit in the program?
Agree the Legacy aspect is another important point to consider along with the other comments about pipelines, etc. posted by others.
because he is a legacy, and comes from a school that produces alot of talent? Just a thought. Love the cowbell!!
- They may miss on some guys higher on their board and come back to him
- He may be a legit preferred walk-on type
- He might grow and become a viable recruit for Michigan
- The school likely wants to maintain good relations with the player, coach, school, and state, and hosting in-state players helps maintain those relationships
- Good word of mouth (this goes back to point 4, but the word of mouth from one recruit can play positively on other recruits looking into Michigan).
Their overall value to the program is fairly high. Getting Graham Glasgow to switch from OSU was big. Losing the LS to MSU in 2012 led us to spend a scholarship on the position in the next class. They are typically not a fallback plan in recruiting, but necessary for building depth across the roster.
Much like Alabama hands out 100+ offers a year.
You bring players and coaches in to show off your program and build relationships. Some kids you offer and pursue hard. Others you offer and don't. Others you offer preferred walk-on positions. It doesn't hurt them to bring in players, even if they don't offer them. I imagine sometimes they host a kid mainly to start building a relationship with a coach.
line of thought. Guess I don't know what kind of time committment it is on the part of the coaches. As you mention, can't hurt to bring people in. Thanks for the feedback.
Like the screen name too...wonder what Obi is up to lately.
He's on linkedin.
when I was at U-M. Geez, am I getting old! Anyway, I wish Jack the best in his quest to become a Wolverine.
Shooting for the stars and missing? (peppers, Green,Kalis) Also what is the harm of letting a recruit visit? It wasnt an official. According to your standards we should only have high ranking recruits visit?
There was only one comment when i started to repond.
Why is a DL wearing a QB Number?
I've seen him play in person. Great motor. Watch his film at the link BBrown provided. He's not big, but he's as tall as Frank Clark (or Robert Mathis if you want to talk NFL). And I imagine Mr. Wellman could put a few lbs. on him.
for the personal insight. As mentioned, I am in no way trying to diminish his skills. Going back to the "trust the coaches" mantra we use across this board...
Welcome to MGoBlog!
Dunaway visited with two other Brother Rice prospects, Alex Malzone and Grant Perry. (Having several players in from the same school relates to Space Coyote's point #4 above.)
Foreshadow? @AlexMalzone @j_dunaway98 pic.twitter.com/8a3z2qjV4a
— Grant Perry® (@TheGrantPerry) March 1, 2014
If Bruce Davidson wants more cowbell, you give him more cowbell.
No disrespect, but I don't see the size to get an offer to play the D-line at M.
I hope the kid follows his heart here and we will see if he can add the size. My son grew 3 inches after high school and some kids top that.
Good luck and we hopre to see ya blue!!!