BBrown: Offer Frenzy

Submitted by Brandon Brown on

The Michigan coaching staff is in full-on recruiting mode now that Spring ball is complete and they aren't wasting any time evaluating, visiting, and offering new prospects. In the past few days they have offered the following prospects from both the 2015 and 2016 classes:

Name: Abdul Bello 
Position: Offensive Tackle
Ht/Wt: 6'6" / 295
Location: Montverde Academy - Montverde, FL (2015)
Offers: Florida, Florida State, Alabama, Auburn, Indiana, Maryland, Miami, Michigan, Missouri, Tennessee  
Rating: ★★★★ (.9133)  
Ranking (NAT/POS): #207 / #22

Name: Miles Boykin
Position: Wide Receiver
Ht/Wt: 6'4" / 212
Location: Providence Catholic - New Lenox, IL (2015)
Offers: Illinois, Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, UConn, Florida, Kentucky, NC State, Ole Miss, Toledo, Virginia Tech, Western Michigan, Wisconsin
Rating: ★★★★ (.9162)  
Ranking (NAT/POS): #194 / #27 
FILM

Name: Deondre Francois 
Position: Quarterback
Ht/Wt: 6'1" / 190
Location: IMG Academy - Orlando, FL (2015)
Offers: Florida, Florida State, Miami, Ohio State, Tennessee, Auburn, Cincinnati, Clemson, Florida Atlantic, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisville, Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska, North Carolina, Oregon, South Florida, UCF, Wake Forest
Rating: ★★★★ (.9047)  
Ranking (NAT/POS): #249 / #10 
FILM

Name: Tyler Jordan
Position: Offensive Tackle
Ht/Wt: 6'4" / 280
Location: Bishop Kenny - Jacksonville, FL (2015)
Offers: Florida (COMMIT), Bucknell, California, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Maryland, Miami, Michigan, NC State, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio State, Ole Miss, Penn State, South Carolina, Stanford, Wake Forest 
Rating: ★★★ (.8795)  
Ranking (NAT/POS): #380 / #46 
FILM

Name: William Sweet
Position: Offensive Tackle
Ht/Wt: 6'5" / 270
Location: First Coast - Jacksonville, FL (2015)
Offers: North Carolina (COMMIT), Auburn, Cincinnati, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisville, LSU, Maryland, Miami, Michigan, Nebraska, Purdue, UCF, Washington State
Rating: ★★★ (.8617)  
Ranking (NAT/POS): #580 / #70 
FILM

Name: Auden Tate
Position: Wide Receiver
Ht/Wt: 6'4" / 195
Location: Wharton - Tampa, FL (2015)
Offers: Kentucky, Miami, South Carolina, Florida, Florida State, Clemson, Illinois, Indiana, Louisville, Marshall, Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska, Ohio State, Penn State, South Florida, UCF, Vanderbilt, Wake Forest
Rating: ★★★ (.8791)  
Ranking (NAT/POS): #383 / #54 
FILM

Name: Dexter Williams
Position: Running Back
Ht/Wt: 6'0" / 192
Location: West Orange - Orlando, FL (2015)
Offers: Miami (COMMIT), Florida, Florida Atlantic, Georgia, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, South Carolina, Tennessee, USC, Wake Forest, Wisconsin
Rating: ★★★★ (.9684)  
Ranking (NAT/POS): #64 / #5 
FILM

Name: Cameron Chambers
Position: Wide Receiver
Ht/Wt: 6'3" / 195
Location: Timber Creek - Philadelphia, PA (2016)
Offers: Ohio State, Pittsburgh, Wisconsin, Arkansas, Boston College, Georgia Tech, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Old Dominion, Purdue, Rutgers, South Carolina, Temple, Toledo, Virginia, Virginia Tech, West Virginia 
Rating: ★★★★ (.9671)  
Ranking (NAT/POS): #83 / #14 
FILM

Name: Tavares Chase
Position: Wide Receiver
Ht/Wt: 6'2" / 167
Location: Plant City - Plant City, FL (2016)
Offers: Clemson, Kentucky, Miami, Michigan, South Florida, Temple, UCF, Virginia Tech 
Rating: ★★★★ (.9133)  
Ranking (NAT/POS): #217 
FILM

Name: Nate Craig
Position: Wide Receiver
Ht/Wt: 6'2" / 195
Location: Tampa Catholic - Tampa, FL (2016)
Offers: Auburn, Florida, Ohio State, Cincinnati, Clemson, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisville, UMass, Miami, Michigan, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Rutgers, South Florida, Tennessee, Texas Tech, UCF, Vanderbilt, West Virginia, Wisconsin 
Rating: ★★★★ (.9635)  
Ranking (NAT/POS): #91 / #18 
FILM

I have made contact with a lot of these guys but am still trying to get in touch with a couple. Keep an eye out for some updates in the coming days.

Magnus

April 23rd, 2014 at 7:47 AM ^

Michigan has also offered Ty'Son Williams in recent weeks. Dexter is a smaller running back, so he has a body that could play safety or something, but I'm guessing Michigan wants him at RB. I don't think the coaches are going to stop recruiting running backs until they get one (or two) committed. The opposite approach cost them the chance at a defensive end after Hand committed to Alabama and McDowell started leaning toward MSU.

Mr. Yost

April 22nd, 2014 at 10:43 PM ^

...do we have a shot with any of these guys?

We give offers for a ton of reasons, even if we don't have a shot...maybe as a courtesy (because the player is THAT good), maybe to butter up the coaches even though we know we don't have a shot, maybe just because we have to offer and wish for the best. Hell Urban Meyer routinely offers the consensus top 100 kids in the country before even seeing or hearing anything about them.

So do we have a shot with any of these guys or is it just...an offer? Half these guys get 30-40-50+ offers...and that's great, but are we even top 5?

Magnus

April 23rd, 2014 at 7:50 AM ^

You seem to be harping on this aspect a lot lately. Michigan's coaching staff offers players that they want to play for Michigan. There's a reason they've only offered 5 quarterbacks and approximately 90 players overall, while you see Ohio State tossing out offers left and right. Michigan is looking for a certain type of player at each position. It's not about buttering up coaches. The number of offers from Michigan has dropped significantly since the Rodriguez years. Rodriguez typically offered around 190 guys, whereas Hoke has been around 120-140.

LSAClassOf2000

April 22nd, 2014 at 10:48 PM ^

Granted, this is a small sample, but it seems like the nature of the distribution of offers here (3 offensive linemen and 5 wide receivers) is to continue building the stream which would hopefully solidify providing depth to the roster. I don't know about our relative chances with each person here, but the logic seeems clear to me - I like that aspect of it at least. 

MichiganMan14

April 22nd, 2014 at 10:55 PM ^

Not feeling to good about the FL kids making the trek to the Midwest for football withthose type of offer sheets. Michigan needs to show that they are elite again bbefore kids are going to start coming from all over to play in Ann Arbor again.

Magnus

April 23rd, 2014 at 8:10 AM ^

Kids always come from all over to play at Michigan (or any other school). I just picked a random, nothing-special northern school off the top of my head: Indiana.

Where did Indiana's commits come from in 2014?

Florida

Ohio

Indiana

Ohio

Indiana

Illinois

Georgia

Illinois

Florida

California

Florida

New York

New York

Florida

Indiana

Iowa

Georgia

Ohio

Georgia

Georgia

Illinois

Ohio

Ohio

South Carolina

Georgia

Ohio

thisisme08

April 23rd, 2014 at 8:51 AM ^

I think he meant that with many of these recruits having offers from Miami (YTM), Florida, Fla. St., Georgia, South Carolina, Clemson, etc. basically the pick of the litter of Southern schools you are going to have a hard time getting them up North not that it's impossible to get kids from down South.    

I have no evidence to back this up but it seems that half the time a Northern school picks up a blue-chip type kid from the South he grew up in the North and only recently moved down South and/or has some other connection to the school.   

Magnus

April 23rd, 2014 at 9:47 AM ^

Perhaps, but that's always been the case. If that's what he meant, then obvious things are obvious. Kids are most likely to choose schools in their own geographical regions, whether they're from up north or down south. Malik McDowell and Damon Webb had offers from all over, but they chose MSU and OSU, respectively. There are always going to be cases like Ronald Johnson from Michigan choosing USC, but there are reciprocal cases like Donovan Warren from California choosing Michigan.

I did a "Statistical Analysis of Recruiting" a few years ago (during the Rodriguez years) in which Michigan offered something like 45 players from Florida, and we got about 4 of the 45. Most of them ended up staying in the south, even if it meant going to schools with "lesser" programs like South Florida, Central Florida, Mississippi State, etc. A 2015 recruit named Rashard Causey, who has a pretty decent list of offers that includes Michigan, just recently committed to Florida Atlantic. Geography is a major pull for the majority of recruits.

Magnus

April 23rd, 2014 at 12:46 PM ^

Yes, they're recruiting Indiana-level recruits, but those recruits could just as easily attend Indiana-level schools in the south (Florida Atlantic, Florida International, Central Florida, Arkansas State, Louisiana Tech, etc.). The recruits that Michigan pulls from California, Florida, Louisiana, etc. can generally attend Michigan-level schools in those states like UCLA, USC, Florida, Miami, LSU, etc.

Hoek

April 22nd, 2014 at 11:04 PM ^

I say offer everyone! I'm not joking every senior in high school that has walked on a football field should get an offer.

alum96

April 22nd, 2014 at 11:29 PM ^

Thanks BB - if you could update that "top 25 realistic targets" you did a week ago maybe once a month it would be great.   Seems like a good thing for a regular feature, 12x a year.  With ~200 offers a year for this level program it would be good to focus on those who we are at least in BB tier I thru III on.

MMB 82

April 23rd, 2014 at 12:03 AM ^

most of the above recruits are from Florida? Just coincidence, or the results a particular coach's recruiting trip? Not that I ever minded players from Florida...

LordGrantham

April 23rd, 2014 at 1:32 AM ^

That's a lot of offers.  Clearly, Hoke and staff are finally recognizing that the program is a crumbling heap of urine-soaked coal spoil whose only chance of survival is to beg every zit-faced waterboy in the country to strap on a helmet.  God help us all.

Magnum P.I.

April 23rd, 2014 at 1:20 AM ^

This will be a down year for recruiting. Our national image is at a low, and whether you personally believe it or not, our coach is perceived to be in limbo. Plus, the class will be small. Hell, our classes were practically flush by April the past two years with kids who were sold on a return to glory.



A weak recruiting class will end up being another straw on Hoke's back if the wins don't come rolling in this fall. People act surprised, but playing like shit for two years causes a slow decay that manifests as things like the Alabama kid choosing another school, poor team chemistry, and fan apathy.



This offseason is starting to remind me of 2010--without Denard to give us something to be excited about.

Cold War

April 23rd, 2014 at 6:35 AM ^

We're top ten nationally in average star ranking in the 2015 class, and have been each year since Hoke became coach. We only have five 2015 recruits, but by comparison Ohio has two and Staee three.

Maybe it's a little early to draw conclusions?

mdonley

April 23rd, 2014 at 12:48 PM ^

We weren't top ten last year. Minus Peppers and a couple other kids that class was very average. Hoke and CO seem to recruit the wrong kids at Linebacker and it affects are whole defense. Just once I would like them to get some athletic top tier linebackers instead of slow guys who aren't athletic in space.

Magnus

April 23rd, 2014 at 4:05 PM ^

There's so much wrong with this...

First of all, you listed 5 players and then said they're the only 4 who have star potential.

Secondly, that's either 1/4 or roughly 1/3 of the class who might be stars, in your opinion.

Third, nobody on this site is happy with 9-3 or 8-4 and a third tier bowl.

So...frankly, I think you're talking out of your behind.

mdonley

April 23rd, 2014 at 3:58 PM ^

You won't win National titles with the linebackers we've recruited. With the exception of Ross who is small athletic wise are linebackers are not on par with championship teams. Maybe Ryan can come back to full health and that will give us two but the rest with maybe the exception of Gedeon I feel are reaches and will have a hard time adjusting to the speed and size of the players in the college game.

getsome

April 23rd, 2014 at 6:01 PM ^

theres only so many 6'3" 200lb+ hs football players in country with truly elite athletcism.  sure some develop later and blossom into stars after slower recruiting but the pickings are slim in terms of highly accomplished hs athletes for mediocre programs in the upper midwest like um.  they desparately need to win on the field - so badly this year - and then recruiting instantly looks much better.  they win 9-10 games last year and look competent on O and damian harris and maybe campbell and hand end up at UM.  but its tough to pull the most athletic kids in the country out of GA, LA, FL etc when theyve only seen pathetic or average michigan in their lifetimes and have 30 offers including national powers in their backyards (with recent proven success and high draft picks, along with sick weather and much hotter chicks).  until they start winning again on the field or change their recruiting strategies to match elite programs, please get used to gedeon and winovich type kids at LB (though i actually think those 2 have all league potential just not all american or elite level like youre talking).  fyi- id love the best athletes at LB too though i think truly elite difference makers on DL are the gaping hole at um

SECcashnassadvantage

April 23rd, 2014 at 8:15 AM ^

Florida 3 stars trump VA 4 stars all day long. They don't play close to the same competition. I am so glad they are focusing on Florida. These VA kids (mostly) have been disappointing. Why do we go after VA so much?

In reply to by SECcashnassadvantage

Magnus

April 23rd, 2014 at 8:34 AM ^

What Virginia kids have been disappointing? David Terrell was from Virginia. Brandon Minor was from Virginia. So was Marell Evans, but he wasn't a heavily recruited guy so it's hard for anyone to be disappointed about him.

Otherwise, you're probably talking about certain people who haven't been on campus for very long.

In reply to by SECcashnassadvantage

TheDirtyD

April 23rd, 2014 at 8:40 AM ^

VA has had some really good football players come out of that state. Just as Frank Beamer at VT. While Florida has more population Virginia isn't Wyoming in terms of talent. The state just had the #1 rated recruit in the nation last year. 

aplatypus

April 23rd, 2014 at 9:18 AM ^

I don't think there's been much mention of interest in Deondre Francis before now. Apparently Nuss saw him throw so that makes sense, but is that a sign that they may be moving away from some of the QBs they've been talking to for a while already?

getsome

April 23rd, 2014 at 7:47 PM ^

who knows but great sign nussmeier is offering athletic dual threats, i love it.  obviously many college QBs struggle with reads and checks and progressions even as they mature, so smart, coachable kids with mobility and good arms should be the goal.  marginal athletes at QB usually need full supporting casts with legit playmakers aplenty to consistently win big in college and its getting more rare every year - weinke and manning and mccarron have become the exception not the rule and teams really limit their offensive explosiveness when legit running threats do not handle hte rock every snap.  i know nothing about this kid but i like trending of um offers

I dumped the Dope

April 23rd, 2014 at 3:16 PM ^

I'd tack it up to Nussmeier knows that area having worked there for a couple of years.

I agree that statistically its a longshot, but a few recent players have come from Florida, Denard...Vincent Smith...Gallon...I probably missed others.  I think Mason Cole is the latest although he may have some family here.

So my guess is we get 1 guy of the above list.

Avon Barksdale

April 23rd, 2014 at 3:49 PM ^

Without a 10 win season, I seriously doubt we are going into the deep south and picking up highly rated kids that weren't even walking the last time Michigan won a Rose Bowl.