Football visitors this week
Michigan is putting together a pretty solid list of visitors for this week, including a 5-star (2023 safety Sonny Styles, brother of Lorenzo), a couple 4-stars, and several kids taking unofficial visits from far away. The list includes a few guys with Michigan crystal balls like Micah Pollard, Dillon Tatum, and Hayden Schwartz.
I will keep updating the list as I gather more names, but here's the LINK.
I just learned today based on this list that Antonio Gates is from Detroit.
Glad to be of service.
Magnus, what is your opinion of Hayden Schwartz?
Edit: nevermind you answered it.
Happy to see him visiting. Odd that we seem to have slow played him so far. He has the pedigree and athletic ability to do well.
I'm guessing that pedigree and his crystal balls leaning towards MSU (his dad was at State first) have something to do with it. And UM targeting higher rated receivers.
He doesn't do anything really eye popping. Not very fast, not a big receiver, and not exceptionally quick.
Gates is a pretty ho-hum recruit, IMO. He's not very big, not particularly fast, and not shifty. I'm a little surprised he's a 4-star, actually. I've known about him for a couple years and I kept waiting for the film to catch up with the hype/rating/pedigree, but I still don't see much from his junior film.
Schwartz is gonna be a fan favorite. Watch this kid grow.
I like Schwartz more than the ratings do, too.
Time for the new recruiting staff to ball out!
Thanks, as always, for these, Magnus.
Do you think Tatum and Pollard will commit next week? Does UM have a real shot with Sonny Styles? With no knowledge of the situation, I would guess he’s either joining his brother at ND or following in his dad’s footsteps and going to OSU.
It's hard to say. I think Tatum is being pretty cautious right now, because he was not particularly high on Steve Clinkscale when Clink was at Kentucky. I do not necessarily think he will commit immediately, but I do think he will at some point in the not-too-distant future.
I actually think Micah Pollard is more likely to commit on or immediately after the visit.
I don't think Michigan has a great shot at Styles. It's hard to be a top-notch prospect from Ohio and commit to Michigan, let alone with the current state of Michigan's program. Maybe if Michigan has a great season this year and/or upsets Ohio State, things could turn around a little bit. But if Michigan has a 7-5ish season like lots of people are predicting (presumably with a loss to OSU), I don't think you can pick Michigan in that situation (being from Pickerington, offered by OSU, etc.).
Thank you. I appreciate and always look for your posts.
Do you think Will Johnson is just taking a free trip to California to visit Domani and USC or should our staff be worried? Thankfully his dad still loves Michigan and I can’t see him ignoring that and going anywhere else, but I only know what I’ve read and heard from others.
I’m optimistic for the season. When you go through the schedule, what record do you project?
I think Johnson is mainly just taking a free trip to California to hang out with his friend. I think the only reason Michigan should be worried is if things go disastrously this season and there's a large amount of staff turnover once again...and at that point, it might not be THIS staff that needs to be worried.
My guess right now on a record for 2021 is 8-4.
Or maybe he is going to usc in an attempt to bring Domani to Michigan .....
Magnus, can you become this site’s MattEM, football version?
Both major sports would be exceptionally covered if that were the case.
I have offered up my lack of talent to MGoBlog's proprietor for a cool $2 in dogecoin, but so far I have been rejected.
Pretty fucking steep price bro, it's the tail end of a pandemic you selfish anus
/s
Hope springs eternal.
Recruiting? Meh. We lose with great recruits. We lose with average recruits. Just win with what ya got.
Standard "I am by all means an amateur film evaluator" caveat applies, but Micah Pollard appears to have some pretty good film. He looks pretty slim and wiry right now, but he appears to have really good short area burst and quick twitch. Also he made some really impressive rip and shred plays in his junior tape to defeat blockers and looks like an adequate tackler for a high major linebacker. Not a thumper, but can get into the back field quickly and defeat one-on-one blockers without losing his explosion.
I think he looks better than his prospect rankings indicate, but I do kinda understand why he is where he is right now, because he doesn't have that prototypical linebacker build and he doesn't have those eye popping hits a lot of the more elite rated prospects put on film.
He seems to me as the kind of guy you put in the weight room for 2 years and see what you have in his third season. He has the tools to develop into a sideline-to-sideline edge rusher, but key word there being "develop". I like the offer though! He's definitely worth taking a shot on.
That's why I'm hoping we have a better than expected season. I think if we can win 8 or more games, we could get some of these recruits. If we implode this season then we will be getting more 3 stars.