Instate CB Jamir Benjamin decommits from NW

Submitted by jbibiza on July 31st, 2023 at 9:55 AM

He's a very high 3 star or marginal 4 star. We need to get a couple of corners in this class. Goes to West Bloomfield so we have good connections. But he seems high on UCLA where he took a visit just before decommiting from Northwestern. 247 and HUDL below.

https://247sports.com/player/jamir-benjamin-46117307/ 

 

https://www.hudl.com/video/3/13252731/63cc99d20c5da90a3caca01b

matt1114

July 31st, 2023 at 11:32 AM ^

247 shows us as "Warm" for Kyan McDonald, a 4* out of Washington. Maybe we can make something happen there. We still have the whole season to play before signing day so there's way too much time left. I doubt msu holds on to Marsh as they're going to get destroyed this season. Also the guys committed to Tennessee I doubt will stay as I see some NFL team offering that coach money to make the switch. 

Michigan Realist

July 31st, 2023 at 12:08 PM ^

Unless something changed since yesterday Kyan is a 4* on 247 but a 3* composite. He has a so so offer list. 
 

Michigan has made the CFP two years in a row and has missed on every top ranked DB they have recruited. Having to go to a guy like McDonald is a true buzz kill. 
 

LSU has 4 CB commits - and a 5* CB considering them also. We can’t get one? That’s ridiculous - someone is not getting the job done recruiting top tier DB’s in this class. 
 

Josh H to the NFL anytime in the near future is comical. 

BlueTimesTwo

July 31st, 2023 at 12:56 PM ^

Pay for play is technically still illegal or against the rules, even though nobody else is actually following the rules.  However, we are also simultaneously getting slammed by the NCAA for buying a couple of burgers.  What do you think would happen if we decided to trade our NIL policy for an SEC-style "NIL" policy?  We would get crucified by the NCAA.

Michigan Realist

July 31st, 2023 at 1:52 PM ^

Well - not all Michigan fans subscribe to butterfly’s rainbows and unicorns. 
 

The pay for play is a rubbish topic for the most part but soft Michigan fans  love to pull it out of their pocket whenever Michigan loses out on a recruit. It’s that coloring book and play doh thing. I hang with old school Michigan fans - we call em as we see em. The buttercups call that trolling which is such a lame mindset. 

If you can’t handle negative comments about ZERO CB recruits and swinging and missing on every single CB recruit we have pursued that’s your problem.

AZBlue

July 31st, 2023 at 2:35 PM ^

I don't want to cloud your feelings with facts but....

Pay for play IS real -- and is the primary reason 2023 DE Collins Ach......(sp?) is in Miami instead on Ann Arbor at this point -- as one example.  It is not THE reason all kids go elsewhere but it exists.

 

Yes M has whiffed on EVERY CB they have offered this year -- a total of 37 offers per 247.

But....Of those I am only aware of 3 or 4 that they seriously pursued .. 3 kids from Ohio - West was never really coming to M. Scott apparently was a really close and hard-fought loss and hurts.  Then there is T. Nichols - a top 250 kid currently committed to UK -- but for some reason always seemed to be a clear back-up plan for both OSU and M.  The 4th was the high 4* FL kid (Grimsley?) that visited but chose 'Bama.

 

M offered a lot of kids but clearly wanted to be very selective  = 1 or maybe 2 corners in this class.  None of the primary corners from 2023 are likely to be gone in '24 and they must like what they see coming up -- (yes it is unproven hence the hard push for a 1-yr  grad transfer for this year)

Maybe M circles back in Nichols as they clearly want at least 1 corner in the class -- I believe they have dangled the opportunity to start repping at CB to the 2024 FL Safety who was up for the BBQ (Patterson ranked #70 overall) and the 5* FL DB from 2025 (DJ Pickett #10 overall) who was also in AA this weekend.  FWIW EJ Holland thought Pickett was the 2025 5* that we have the best shot with aside from Underwood.

As a reminder both those guys were on campus with current 4* 2025 CB commit - Chris Ewald (#172 overall). 

Phaedrus

July 31st, 2023 at 11:05 PM ^

That's funny, you think being a negative Nancy makes you tough?

Yeah, so tough. Hammering away thousands of characters, dozens of posts in any thread about recruiting. Your fingers must be ultra-swole.

I can't figure out what is more pathetic, whether you spend all your free time trolling a Michigan board because you're some sad MSU fan or if you spend all your free time trolling a Michigan board because you're actually a Michigan fan who thinks that whining like a little bitch is super manly.

Michigan Realist

July 31st, 2023 at 12:20 PM ^

Unimpressive offer list not even ranked in the Top 1000 players and we’re hoping for him?

The bar has dropped low for a team that made the CFP the last 2 seasons.

Inferior teams are kicking our ass in the CB recruiting department. 

 

AZBlue

July 31st, 2023 at 2:59 PM ^

I do like your thinking on this front.  Even I am not a big enough homer to consider OSU and 'Bama as "inferior teams" to M!!**

I don't disagree that CB recruiting should/could be better.  I just think you are over-correcting compared to the "rainbows and unicorn crowd" you mention above.

 

**If you are citing UK and NW/UCLA re: players that M clearly wasn't interested in while Scott was an option or at all before committing to NW then I do not know how to console you...

 

PS - FUN FACT - Jimmy Rolder wasn't ranked at all until 1-2 months before he signed with M as a top-250 4* LB.  Michigan had to beat out OSU and interest from UF, LSU etc. for this kid who was well outside the top 1000 when they offered.  Exceptions, rules, and all that but don't be so quick to poo-poo Michigan's ability to find good kids before they rise.

 

Michigan Realist

July 31st, 2023 at 2:01 PM ^

Last year is last year. - this year Clink can’t get one commit at the CB position.

I believe he has been described as a great recruiter. 
I don’t doubt the guy at all. I’m stating he ain’t getting the job done. He’s getting out recruited by inferior teams. 

Karmelo English’s high school teammate is uncommitted. He’s got a pretty good offer list. Auburn included who English de committed from. Clink has to be familiar with him. Maybe he’ll throw the kid an offer and it will stick to the wall.

I respect your reply and appreciate it. So many Michigan fans get so bent out of shape on here if you bring up negativity even if something negative exists.

HTV

July 31st, 2023 at 2:40 PM ^

I'm not all doom and gloom, although it is frustrating UM can't get a CB with the success they've had.

I do think Will Johnson, although counts as a get, has an asterisk by him as he is a legacy player and it would have taken some real screwing up to lose out on him.

BlueTimesTwo

July 31st, 2023 at 12:53 PM ^

Dude, are you ok?  Half of the comments in here are from you and are very negative.  You are either trolling from another fanbase or need a little perspective.

We have a great team and are likely headed for a great season.  It is annoying that we struggle to win battles of our NIL vs. OSU's "NIL" but we also have great coaching and team chemistry, and it is quite possible that the two are related.

Michigan Realist

July 31st, 2023 at 2:17 PM ^

I’m ok - thanks for checking in on me. 
 

I’m an old school Michigan fan - since 1971. I grew up in A2. Huron High grad - worked at the Big House and played football with Geoff Schembechler. I can assure you my perspective is shared by many of us. We call em as we see them. 
 

If people can’t handle comments about the failure recruiting the CB position that’s weak. 
 

If people are gonna whine about pay for play and NIL every time we miss out on a top target that’s even weaker. 
 

Maybe the recruits have legit reasons for choosing a school other than Michigan. 
Too many Michigan fans appear to imply that if it weren’t for NIL or cheating most if not all of the players targeted would chose Michigan. I’m not in that fan group and neither are a lot of Michigan fans because that’s  just garbage. The “ nobody has it better than Michigan “ is a kool aid drink. 
 

I do respect your reply - you disagree with me but your not a JA about it. That’s how it was back in the 70’s and 80’s. Now it means the person is a troll. There are a lot more buttercups in the fan base now than there were back then. 

Michigan Realist

July 31st, 2023 at 2:24 PM ^

Ewald is a great get - I feel pretty good about him sticking to it but there is a long way to go. 
 

2024 is definitely a head scratcher. There are good CB’s out there that we haven’t offered yet for some reason. Was Michigan that confident they would land some of these guys they swung and missed on? Our freshman wide receiver Karmello English has a former teammate at Central Phoenix City High School in Alabama. He is uncommitted and has a pretty good offer sheet including Auburn who English decommitted from. We haven’t offered him but his tape looks pretty good in coverage not that physical of a tackler……yet. I doubt Clink  is unaware of him so maybe he’ll take another look at the kid. 

MacaroniParty

July 31st, 2023 at 3:15 PM ^

Aaron Scott is going to flip after Michigan dusts OSU. What are the odds that Tim Walton and Jim Knowles survive another beatdown, let alone Day. At best he's looking at all new position coaches walking in blind. Likely an entire overhaul on the defensive side. 

Meanwhile here is Clink and Michigan on their way to another title game. All Michigan has to do is handle it on the field. The rest takes care of itself.

DHughes5218

July 31st, 2023 at 8:32 PM ^

We’ve spanked them the last two years and he still picked OSU. I doubt doing it a third time will change his mind. His family members are all OSU fans, he has a close relationship with Braxton Miller. I doubt he’s flipping to anyone. 
We might get Knowles fired, but they will probably keep their DB coach and Day isn’t going anywhere. We may have rocked them, but they still made the playoffs and were a missed FG away from winning the National title. 
We will probably take a flyer on a lower ranked corner with a high ceiling and dip into the portal to get another. Let’s hope there’s a quality grad transfer, because our admissions will limit any undergrads that we pursue, but I’m not worried.

MacaroniParty

August 1st, 2023 at 12:27 PM ^

I'm not really into recruiting all that much, and think Michigan will be fine with or without Aaron Scott. I just happen to have a strong gut feeling on this one. Weird intuition. Ever since I heard Sam on the radio say this kid from Ohio wasn't even considering Michigan until being in person as a guest of OSU for The Game last year. Fast forward and Michigan is a strong number 2. That feels like a kid who can flip. 

Then you aren't doing justice to what another beatdown, not a win, but a beatdown will do to buckeye nation. The absolute bat shit crazy nutso meltdown that will follow until they beat Michigan again. I've said in another thread I don't think Day will survive another 45-23 type of loss where OSU just gets manhandled in the trenches. 

Even if that doesn't happen and Day hangs on, some heads are going to roll, a lot of heads. Starting on the defensive side if I was betting. 

I don't think some of you realize how close OSU is to being fucked. I keep hearing that the series is now going to shift back to this back and forth even match up. Why? It doesn't look like it right now and if Michigan wins again it could send OSU into a tail spin. Or they fall on another Tressel or Meyer, who knows.