February 10th, 2013 at 2:58 PM ^
February 10th, 2013 at 8:53 PM ^
Hand's recruitment may make Nkemdiche's look pedestrian. He's clearly the Dude in this class (all apologies to Jeff Bridges).
February 10th, 2013 at 3:33 PM ^
February 10th, 2013 at 4:36 PM ^
February 10th, 2013 at 6:49 PM ^
February 11th, 2013 at 12:06 AM ^
Good luck getting him away from Va Tech
February 10th, 2013 at 2:48 PM ^
February 10th, 2013 at 2:49 PM ^
February 10th, 2013 at 2:51 PM ^
February 10th, 2013 at 2:51 PM ^
February 10th, 2013 at 3:14 PM ^
he is grabbing 2 of the best in the state of michigan.
can hoke go national?
February 10th, 2013 at 4:26 PM ^
February 10th, 2013 at 5:15 PM ^
kids from oh, il, pa, are definetly in the hoke base areas
we did land some good recruits outside the base area: 1 va, 1 co, 1 md.
the hoke strategy fails if you only get the picked over kids from mi, oh, il, pa.
recruiting looks stronger if michigan is landing kids from talent rich ca, fl, tx to supplement the top recruits from mi and the base area.
February 10th, 2013 at 4:29 PM ^
Michigan is in with comparable, or better national recruits. It's strange to see Ohio target Michigan kids at all, let alone so early, but we'll more than make up for it. Webb is an in-state top 5 prospect, no doubt, but not #1, and Marshall could stay in the top 10 when all is said and done, but Michigan can easily land the other 8, as well.
February 10th, 2013 at 4:51 PM ^
The coaches seem to casting a wider net in 2014 and 2015. They are/were smart to build a team with Midwestern roots early, and now are going to snag some impact guys nationally. My epinion is that is a good strategy and has proven to work for us in the past, works for many programs as well.
February 10th, 2013 at 7:15 PM ^
It's important to win your home state, and keep your local pipelines open. Geography can often play the deciding part in a recruits commitment, and many national prospects stay home. Local kids are often much more likely to commit, or to be all in for the program. McDowell, Harris, Webb, Marshall, and Doles could all end up being elite talents, as well, but time will tell with the others.
Still, it's an interesting point, and it speaks to one of the reasons Urban landed these two recruits, in a way. Aside from them obviously favoring Ohio, now, it seems we weren't recruiting them heavily enough, either. Marshall, because it's early in the process, and there really isn't a need at WDE. If we take a WDE in 2014 they'll sit behind 4 talented others all vying to start in Taco, Ojemudia, and Beyer/Clark.
Webb, though, feels like more of a loss since we've always taken so many Cass Tech DB's, yet he seems like the first one in a long time to be truly elite, but since we have a shot at guys like Westphal, Peppers, Jackson, and Vincent we could end up with a handful of 5 star and top 100 DB's even without him.
February 10th, 2013 at 4:35 PM ^
February 10th, 2013 at 3:21 PM ^
February 10th, 2013 at 3:25 PM ^
Urban is still the flavor of the month. It simply won't last. Even after multiple NC's at UF, Urban's recruiting fell off.
February 10th, 2013 at 9:14 PM ^
Flavor of the Month? Seriously? Florida's Sugar Bowl team was represented by that "fall off" this year.
February 10th, 2013 at 10:24 PM ^
The only thing that fell off was a latop from Cam Newton's window. Florida finished with the #2 ranked class the year he resigned and was never lower than #10 throughout his tenure.
February 10th, 2013 at 3:34 PM ^
Let's wait until he signs a LOI with Ohio before we label him a Buckeye. For now, let's just call him an Ohio commit. Could be that before it's all over, he's a Wolverine.
February 10th, 2013 at 9:03 PM ^
Or goes to Alabama.
February 10th, 2013 at 3:38 PM ^
Maybe it is just the old man in me talking, but UM and OSU have always been able to pick up some players from each other's backyards from time to time. It comes in waves, and while OSU has a couple of local pick-ups, Hoke will do the same in Ohio. Both schools will continue to recruit well both locally as well as across the country. Where the renewed recruiting prowess of both schools will hurt will be at the lesser-tier B1G schools like Illinois, MSU, and Iowa, who won't have as many opportunities to poach talent from OSU, UM, and ND when all three schools are bringing in the best talent. They will have to get more creative with their recruiting, and so far I haven't seen it.
Still, wish the kid well. If he winds up at OSU, then so be it. But NSD 2014 is a year away and things change.
February 10th, 2013 at 3:39 PM ^
Meh. McDowell > Marshall.
February 10th, 2013 at 3:48 PM ^
McDowell is also a different position than Marshall. So...
February 10th, 2013 at 4:08 PM ^
February 10th, 2013 at 4:13 PM ^
Conley went to a school he didn't have an offer from when he first committed. Lawrence had his choice and made it. So there's that difference.
February 10th, 2013 at 4:19 PM ^
February 10th, 2013 at 4:40 PM ^
February 10th, 2013 at 5:31 PM ^
To all of the people freaking out... you do realize Michigan had the #2 class in the naton after having a 5 loss season? Urban is a good recruiter but the Michigan staff is just as good or better.
February 10th, 2013 at 5:39 PM ^
February 10th, 2013 at 5:51 PM ^
You've just ruined my Sunday.
February 10th, 2013 at 6:05 PM ^
Haven't been following '14 recruiting really at all (I had actually never heard of Lawrence Marshall until this thread). Question though: are we the prohibitive favorite for any top 250-ish '14 guys?
February 10th, 2013 at 6:24 PM ^
The only two recruits who we seem to be way ahead on as a matter of record are Brian Mone, the Utah DT (who would seem to be a 250 type) and Doles, who probably isn't a 250 type guy (yet?) because of size. Maybe you add Corey Holmes to that list, because he grew up a Michigan fan, but then again, so did Marshall.
Of course, nobody knows who's really ahead for a lot of these kids. I don't think we were ahead for Bosh or Kugler (especially Kugler) before they dropped and dropped early.
February 10th, 2013 at 6:40 PM ^
February 10th, 2013 at 6:50 PM ^
Yep, forgot about Bars, but that's kind of unspoken. I mean, I don't recall ever hearing a quote where he said Michigan leads, and while his brother is here, he has two other brothers in other programs. It's just that he's visited here so often.
Westphal made the comment that Michigan is the standard he measures other schools by, and people seem to think we have a good chance with him. Peppers, they say, is more of a lonshot (kind of like Hand- in his top group, mentioned, but behind other schools, so the legends say)
IThe names I put up top (except for Holmes) were there because they've said Michigan leads. If you want people Michigan has a good chance with, Westphal and Bars are good additions, but you could add Scott and Cole as a package,.
February 10th, 2013 at 6:57 PM ^
I suppose, as other people are now pointing out, we could add Adoree Jackson tothe list. CB from CA with good offers, who's been making noise about being the next Charles Woodson, so maybe that's something.
February 10th, 2013 at 7:21 PM ^
Parrker Westphal is listed on the RIvals 250 for 2014, and after the summer camp circuit I bet he stays in the 250, or rises.
February 10th, 2013 at 9:19 PM ^
He will rise rapidly after camps. Special player. Woodson comparison is always daunting, but maybe Jalen Ramsey in this year's class. Just more athletic than anybody he locks down on. That would be a big get.
February 10th, 2013 at 7:03 PM ^
February 10th, 2013 at 8:00 PM ^
Context is everything.......
February 11th, 2013 at 9:46 AM ^
February 10th, 2013 at 8:17 PM ^
Look - I didn't read this whole thread (it got very pathetic for a while) but to all of you Chicken Littles out there (and there are many) - chill the fuck out. Urban will get his guys and we'll get ours. Both teams will have a limited numbder of spots to fill, so a couple guys going one way or another is not big deal at this point. We liked Marshall, but we took good WDEs in the last 2 classes and we'll take a good one this year too.
I'm not saying we didn't want him anyway, because clearly the coaches did, but Lawrence Marshall is not a can't miss recruit who is going to change the fate of us and OSU because of this decision. He's a four star guy. We'll probably get a guy just as good, and OSU would have gotten a guy just as good if he came to us.
In summary, this is not worth getting worked up over.
February 10th, 2013 at 9:44 PM ^
February 10th, 2013 at 9:52 PM ^
February 10th, 2013 at 10:36 PM ^
Not at all being a homer but don't get why any of these Michigan kids would want to go to OSU. I understand getting the hell out of the midwest and going south or to California. I understand Ohio kids wanting to play for OSU.
But why go to a worse academic school in a worse college town on a less attractive campus? I get that it more of a football factory and you can slide by more in class, but really seems like a downgrade.
Michigan kids going to ND I can at least understand. On par academically and has a different feel being a smaller private university in a more insular setting.
And Meyer is such a sleaze. How are these parents not seeing through this?
February 11th, 2013 at 10:33 AM ^
February 10th, 2013 at 10:57 PM ^