Ventilator

April 24th, 2012 at 6:42 PM ^

EJ would have been a welcomed addition to this class, but this does open the door for another LB in the 2014 class. There is a lot of talent at LB in 2014 with early interest. Should be able to land a 2014 kid with equal talent or better at LB.

graybeaver

April 24th, 2012 at 6:51 PM ^

Once again academics actually hurt Michigan. Kozan didn't choose Michigan because it's almost impossible for a student athlete that plans on going pro after four years to complete business school at UofM. I laugh at the posts that suggest Levenberry shouldn't care that UofM doesn't have a criminal justice program because he'll be going to the NFL anyway. That sounds like a OSU sales pitch to me. I can hear Urban saying "what difference does it make that UofM is ranked 14th in the world for universities. You'll be in the NFL in four years or less making millions of dollars anyway". It's nothing to take personal when a recruit doesn't choose Michigan. Brady Hoke has said it himself many times that Michigan isn't for everyone. This is also another example of why you should implement the first come first serve recruiting mentality. I believe Michigan turned down some really good prospects in anticipation of landing Levenberry. Now we lost out on Levenberry and more than likely the kids we turned away as well. The hell with it complete the 2013 class before the 2012 season even starts. I hope we don't get spurned at WR again and have to settle for average talent like the 2012 WR class.

WolvinLA2

April 24th, 2012 at 6:59 PM ^

Why do you feel that it's impossible for a student athlete to get a BBA in four years?  Zoltan did it.  So have a number of other athletes.  I doubt that's the reason Kozan chose Auburn, but if it was he was misinformed.

I haven't heard anyone use the NFL pitch against academics, but "academics" did not lose us EJ either.  Do we know he picked FSU solely because he wanted a criminal justice specific major?  No we don't.  So chill out.

TallyWolverine

April 24th, 2012 at 7:30 PM ^

Per ESPN--Levenberry was very fond of Michigan but the school did not offer the computer forensics major like Florida State, which Levenberry said is one of the top such programs in the nation.                                        http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/ncfrecruiting/on-the-trail/post?id=11228&action=login&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fblog%2fncfrecruiting%2fon-the-trail%2fpost%3fid%3d11228

WolvinLA2

April 24th, 2012 at 7:39 PM ^

I'm not saying it wasn't one of the factors, but it's not uncommon for recruits to mention more "tangible" (I know that's not the right word, but I can't think of another way to say it) reasons such as the majors they offer, when it just comes down to where they feel best. 

My point is, we don't know that Levenberry would have chosen M if we had the same program here.  IMO, if he really wanted to come to M, he would have found a way to study what he wanted.  We might not have a computer forensics major, but I promise you we could get him to where he wanted to be just as well.  If having that major was such a make or break thing, we wouldn't have made it past the first visit.

Tyang

April 24th, 2012 at 7:33 PM ^

Average 2012 receiver class? They haven't even set foot on campus yet, and you're calling them average? Justin blackmon was a 3* recruit, and now he's a 1st round draft pick. let them play put their careers b4 we start calling them avg.

Bo Knows

April 24th, 2012 at 7:55 PM ^

I'm actually curious to see how this class gets up to 24 like everyone is predicting.  I know there is time, but there are 19 spots open now and Mike Jones is the only person I can see not getting a 5th year.  Anyway, the seven guys I want/see filling out these remaining 7 spots are: Poggi, Isaac, Treadwell, Gibbs, Allen, a 5tech, and then a spot for stud you can't turn away (fuller, 4th WR, 3rd TE, another DL, etc)

WolvinLA2

April 24th, 2012 at 8:03 PM ^

I think most are predicting 23, with 24 being possible.  19 plus Mike Jones makes 20, and there are always a few surprises.  Almost always a guy from the most recent recruiting class either doesn't make it to campus or doesn't make it through his first year.  And there are a few others who have been on campus a couple years and have been passed by younger guys who will decide to bail after the season.  And although the Furman situation seems to be not a big one, something like that might happen to one kid.  Anyway, getting 3-4 more spots is likely, and pretty normal.

MichiganMan14

April 24th, 2012 at 8:23 PM ^

How many elite level talents are we looking at that are realistically considering Michigan? I feel that Isaac Treadwell...Poggi are all possibilities. Do we go after Hutchings...Kalambayi? Do we have a real shot with Vanderdoes...Massington? Can we really get excited about Fuller....Cravens or Mathis? I just hate to get left at the alter with these big time recruits....but that the risk you take in recruiting.

WolvinLA2

April 24th, 2012 at 8:33 PM ^

We'll get a few of those guys, but we won't get all of them.  Keep in mind we likely have 6-7 slots left.  Even if we don't get Treadwell, we'll get a solid receiver or two just based on Shane and the OL.  We'll pick up a few more DL guys, and I'm not as worried about that because of the Hoke/Mattison factor - I predict Poggi, Gibbs, and a SDE we aren't talking much about yet. 

The breakdown will likely be: 3 DL (1 DT, 1 NT, 1 SDE), 2 WR, and then 1-2 "best guys elsewhere" which could be Isaac, Cravens, Fuller, some LB, or maybe even another TE.  I wouldn't be shocked if we went after another safety either.

Hannibal.

April 25th, 2012 at 9:11 AM ^

Hoke's recruiting kind of seems to be like Tressel without the cheating.  Both guys seem to be really good at getting in on local and regional kids early, and finding the guys that really want to go there.  Tressel dominated the Big Ten this way, but he had a weakness closing the deal on signing day with 50/50 guys like Seantrel Henderson, etc.  Hoke seems like he has that same weakness.  If his early returns are any indication, we're going to be in the Top 5 or Top 10 in the recruiting rankings on a regular basis, losing these 50/50 "undecided" battles more often than not.  But I'm definitely not complaining.  The 2012 was great and this 2013 class looks like it's going to be absolutely spectacular, with few kids who look like they will be prone to home sickness and second guessing themselves.