Recruiting Visitors this weekend
Just read recruiting guru Allen Trieu's article in the Detroit News about this weekend's visitors. What was probably a meh game is now attracting decent visitors. Its worth a read:
http://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/college/university-michigan/201…
Most significant is this linebacker recruit Alexander who is committed to Nebraska. With the numbers being what they are does this mean we're possibly looking away from some of the other LB recruits now?
Also looks like there is a 4star tight end coming in from Florida.
October 7th, 2015 at 10:05 AM ^
The past five weeks have gone by relatively quickly, but this week seems to be dragging and it's really annoying. I want this game to be here already. Next week will be even worse.
October 7th, 2015 at 10:12 AM ^
Tell me about it. These recruits will be sold after watching Michigan stomp Northwestern, but Saturday cannot come soon enough. How is it only fricking Wednesday?!
October 7th, 2015 at 11:05 AM ^
I just got off the phone with my uncle and I told him the exact same thing. I am so pumped for this Northwestern game but it is only Wed. :-(
October 7th, 2015 at 11:36 AM ^
You have no idea. I take the boards tomorrow and I am freaking out. This week has been the longest of my life so far. The only relief is the brief 5 minute breaks I get to spend on here every other hour.
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
October 7th, 2015 at 11:57 AM ^
USMLE? Best of luck! Just one more day, and then you get to enjoy the weekend and the Michigan win!
October 7th, 2015 at 10:15 AM ^
The article also mentions that TE from the Tampa area:
"Michigan continues to recruit tight ends in the 2016 class in hopes of adding one more to the commit list. Tampa (Fla.) Berkeley Prep's Jacob Mathis, a four-star prospect on Scout, is one of the top players left on the UM board at that position and he will take an official visit to Ann Arbor this weekend. He took an unofficial visit to Florida last weekend and plans to go back there for an official after the season. He expects to wait until Signing Day to make a commitment."
Just remembered why that high school sounds familiar, one of the coaches at Berkeley is former Michigan kicker Garrett Rivas:
http://www.berkeleyprep.org/page/List-Detail?pk=52882
October 7th, 2015 at 10:10 AM ^
sorry
October 7th, 2015 at 10:11 AM ^
Alexander is from New Jersey.
He's ours.
October 7th, 2015 at 10:14 AM ^
True but he's committed to Nebraska so we're working from behind. Would be something to add this kid plus Gary and bring in five top players from the Garden State.
October 7th, 2015 at 10:33 AM ^
He's committed to Nebraska? Then he's definitely ours.
October 7th, 2015 at 10:44 AM ^
New Jersey was a suburb of Ann Arbor. Gotta love it!
October 7th, 2015 at 10:48 AM ^
This may be a new thing for the football team, but not for the student body in general. When I was in college, it seemed like every third kid I met was from NJ. Some of my best college buddies are from there.
October 7th, 2015 at 10:56 AM ^
I knew so many people from North Jersey, I ended up living there for a year. That was a sufficient amount of time. It's out of my system, so to speak.
October 7th, 2015 at 10:57 AM ^
Only 20 minutes from NYC on a good day on Route 17 and Route 4.
October 7th, 2015 at 11:21 AM ^
Does anyone think that adding Rutgers has played a role in us getting these kids from NJ? Adding them to the BIG was dumb but it seems like it may have helped us just a little in recruiting.
October 7th, 2015 at 11:42 AM ^
back in the 80's/90's Michigan used to recruit NJ pretty hard. For some reason they kind of stopped getting many kids out of there, maybe a refocus by PSU?.
Hayden Fry's Iowa teams always seemed to have multiple starters from NJ. New Jersey has always been a decent source of Big Ten players
October 8th, 2015 at 5:54 PM ^
I think it at least might have helped us with the Camden kids. Rutgers is a big deal in Camden. They have a campus there and it is one of the only bright spots in the poorest/most dangerous city in the U.S.
October 7th, 2015 at 10:18 AM ^
There's been speculation that Lavert Hill will be there, but that his visit is being kept on the DL for some reason. I know he's technically committed elsewhere, but no one puts much stock in that anymore (most 247 CBs have him committing to us), and his big brother plays for our defense, which gives him another reason to be there.
October 7th, 2015 at 10:20 AM ^
Trieu said a couple of days ago that Hill and Corley will be visiting Tennessee this weekend.
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
October 7th, 2015 at 10:23 AM ^
Good. Tennessee will probably get ripped a new one by angry Georgia.
October 7th, 2015 at 10:32 AM ^
they might even Volunteer for it!
October 7th, 2015 at 10:34 AM ^
After taking a 14pt lead, of course.
October 7th, 2015 at 10:40 AM ^
I'm sure Mike DeBord will keep his foot on the throttle and go in for the kill against Georgia -- just like he did with OU, Florida, and Arkansas.
October 7th, 2015 at 10:57 AM ^
Guys have no gas left by 4th quarter.
Gotta run the Michigan mile.
October 7th, 2015 at 11:00 AM ^
I guess Butch remembered him from his days as head coach at Central before Lloyd brought him back to Michigan.
October 7th, 2015 at 10:56 AM ^
Could be Joshua Ross then.
October 7th, 2015 at 10:38 AM ^
we could really use another TE. LB is a major position of need. I really like Drew Singleton from NJ a lot.
October 7th, 2015 at 10:52 AM ^
Singelton is a 2017 recruit.
October 7th, 2015 at 2:27 PM ^
singleton looks like one of the top OLBs in that class (at least that ive seen)
October 7th, 2015 at 10:39 AM ^
Helluva first class by Harbaugh and Co. and we still have a few big fish in play. 9-3, with a split of our staee and osu, and I think Rashan Gary will end up here.
October 7th, 2015 at 10:42 AM ^
I don't see how he could not be impressed. Two shutouts in a row. #18 in the country. We have Jim Harbaugh, Rivals' 2012 recruiter of the year DJ Durkin, and Ray Lewis' D-Coordinator coaching the d-line. I really think he is ours to lose.
October 7th, 2015 at 10:53 AM ^
...is not very impressive. Given our circumstances it is pretty good, but Rashan Gary has a #1 by his name on the recruiting sites. 18 is pretty meh. The shutouts are more valuable, though. I've been very pessimistic on Gary and I still don't think we end up with him, but I am not as adamant that he'll go elsewhere. It wouldn't surprise me if we land him.
October 7th, 2015 at 11:00 AM ^
it is where Michigan is projected to be in the next few years. Everyone knows Harbaugh is likely the best coach in the nation to go to right now. Yeah he was great at Stanford and then built upon that experience with the 49'ers. SO now he has college and pro levels of success. Why did last year's top ranked QB's come to Ann Arbor to meet specifically with Harbaugh ? It IS obvious .... Who has it better than US ?????
Go Blue!
October 7th, 2015 at 11:41 AM ^
We were one of Gary's favorites last year, so he's very well aware of that. More than the overall defense, I'd think he'd be focused on the DLine's play. Either way, he should be impressed.
October 7th, 2015 at 3:49 PM ^
I certainly am!
October 7th, 2015 at 10:54 AM ^
hmmmmmm a bunch of this stuff can be duplicated in Da'shawn Hand's recruiting
October 7th, 2015 at 11:30 AM ^
Except we were turrible during Hand's senior year
October 7th, 2015 at 11:51 AM ^
It can? Please explain
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
October 7th, 2015 at 12:42 PM ^
Hand and Gary are two different people, and their recruitments have nothing to do with one another.
People can tell themselves whatever they want to keep from being jilted, but it ends up sounding ridiculous.
October 7th, 2015 at 12:52 PM ^
Ummmm, I see one thing on there that could be said about last year's team.
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
October 7th, 2015 at 1:10 PM ^
Michigan looked like a JV team run by Barnum and Bailey circus when Hand was looking at us. We are now light years away from that fiasco.
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
October 7th, 2015 at 2:17 PM ^
light years? how about less than a year
October 7th, 2015 at 3:13 PM ^
We've traveled a long way in less than a year.
October 7th, 2015 at 10:56 AM ^
I hope Michigan gets a talented TE. However, I'm a tad skeptical about the Alabama TE commit actually setting a date for an OV and keeping it.
October 7th, 2015 at 11:27 AM ^
It's possible he sees Michigan's future and also sees that Saban will be 64 this month. The Saban era at Bama will end at some point, and schools like USC and Texas (and Michigan) show how hard it can be for a big program to replace a good coach.
October 7th, 2015 at 9:13 PM ^
Who was Texas' good coach exactly?
October 7th, 2015 at 11:05 AM ^
article mentions other top prospects from new jersey. kareem walker is teammates with alexander... any chance he might be coming? would be huge
October 7th, 2015 at 11:42 AM ^
Not this weekend, but another TE to look out for per Michigan Insider via Allen Trieu:
Alabama commit to visit?
According to The Michigan Insider's Brice Marich, Cartersville (Ga.) senior tight end and Alabama commit Miller Forristall, has heard from Wolverines tight end coach Jay Harbaugh and is intrigued enough by the interest that he is considering taking an official visit to Ann Arbor. Marich added that he has not set a date yet. Forristall (6-6, 210 pounds) is a four-star prospect on Scout.
October 7th, 2015 at 12:13 PM ^
Sam Webb said that there's two more 2016 recruits coming that he can't release the names of for certain reasons. Says it's a hush hush deal. Makes me wonder.
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
October 7th, 2015 at 12:40 PM ^
My recruiting questions boil down to 4 things:
- Who is still legitimately interested?
- What are positions of need?
- How many spaces do we have?
- Do we expect attrition/decommitment among current commits?
For the first question, I see the following:
- DE Rashan Gary
- DE Quayshon Alexander
- DE Carlo Kemp
- DE Levi Onwuzurike
- DE Connor Murphy
- OLB Caleb Kelly
- ILB Devin Bush
- ILB Jonathan Jones
- OG Terrance Davis
- WR Donnie Corley
- TE Jacob Mathis
I'd be interested to know who on this list really isn't that interested in Michigan. I've limited this to those who we seem to have a reasonable chance to sign. Could be that there are others who should really be added to that list, and a few who should be removed.
For the second question, positions of need, it is obvious that the DL and LB are the area of strongest remaining focus. I am curious about FB, with Houma and Kerridge leaving after this year, and also recruiting behind Peppers' position. It also is very obvious that the remaining slots are largely going to defense.
Third question can be answered several ways. We currently have 22 committs. There have been strong rumblings of some attrition from that list. We can technically sign up to 28. That would give us at least 6 spots. If the current list decreases, maybe 8 spots? The other question is how many scholarships we have to give for the entire team. It would seem probable, for instance, that there will be some QB attrition.
Webb's comments are intriguing (about two potential recruits visiting, but not on the list). Is he suggesting high level recruits who are currently committed elsewhere? Or recruits who are looking to pull the trigger and commit?