Recruiting Weekend

Submitted by StephenRKass on

There are several articles out there regarding visitors for the Michigan - OSU game. Magnus has the most comprehensive list at Touch the Banner. They include all visitors:

Visitors:  Michigan vs. OSU

The News also has a recruiting article from Allen Trieu:

No. 1 tackle among visitors for UM-OSU clash

Lastly, there are several brief articles at "The Michigan Insider" (the 247 website) highlighting visitors.

Of course, none of us know for sure, but the coaching changes at Florida, Tennessee, and UCLA open up at least some doors and some recruits to considering Michigan. Highlights, for me:

  • Nicolas Petit-Frere, 4/5 star OT from Tampa, in top 5 OT recruits in the country. Change at Florida helps Michigan. 
  • Taylor Upshaw, 4 star DE, currently committed to Florida, Michigan offer in October. Currently not listed by Magnus or 247, but highlighted by Trieu with a visit.
  • Ja'Marr Chase, 4 star WR out of LA, decommitted from Florida.
  • Eyabi Anoma, 4/5 star DE out of Baltimore, #41 overall in the country, coached by Poggi, supposedly leaning toward Alabama.
  • ?Michael Thompson, 4 star DT out of St. Louis, #58 in country, #2 at position. Not sure he is coming . . . not listed by Magnus.
  • 2020 Kalel Mullings, 5 star LB/RB out of MA.

Of course, this list is very fluid, and changes all the time. Still, it is worth seeing that Michigan is still recruiting very hard, and is competing for a solid group of 4 and 5 star kids. I hope to see a more comprehensive recruiting article from mgoblog soon, and I also hope the fanbase doesn't give up,

PopeLando

November 22nd, 2017 at 2:51 PM ^

Rational side of me: "there's no better recruitment tool than a UM-OSU game to show a kid the program's culture"

Lizard brain: "remember when Chris Ash invited 200+ recruits and then lost by 78??"

StephenRKass

November 22nd, 2017 at 3:19 PM ^

I have talked to one insider who also knows OSU football very well. I am not an insider, but I somehow get the feeling that Michigan is looking for a slightly different kind of kid. Different character, different quality. Michigan is getting their guys, and they are going to be more and more competitive every year going forward. They are pretty much reloading and not rebuilding on defense. Brown and Mattison are awesome, and the rest of the coaching staff is great.

Offensive recruiting is coming. If we add two more solid guys on the OL, and maybe 1 more each of a WR, TE, and RB, maybe FB, I will be completely happy for the 2018 cycle.

2019 is already shaping up to be a monster year for recruiting. We are getting there.

karpodiem

November 22nd, 2017 at 3:42 PM ^

"Michigan is getting their guys, and they are going to be more and more competitive every year going forward."

I'm ready for this be true. I can't put a feather in my cap for 2016 - to drop a deuce in Iowa is one thing, but dropping the OSU game, with the NFL talent we had, just plain does not meet the standard of success.

No I'm not going to follow another team, yes I'll be at the game on Saturday, but how much time/money do we have to spend to get this right?

Blue In NC

November 22nd, 2017 at 4:07 PM ^

I get the frustration.  But if you view losing in OT to OSU in Columbus to a team that went to the playoff as "not meeting the standard of success" then that's a pretty high standard.  I will agree that last year's team underachieved in terms of record.  From an eye test however, they were definitely a top 10 team and while I would agree that they slightly underachieved, it was not by a long shot.

Lakeyale13

November 22nd, 2017 at 6:41 PM ^

Blue in NC, when did just being competitive and losing in OT become acceptable. Jim Harbaugh was hired for one reason and one reason alone, and that reason wasn't to be competitive to our rival. Harbaugh's job is to beat MSU and OSU, win Big Ten Titles, and be a playoff team. I can tell you this, OSU has those standards. The fired John Cooper, one hell of a Coach, because he couldn't do one thing and one thing only, and that was beat Michigan.

Go Blue Saturday!!! Kick some ass Boys!!M

In reply to by SpilledMilk

Alumnus93

November 22nd, 2017 at 9:06 PM ^

Yeah. They did the right thing. Look at them now... They hire Tressel who kicked ours.. and the thing to do was can Carr and hire Dantonio the guy who could beat Tressel. Nope. Instead, Carr stays on four years too long, and recruiting falls off cliff, and then Martin kills it for good with RR and program change. Then Brandon goes with Hoke at a time we needed more.

tybert

November 22nd, 2017 at 11:18 PM ^

After Year 3, he hadn't beaten UM but had more time to build things.

OSU's best years were '93-'98 under him. 2-4 vs. UM. 2-0 vs ND. Won a lot of games, lots of NFL players.

That's why while frustrated with Year 3 under JH, he deserves the chance to have several more years before I want a change. 

Maynard

November 23rd, 2017 at 9:58 AM ^

Kass

How would talking to an OSU insider tell you or give you a feeling that Michigan is looking for a different type of kid?

Michigan is like any other decent program. They are looking for the best talent that fits with the system and university. What you are conveying I think is that somehow because we don't get certain guys that OSU may get, that somehow it is becasuse we don't want them. Nah, not buying that. Our coaches are trying hard to get those guys and a lot of times they are picking somewhere else. It happens.

It sounds more like you're trying to convince yourself rather than others. We should be recruiting the same kids that end up playing at OSU, Alabama, Georgia, Stanford, wherever. If they have the grades and they are talented, that's who should be recruited. We have no idea how people will turn out so playing psychologist to get "a slightly different kind of kid" is a recipe for losing. Was Braylon a different kind of kid? I mean, he went to Michigan so he should be a different caliber right? Is his character a different quality? Just recruit the best players and try to win. No need to justify why recruits want to go elsewhere as if we took a pass on every one we miss out on.

CarrIsMyHomeboy

November 22nd, 2017 at 3:24 PM ^

[In this post, I might accidentally come off as negative toward Michigan, but I feel oppositely -- optimistic in general and possessing sustained enthusiasm about Harbaugh. This is just meant to be realistic]

 

I shudder to admit this, but given the potential for a blowout if O'Korn plays, I think there's a very reasonable argument, in terms of devil's advocacy, that you should have flipped your rational/lizard-brain assignments.

Jasper

November 22nd, 2017 at 2:53 PM ^

Do we have an over/under for the number of people who will be here declaring all recruiting efforts hopeless if Michigan gets poleaxed on Saturday?

I'd expect "MAYS-en" to be in the count.

MGoGrendel

November 22nd, 2017 at 3:18 PM ^

We will be just fine, just like the last two years of Harbaugh with a full recruiting cycle.

Michigan is one of those "gottat go there" elite schools.  Plus, we just put a few kids in the NFL and look to keep doing it. Which is nice.

StephenRKass

November 22nd, 2017 at 3:27 PM ^

You're very welcome. While I listed a few guys, I don't want to copy and paste the work of others like yourself. Several questions:

  • Do you edit your list? (add/delete names you become aware of.)
  • Do you have a feel for guys who are just there for the fun of it? Maybe OSU leans who are just coming to see the game, but really not into UM at all?
  • Do you see any imminent commitments? Any guys to keep an eye on?
  • For your list, what do you consider the 5 most important/realistic?
  • You addressed UCLA. Adding TN and FL, any realistic guys we can poach?
  • I read a couple weeks ago that Sam thinks we are in the running for several OL guys already committed elsewhere. I am most concerned about the OL. Do you have any reason to believe we can finish with 2 - 3 MORE solid guys on the OL? Anything you can tell?

Magnus

November 22nd, 2017 at 3:54 PM ^

1. I add names. I cross out (not delete) names of players who cancel. That way people don't wonder, "Wait, didn't I see his name on the list? Am I going crazy?"

2. I don't know of any guys who appear to be OSU leans and are just showing up to see the Buckeyes play, a la Billy Price. I do think Ja'Marr Chase, Talanoa Hufanga, and Mychale Salahuddin are longshots.

3. I don't see any commitments in that group. A few guys I might watch for the future are Michael Barrett, Litchfield Ajavon, and Marvin Grant.

4. 5 most important: Nick Petit-Frere, Alim McNeill, Michael Barrett, Isaiah Williams, and Trevor Keegan.

5. I don't see Michigan really trying to poach anyone from Tennessee. As for Florida, I could see them making a run at Richard Gouraige and David Reese.

6. I think Jalen Goss, Jarrett Patterson, and Petit-Frere are all decent possibilities up front. I don't know who Sam think we're going to poach, except perhaps Patterson. I think a lot of those other guys are real longshots.

Red is Blue

November 22nd, 2017 at 3:26 PM ^

Per Trieu:

 

Offensive tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere, rated by 247Sports as a five-star and ranked as the No. 1 player in the country at his position, is one of the most important recruits left on the Michigan board. An athletic 6-foot-6, 272-pound prospect, many analysts believe he can challenge for playing time as a true freshman no matter where he commits. 

 

Talk about a good fit.  Yes.  Please!

rockydude

November 22nd, 2017 at 5:28 PM ^

But isn’t Grant Newsome going to take a tackle spot?



Our line, without additions or surprises should like mostly like: Newsome - Bredeson - Ruiz - Onwenu - (open competition with the head start going to) Runyan. At least that’s my take. If someone knows better, I’d like to hear.



Also, it makes me wonder if our season would have played out differently if Newsome and Big Mike were healthy for the season, though that’s water under the bridge.



I think next years line looks more solid than a lot of our lines in the recent past, but we could certainly use some commits. Ones that stay committed, I mean. Too soon?

Ziff72

November 22nd, 2017 at 3:41 PM ^

Maizen already posted that were getting out worked so why would you post that the #1 Olineman is visiting. Obviously that is fake news and you should feel bad. Nobody is coming here. Ever.

We are going to an exclusive out of state only walk on policy. Fuck all the in state kids.

MW147

November 22nd, 2017 at 4:18 PM ^

So basically it sounds like we still have a chance to move up in the recruiting ranks. Harbaugh's first 2 full classes were elite, and we are seeing it on the field with the 2016 class. 

We will see if the final result is in the teens where we are now, or if we can move up to the top 10. All of the coaching changes throws a lot of this into a state of flux, there are opportunities to get a couple of very high end kids. 

It sounds like landing Petit-Frere would be a major coup. The fact that he has a shot at immediate playing time should/could/might help our chances. 

And with all of the sky is falling discussion going on this week, let's not forget that we are off to a tremendous start for the 2019 class. 

For 2018 if we can still wind up in the top 10 then we should be in great shape moving forward. 

tybert

November 22nd, 2017 at 11:25 PM ^

the guy who switched to Bama but wasn't even considered a lock.

A lot can happen when some undecided guys pick spots and the remaining undecided guys or guys who committed to Florida, etc. have to choose.

Jim is going to make some home visits in January and UM is a great selling point.