Spencer Boyd to Visit Tomorrow?
The front page of GoBlueWolverine has a picture of current ND commit Spencer Boyd with the headline "Two New Weekend Visitors". I don't know who the other visitor they are talking about but it's interesting to see Boyd coming in.
Personally, I think that we have better options for his position but it's nice to see recruits leaving ND.
I'm interested to see how our class finishes. Since we already have 21 commits with strong chances with Furman, Grimes, Murphy, and Beachum it looks like we should be just about done, but we seem to be pursuing at least a dozen players for what looks like a full class. It will be an interesting couple of months for recruiting fans.
December 3rd, 2009 at 12:38 PM ^
Could be a good weekend.
December 3rd, 2009 at 12:38 PM ^
I don't have an account, but TomVH says that Richard Ash is coming this weekend so that might be who the other one is.
December 3rd, 2009 at 1:08 PM ^
According to ESPN, Ash just committed to WV. It would be interesting if he was visiting another school so soon after making a commitment but stranger things have happened
http://insider.espn.go.com/ncf/recruiting/tracker/school?schoolId=277&p…
December 3rd, 2009 at 1:10 PM ^
He's coming. He was supposed to visit Rutgers, I believe, but he changed it. His commitment to WVU is as soft as you can get.
As The Other Brian noted, Brandin Hawthorne and Vincent Smith told me that they're going to make sure he has a good time.
December 3rd, 2009 at 1:38 PM ^
Are any of our commits thought to be soft?
(insert punchline)
December 3rd, 2009 at 1:48 PM ^
I don't think any of them are soft, except for the bigger Talbott. Soft, in this case, that he's been thinking about taking visits, but I believe isn't going to anymore.
I'm not sure what's going to happen with our current commits if some of the newer recruits want to pick us.
December 3rd, 2009 at 1:38 PM ^
Is Ash from the Pahokee Pipeline?
December 3rd, 2009 at 1:49 PM ^
stranger things have happenedYeah, like him committing to WVU in the first place. Seriously, did that come out of nowhere or what?
December 3rd, 2009 at 12:42 PM ^
With Witty qualifying, practically consider that 22 commits, unless he has to fight it out with the other names being mentioned around. I am curious if TomVH has picked up any signs of our coaching staff having turned lukewarm on any current commit. I might be wrong, but I think it was TomVH that mentioned last year that the coaches had stopped keeping in touch with Jordan Barnes for two-three months before he decommitted.
December 3rd, 2009 at 1:52 PM ^
Can you imagine how much that would suck? You're a senior in HS, you committed to play football at UM, and then you don't hear back from the coaches for a couple of months. That's gotta suck!
December 3rd, 2009 at 2:38 PM ^
I'm not a big recruit kind of guy but what you said makes me think of a "what if". What if they don't contact you but the offer is not pulled. Has there been an instance were the player committed anyway?
December 3rd, 2009 at 12:47 PM ^
There are 8-10 legit prospects left, if you believe that the Florida kids are silent commits then they don't have but 2 spots left.
December 3rd, 2009 at 12:56 PM ^
Right now there are 2 guys who might have trouble qualitying (Kindard and Drake) and there's always a chance of a decommit. Personally I just think that they are recruiting until the end becuase nothing is guarenteed until the LOI is signed.
I don't believe it is the RR is going to squeeze a guy out approace. I believe the coaching staff has made a point to recruit players who wouldn't decommit, so why would they force someone out?
Regardless, if we have 2 guys who don't qualify, that leaves us with 5 open spots and therefore we have a recruit more players.
December 3rd, 2009 at 12:50 PM ^
Summary: Boyd is visiting, Ash is visiting, Torrian Wilson will eventually, probably in January, and Furman has given off vibes that he's going to commit to Michigan.
Tip of the hat to Tom for the Ash and Boyd news, along with telling me that Vincent Smith and Brandin Hawthorne said they aren't going to let Ash leave once he visits. :)
December 3rd, 2009 at 12:50 PM ^
Really we don't have any spots left. Sam Webb has a "gut feeling" about Furman, Grimes, and Murphy so they are silient, and that fills us up.
December 3rd, 2009 at 12:59 PM ^
Isn't Talbott (DT) looking around still? If so that leaves another 2 openings (his brother also).
Point is that alot can happen before signing day and I think RR is doing a great job making sure he has the best class possible.
December 3rd, 2009 at 2:05 PM ^
There are a couple of guys Sam Webb wonders if they'll be able to get into Michigan (I forget the names right now). Also, B10 teams can sign 27 players to an LOI but have to be down to 25 by a certain date (in the May-July range). Once they sign guys, they may work out who can pay their own way for a semester or year and "grayshirt" them.
EDIT: Sorry I didn't see aawolve named the players in question: Drake & Kinard. I believe this is correct.
December 3rd, 2009 at 2:12 PM ^
I don't have any evidence to back this up, but I have a hard time believing that a Michigan caliber recruit is going to pay his own way...especially after committing under the impression that he's getting a scholarship.
The only kids that might do this are the kids that RichRod stole from MAC teams, who have no other good offers.
EDIT: Oops, I forgot about guys like Jackson. His tuition would be in-state, and his dad probably can swing it. I guess it comes down to how much a player loves Michigan. There probably are a few.
Having said that, I think you can forget about asking one of the Pahokee kids to drop $20k in out of state tuition.
December 3rd, 2009 at 2:43 PM ^
Michigan from temporarily raising papa Jackson's salary by exactly the cost of in-state tuition for a few years and classifying Jeremy as a walk-on? In substance it would be like getting an extra scholarship (and therefore maybe not so OK). But in form it seems fine.
December 3rd, 2009 at 10:55 PM ^
Ethics.
December 3rd, 2009 at 1:01 PM ^
of waiting it out for the guys with academic issues? (Drake and Kinard from my understanding)It doesn't seem worth the risk, and they should be encourged to look elsewhere now if they're going to be told down the road anyway. Would that be inappropriate?
December 3rd, 2009 at 1:18 PM ^
TomVH reported that Ash comitted to WV. Then later he reported that even though he was comitted to WV he said he was still visiting us.
Edit:
Sorry! Doing this from my phone and didn't see that TomVH responded already.
December 3rd, 2009 at 1:36 PM ^
How do you think Rich Rod got the reputation of having snake oil and a wizard hat? He recruits hard from the start to the very last minute. When this program begins to see the fruits of his efforts his job at recruiting will be much easier, but I don't think he will lighten up. In fact, I think he puts the foot down on the gas and loads up on talent! You have to love that he is working hard til the last minute. I do.
December 3rd, 2009 at 2:41 PM ^
He got that reputation because Old Joe Tiller bestowed it upon him for stealin Roundtree from him.
December 3rd, 2009 at 2:41 PM ^
Its good he has a backup plan, he has much more at stake with his college decision than the average recruit .
December 3rd, 2009 at 2:19 PM ^
I trust RR and his evaluation of talent. Also, I realize that recruiting sites rankings don't always translate onto the field (Vincent Smith 3* #102 RB looks like he will be a stud for the next 3 years). However, it feels like RR loaded up on the front end of the recruiting year with solid 3* talent. I know "a bird in the hand is better than two in the bush" but shouldn't RR see where some of the bigger fish land before filling his boat with the bait.
December 3rd, 2009 at 2:25 PM ^
In any regard it's nice to see them getting recruits on campus at positions of need. Is there someone in the secondary we'd drop if say Spencer Boyd wanted to commit? I have to believe Grimes spot is fairly secure when he's ready to commit. It'll be interesting to see how things play out because Ash would be a nice score for the D-Line. Then maybe next year we can focus on LB's - really hope DePreist ends up blue.
December 3rd, 2009 at 3:04 PM ^
There is A LOT of room to play with in this class.
Drake and Kinard are both in danger of not qualifying. We have 5 wide receivers when we don't really need 5, and I full believe at least one of them will end up elsewhere. We have some mediocre recruits who could be Peace-ed or Barnes-ed.
Obviously we shouldn't expect Ash AND Wilson AND Boyd AND Anderson AND Furman AND Grimes AND Murphy AND Beachum AND Hankins to commit to Michigan.
If you haven't heard about a certain Michigan commit or two in a while, there might be a reason...
December 4th, 2009 at 2:41 AM ^
I subscribe to Rivals so most of my recruiting info is based from there and the reading here so was just curious on your take (you seem to follow recruting religiously). While I'd love Jefferson I just don't know that we overcome the other schools in the mix but the fact we're still in it may say something. Like you stated there is room to play and if Warren bolts for the NFL then there's another slot. Do we take 3 more DB's if Warren leaves? I am fairly skeptical on Anderson but he's the type of talent you don't pass on. There's just some good players left on the board in the secondary - Jefferson, Anderson, Parker, Grimes, and Boyd. This class could ultimately show the most strength at that position before it's done. Are they looking at Kenny Shaw for the slot or an outside receiver?
December 4th, 2009 at 6:03 AM ^
I honestly couldn't give you an end result. There are so many variables and unknowns. With the number of kids the coaches are going after, something has to give with the current commits.
Do we take 3 more defensive backs? No. We've already got Avery, Witty, Christian, Talbott, Robinson, and Johnson in this class. Grimes and another safety would be the limit, I think - Shaw or Knight, hopefully.
I think the chances of getting Anderson are between 0% and 8%.
Kenny Shaw is being looked at as a slot receiver, I believe.
Jefferson is a no.
Spencer Boyd is either a backup plan or a hint that the coaches aren't confident about Talbott, Avery, or Grimes. I don't think he's a realistic option unless one of those guys decommits (or, in Grimes' case, doesn't commit in the first place).
December 4th, 2009 at 10:52 AM ^
cancelled
December 4th, 2009 at 12:39 PM ^
I like the fact that we have what seems to be a recruiting weekend second only to the OSU game as far as the number of highly-ranked atlhetes. I also like that Warren has publically announced his intentions for the draft. Whether or not he actually goes is another question entirely, but if I was a defensive back looking at Michigan, space just opened up for early playing time.
Who's to say that Warren doesn't change his mind after the recruits come in and decide that they want to be Michigan Men? As mentioned earlier, we can greyshirt, we may even have a player or 2 that could take a medical redshirt (who knows???)and we can soften-up on some of our earlier 2* and 3* recruits or ask that they be a preferred walk-on for a season.
Unfortunately, all of this will just get everyone who dislikes RR to start screaming about ethics and he will be compared to Satan/Saban.
Obviously, RR and company know more about what is going on and why they need to keep the pressure up more than we do. It will be fun to see where it all falls out.