TomVH: Jordan Diamond Update
Illinois OL Jordan Diamond just tweeted that his decision will likely come sooner than expected. I sent him a text to see how soon was soon. He said:
Yeah, my decision will come sooner but I'm still evaluating schools. It will probably be the first game of our season.
Jordan plans on visiting every school that he's already visited to do his final evaluation. Previously he had said that he wanted to take his official visits and take his time throughout the season.
We are still leading for securing his services?
If so, WOOT!!
Hopefully it's good news. I have to imagine with as crazy as recruiting has gotten these days, that more kids will opt to decide early just so they can enjoy their senior year.
Very telling...
Any ideas/thoughts on why he decided to move up the date? I would assume it's because he's at least becoming comfortable with the idea of committing to a particular school.
Also because our class seems to be filling up pretty quickly
I'd say Banner, Magnuson, Thurston, Dodson, Callahan, and Keenan are why he's moving his date up. When the music stops 4 of them probably won't have chairs.
Tom or others. What other schools has he been looking at recently? Has he been taking visits, and what level of competition are we facing for him right now?
Top 5 of (in no order) Michigan, Ohio St., Auburn, Iowa and Wisconsin.
For a while he's been a commit that I've most wanted to sign. And until we get commits from other highl rated OTs, he'll stay up there on my list.
OL is the biggest need an getting an elite LT prospect would be tremendous.
that Jake Fisher went to the ducks...
I will be eating these words in 3-4 years, but:
Yup - really sucks to lose a 3-star tackle whenever there are TONS of talented ones this year to take.
You can throw that LB from Colorado into the same f'ing group. Willingham. At the time, it was painful - but now, I don't really care.
Classy.
I have a feeling you will feel differently about Fisher in a couple of years. I would not be surprised to see him on an All-America team in the future.
We have 1-3 more years of Lewan. Unless he somehow leaves after this season (which never really happens for OL), we'll be fine. Fisher wouldn't crack my "top 3 recruits we had at one point and then lost" last year (Hart, Frost, Zettel). So, to get upset about him choosing the Ducks over us - just because it is now a "position of need" is silly.
I really wanted to see D. Hart in the Maize and Blue..but the problem I could have foreseen was that everyone in Michigan already associates Hart with the gutsiest running back who also happens to be the schools alltime leading rusher. Big shoes to fill.. same last name wouldnt help.
We might have 2 or 3 more years of Lewan, but he might get hurt, and there's the RT position to think about. Lots and lots of eggs in the Schofield and Lewan baskets right now, and Schofield hasn't played a meaningful snap. We whiffed badly in the 2010 class and we got two guys in 2011 who are projected to move inside to guard (Bryant and Posada). But both of them now will probably have to stay at tackle, so we could have another Steve Schilling situation. We're dangerously thin at that spot until the class of 2012 has had a year of practice and weight training. If we have a couple of injuries, we're looking at an apocalypse equal to the Great QB Apocalypse of 2008 and the Great CB Apocalypse of 2010.
I know no one likes to rely on walk-ons, but in 2009, 2010, and 2011 we brought in an OT walk-on each year. They are all big, strong guys who will be getting a lot of reps due to the lack of depth. I'm not saying that all three of them should see the field, but it's very possible that whoever emerges as the best player in that group is good enough to be the guy to back up Lewan and Schofield should something happen to one of them.
Erik Gunderson has received a fair amount of hype for a walk-on, and I liked what I saw out of him during the spring. I would not be surprised to see him get some run late in games this fall or against some of the weaker teams on the schedule.
Yeah, he's the oldest of that group, and he certainly has the size (6'8" 298lbs from last fall's measurements). Even more than this year, I think it will be interesting who our third OT is once Huyge's gone in 2012 betweem Gunderson and the RS frosh Posada and Bryant. It will be nice if he could cement that back-up spot and let one or both of them play OG.
Thanks, DB.
Leilon Willingham from Mullen HS in Colorado got expelled from the school. I'm not sure if his scholarship from USF has been rescinded yet.
I don't think that this is right, given the fact that Willingham just started summer school at UCF (which is where he signed).
Someone's feeling a commit crunch.
as I do about T-Rich. Both very impressive offer list, ex-teammates on the Wolverines, will be shocked if either ends up in a differnt uni........
It's a beautiful feeling.
A comitt from Diamond? I would not mine.
I agree. Signing Diamond is a very valuable coal for this class.
Hoke is turning out to be quite a gem collector.
He may be a bit rough, but with some Hoke polish he will be fine.
What are you talking about? He is cleary that ideal, ideal cut.
I think Hoke went to Jared...
There are many facets to Diamond's game
Well done Coach Hoke and thanks Tom for the update
screech's cousin. or mike D, i can't remember which.
that's a fact...Dustin Diamond just tweeted an hour ago that his cousin Jordan was going to commit to Blue....
whats dustin diamonds twitter name
@itwasajoke
@Screech_Powers
Screech and Mike D.
We need Jordan Diamond!!
GO BLUE!
GO BLUE Diamond!
Go, Blue Diamond!!!
Ha, nice.
I'm the KING OF THE WORLD...............
Lets not count are chickens before they hatch, nevertheless Brady Hoke is doing an amazing job!!!
Just because he's getting all of the recruits he wants, and just because most of them are highly rated, and just because most of them had MSU offers, that doesn't mean he's winning the recruiting battle.
/RCMB'd
That's right. Because MSU recruits nationally now. Never mind that all 4 of their commits are from Michigan and Ohio and they have a combined 0 offers from UM, ND and OSU...
Duh, it is right in the name itself
We have already recieved verbal commits from two top 150 atheletes at Cas-Tech and Harrison and they each have a teammate from their highschool in the top 150 with U of M on their list. Chances are looking good that we could have about 7-8 top 150 atheletes for next fall! Lets keep the cycle going. Hoke takes a great approach towards recruiting. GO BLUE! The future is looking good!
Triple D's, Diamond, Dodson, & Denman PLEASE!!!
That just wasted 5 minutes of my day.