Thursday Recruitin' Aims High
Today's recruiting roundup covers the MSU visitor list, a potential 2014 commit, Michigan's gentle giant of a commit, and more.
Seatbelts Fastened?
Denzel Ward: Michigan's next commit?
Last weekend, Michigan offered 6'9" IL OT Denzel Ward, who visited for the Illinois game and came away gushing about the visit and talking about receiving his "dream offer" from the Wolverines. Ward spent the game with Logan Tuley-Tillman, who gave him his best recruiting pitch, per Tim Sullivan ($):
"Me and a 2014 tackle, Denzel Ward, we both were there," Tuley-Tillman explained. "We hung out like the whole day, and we'll come back next weekend together. We had a lot of fun, and everybody already thinks we're brothers. We're going to start going along with it, too. We had fun, we both had a good time.
"I was just showing him what it was, and how it really is a family atmosphere up there, and how he would already have someone that would be there for him to help him with anything."
The pitch appears to be working—Ward will be back on campus this weekend after spending the week tweeting all of the positive things about Michigan. He might have something up his sleeve, too:
Big weekend for #Michigan football don't ask questions just stay tuned in #goblue !!
— Logan Tuley-Tillman™ (@LoganTillman) October 17, 2012
An early commitment is a definite possibility here.
Ward won't be alone as a big-time visitor for the State game; Tremendous has the whole list, and it is lengthy. Michigan's two biggest 2013 targets, VA RB Derrick Green and IL WR Laquon Treadwell, will both be present, as will a pair of backup options at wide receiver in MI WR DaMario Jones and OH WR Elijah Bell—neither hold offers but could pick one up as we near signing day if Treadwell doesn't commit. Don't expect Green or Treadwell to make a decision this weekend, but a good visit could go a long way towards locking up a commitment in both cases, especially when it comes to Green.
Visiting 2014 prospects with Michigan offers are MI WR/DB Damon Webb, FL OL Mason Cole, PA S Montae Nicholson, PA TE Brenon Thrift, and OH ATH Marshon Lattimore. The first 2015 offer, KY RB Damien Harris—who projects to be one of the top handful of prospects in that class—will also be on campus; he camped at Michigan over the summer.
There's also a major basketball recruit slated to visit in improbably-named 2015 five-star WI C Diamond Stone. He already holds offers from UCLA and Wisconsin, among others, and is likely to pick one up on his visit [EDIT: As multiple commenters reminded me of, Beilein doesn't offer prospects until the summer after their sophomore year, so Stone won't be picking one up on this trip]. Fellow 2015 five-star IL PG Hyron Edwards might make the trip up for the game, as well.
This is obviously Michigan's biggest recruiting weekend of the season, and we could see several offers go out to 2014 prospects; we'll see if a commitment is in the cards.
[Hit THE JUMP for the latest on the Dawson replacement situation and more.]
Replacing Dawson
A few more candidates to replace David Dawson—to go along with the prospects outlined on Monday—have emerged courtesy of Mike Farrell:
#Michigan reaching out to Na'Ty Rodgers, Dorian Johnson and Brendan Mahon I hear @1goblue1: @rivalsmike with Dawson decommitting who
— Mike Farrell (@rivalsmike) October 16, 2012
All three are four-star prospects (Johnson is a five-star on 247 and a four-star everywhere else) that fall into the top-250 range; Rodgers and Johnson are uncommitted—Johnson was a one-time Penn State commit—while Mahon is currently committed to the Nittany Lions. It might be tough to pull any of the three, but the coaches are clearly aiming high in their initial attempts to fill the void left by Dawson.
One player who won't be taking that spot is MD G Khaliel Rodgers, a USC commit who said Michigan had contacted him after Dawson's departure—Tremendous caught up with him and he said he isn't considering the Wolverines.
In other 2013 news, 247 analyst Gerry Hamilton did an in-depth film breakdown on Derrick Green ($):
POSITIVES THAT STANDOUT [sic]
1. Green has quick, reactive feet in the hole and in space. He is also a fast starter that is quicker than fast, which is ideal in a big back. He has feet in the hole and traffic very similar to Heisman Trophy winner Ricky Williams, but without the strike up the band speed at the next level.
2. Green is also a hard runner that flashes good balance playing through contact. His ability to take a hit, and make a move while keeping his feet underneath him is impressive.
3. Green has shown pass catching ability, and has the look of a running back prospect that can play as a downhill inside back in an I-formation, an ACE back or even as a fullback/H-back.
Yes, please on the Ricky Williams comparison. Areas for improvement included Green's top-heavy body type and his lack of breakaway speed.
Etc.
The Denver Post did a feature on 2013 commit Chris Fox and comes away surprised that a large man with a mean streak can be quite a personable fellow off the field:
Roughly 28 hours before kickoff last week, Chris Fox stood in the Ponderosa coaches' office trying to wiggle into a white jersey that was way too small.
He had lost his usual No. 73 and instead found No. 80 — meant to be worn by a wide receiver. Fox, the state's most sought-after offensive lineman, is 6-foot-6 and a shade below 300 pounds. He got the No. 80 shirt over his head, but when he pulled the jersey down, Fox looked like an brother trying on a younger sister's T-shirt.
"What are we going to do tomorrow night?" an assistant coach asked at that moment.
Fox looked down at his stomach, then to his arms.
"I'll just wear this," he said, smiling at the absurdity.
This is the same kid who has a mean streak his coaches love?
"He's pretty much a puppy dog off the field," said Mark Murphy, Ponderosa's offensive coordinator.
The whole piece is well worth your time.
GBW has free video and scouting of Khalid Hill's performance last weekend available. A novel idea, guys.
According to Rob Cassidy of Rivals, AZ WR Devon Allen is close to committing to UCLA ($). He hasn't been considering Michigan for a while at this point.
October 18th, 2012 at 12:28 PM ^
if Diamond Stone got an offer this weekend. Not because he doesn't deserve it, but because since he's a 2015 recruit, Beilein won't extend an offer until June 2013. That said, there's no reason that this visit shouldn't be hyped because we're getting him on campus so early.
Hyron Edwards on the other hand has apparently been told to expect an offer in June 2013. Very excited about both those guys.
October 18th, 2012 at 12:29 PM ^
Don't think Beilein offers a player until the summer after Sophomore year so that would mean no offer will be coming on his visit this weekend.
October 18th, 2012 at 12:41 PM ^
Whoops, that's right. Got ahead of myself there.
October 18th, 2012 at 12:47 PM ^
October 18th, 2012 at 2:54 PM ^
I still love you.
That is of course until I kill you and steal your giant cheese wheel.
October 18th, 2012 at 1:03 PM ^
at 6'10'' 250 lbs Diamond Stone (class of 2015) will look pretty good on the OL with LTT and Denzel Ward.
October 18th, 2012 at 1:27 PM ^
October 18th, 2012 at 1:56 PM ^
October 18th, 2012 at 2:12 PM ^
He'd probably look pretty bad. He's a basketball player.
October 18th, 2012 at 3:09 PM ^
* I am going to have people put an asterisk before their jokes, just for you ;-)
October 18th, 2012 at 1:19 PM ^
Any scouting reports on Denzel Ward? I know he's very new to football, and only has 2 offers so far. He's blown up pretty quickly around here since Dawson decommitted, but that's essentially all I've heard about him. Even Tremendous, who puts out so much information about recruits it almost seems a little overwhelming, has little to nothing on him. No Introduction profile, wasn't on their 2014 midwest prospects Tremendous List, ect.
http://www.michigantremendous.com/2012/10/denzel-ward-visit-reaction.html
October 18th, 2012 at 1:19 PM ^
He hasn't put out any film yet.
October 18th, 2012 at 1:23 PM ^
Saw on your site that #1 2014 recruit VA DE Hand will be visiting as well, but it isn't on here or on Tremendous' list.
Do you know if anything changed with his plans?
October 18th, 2012 at 1:26 PM ^
It sounds like he's not visiting. I'm not sure why, other than the rumor that he didn't have a ride.
October 18th, 2012 at 2:42 PM ^
Go pick him up Magnus, come on.
October 18th, 2012 at 3:19 PM ^
we could lease a private jet, and he could be accompanied by some female companions.
/whatdoyoumeantherearerulesagainstthat
October 18th, 2012 at 1:29 PM ^
He is 6'9'' 290 lbs. and he is probably 16 years old. Coaches see NFL size on a 16 year old, this one is probably a no brainer for the coaches.
October 18th, 2012 at 2:33 PM ^
He is a pretty big dude, and I'm very confident the coaches see something special in him, but I just wonder what it is, because everybody has size. Just about every oline prospect is already as big as an NFL lineman these days, if not bigger. Just scrolling down /scouts OLine rankings you get to the 200th Tackle whos unranked but 6'8" and 275 pounds. Our regular walk on linemen are bigger than most NFL linemen already. I wonder what it is thats setting him apart.
October 19th, 2012 at 7:34 AM ^
peruse some NFL rosters. 6'8" 275 is about 40-50 lbs light for NFL tackle. Also, our walk-on linemen are not "bigger than most NFL linemen." The average size of an NFL offensize lineman is 6'5" 315lbs.
October 18th, 2012 at 1:24 PM ^
Does it seem a little weird to anyone else to be going after kids already committed to other schools in order to replace a guy we dropped for looking at other schools while committed?
October 18th, 2012 at 1:58 PM ^
No.
I add, parenthetically, that we might loose a recruit to Oregon, who swiped a committed recruit from us last year and the year before...and has the exact same no visit policy for its commits. The policy is not meant to be a gentlemans agreement between coaches.
October 19th, 2012 at 11:24 AM ^
Seems hypocritical to me. The coaches are telling the recruits a commitment is something you should honor, and any wavering -- even mearly visiting another school -- is grouds for a permantent seperation between you and Michigan. But meanwhile, its OK for the coaches to reach out to committed recruits and try and sway them. People have used the marriage example here with this before and its about the same as telling your wife you can't go out to eat with another man while you are married to me. But meanwhile, its OK for me to go out to eat with someone else's wife. Its a double standard.
October 18th, 2012 at 1:45 PM ^
What about Laremy Tunsil as a replacement for Dawson? Wasn't he really high on us for a long time, until we ran out of room for him. Or is he definitely staying in the South?
October 18th, 2012 at 2:00 PM ^
Laremy Tunsil has never really shown much interest in Michigan.
October 18th, 2012 at 4:17 PM ^
I thought he had pretty strong interest at one point a while back... thanks for clarifying
October 19th, 2012 at 11:26 AM ^
Tunsil is pretty much a lock for Georgia or Alabama. Everyone else is a distant third.
October 18th, 2012 at 7:59 PM ^
October 18th, 2012 at 7:59 PM ^
October 18th, 2012 at 8:13 PM ^
perhaps both
October 19th, 2012 at 7:38 AM ^
but I'm not suited for the Bolivian heat this time of year
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