Recruiting Roundup Tidbits
Since most of us are "think about anything other than THAT" mode at the moment, a few items from the Sam Webb's WTKA Recruiting Roundup segment this morning:
- Commit watch is NOT related to Zach Harrison or Kalen DeLoach.
- Sam believes that Florida State is trailing both Michigan and Auburn for Kalen DeLoach's services. This isn't necessarily due to Florida State's crap season and more because they let off the gas in their pursuit of DeLoach.
- In-home visits with Kalen DeLoach and Trevor Keegan this week.
- Sam believes that Michigan definitely has some things to answer for related to THAT this past weekend (especially with respect to Zach Harrison) but doesn't believe it's an enormous setback. He does believe that Michigan needs to explain the rationale for certain deployments of talent on Saturday. Not so much that they lost but how they lost.
I get the feeling that the optimism around Zach Harrison is waning some but feelings are good surrounding Keegan and DeLoach.
November 28th, 2018 at 12:40 PM ^
Isn’t that what Harbaugh is already trying to do with lower raked kids? And OSU has a whopping 4 kids not 4 star or higher so far.
November 28th, 2018 at 11:34 AM ^
That loss was a very bad look. I think the one recruit it may influence the most is Zach Harrison. Good luck coaches. Hopefully they can successfully address any concerns.
November 28th, 2018 at 11:37 AM ^
I think recruits wanting explanation for talent deployment is a very solid and smart question to ask. I think its a question many of us ourselves have and prolly won't get an actual answer to that.
As said before most recruit thinks they can be the difference maker. With this class is close it seems i would be easier to sell other recruits that this recruiting class is and will be the difference maker in the game.
November 28th, 2018 at 12:00 PM ^
I don't quite know how to express this, but my feeling coming out of The Game in regards to recruiting was something like, "how do we explain to all these guys why we didn't put our players in the best position to succeed?"
I hope that Harrison et al don't look at game scores for their college decisions...but it couldn't have hurt dammit. Also, a B1G championship party and playoff game(s) would have been REALLY nice showcases of our program. Choking like we did last weekend cost us a lot of opportunities. Made our coaches' lives a little tougher on the recruiting trail.
November 28th, 2018 at 12:21 PM ^
THIS is what Zach wants to know or at least should want to know. Football is a game where 40+ kids from each side effect the outcome. The Wins are nice but at the end of the day they all want to make the league and want to be high picks. They don't want to develop because they just love being good football players and winning games, they want to develop to be a top ten pick. I think the coaches do have to answer these questions but I think when the answer is 2 top 10-15 picks and another top 30-40 pick on D.. that will more than make up for the loss of one football game. I am sure all these kids want to win but lets not mistake the number one priority for nearly every single top 100 recruit.
November 29th, 2018 at 4:33 PM ^
^^THIS. They definitely want to win. And they definitely want some assurance / explanation.
But if one game makes a lot of difference then, frankly, we don't want them. Now, it just might make a difference to a recruit who is truly 50 / 50. But that should not happen often.
November 28th, 2018 at 11:55 AM ^
If I were Zach Harrison, I'd also want to know WTH happened? Hell, I'm NOT Zach, and I want to know anyway! He has every right to ask and get any questions he has cleared up. I see nothing out of place, here - especially if Harbaugh has a competent answer, and I'm absolutely positive he has.
November 28th, 2018 at 11:57 AM ^
Did Harrison have a commit date?
If he wasn't planning on committing till late, I kind of hope OSU makes the playoff and then gets waxed by Bama, with Michigan winning their bowl.
Need to flip the narrative.
November 28th, 2018 at 12:14 PM ^
Thought I heard his date was Dec 11, or Dec 14, or Dec 12... Somewhere in the middle of Dec...
November 28th, 2018 at 2:49 PM ^
I believe he will enroll early so I suspect no later than Christmas.
November 28th, 2018 at 12:23 PM ^
It would probably be better to hope for OSU to lose to NW and miss the playoff, then also lose their bowl game, while Michigan wins their bowl game.
I mean, if we're just hoping, then that would be the ideal scenario.
November 29th, 2018 at 4:34 PM ^
You are truly a great hoper. No, a Great Hoper!!
November 28th, 2018 at 11:58 AM ^
harrison was always gonna be a tough pull. hope we can win out, but wouldnt blame the kid.
the performance was shocking and to his home town team
November 28th, 2018 at 12:08 PM ^
Have been saying this all week - Michigan needs to continue closing the talent gap with OSU (as we all saw on Saturday).
Need to close on Harrison, Keegan, DeLoach and a big-bodied WR, and potentially Karlaftis if Brohm leaves. Do that, plus Shea and one of Hill/Long return (I assume Bush, Gentry and one of the CBs leave) and we continue to get closer and closer.
November 28th, 2018 at 12:16 PM ^
you really think its closing?
November 28th, 2018 at 12:22 PM ^
Compared to when Harbaugh arrived? Yes.
OSU has a small class this year and still has time to close strong, but their class ranking is hovering around 12th on the Composite (11th to 247), which is way off their usual pace. I don't think Michigan has finished with a recruiting class rater higher than OSU in like 7 years. Just need to keep grinding on the trail.
November 28th, 2018 at 12:38 PM ^
Yeah, but that's because of numbers not quality.
They have the 3rd highest average player rating, which is probably a better metric in measuring recruiting anyway.
November 28th, 2018 at 12:21 PM ^
I honestly think everyone is jumping to extreme conclusions here with Harrison. We lost and we lost bad to our main competition in the race for his services but the fact that even Bill Greene (their Sam Webb) CBd him to Michigan can't be understated or overlooked. We have clearly taken over the lead in the recruitment and if anything the loss just gave him some pause, pause that will cleared up and squared away with Mattison's in home visit today.
And please stop referencing the kid as being a "tough pull because he's from Columbus" because anyone who has followed his recruitment should know he's originally from Chicago and has zero ties to the program! Yes he lives there, and he has serious fanboys in his ears 247, and yet he still hasn't committed. If he was going to go there wouldn't he have just committed by now instead of putting himself through what can't be an enjoyable process down there? If anything he's beginning to deal with their fanboys turning on him left and right. Read any of their message boards and they all slam him because "he's going to be a bust" and "he doesn't belong there anyways." Let's not start behaving the same way because its talents like him that we need to turn the program all the way around, and I for one still believe he wants to be here. Go Blue!
November 29th, 2018 at 9:24 PM ^
Zero ties? His mom went to OSU and wants him to do the same is what I read.
November 28th, 2018 at 12:29 PM ^
no way Harrison comes to Michigan after that shitshow on saturday.
November 28th, 2018 at 1:36 PM ^
No way he goes to OSU after that shit show in West Lafayette 4 weeks ago.
I guess that leaves PSU. Because lord knows they haven't had any shit show performances lately.
/s
November 28th, 2018 at 4:15 PM ^
Love. It.
November 29th, 2018 at 4:38 PM ^
No way he goes to PSU after their shit show on Nov 3.
I am guessing he will just quit football and maybe play another sport. /s
November 28th, 2018 at 12:33 PM ^
Has to be a bit humbling explaining to an 18 year old why you deployed certain talents in the game. lol. I guess that's why I'm not a recruiter. If a kid asked me I would likely tell him because I'm the head fucking football coach.
November 28th, 2018 at 1:01 PM ^
My head hurts
November 28th, 2018 at 1:08 PM ^
Ugh, so frustrating that we just can't pull some guys until we beat that team. Oh well, I guess we don't deserve them yet.
November 28th, 2018 at 2:01 PM ^
Apparently getting your ass kicked by the main competition for a recruit has an impact on said recruits decision
November 28th, 2018 at 2:15 PM ^
As Jim Rome said - JH got pantsed & stuffed into a clownsuit by Meyer sat.
He also said paraphrasing - but Meyer is still a dirtbag.
November 28th, 2018 at 5:05 PM ^
Whatever happens, happens.