Sam Webb NON-NAJEE Updates from AAA Practices via WTKA
Sam actually touches on this whole Alabama flight saga if you care to listen to it, but there's nothing real positive or negative that really needs to be added to the discussion. If you care to hear about it, listen to the podcast. We will know where Najee goes on Monday.
On to the other stuff.
Chuck Filiaga - Prepare for a Hello post. Nothing much on performance, but it doesn't sound like much has changed as far as expectations.
Donovan Peoples-Jones/Tarik Black - Tarik Black is "the revelation" to Sam. Tarik Black is now right there with Nico Collins in Sam's opinion (which Sam is very bullish on Nico). He's been the "big play threat" so far, more so than DPJ. Sounds like we should expect a rankings bump, which I believe he's already a composite Top 150. DPJ is still DPJ, but it sounds like Tarik is performing swimmingly.
Ambry Thomas - Going to really be a factor in Michigan's secondary as a Freshman.
Deron Irving-Bey - Looks like he's going to start on the DL for the East team. Not refined with technique so much, but he's really fast off the edge and in that fashion has been turning heads.
Jay Tufele - "Unblockable." Not very big, but "they can't get their hands on him." Don't believe things are trending well for him, but he's still one of Michigan's top targets. I haven't heard about Michigan being completely out of it for him, so there's still at least some hope there.
Aubrey Solomon - While some of you are writing him off and/or don't want to hear his name again after the drama the other day, it sounds like the staff has been pursuing him even harder now. Sam isn't saying Michigan will get him, but mentioned the word "weird" in regards to his recruitment. Michigan not completely out of the picture, and it's hard to tell if maybe this piece of drama between him and Michigan actually helped Michigan's chances? Who knows. If you don't want to hear more about him, just ignore this section. Either way keep your expectations low for your sanity.
This is perphaps the strangest/most dramatic non-Signing Day recruiting season I've ever followed, and it looks like these last four weeks will continue in that trend.
We have a killer class so far, so no matter what happens between Najee, Tufele and Solomon (and others of course), we are still going to end up with a top 5 class. DIB and Tarik Black are two that I would expect to see a rankings bump so far based off this new information.
Back to work. Hope this helps start off your weekend in a positive direction. Have a good day, ladies and gents.
Link to podcast. Sam starts talking about half-way in.
January 6th, 2017 at 11:51 AM ^
we're still pushing for Andre Salmon.
January 6th, 2017 at 12:03 PM ^
Now that Fish has left, no Salmon for us.
January 6th, 2017 at 12:05 PM ^
Don't you see, he just substituted one fish for another.
January 6th, 2017 at 12:21 PM ^
I put them on a dental chair
January 6th, 2017 at 12:07 PM ^
I am hoping we have a signing day surprise and land someone talent equal to Aubrey Solomon that we may not even realize we were in on.
Yes, I am likely a bitch because I don't easliy forgive a kid saying "F-Michigan" when they know they are being recorded. Teen mistake? Maybe...but come on!
January 6th, 2017 at 12:08 PM ^
Alexi Salvador seemed to really enjoy himself at he BBQ
January 6th, 2017 at 12:53 PM ^
I would like it if Auberon Salamander committed. Then "f- [x team]" could be a running joke throughout his career. Like when a reporter asks him how he feels about playing Florida, he could just say, "You know how I feel about Florida. F- Florida." Eventually he would not have to provide the second part of the answer.
January 6th, 2017 at 11:51 AM ^
Huge get for us at this point!
If we got one of these 4: Nico, Gay, Tufele, & Solomon I would be a happy GO BLUE camper. I think that only real shot we have is Nico then maybe Tufele.
Can't wait for the Najee Harris 30 for 30.
Really interested now what the Harbaugh back up plan is for Najee. Eno doesn't seem like an option (unless he pulls a Hidgon).
January 6th, 2017 at 12:41 PM ^
The back up plan for Najee is already committed. Keeping Samuels in the fold may be difficult if Najee shows up in AA but I hope Harbaugh is able to keep him on either way. We have quite a few young RB and have two in this current class so I don't really think a non elite 3rd back is that crucial.
I think where we see Harbaugh enacting his back up plan is at DT. I expect to see more attention and/or offers going out to some interior linemen committed to other schools.
January 6th, 2017 at 3:06 PM ^
I agree with you on Samuels. I actually think he leaves/won't be in the class. So then we are left with something called a Kurt Taylor.
There will be another Tackle and DT added to the class....And if we are lucky, a Nico Collins.
January 6th, 2017 at 11:54 AM ^
If it's not Najee then who the hell cares?! HUH?!
January 6th, 2017 at 11:54 AM ^
January 6th, 2017 at 11:55 AM ^
January 6th, 2017 at 11:58 AM ^
Because the option after Solomon appears to be crickets
January 6th, 2017 at 11:59 AM ^
Michigan (and other schools) can't really recruit anyone right now. So if anyone says they're going hard after a recruit right now, it's either illegal or a lie. What it probably means is that Michigan amped up their recruitment of him in December, and they'll pick up again when they're allowed.
January 6th, 2017 at 12:09 PM ^
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January 6th, 2017 at 12:15 PM ^
Yes, but it's a dead period, so there's no face-to-face contact with recruits or parents. The dead period goes through next Wednesday.
January 6th, 2017 at 12:19 PM ^
The dead period means no in person contact, but puts no limits on other ways of communicating with recruits.
I would think this is the time you would push for recruits to schedule OVs. Certainly you could amp up contact in that way and most recruiting work isn't done in person anyway, is it?
January 6th, 2017 at 1:18 PM ^
January 6th, 2017 at 11:59 AM ^
i'm sure they have some other DTs they will pursue as well.
January 6th, 2017 at 12:35 PM ^
January 6th, 2017 at 12:49 PM ^
And he apologized. I can't get my own kid to say she's sorry wihtout pulling teeth.
January 6th, 2017 at 11:56 AM ^
but I'm starting to lose a little faith in Sam Webb's opinions. He's seemed overly optimisitc on a few recruitments that he didn't seem to really know much about in retrospect. Maybe it's just better to say "I don't know" instead of "Everything is great and I'm projecting everyone to commit."
January 6th, 2017 at 12:01 PM ^
January 6th, 2017 at 12:09 PM ^
For a homer, I think Sam does a pretty good job in the recruiting. It's so fluid and you never really know what a teenager is thinking.
Every prediction business you are going to have misses and big misses. He gives hope.
Sam is the best of all the Michigan recruiting guys and it's not even close. You compare Sam to some of the others and it's like comparing a genius to an insane person.
January 6th, 2017 at 12:31 PM ^
January 6th, 2017 at 1:03 PM ^
Anyone's opinions.
It's information to process however you want.
Morning commute would suck without Sam and Ira. Love those guys.
January 6th, 2017 at 1:28 PM ^
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January 6th, 2017 at 1:34 PM ^
January 6th, 2017 at 3:13 PM ^
Im not gonna neg ya but I dont agree with anything you wrote.
January 6th, 2017 at 11:57 AM ^
For the people who don't want to listen Sam said he can't refute or deny the flight report but Alabama is more confident now than they were earlier in the week. So he tries to say its still possible but really it doesn't seem all that convinced. He hasn't heard a definitive no on the Michigan side but its over guys.
January 6th, 2017 at 12:35 PM ^
and that UM is paying for the one to DTW?
For a guy who doesn't like drama he has created a lot of it by being quiet. But, unless he feels a need to stick it to UM, why would he let this play out this way unless he wants to make a splash by going Blue?
January 6th, 2017 at 12:43 PM ^
You are swimming in assumptions. How do you know Najee hasnt told the UM coaches his intentions? The kid has been committed to Alabama since May. All we know is that he considered a couple of other schools in the mean time, took some visits, but has not changed his commitment. That's it. All else is assumption.
January 6th, 2017 at 1:37 PM ^
January 6th, 2017 at 1:28 PM ^
January 6th, 2017 at 2:30 PM ^
UM cannot pay for his flight, it's against NCAA rules.
January 6th, 2017 at 11:57 AM ^
Thank you for labeling this as a "Non-Najee" update, by the way, so I don't have to toss my laptop out the window. Granted, the window is on the first floor and it doesn't open, but I would have found a way regardless.
January 6th, 2017 at 12:01 PM ^
This year of recruting has been great. I'm excited about the variety of receiving threats that Michigan is adding to its stable of tight ends. I think 2018 is going to be a hell of a year offensively. I'm excited to see which of these guys end up starting and doing well at Michigan.
That said, I don't always understand recruiting. Michigan has a clear need at defensive tackle, and it sucks that they haven't been able to bring in someone down the stretch here. Hurst is gone after next year and Mone, while I'm 90 percent he stays, could leave if he has a big year. Anyhow, I hope that Tufele picks Michigan because it's going to be thin soon if they don't pick someone up. I'm not blaming the coaches. I'm just surprised that a recruit hasn't jumped at the opporunity to go to a position of need and play for the Defensive Line coach of the year on a team that's going to put 3 guys in the NFL off that line (Wormley, Charlton, Glasgow) this year.
January 6th, 2017 at 12:01 PM ^
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January 6th, 2017 at 12:05 PM ^
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January 6th, 2017 at 12:05 PM ^
See, I heard they were renting mopeds. I can't divulge my source, though.
January 6th, 2017 at 12:09 PM ^
They are walking. Brady Hoke is their porter.
January 6th, 2017 at 12:02 PM ^
January 6th, 2017 at 12:11 PM ^
January 6th, 2017 at 1:49 PM ^
January 6th, 2017 at 3:11 PM ^
Given the swing in confidence, the inability to refute the flight report (opposed to the Oakland flight rumor that was quickly rebuffed), and the growing confidence on the Bama side, trending the wrong way seems to fit pretty well. I don't think it means Sam was wrong to be more confident earlier this week, as these things can be fluid. It's not unreasonable to think that Michigan was in a better or even leading position earlier this week that didn't hold up for whatever reason. I'm not part of the Sam Webb was wrong brigade that pops up whenever he fails to accurately predict the decisions of teenagers.
I don't have a real judgment otherwise because I always thought it was a longshot to flip a player who's been committed to Bama for nearly a year. This was before you factored in his apparent closeness with Tua, who like Harris, appears to be set to not see much action for the next year or two.
January 6th, 2017 at 2:22 PM ^
I feel bad summarizing it, but . . .
1) Sam hasn't been able to confirm the flight story; :-)
2) But given 247's relationship with the Army All American Bowl and their staff, you have to take their story that Najee changed his flight to Alabama pretty seriously; :-(
3) But Najee can basically change his flight as many times as he wants to, and is playing things close to the vest; ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
4) The word from Alabama is that the insiders are confident, and Sam hasn't found anyone from Michigan who will say they're confident at this point. :-P
All in all, it's not a lock, but basically (IMHO), assuming that someone on the game staff isn't intentionally trolling 247, it would take a last minute change of mind at this point. (Double-IMHO) - it sounds to me like it was bad luck for Michigan that Najee really clicks with Tua Tagovailoa, and that thanks to the game and the dead period, they basically spent the last week hanging out.
But best of luck to him whereever he ends up, and like they say, pessimists have only pleasant suprises. (And unpleasant not-suprises, I guess).
January 6th, 2017 at 12:04 PM ^
when Alabama blew up Alderaan?
No.
So it is not over now.
It will never be over.
A New Hope will arrive.
January 6th, 2017 at 12:08 PM ^
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January 6th, 2017 at 3:31 PM ^
when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?