Wednesday Recruitin' Likes 'Em Both And That Other One Too
Quarterback situation resolving soon
yo Milton
NV QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson announces in four days:
Just hours after returning home from a weekend visit to Ann Arbor, the four-star quarterback from Las Vegas (Nev.) Bishop Gorman announced that he would be choosing between Michigan and UCLA on Apr. 23, ending what has been a fast ascending recruitment.
Lorenz recently flipped his crystal balls to UCLA, and many folks are following. Webb had been pessimistic a few weeks ago and hasn't given any indication he's heard differently. With Michigan out of visit ammo that would appear to be that.
If that recruitment ends in favor of the Bruins, Michigan moves on to its other main targets: FL QB Joe Milton and AZ QB Tyler Shough. They could get one... they could get both. Michigan recently told both DTR and Shough that they would take two QBs. That is a surprise in a small class after back-to-back high level prospects. That implies that Michigan likes all three of their targets quite a bit.
In Shough's case, so does Alabama:
"Coach (Tosh) Lupoi offered me and he told me I'm the QB they're looking for in this class. Jalen Hurts was more of a dual-threat type this last season but with their new offense they're trying to get back to more pro-style. They'd want me to command the offense. They came out of nowhere, really. I wasn't talking to them before but my coach gave me their number so I called them and they offered."
Whether that's an "offer" or an OFFER is, as always, unclear. Shough does have vague summer visit plans to Tuscaloosa. His May 13th visit to Michigan is still on and that could be a commit watch situation.
Meanwhile, Milton also visited for the spring game. Lorenz reports that the coaching staff is enamored with his general shape. Someone called him a "holy specimen," which is definitely a phrase used to describe angels instead of people. After returning he talked to 24/7 Florida mod Luke Stampini:
“The visit, it helped them move up, because I didn’t know Michigan was a school like that,” Milton admitted. “I didn’t know the background of Michigan, but now I do.”
Stampini thinks that it won't be Florida, the presumed leader, and that Michigan and Georgia are the main contenders. A decision won't be long coming here, either: Milton says he wants to commit this spring. We've put in a CB pick on Milton based on some things we've heard.
Either way won't be more than a month before Michigan's quarterback, or quarterbacks, situation is resolved.
Ditto instate OL?
Trieu has an article on upwardly mobile MI OL Ryan Hayes, who's moving towards a decision "sooner than late summer." It looks pretty good for Michigan:
"The most familiarity we had is with Coach Frey [at Michigan]," Hayes said. "He recruited Connor at Indiana and he and my family have a really good relationship."
"I had never been to Michigan actually," he added. "I just had never gotten there. It was really cool. It really blew me away and really surprised me actually."
It would be a "huge surprise" to Trieu if it wasn't Michigan, and in the near future. Frey loves bulking up athletic TE/OT types and Hayes was actually a tight end last year; this looks like a perfect match.
Meanwhile, MI OL Jalen Mayfield is going to be yet another Michigan/ND battle, it appears:
Grand Rapids (Mich.) Catholic Central four-star offensive tackle Jalen Mayfield will be in South Bend this weekend.
The 6-5, 255-pounder from the class of 2018, a former Minnesota commit, will make his first trip to Notre Dame in search of an offer from the Fighting Irish.
Mayfield recently worked out at The Opening Chicago and was terrific. He showed athleticism, impressive footwork, and the strength and physicality you look for in a top-level offensive tackle.
Just a few days ago Mayfield described his return visit to Michigan as "phenomenal" and named a final three of Michigan, MSU, and Iowa, so ND's interest is new and probably the only thing that can threaten Michigan's standing.
Side note: Mayfield makes it eight guys so far who have probably been down to Michigan and ND. Five of those have gone ND's way, with Christian Turner currently the Michigan win. Weird, since ND went 4-8 last year.
Also in instate OL going off the board in the near future or recent past: happy trails to MI OL Tyrone Sampson Jr, who committed to Syracuse. Sampson recruitment is an odd one. Despite consistent high level praise from recruiting analysts he never picked up big, or even middling, offers. That includes MSU, despite the prospect that the Spartans will be shut out of the top 8 in state for the second straight year. Sampson might be a name who re-emerges late in the cycle if Michigan has an unexpected amount of room.
Uh... ditto the secondary?
imagine the jerseys if the Green twins commit
Michigan's hosted what might be their top three remaining secondary targets just after the spring game: TX CB twins Gemon and German Green and NJ S Shayne Simon both took in Ann Arbor early this week. Simon's mom and aunt are both alums; Lorenz and Webb both assert that Michigan has been pedal-to-the-metal with his recruitment. He's a the type of kid where ND/Stanford are the threats, FWIW.
Meanwhile the Green twins are candidates to drop soon. Webb asserts that his gut tells him that if signing day was today it would be Michigan for both; Texas 24/7 mod EJ Holland and Lorenz have both put in CBs for both to Michigan. Holland believes that both guys are interested in sticking closer to home but the package deal is a major consideration—as it often is with twins—and Michigan is currently the biggest offer for German, who tore his ACL last year.
Knife edge here, in your author's e-pinion. If they do not drop in the near future I'd interpret that as the Greens hoping that a Big 12 school will offer German as well and that Michigan will eventually fade away once that happens.
Mustapha re-eval
Some early chatter that Michigan and TX TE Mustapha Muhammad were very likely to get together faded, but after Muhammad returned to Ann Arbor for the spring game there's been a serious reversal in fortunes. Webb lets you read between the lines:
“I’m definitely taking my visits,” he continued. “I’ve always told myself that I plan on committing on national signing day. That’s when I want to publicly announce where I decide to go to school.”
Publicly might be the operative word.
Judging by the 247 crystal ball: yup. Starting with Lorenz four days ago, 21 folks have issued M predictions, including Wiltfong and all the relevant Texas experts. Any guy taking his recruitment to signing day and going on visits is some threat to change his mind, but it really looks like it would be a change of mind if that were to happen.
Let's re-project the class
I did this in February, when it was very silly. It is much less silly now. So let's do it:
State | Position | Player | Approx. Stars | Confidence Level |
---|---|---|---|---|
AZ | QB | Tyler Shough | 3.5 | High |
GA | RB | Christian Turner | 3 | Commit |
USA | FB | Some Guy | 3 | Low |
NJ | WR | Jahan Dotson | 4 | Moderate |
WA | WR | Tre'Shaun Harrison | 4 | Moderate |
FL | TE | Will Mallory | 4 | High |
NY | TE | Jeremy Ruckert | 4.5 | Moderate |
TX | TE | Mustapha Muhammad | 4 | High |
IN | OL | Emil Ekiyor | 4 | Commit |
FL | OL | Daniel Faalele | ? | Moderate |
MI | OL | Ryan Hayes | 4 | Very High |
MI | OL | Jalen Mayfield | 3.5 | Very High |
NJ | DT | Tyler Friday | 4.5 | Moderate |
MI | DE | Aidan Hutchinson | 4 | Commit |
FL | DE | Nik Bonitto | 4 | Low |
GA | LB | Otis Reese | 4 | Commit |
TX | CB | Gemon Green | 4 | High |
TX | CB | German Green | 3 | High |
GA | S | Myles Sims | 4 | Commit |
NJ | S | Shayne Simon | 4 | High |
Still holding at 20 members of the class, FWIW.
Grudging 2019 section
MI CB Marvin Grant did not make it to the spring game because he could not get a ride; not likely to impact his recruitment, which seems to favor Michigan early. On the other hand, Michigan fielded a significant 2019 visit when KY DE Stephon Herron Jr returned to campus:
[Herron] was palling around with Emil Ekiyor quite a bit and was permanently smiling. I saw both of his parents afterwards walking around The Al Glick Field House and they were all smiles as well. I'd bet that their conversation on the way home was very, very pro Michigan.
That's a second long distance unofficial in two months for Herron and that was enough for us to put in an early CB for him. OSU has fielded three visits, so that's speculative.
KY DT Jacob Lacey was highly positive on twitter after his spring game visit:
God is So Awesome!! Just received a offer from Michigan #GoBlue I LOVED MY DAY here at the BIG HOUSE @CoachGMattison awesome! Back to Work pic.twitter.com/Wte0WWP38B
— Jacob Lacey (@JacobLacey6) April 13, 2017
Michigan is "right at the top" for him; ND leads on the crystal ball.
You can pencil FL LB Anthony Solomon into the 2019 class, as his second long-distance unofficial to Ann Arbor was a five-day affair, which may be unprecedented in the annals of unofficial visits.
NJ CB Nyquee Hawkins visited for the spring game as well.
Etc.
Lorenz says he's hearing "amazingly different" things on CT CB and Miami commit Josh Jobe, which range from him sticking with said commit to being a Michigan lock to being an Alabama flip. That "CT" is new, by the way, as Jobe is attending Cheshire Academy this fall. Don Brown is big in Japan Connecticut, so that can't hurt. FWIW, Tarik Black just graduated from Cheshire.
Michigan made a "huge move" with MO WR Kamyrn Babb; Wiltfong still sticking with OSU CB. Massive OH WR L'Christian Smith is "definitely" interested in Michigan; former teammate Tyree Kinnel is helping recruit him. Kid is nicknamed "blue," so that's a good sign, right?
OH DE Malik Vann commits to Cincinnati over Michigan State. Which is a thing that's happening now.
What are your/Ace's take on Mallory? You still have his confidence listed at "high" but he's got 7 straight CB's to the U. Thoughts there?
What's the word on why so many are flipping Mallory?
Legacy commit, I thought was SOLID Blue?
If any other person on the face of the Earth were our coach, I would be disappointed by the list we have of potential prospects at each position. To me it resembles a team that is top 10-20. For such a small class I am shocked we don't have at least one 5 star and still cannot land an "elite" RB. But, I have consumed the Harbaugh Koolaid. I don't understand the list, but I don't have to understand the list. I blindly give hand over my Michigan fandom into the hands of you Jimmy. You have earned my trust.
...We will see what the star ratings are come September, or November. I agree with you on deferring to Harbaugh and staff. I suspect they might just be better talent evaluators than the guys who do the ratings.
100% agree with you. Coach Harbaugh gets the guys he believes he can win with. They may be 5 stars or 3 stars, but he knows what he wants. There is a reason he is one of the best coaches in football today and I am not. LOL
Isn't Shayne Simon an OLB? I don't know of anyone ranking him at safety (although a 6'3" 215 lb safety would be nice).
He was originally ranked as a safety, and is now being ranked as an OLB. I would say he is sort of in the VIPER(!!!) mold similar to Otis Reese, with Simon being recruited as a safety and Reese being recruited as a LB. Either way he is a very well regarded prospect.
Some Guy has to make the all-name team, no?
He's no That Dude, but a solid prospect nonetheless.
Any chance he's related to Tacopants?
an offensive lineman would be at the bottom of my list. Looks like he should be playing for Beilein.
I thought the same thing.
I thought: "Damn, I must be old and fat, because Ryan Hayes looks way too young and skinny to be a college OL."
...only with somewhat better hair.
Yeah he looks like a happier, skinnier Ethan Haap.
Quick thoughts: I'd be disappointed if the Green twins were the CB haul with Isaac Taylor Stuart and Josh Jobe still out there. Gemon seems like a nice prospect but the other one seems like a huge reach in small class. Mayfield and Hayes would be a really nice tackle duo. Nik Bonitto isn't being recruited anymore. Webb mentioned Parsons and Eyabi Anoma are DE's that are still being recruited. I think UM also pushes for Michael Thompson at DT. Call me crazy, but I think UM makes a move for Babb or St Brown at WR.
with Sam Webb on WTKA. He said Michigan recruited him as a CB and that was his strong preference.
Don't criticise the list or you will get negged. Blindly follow and don't question. LOL. I am right there with you. I see offering those two in last years class, but not with the limited spots this year. But again, Coach Harbaugh has earned our trust and whoever he wants to offer I am good with. I don't have to understand, I give him blind faith.
He's probably got around 13 correct IMO. I really can't see Michigan passing on the #3 guard in the country. When it is all said and done Michigan will have a top ten recruiting class on paper. The size of the class may cost us a top three, but it will be a top notch class. Curious to see who we grab at Qb. We allready have a great start and most of these guys will bump up I feel, especially Turner.
April 20th, 2017 at 12:15 AM ^
Jobe isn't still out there, he reaffirmed to Miami. And German is coming off an ACL tear. Makes sense if he isn't at the same level as his brohter right now. But maybe the coaches think he can be just as good with some seasoning and fully healthy.
Cinci > WMU?
Hogwash.
Well, did you read the post before commenting?
l mean, if you did you know something, right?
A few weeks ago there was talk of a guy named Quindavious Monday. Now we have Tyler Friday. Take Friday. I like Fridays.
April 20th, 2017 at 12:39 PM ^
Yes Cranky, get focussed - JH & the team are counting on you to really bring it this recruiting cycle!
On ALL OF US for that matter!
Without our input on these threads how will they know which prospects to really focus on (OFFERS) vs "offers"?
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
Looks like a solid class overall but its a little dissapointing to see the staff in on so few truly elite level kids. To be willing to offer a scholarship in a small class to a 3 star guy at cb mostly so you can get his 4 star twin isn't an ideal world. Especially with the way OSU, and hell even PSU have gotten off to in this class. Know its tough to be truly elite every year but when your primary competition is there isn't a ton of choice.
Also I really wish we could get amon-ra st. brown because obviously.
Im surprised this is still a thing. How many players that people here said "why are we offering/taking this guy right now, he's so low" ended up being highly ranked/regarded players/ Guys like St. Juste.
Its early in the process and rankings. I doubt Harbaugh is offering a guy just bc of his brother. We've seen him not offer legacies before. If he has an offer, JH thinks he can play. Its going to be a smaller class and maybe not as highly ranked bc of that, but the class will be one of the best when its said and done.
It's definitely important to withold judgement until NSD, but we really do need to insert ourselves in more elite kids recruitments between now and then.
...we have to withhold judgement well past NSD. Like maybe until after they have been here for a year or two?
BTW...I think the point was that the guys we are looking at may well be the "more elite kids" come fall. Certainly has happened before.
I understood the point perfectly. And we really don't have to wait at all. Ohio State has signed the best recruiting class in the B1G 8 straight years. They are 7-1 vs Michigan in that time frame, won a national title, and several B1G championships. Recruiting rankings matter, that's why come NSD I'm going to be looking very closely at where Michigan ranks.
...starting in 2017 it really becomes Harbaugh's team. And do you believe Harbaugh can compete with Meyer as a coach and as a recruiter? The guys Harbaugh has recruited will start to show their worth this coming season. So we will find out. But the 7-1 OSU v. Michigan was with Rodriguez and Hoke players coached by Rodriguez (ouch...) and Hoke (double ouch). Only two years of Harbaugh.
Me? I genuinely believe Harbaugh and his staff are the equal of anyone. But that's just what I think. The next five years will prove out.
April 20th, 2017 at 12:44 PM ^
Reserve judgement until "well past NSD"?!?!
Do you want this site to implode?
Do you expect people here to, I dunno, focus on their own jobs until then?
To "trust the staff"?
Are you crazy?!
You're suprised people are commenting on disappointment with some current offers!? Dude, this is a Blog. If you want articles with no commentary go read ESPN.com.
April 20th, 2017 at 12:11 AM ^
ESPN articles have a comment section.
But all it takes is a flip of a guy like Micah Parsons and suddenly we have a Top-10 guy leading the parade. It's early. These are all going to change and you never know who's going to dominate a camp or something and shoot into the Top-Whatever.
This time last year we had... who? I'm looking at a thing I have from last year. Everybody of note with the exception of McCaffrey came after November:
Kelly-Powell, Ambry Thomas, Anthony & Singleton, Aubrey Solomon, Ruiz & Filiaga, Black/DPJ/Martin/Collins. All in November or later.
Luiji Vilain didn't become LUIJI VILAIN! until the summer camps when his ranking shot through the roof. Donovan Jeter was a ND guy. James Hudson was a 3-star end that nobody was excited about until he magically became a 4-star DT that we're all pumped about now. St. Juste was a questionable, absolute-nobody camp offer until The Opening got rolling...
Meanwhile, our 4-star Superback AJ Dillon flipped to BC and immediately became a 3-star composite #400-something. (eyeroll)
You get the idea - Patience, brother.
Yeah I get all that, and like I said it is shaping up to be a solid class. My post may have felt a little more panic monkey about it than I feel but while guys move up and down I don't think there is all that much movement in the truly elite guys. Rashan Gary and Peppers were both top 5 for multiple years in recruiting rankings. DPJ was never out of the top 20, neither was najee harris. There aren't that that many example of the guys in the top 10-15 dropping massive amounts or guys ranked 100+ getting from there to the top 15 and that is the range I wish we were more active in this cycle. Those are the guys that took good 10-2 teams to undefeated national championship teams.
If we were starting noah furbush instead of Peppers last year our team would have still been good, I doubt we have the #1 defense in the country and if he plays in the orange bowl we probably win. Its things like that that matter when you start playing for championships instead of 10 win seasons.
The hand wringing over recruiting is pretty old at this point. It should be clear by now that recruiting under Harbaugh is a very fluid situation, and the board as it stands today won't look anything like the board near NSD 10 months from now.
I think it's still a bit early and the "shiny new toy" sheen has worn off of Michigan a bit. Now it's down to what they can sell. Guaranteed playing time and opportunity are kind of out given how large the previous two classes were. NFL development, the draft hasn't happened yet, but I do expect that to turn a head or two. Success? Two ten win seasons were nice, but it's also two consecutive third place finishes in the division and OSU has two playoff appearrances in three years.
I just think this year is going to be a bit of an uphill battle recruiting wise. In that vein I am looking for them to fill needs and build depth and get a couple of high level players, but I don't know that this years class will light the world on fire. I expect that 2019 will be better.
All that said, everyone was panicking about no high level committs and seeming lack of interest for 2016 and 2017 and those turned out okay, so what do I know?
Same people who said we only offered Josh Mettelus to get Devin Bush? I wouldn't make that assumption. And isn't the reason one is lower rated is missing time due to an injury?
April 19th, 2017 at 10:56 PM ^
We always wanted to know what a Devin Gardner coached by Harbough would look like and to me that is more Joe Milton then DTR, so while it looks like its happy trails to DTR I think Milton will be a great consolation prize.
Gardner was much more of a true dual threat type than Milton. I'd say he is much closer to DTR.
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