2019 in-state recruiting
I'm going to guess this won't be a popular topic, but after reading the various reports from Sam Webb, Allen Trieu, and Steve Wiltfong from the Ohio Opening regional combine yesterday, I couldn't believe to hear how much UM is and has been strugling on the recruiting trail, especially in-state. Per the 247 player database UM has offered the following players from the state of Michigan:
1. Logan Brown (committed to Wisconsin)
2. Devontae Dobbs (MSU leading the crystal ball)
3. Julian Barnett (committed to MSU)
4. Mazi Smith (UM leading the crystal ball)
6. Marvin Grant (UK leading the crystal ball but sounds like UM has backed off its pursuit)
8. Lance Dixon (MSU leading the crystal ball but per Wiltfong and Trieu PSU and Wisconsin are out front currently. Wants to decide before the season)
10. Michael Fletcher (MSU leading the crystal ball)
11. Sam Johnson (BC leading the crystal ball)
12. Karsen Barnhart (committed to UM)
13. Spencer Brown (committed to MSU)
14. Adam Berghorst (committed to MSU)
17. Tre Mosley (MSU leading the crystal ball)
19. Roderick Heard (committed to Northwestern)
20. Marcel Lewis (committed to MSU)
I realize some of these guys were pursued with various levels of vigor and that not every one of these offers are or were commitable, however even taking that into account UM hasn't struggled this much in-state since the Rich Rod tenure. Assuming Brown, Dobbs, Barnett, Smtih, Dixon, Fletcher, and Barnhart are guys that are or were definitive takes, UM is looking at the very real possibility of going 2 for 7 in it's own backyard just a year after getting pretty much whoever they wanted. Maybe this is just a one year blip that a good season will fix - although it didn't help to read that the #1 player in-state for 2020 Justin Rogers has Gerogia and OSU leading - or maybe it's part of a larger problem that started to take shape at the end of the 2018 cycle. Whatever it is, I have to admit watching this unfold has given me an uneasy feeling.
(Brought this here and not the UM 247 board because there is no way the mods and posters over there could handle this topic with civility and honesty)
We currently have the #7 composite class with a 5*, five 4*, and four 3* recruits.
It’s fine to say we need to be better in state and also say that Michigan is till recruiting well overall. Can’t stand everyone looking for a reason to say the sky is falling.
UM has a top 10 class right now, but where will it be ranked in February. After the early signing period last year UM's class was ranked just outside the top 10 - and then finished #21 two months later. Obviously there is still a lot of time left between now and NSD, but it's hard to see how they finish with a top 10 class based on where things stand today with many of their top targets.
It was also a smallish class which always has an outsized effect on the rank.
It's a funny thing to be defending the disgraced RichRod, but the OP wrote: "... UM hasn't struggled this much in-state since the Rich Rod tenure."
RichRod got good players from Michigan every year. (Put '08 aside, as it was a hybrid Carr/RichRod class).
'09: Will Campbell, Cam Gordon (Sparty did very well in state that year, but Michigan got arguably better players outside the state.)
'10: Devin Gardner (This was another good year by Sparty, but at least two of their Top Ten state recruits -- Joe Boisture and Nick Hill -- didn't amount to much in the end.)
'11: Brennen Beyer (Not an impact player ultimately, but a Top Ten recruit that year along with Justice Hayes and Delonte Hollowell ... Hoke would later get Raymon Taylor.) Sparty got only three that year.
Enough said....wouldn't get my underwear bunched up or make judgements because some 18 year old didn't pick Michigan.
Maybe just maybe Michigan is targeting kids other than in-staters. Frankly I'll trust the coach's judgements rather than a blogger.....
Talk to me in December and February when these kids have to sign on the dotted line. A lot can/will happens between now and then.
I personaly think the Belleville kid Dobbs is highly over rated but yes, we are not doing great in state right now and I think Michigan fans are partly to blame. Even through the Rich Rod years UM fans stayed optimistic and laughed at the Sparty narrative. This is the first year I have seen UM fans consistantly shitting on thier own program and coaching staff, even though we will have the best coaches and team we have had in over 15 years this coming season. That MSU loss last year was very damaging to the program, and the loss in the bowl game hurt us nationally, we need a B1G title this year badly.
How can we laugh at the Sparty narrative? It's been over a decade that they've been better than us. Harbaugh has yet to change that, unfortunately.
narrative by them right now is that we are going top suck next year.. how can you not laugh at that? Even though he is 1-2 against them I still think Harbaugh has made us better then them, yes they won 2 of 3 on a miracle punt block and a monsoon game where we turned it over 5 times. Either of those 2 go our way does that mean we were a better team or would it just mean luck went the other way?
How many times are we going to complain about Dobbs and Barnett? It will suck if both end up at MSU but they have been a top 15 team 4 of the last 5 years and they will get a few high end recruits from time to time.
There is a good chance that if Dobbs is half as good as his ranking, he will end up at a national power. So far, it has been a regional recruitment and I haven't understood why the Bama, GA, Clemson, etc... types haven't been more interested in him. Maybe that will start once we get closer to signing day.
Brown seems to have been a Wisconsin fan / lean from the get-go and given their OL success, how could you blame him?
If we keep Jones and then get one (or both) of Herrod and Truss, then we will be in great shape at OT.
The rest of the priority recruits are still up for grabs or kids that Michigan has not pursued heavily.
hates Michigan
plays a huge part of this
if we add Maxi Smith and Lance Dixon I will be very happy with our Michigan class from Michigan
OSU lost the top rated OL from Ohio last year and survived - we'll do the same
MSU's recent success is almost as attriubtable to well selected Ohio recruits/leftovers,as it is Michigan kids.
Bluey f/k/a Maizen f/k/a MaizeHaze
needs ak47.
Like, do you want to go down to AAT&P and start a rally to oust Harbaugh for not meeting random message board posters recruiting expectations?
Going to enjoy watching some of you eat crow this season, there will be plenty to go around.....
Upvoted.
I think this year is particularly frustrating because the state of Michigan (at least according to the gurus) has a number of highly rated players at the biggest position of need. Seeing UM behind on almost all of them feels like a missed opportunity that won't always be there in the future.
It'd also be a nice rebound after the disaster that was the second half of last year's recruiting cycle to clean up in-state in similar fashion to 2017.
I don't see anyone making those assumptions. Furthermore most in-state recruits do make multiple unofficial visits to UM. I know that Dobbs and Dixon for example have each been to campus a number of times.
Saying Michigan should get all instate talent is making the implicit assumption they are fans. Otherwise what is the justification for arguing everyone living in the state should go to Michigan?
Also checking 247, I see 1 unofficial visit for Dobbs. Meanwhile he has made 6 to MSU and OSU. Is it possible that he just was never a fan of Michigan? So again, do you want the staff to keep pouring resources into recruiting a kid who isnt that interested at the expense of other recruits who are more likely to come?
The 247 database is wrong. And I never said Michigan should get all in-state talent, and you assuming that I think they are all fans is your problem, not mine.
It would be interesting to do a comprehensive study of recruiting and where Michigan has focused over the last 40 years and look at the shift. I am willing to bet that the state of Michigan - in terms of number of players successfully recruited - is rarely at the top of the list on a year-to-year basis. If I had to guess at the results, Michigan's recruiting focus probably follows the national shift in talent density (i.e., to the South and West) closely, whereas I remember as late as even 15 years ago a lot of Ohio, Illinois, Pennsylvania and other closer states represented on the team.
It's not really a concern that Ann Arbor gets a bulk of Michigan recruits. Though I'm very happy about getting Donovan Peoples-Jones and Adain Hutchinson from Michigan. But, I don't find it necessary to get a significant catch of Michigan players. The cream of the crop is just fine, thank you very much. The cream of the crop of other States is just fine too. Did Michigan St. get Rashan Gary? Did they get Cesar Ruiz? Carlo Kemp? Oliver Martin? Kwity Paye? Aubrey Solomon? All of these players were the cream of the crop from their respective States. I'll take the best of the Nation, not just a bulk from the home State.
Yeah good point. But I think theres already been at least 3 threads this offseason with the title "2019 in-state recruiting"
+1 for Hee Haw reference
The OL in-state stuff is a little annoying but the class overall looks great.
Defensive side is gonna be awesome. OL class is looking really good even without Brown and Dobbs (who would be great to have, Brown moreso than Dobbs just because Dobbs will be a guard). QB is set, in on a lot of TEs.
If they do well on the field, I'm sure we'll see some renewed and/or new RB and WR interest. They've taken eleventy RBs the last few cycles and I wonder how effectively that is being used against the good guys.
Michigan is gonna lose some really good players to the draft early next year which will sting but will be great for 'crootin in the future. I like the trajectory.