Update 4/14: Linked to articles on MI CB Mylan Hicks, MI DE CJ Olaniyan, MN OL Seantrel Henderson, GA RB Mack Brown($), OH WR commit DJ Williamson, CA RB Dietrich Riley, SC RB Marcus Lattimore. Video of OH OL Andrew Donnal, MI QB Devin Gardner. Moved FL S Marvin Robinson to committed.

Removed TX LB Caleb Lavey(Okie State), TX LB Luke Muncie(LSU), IN DE Blake Lueders(not interested), PA RB Corey Brown (no real interest, it appears).

Added MD LB Marcus Coker($), OH OL Matt Rotheram, TX DE Holmes Onwukaife, DC LB Javarie Johnson, GA RB Eduardo Clements, GA S Daunte Carr($).

State fans now generally pessimistic on MI RB Austin White. Some links via VB. Rivals AMP on Miller and Robinson.

Editorial Opinion: Recruiting board lives here. FL S Marvin Robinson's commitment came to fruition, but really can we maybe go back to last week? That was a foregone conclusion and two unpleasant developments weren't: Caleb Lavey's commitment to Oklahoma State and Lo Wood coming back from his Notre Dame trip proclaiming M and ND to be tied. On with the show. But first, video fluff about M recruiting Florida:

Happy Trails

So the week's big negative was the unexpected commitment of Lavey to Oklahoma State. Lavey's dad was an equipment manager under Bo, of course, and Lavey himself had visited Michigan recently, coming back with nice things to say. One Oklahoma State visit later he ends up committed there, and there goes what seemed like Michigan's best shot at a high-rated MLB. (Of course, that may have been projection based on Oklahoma/M offers, since he's not that highly rated at the moment.) They must have shown him the T. Boone Pickens Explosive Barbecue Circus Fountain.

Other items:

• Klein Oak—home of Terrance Robinson—LB Luke Muncie committed to LSU as soon as he got an offer; he was just a name on the board.
• IN DE Blake Lueders doesn't have Michigan in his top six.
• No actual event behind this, but there hasn't been any mention of Michigan in the recruitment of PA RB Corey Brown for a while, and the premium sites aren't even tracking him. I've dropped him before he can officially drop us. Let's all storm off in a huff together.

On Wood

Nothing out there that's free but you can infer from the title and header of this Rivals article ("Big Battle Brewing For Wood?") that I should probably drop the blue smiley from his profile after his Notre Dame visit. Wood maintains M and ND are equal at this point. I still think Michigan is in good shape here, because 1) usually a recruit is most enthusiastic about a school immediately after he visits and there's a fade afterwards, and 2) Miller and Robinson and Gallon and so forth should help push him to the good side.

But, still: before the weekend Wood was in the same category as Robinson; now he's not. Not a good development.

More Gardner

Highlight videos are rarely all that useful, but this latest on Devin Gardner is more interesting than most because all of the clips are from a single game:

That delivery is still funky, but results are results.

Maybe Yes Maybe No

Strange midweek internecine fight over the commitment status of DC LB Javarie Johnson, new to the board this week after he visited Michigan and picked up an offer($). Over the weekend Pitt-area scout guru Bob Lichtenfels was at some camp or combine or another and reported Johnson was a commit($) after talking to his coaches. Problem: Johnson denied it($), and continues denying it($), and will continue denying it until such time as it becomes unnecessary to.

So, what was this? Sometimes kids want to keep commitments under wraps for whatever reason; sometimes recruiting gurus screw up. I don't know 100% but I lean towards the latter in this case. Johnson is likely to have Michigan on his short list whenever he gets around to making one, but I wouldn't consider him a virtual commit a la Marvin Robinson.

Running Back Restack

Michigan has two committed and is looking for a third. It's not likely to be SC RB Marcus Lattimore even if he tentatively planned an official to Michigan. Lattimore came back from his Auburn visit with a glassy look in his eyes and a tendency to say "War Eagle" in response to any external stimulus, which latter I can tell you from personal experience is the true mark of an Auburn fan:

"This whole experience, I just felt it. You can't really explain it. My mom loves it, my stepdad loves it. You really just can't explain the feeling. I really didn't expect this much. I was just coming in to see the offense. They showed me that, and I met all these great people."

I was always skeptical that official visit would come off and am now more skeptical. However, Lattimore wants to announce on signing day or possibly at an All American game, I forget which, so he might remain uncommitted long enough to make it up during the fall. As mentioned: I am dubious.

Okay, probably shift your hopes. To who? Maybe CA RB Dietrich Riley:

Athlete Dietrich Riley (La Canada, Calif./Saint Francis) holds scholarship offers from Southern California, UCLA, Oklahoma, Notre Dame, Michigan, Tennessee, Arizona State, Arizona, Washington and others.

The Wolverines could emerge as a major factor, though.

"I am looking forward to getting up there this summer and seeing what they are all about," Riley said. "It is a great program and a place I could see myself playing."

Riley also mentioned that he would like a shot on offense in college. Most programs want him as a defensive player. He worked out as a running back on Sunday.

AFAIK, Michigan regards him as a Minor-like running back. The talent us obviously there with those offers. Riley has been (and is probably still) regarded a USC lean, FWIW, but that's a positive development. Tom did an interview with Riley a couple months back if you'd like to revisit it.

And this is speculative, but to reiterate MGoBlog recruiting heuristic #3: message boards are always excessively positive about their chances with recruits, so a negative take—especially when it goes against the conventional wisdom—means something. So a board full of State fans who think MI RB Austin White, brother of two current Spartans and the son of alums, is headed somewhere other than State [edit: thread disappeared, unfortunately, but I swear it was there!] is worth noting.

Update: This doesn't have the breadth of the earlier thread, but here are a couple pessimistic grumbles about White from Spartan fans.

Things Are Awesome

Here's OH OL Andrew Donnal, who seems like a nice kid, saying various things are awesome:

CJ Olaniyan Is ENTHUSED

Not really. MI DE CJ Olaniyan on his spring game visit:

"It was pretty nice. I was kind of impressed with the freshman quarterback (Tate Forcier). There wasn't too much new, but the team looked better than they did last year."

Of course, he could just be a Michigan fan because you could ask anyone who attended the Spring Game their thoughts; 90% of them would paraphrase Olaniyan and the Wolverine Liberation Army would drunkenly slur something about unicorn bear propaganda.

Seantrel

"Nothing is a given out here on the field," he continued. "A perfect case is the Antonio Bass situation. Here is a kid that physically had everything. They are still ranting and raving about him at the Michigan complex. Unfortunately with no contact, this guy messed his knee up and caused some nerve damage. Well, it's over with. But you know what? I love that kid. I've known him for about five years, and what a standup kid. He dealt with the situation and he has continued to go on. He's going to graduate on time with a great degree from the University of Michigan. What character. What character! Those are the things that I stress with Seantrel, my son, or anybody. "