Rivals is reporting that Michigan has picked up a commitment from this guy:

Who is that? Let's check the filename:

BRENDANGIBBONS5JD08100.JPG

Sleuthing complete. Michigan has replaced decommit Anthony Fera with FL K Brendan Gibbons. Informative update coming, but only slightly informative since he's a kicker.

Update!

GURU RATINGS

Guru ratings for specialist are near meaningless, but they all say "this is a D-I kicker who will probably get a scholarship offer." FWIW. ESPN doesn't have much to say, as you might expect, but eh:

Gibbons is a very consistent place kicker. He gets into his field goals quickly and has smooth tempo. Powerful leg and has kicked several field goals over 40 yards including a 52 yarder. Kickoffs average about 5 yards deep with good hang of about 4.0 seconds.

His coach is naturally enthusiastic:

One of the Crusaders' top weapons in the game was senior kicker Brendan Gibbons, who put three of four kickoffs into the end zone for touchbacks and kicked a 40-yard field goal that essentially put the game out of reach late in the third quarter.

Just four of Forest Hill's nine drives began with better field position than its own 20-yard line.

"He's the best in the state of Florida. I'll put him up against anybody," Dicus said of Gibbons. "Special teams are a third of the game. We spend a significant amount of time on special teams because that's a huge part of what we do in field position and offense, and we've got to take advantage of our (kicker) because he's outstanding."

Gibbons was rated the #4 kicker of 2009 by Chris Sailer sometime last year, FWIW; Michigan alum kicking coach guy Brandon Kornblue rated him the top guy at Michigan's summer kicking camp (Fera couldn't attend and came in earlier).

OFFERS

Kickers don't really get offers except for the one offer they do get and then they commit.

STATS

Helmholdt had a Free Press article on Gibbons with some encouraging numbers:

Michigan now can look at several options to address the kicker position. Gibbons is 8-for-8 on field goals this fall, with a long of 51.

Keep in mind that high school uprights are really wide. Kornblue's site also lists an impressive touchback percentage on kickoffs: 84%.

FAKE 40 TIME

Kickers, being kickers, are not provided fake 40 times.

VIDEO

Ha, video on a kicker, not likely—

What, seriously? Well, I'll be damned.

PREDICTION BASED ON FLIMSY EVIDENCE

He'll obviously be the placekicker for the next few years unless something drastic goes wrong. Predicting the success of kickers is a rubes' game.

UPSHOT FOR THE REST OF THE CLASS

Michigan is obviously done handing out scholarship offers to specialists, but they may pursue a walk-on or two just in case Gibbons doesn't work out. (Where would Michigan be without Kicking Competency Lopata?) Troy's Kevin Muma is the name most commonly provided as a candidate.