Attrition, Expected and... Not So Expected

In a move that should surprise no one, three-star in-state ILB David Reese announced his decommitment from Michigan yesterday so he can find a program that will allow him to enroll early:

pic.twitter.com/NDlpNJipaV

— REESE3⃣ (@Dreese18) December 10, 2015

The coaches assuredly saw that coming. That wasn't the case with the decommitment of three-star CA QB/ATH Victor Viramontes over the weekend, per 247's Clint Brewster ($):

The de-commitment came as a huge surprise to Michigan as coach John Baxter just saw Viramontes and reported back to Harbaugh that the visit went extremely well.

We have been told that Viramontes was given bad information from a member of his camp that Michigan wouldn’t give him a shot at quarterback and he would immediately be a fullback or linebacker, which is completely false.

'Crootin!

Sam Webb discussed the Viramontes situation extensively on his radio show Monday; alum96 was kind enough to write up a summary on the board that's well worth reading. The upshot: while Michigan wasn't expecting Viramontes to leave the class, they don't consider him a must-get—they'll continue to pursue him but at this point there are other uncommitted prospects who are higher priorities.

[Hit THE JUMP for the rest of the roundup.]

A Newsworthy Thing That May Mean Nothing

Me and @VertHill21 will be committing on the same day, stay tune

— Donnie Corley (@Hit_Squad9) December 7, 2015

That tweet from Donnie Corley set off a firestorm of speculation about the possibilty he and LaVert Hill could end up at the same school, speculation only fueled by subsequent comments suggesting as much from Corley, like this one he gave TMI's Josh Newkirk ($):

Yet, the bigger question remains: will they be a package deal at the next level?

Well, if its up to Corley, that would be the case, as he spoke on the possibility of playing with Hill in college today with The Michigan Insider. 

“There is a significant chance that happens,” Corley said of choosing the same school as Hill, adding: “It would mean a lot, because we’ve been playing with each other for so long. That’s what we are trying to do, make big changes.”

Michigan State has long been the presumed leader for Corley, and while they haven't been a significant player for Hill recently, the departure of DJ Durkin could open the door a crack, according to Webb ($). It seems unlikely Corley and Hill would both wind up at Michigan. The expectation is still that Corley winds up at MSU and Hill follows his older brother to Michigan, but that may not be as much of a lock as many hoped. In a postive sign, Hill is taking an official to Michigan this weekend, something he hadn't locked in until this week—the coaches will get their chance to assure him the change at DC shouldn't affect his recruiting outlook.

A New WR Possibility, Plus An Old One, Too

2016 three-star TN WR Nate Johnson has seen his recruitment take off in the last week, adding offers from Miami (YTM), Penn State, South Carolina, and Tennessee to a list that had previously featured mostly FCS offers. Michigan entered the fray yesterday, and The Wolverine's Tim Sullivan reports he'll take an official visit this weekend, and while Johnson has other officials set up, the upcoming dead period gives Michigan an advantage ($):

There isn't much time for programs to make moves with him. Less than two months remain before National Signing Day, and when he returns from Michigan, a month-long dead period, stretching Dec. 14-Jan. 13, begins. However, he has January officials lined up to try to sort through what has suddenly become a complex process.

"I've got Miami on the 15th, I've got Vanderbilt on the 22nd, and I've got Northwestern on the 29th," he said of his trips after the New Year. "My final decision right now is Signing Day. I don't know if something may come sooner, we'll see."

Whether or not anything develops this weekend, Michigan looks to be in good shape. They're also back into the mix with three-star Paramus Catholic WR Donald Stewart after he received a visit from the coaches this week:

Paramus (NJ) Catholic WR Donald Stewart after his in-home visit with #Michigan said his interest is "very very high" pic.twitter.com/DIvkDC4H2J

— Brice Marich (@BriceMarich) December 9, 2015

Stewart looked very likely to end up in the class earlier in the cycle before Stanford and others came on strong; if Michigan is making a late push they could find themselves back at the top of the list.

The above doesn't mean they're giving up on their top targets; Brewster reports Michigan made their second in-home visit with four-star CA WR Dylan Crawford in a week's span on Tuesday. It's still a Michigan-Oregon battle for him.

Rivals Rankings Update: Peters Up, Onwenu and Swenson Down

Rivals released their updated top 250 earlier this week. Brandon Peters, who was named Indiana's Mr. Football this week, featured as one of the top risers, shooting up 102 spots to #140 overall:

"Peters had a big season en route to being named Mr. Football in Indiana. One area he improved from where we last saw him in the spring was arm mechanics and accuracy. The Michigan commit has always had a big arm, but tended to spray the football. This season his motion was much more consistent and that resulted in greater accuracy with the football." -- Helmholdt 

On the flip side was Michael Onwenu, who dropped from #83 to #157:

"Onwenu was outstanding at the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge last June, nearly taking home offensive line MVP honors. In game action this season, though, Onwenu was limited in his ability to handle blocks that were not directly in front of him. The 6-foot-3, 367-pound Michigan commit does have good feet for his size, but in comparison with other offensive guards he still has work to do in that area." -- Helmholdt

I thought Onwenu did a solid job of getting to the second level, especially while playing out of position at tackle, when I saw him this year; that said, he could definitely use to lose a little weight to keep him lighter on his feet throughout the course of an entire game.

Erik Swenson also dropped a ways—from #115 to #223—after Helmholdt "did not see the progression" he expected during Swenson's senior season; while he says Swenson is still an "outstanding prospect," he sees him as a future right tackle, which limits his upside.

Etc.

Three-star PA ATH Khaleke Hudson will take his official to Ann Arbor the weekend of January 15th, per Lorenz.

Scout's Kyle Bogie has a free update on 2017 Ann Arbor Pioneer ATH Antjuan Simmons.

Michigan entended offers to a pair of 2017 prospects with NOTY-worthy names: four-star CA CB Deommodore Lenoir and three-star FL CB Trajan Bandy, per multiple outlets.

Daelin Hayes committed to Notre Dame. Happy trails to him.

Alum96 with a diary projecting the rest of the 2016 class.