DB Target Ifeatu Melifonwu Update

Submitted by umhero on

A couple days ago I did some sleuthing and posted about a new DB target on Michigan's radar. His name is Ifeatu Melifonwu, and he's a 2 star athlete currently committed to Syracuse. Here's a link to the post:

http://mgoblog.com/mgoboard/possible-new-db-target

Twitter provided some updates tonight. First, Coach Harbaugh went to his basketball game tonight. Here's the tweet showing their meeting after the game:

Ifeatu Melifonwu

 

Mark Snyder from the Free Press is reporting that he will visit:

Report: Mass. safety (Syracuse commit) to visit Michigan after Jim Harbaugh attends his basketball game

The article has a video of him in his basketball game with a steal and a dunk along with this from his football coach:

"Grafton coach Chris McMahon told the paper that Melifonwu can play either spot in the secondary or a skill position on offense."

Also, Tom VanHaaren reported that Don Brown already has a connection since he recruited his brother Obi to UConn.

BTW - Obi is an NFL Draft prospect this year at the same position his brother is being recruited for. An NFL executive had this to say about him when asked by NFL.com to name a prospect with the most upside in the draft:

UConn safety Obi Melifonwu
"The UConn safety is really intriguing. He's freaky athletic and he's going to put up big-time testing numbers. He'll run low 4.4s (in the 40-yard dash) and jump over 40 inches. He can play in the slot as well. Huge upside." Link
 
Obi was a 2 star prospect too until he committed to UConn when he got bumped to a low 3 star and the 1355 ranked player. It might be nice to have another under the radar guy like Keith Washington that we can root for.
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2017 football recruiting
Ifeatu Melifonwu

Mgodiscgolfer

January 22nd, 2017 at 8:33 AM ^

Saying crootin' is just not fair upon hearing of Harbaugh and co. showing up at his Bball game approx. 2 weeks from signing day.. Nothing like getting kicked in the groin fresh off a vasectomy.

Joined: 01/13/2011

MGoPoints: 5322

umfan323

January 22nd, 2017 at 8:57 AM ^

Seems like he has some get up to him, could be the competition tho. I like him, get him on the team spend a year or 2 learning his position then get that speed on the field

Joined: 01/19/2011

MGoPoints: -99997697

Lutha

January 22nd, 2017 at 9:11 AM ^

Seems like a decent under-the-radar prospect and I trust Harbaugh and Brown's judgment on this, but wondering why we're not pursuing Paris Ford.

Joined: 09/21/2009

MGoPoints: 8234

trock444

January 22nd, 2017 at 9:18 AM ^

Seemed like it.  Looked up the game scores and there were some blow outs, but also had a 7-0 game too.  Only loss in the state title game.  

Joined: 06/08/2011

MGoPoints: 1381

Mongo

January 22nd, 2017 at 9:40 AM ^

we can never have enough 6'3" 200lbs versatile athletes ... like a Jeremy Clark. Iffy really good? Obi his 2* brother is headed to the League out of UConn ... love the names and the under-the-radar upbringing.

Joined: 06/25/2016

MGoPoints: 9585

umhero

January 22nd, 2017 at 10:47 AM ^

My original post is linked above. The sleuthing came when Rivals posted his picture on Twitter a few days ago without providing a name. You had to subscribe to learn more. So I did an image search, found his name and googled his story.

I didn't hear it from anyone.

 

Joined: 07/26/2009

MGoPoints: 2894

WestQuad

January 22nd, 2017 at 1:01 PM ^

good sleuthing. plus one.

 

In Sam Webb's WTKA recruiting roundup  (Sam also posted the original Scout article you found) he talked about the kid and said a bunch of positive things.  Sounded like Don Brown knew about him from being at Boston college. As you mentioned in your other post his brother Obi is a stud at Uconn and is going to get drafted in the NFL.  Sam said that the staff recognized "good bloodlines."

Joined: 07/22/2011

MGoPoints: 31266

reddogrjw

January 22nd, 2017 at 10:10 AM ^

to bring in a few people in a large class you know will red-shirt

 

will help balance out classes in the long run

 

be nice to field teams with a mix of 5th year players along with underclassmen stars

Joined: 07/06/2016

MGoPoints: 9845

bsand2053

January 22nd, 2017 at 11:02 AM ^

Tall, fast and atheltic, but ranked low?  I'm guessing he doesn't have much technique yet.  Seems like the type who could blow up if he can develop.  You never know.

Joined: 04/14/2010

MGoPoints: 19342

Clarence Boddicker

January 22nd, 2017 at 11:21 AM ^

Got to believe this is Don Brown's kid all the way. Brown may well have scouted Melifonwu's brother and had contact with him as a result. As for rankings, Jersey and Massachusetts are scouted reasonably well since both are known as football states. But Rivals and rest just aren't looking at kids in Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York beyond the City, etc. The competition IS poor, that doesn't mean you can't find a couple of high upside athletes a year. Respect the Northeast!

Joined: 05/27/2011

MGoPoints: 71124

reddogrjw

January 22nd, 2017 at 11:57 AM ^

then he went to camps, holding his Michigan commit, and is a low 4-star (would be higher but ESPN never updated his ranking)

 

this kid could be along those same lines

 

similar size

Joined: 07/06/2016

MGoPoints: 9845

URNotGuilty

January 22nd, 2017 at 11:58 AM ^

Hopefully, he comes to M, and instantly becomes known as "IF". Think of the possibilities.... All of the Rudyard Kipling lines. My personal favorite... "If 'ifs' were Fifths, we'd all be drunk."

Joined: 12/13/2008

MGoPoints: 1339

reddogrjw

January 22nd, 2017 at 1:38 PM ^

he is a 3-star on the 247 composite, not a 2-star

he is the 5th ranked guy in Mass - I doubt they get scouted

Alabama has 20 4 and 5 stars in 2017

OSU 18

Michigan has 19

 

so it isn't like we're failing geez

getting a raw 3-star this year and red-shirting can basically make him a 4-star in 2018

 

 

edit - 247 rates him an 85 - mid/high range 3-star

Joined: 07/06/2016

MGoPoints: 9845