Julian Barnett (2019) commits to MSU

Submitted by Gentleman Squirrels on

Julian Barnett in the 2019 class committed to MSU today. Michigan never offered him, but I thought it was notable considering he's rated #2 in state, #3 CB, and #60 nationally. Also has plenty of length at 6'1 so he would fit what Don Brown wants in a longer corner. This recruitment has always seemed strange to me. I'm sure Harbaugh and co will get the recruits they want, but it's still a shame to see a top ranked in state player go to the other guys.

switch26

December 22nd, 2017 at 1:02 PM ^

Seems a lot of next year's instate kids that are highly ranked are all leaning towards msu or not michigan. I'm sure plenty will change in that time.

Blue in Paradise

December 22nd, 2017 at 5:54 PM ^

class really gets going... MSU will lose these guys to one of Bama, Clemson, Georgia, OSU, USC, Oklahoma, etc... Dobbs and Barnett just seem to not be a cultural fit at Michigan, or something, because it just seemed like there has been animosity from the beginning. Logan Brown is the guy I am watching - hopefully Michigan can flip him next year.

KungFury

December 22nd, 2017 at 1:04 PM ^

Every member of the secondary we just signed is at least 6’2”.

More seriously, I would assume there is a reason we didn’t recruit him. Whether it’s other guys on the board at a more national level or something else. This past year they have shown that they may know what they’re doing when it comes to assembling a secondary.

True Blue Grit

December 22nd, 2017 at 1:05 PM ^

highly ranked player from  Michigan.  We win most of the major head to head battles these days anyway.  And this didn't sound like one of those.  Not every highly ranked in-state kid fits in here, or sometimes it's academics.  

bluewave720

December 22nd, 2017 at 2:00 PM ^

I completely get that it's a business for the athlete.  Which school hits the best intersection of what is most desired.  Development, academics, social scene, whatever.  I think for a lot of football players, that intangible sum could be pretty similar at multiple schools.  So, if you are a parent of a kid who can go to MSU or fill in the blank, where would you direct them if the Nassar thing brings down part of the AD?  
This isn't rivalry stuff.  If my kid was going to hang his or her future reputation on a school that may get nuked for lack of institutional control, even if it wasn't their sport, there's no way I'd advocate for them to go there.  
I don't think this would crater recruiting, but I would expect some extra battles being lost. 

Marvin

December 22nd, 2017 at 2:16 PM ^

Do you want to know why Penn State is not suffering from the Sandusky fallout? Because the kids they recruit don't know a damn thing about it. I am a college professor and I am stunned at how little peripheral cultural vision my incoming students have. A few are news conscious and politically active, but by far the vast majority are just completely ignorant about the past -- recent and distant -- and they don't pay much attention at all to the present. Once they get into the college scene and learn that it's not uncool to know stuff, they grow into a sense of cultural consciousness, but our high schools to a very good job of turning out kids with almost no curiosity. 

BoFlex

December 22nd, 2017 at 1:13 PM ^

Maybe I haven’t been following the case very closely, but why would the NCAA punish MSU football for a sexual assault case involving a non-football related employee? I thought Nassar just worked for MSU, and his case was separate from the cases of the 3 expelled MSU football players.

NowTameInThe603

December 22nd, 2017 at 1:21 PM ^

I think a bigger deal is J.T. Daniels 19' graduating early to enroll in USC next year. Michigan was after him and there seemed to be mutual interest. It obviously would have been an uphill battle against USC with this news. 

Jimmyisgod

December 22nd, 2017 at 1:25 PM ^

Dobbs is 90% going with Barnett. And I can't believe we didn't offer when Clemson, Bama, Ohio State, Georgia, and Auburn have. I know he's been an MSU fan for a long time, but this is the type of talent you offer without even talking to.

ak47

December 22nd, 2017 at 3:45 PM ^

Michigan offers tons of kids without seeing them. I get Belleville is close but sometimes you need to bite a bullet for a relationship, if for no other reason not offering him hurt their ability to recruit Dobbs. 

Doesn't matter if the kid was an msu lean, when Hoke got the farmington hills kids he out recruited msu for them, same with Drake Harris. Maybe this specific player didn't fit into their plans but sometimes you recruit for show and pipeline purposes.  Belleville is going to be a power program seemingly, you don't want that turning into an msu pipeline because one kid didn't come to a camp.

ldd10

December 22nd, 2017 at 4:10 PM ^

MSU signed Davion Williams (football) and Gabe Brown (basketball) this year.  With Barnett in the fold, they have a good relationship going with the school.  Not sure what sparked Belleville becoming an athletic powerhouse and if it'll continue?

maize-blue

December 22nd, 2017 at 6:19 PM ^

There is something weird with Belleville. They are C blocking UM for some reason. Don't know if it's a pro MSU entity or pro OSU one. I know the coach came from Cass but remember Cass went pro OSU for a while. That's when the Belleville guy was there. Steve Lorenz will hint at something off there but won't quite say it. Sam Webb won't say anything because he has to kiss everyone's butt to keep his insider info.

Jimmyisgod

December 22nd, 2017 at 1:32 PM ^

Haven't offered yet. But there is a near 100% chance we do offer. Kid is as elite a DB prospect as the state has seen in a long time. He's been an MSU fan for a long time, but get him on campus and show him what Michigan can do for him.