Sam Webb: McDowell likely not coming to M

Submitted by Bodogblog on

Yes, duh for everybody in that mood.  But there was talk in the last few weeks from several sources that Malik McDowell may be leaning toward Michigan.  Sam Webb was one of those, and recently had been saying if something happened before April 1, it would probably be Michigan.

Alas, today is April 1.  In his update Webb indicated that he talked to moms, and McDowell will likely be attending Sparty, even if he was to walk-on.  Ira insisted he couldn't get a scholarship until he's 21, Webb says there are things they can do with a Big 10 tender or financial aid, but didn't really want to get into it.  Upshot is that he likely won't be coming to Michigan.  The M coaches set an April 1 deadline, and wouldn't pursue this beyond that, so it appears to have come and gone.

On a personal note, Webb said he wouldn't be shocked if the mother relented and signed the loi, even though she still does not want her son there.  Hopefully that all gets worked out, wish the kid and the family the best.

In other news, Florida OT Jake Fruhmorgen really liked his weekend visit, seemingly much more than Ohio State.  Got along great with the coaches.  Clemson still seems the leader, M may have a chance if he comes for another visit in the next few weeks before deciding.  Grant Newsome from New Jersey is the other likely OT prospect.

IL PG prospect Jalen Brunson, per his dad, did not mean to flip off the crowd in a recent game.  He was waving his arms in frustration, photograph caught his hands at the top.  He appears to really like both Michigan and Sparty.  Articles forthcoming on gobluewolverine.com

Consume Mr. Webb's product: http://www.wtka.com/page.php?page_id=87

SWFLWolverine

April 1st, 2014 at 11:35 AM ^

was his choice. Mom took a stand on principle and isn't waivering. She may have gotten too involved with the media but, I don't believe that influenced Malik to choose Sparty (her big mouth had nothing to do with his choice and so you are placing blame on a non-issue with respects to his decision). If his mother told him that she wasn't signing if he picked MSU and he picked MSU anyway, he is the one making the choice. He had options and chose the one that was forbidden while his mother is standing on her word. If I were Dantonio, I would have pulled the offer when this became an issue. He might get a lot more traction with families of future recruits by demonstrating that family cohesion is indeed a priority in his program.

jblaze

April 1st, 2014 at 11:46 AM ^

I'm saying that his mother's big mouth and stubornness (even if she proves to be correct at the end) could cost her son thousands of dollars in loans.

Even if his mother is "standing by her word" she is still screwing over her son by making him take out loans for something that should be free (and he you know earned in HS). Winning parenting right there, folks.

Michael From TC

April 1st, 2014 at 12:38 PM ^

Your parents never told you no and meant it?

 

What I see here is his mother is doing everything she can to prevent him from putting himself in, what she has deemed, a bad place. She has decided that the situation he will be surrounded by, and the people he will be hanging out with, at MSU, and well, even slightly less at Michigan, would be bad for his growth as a person, and an upstanding citizen. As such, she has taken her stand to get him to go somewhere that he will not be distracted by those people. I fail to see the bad parenting in that. Sure, she could have handled the media differently, but all parties involved could have.

 

Family is very important in these years of life and if him going against his parents judgement breaks that family bond, as a coach, I wouldn't want him to come.

jblaze

April 1st, 2014 at 1:04 PM ^

Look, he's choosing MSU> other good schools. This is not a be a drug dealer or go to Harvard type decision. He's choosing to go to a decent college to play for a highy rated (that makes me sick to type) Rose Bowl winning football team for a highly regarded HC and DC.

On top of this, he's going for free and his mother is holding him hostage because of a technicality.

Even if you disagree with all of theabove, the bottom line and my point is that his mother's big mouth (not her decision or he will) may end up costing her son thousands of dollars. Period. Maybe, it's her judgement that should be suspect (as MM himself has been quiet).

UM2k1

April 7th, 2014 at 5:01 PM ^

They absolutely have a right, until the person in question turns 18.  McDowell's signature on a LOI right now is worth as much as mine as far as contractually binding him to MSU.  Minors are not allowed to enter into contracts for a reason.  AS for your PS4 comparison, he would still need moms or pops to create an account for him on PSN.

mGrowOld

April 1st, 2014 at 9:57 AM ^

No.  We passed "there's a good chance" months ago and now we're in "likely."  Next up will be "probably", then "most likely" and then a post on "it's probable that."

Hope springs enternal.

Bodogblog

April 1st, 2014 at 10:09 AM ^

your superior intellect did not prevent you from reading the thread title, clicking on it, and proceed to talk about it.

Brain cells would assume that you read the post, and therefore knew there had been talk from several sources (Webb, who's intellect I'll select above yours, and Tim Sullivan, who I may not) that McDowell may be headed to Michigan.  This post was to inform those interested on these developments.

GoWings2008

April 1st, 2014 at 10:20 AM ^

I don't know what it is that's got everyone in such a bad mood today, but my joke was more self-effacing in nature. 

My click and my comment was not an indictment of the OP, but more of a comment on the entire situation.  It seemed to me that "likely" was a severe understatement. 

Bodogblog

April 1st, 2014 at 10:47 AM ^

I'm not one to take offense, but reading your comment again it seems difficult to read it as anything but unnecessarily disparaging to the topic.  Again, it was noted by at least two recruiting analysts that McDowell was leaning toward M.  If that occurred, it would have been huge news.  Since it did not, I wanted to close out the issue for those who had heard the recent rumblings.

But if I erred in my judgment of your post, my regrets.

GoWings2008

April 1st, 2014 at 10:53 AM ^

yeah sure...maybe.  But to you?  No. 

Can't we discuss or make fun of things without it getting personal?  I didn't downvote the OP, sure its news, but the whole topic is insufferable.  Not your fault, however. 

akearney50

April 1st, 2014 at 9:45 AM ^

The NLI (binds institution to the recruit and the recruit to the institution) cannot be signed as of today. That ship has sailed.....but a prospect can sign a grant-in-aid (binds an institution to a recruit but not the recruit to the institution) at any time. If Malik is 18 he could sign the grant-in-aid today, tomorrow or on August 14th. Whenever.

I do not know the ins and outs of this, but I'm not sure why Malik just can't sign the grant-in-aid. Maybe he needs his mom to sign FAFSA paperwork or something else?

Blue_in_Cleveland

April 1st, 2014 at 9:54 AM ^

Is Sterling Jenkins not considered a likely prospect anymore? Of course, likely is a very tenative word at this point, but I figured we had at least as good an opportunity with Jenkins as with Fruhmorgen.

Pelinka2Voskuil

April 1st, 2014 at 9:57 AM ^

I'm glad Michigan gave him a deadline.  Now, the program can move on and it's clear Malik's heart is elsewhere.  Given the circumstances, if he still wouldn't relent and sign, it shows just how far behind Michigan was in the recruiting battle.  This wasn't a photo finish.

Blue in Yarmouth

April 1st, 2014 at 11:04 AM ^

I don't think it shows anything in relation to the battle between MSU and UM. I remember (though it was a good number of years ago now) what it was like being a stubborn teenager. If I encountered a circumstance where my mother dug her heels in on a subject I can say with absolute certainty I would have done the same and from that point it would have been a "who blinks first" contest. 

Now don't get me wrong, I love my mother and always have, but as a teenager I used to hate when my parents would object to my desires in such an outright way. At the end of the day it would always be my father who would be the mediator and bring things back under control but for McDowell that won't work since his parents don't seem to see eye to eye. Basically this has turned into a battle of wills that the mother is ultimately going to loose, as eventually he will be able to enroll with or without her. 

In my many battles with my mother I remember hearing my father ask her (when they thought I wasn't listening) is this really the hill you want to die on? As a parent of a teenager myself now (and four more to come in the future) I realise through my experience that it's important for parents to pick there battles. Too bad mother McDowell didn't have someone to tell her that way back in Fabruary. It would have saved everyone a lot of aggrevation. 

My point is basically that I think this is more about not relenting to his mother's wishes than it is about how close or far MSU and UM were in his decision. 

aplatypus

April 1st, 2014 at 10:40 AM ^

but he could still get financial aid or walk on and be given a scholarship next year. I don't think you need parental signature to get a scholarhip after the NLI cutoff date, but there could be something else about that no one really knows about because this is a pretty rare situation.

CLord

April 1st, 2014 at 10:09 AM ^

Imagine having a kid on the team who was forced to be here because of his mom?  Locker room poison.  It's over, or should be over.  Hoke should openly declare that any offer for this kid is revoked and move on already.

Erik_in_Dayton

April 1st, 2014 at 10:17 AM ^

This news was not a given, however much it may have seemed that way at one point.  As the OP says, Sam Webb said multiple times during the last couple of weeks that McDowell to Michigan was a real possibility.

Magnus

April 1st, 2014 at 10:43 AM ^

The kids almost always get their way in this type of situation. It's kind of too bad because obviously the mom has an issue with it, and the rumored reasons appear to be pretty legitimate concerns. But alas, kids have to learn for themselves most of the time. If it's a mistake, then Malik is going to have to find out for himself.