Short, Simple, and Realistic Recruiting Board
I've attempted to bring a little order to the mess that is recruiting here. I've trimmed down the list of prospects to the absolute essentials (those that we still have a legitimate shot at). I've listed them in the order that I think we have a shot of getting them in. I've also placed an asterisk next to those attending the OSU game next Saturday. Hopefully at least some of you find this as helpful as I do (I have a weird thing with needing everything to be as simple and organized as possible, lol).
*OFFENSE:
QB: GARDNER
RB: WHITE, HOPKINS (FB?), *McDowell
WR: ROBINSON (S?), MILLER (TE?), JACKSON (TE?), WILLIAMSON, *Stills
SR: DRAKE, DILEO
TE:
OL: PACE
*DEFENSE:
CB: AVERY, TALBOTT, *Christian, *Grimes, *Mathis
S: JONES, JOHNSON, *Knight, *Jefferson, Parker
LB: ROBINSON, *Furman, Nealy, Cornelius, Olaniyan?
DE: WILKINS, KINNARD, PASKORZ, *Murphy
DT: TALBOTT, *Beachum, *Ash, Thornton
*PREDICTION(S):
It sounds like we've got the inside track on Christian, Grimes, Murphy and Beachum. If those recruits come through, it leaves us needing a LB and a S. I'm guessing that our best bets at these two positions are Furman and Knight.
If Stills commits, that's a huge bonus (this team needs downfield speed at reciever). It's hard to tell how interested we are in McDowell, but I guess that he would be a bonus as well.
That wouldn't be a bad class, especially considering our on the field performance the last two seasons...
November 14th, 2009 at 6:43 AM ^
That looks pretty accurate.
November 14th, 2009 at 7:51 AM ^
A few possible tweaks:
- Jones is coming in as a QB and though we may project him to switch at some point he will be only the 4th scholarship QB on the roster next year, and he has great upside at that position.
- Tony Drake is a running back... and an explosive one at that. We have enough slot ninjas and are not as stacked at RB as some seem to think.
- Kinard is either a LB or a Deathbacker.
- Alex Smith is still a possible at TE though doubtful.
- Hard to call M-Rob a LB as he is likely to either start at S or at the Quick/Hybrid spot unless he really bulks up.
Of course it is all subjective speculation as to what position some of these guys will end up at, so just consider this my take on it. Thanks for the clarity.
November 14th, 2009 at 1:15 PM ^
1) Jones said in an interview that he's coming in as a DB. 6-2, 200, why not strong safety.
2) Drake is a high school running back. I list him at the slot fot the same reason I listed Vincent Smith there last season. Could be wrong again.
3) I think that Kinnard is too slow to play MLB in the system that we're trying to create. I think that he will end up being a deathbacker, which is more DE than LB, which is why I listed him and others at DE.
4) Alex Smith is still possible I suppose, but it's just been too long since I've heard anything about him to list him on this shortened list.
5) I've seen M-Rob say in interviews that he's being brought in to play stevie brown's position. Not as fast as you might think.
November 16th, 2009 at 6:32 AM ^
Marvin Robinson isn't going to be a Quick. Early in the process, they told him he would be a free safety. More recently, they've talked to him about playing SAM. Both of those positions are part linebacker, part defensive back.
November 16th, 2009 at 6:30 AM ^
Tony Drake was recruited as a slot receiver. He could end up at running back, but that's not what he was recruited for.
November 14th, 2009 at 8:59 AM ^
unless the Talbotts decommit as there is a rumor they are taking an official to Wisconsin this weekend. Maybe they just want to see M on the road.
I believe both Paskorz and Wilkins were recruited as deathbackers not DEs. Hopkins is not being brought in to be a FB as that will normally be a walk on position since they are not part of the base offense.
November 14th, 2009 at 1:18 PM ^
1) I think that they are just visiting wiscy to see their own team on the road. could be wrong. neither are highly rated. could be getting the run around from rich rod.
2) Wilkins and Paskorz are both being told that they could end up at DE or DB. With Kinnard coming in, and Murphy most likely coming as well, I see two guys among these 4 that are better suited for DE, and two guys that are better suited for DB...relatively speaking.
3) Hopkins is a running back, but I've just gotten into the habit of listing guys like him and cox as FB's. no big deal.
November 16th, 2009 at 6:27 AM ^
DB = defensive back, not deathbacker
November 14th, 2009 at 9:39 AM ^
What's wrong with this site's recruiting board? There's no need to re-do work for the sake of re-doing work.
November 14th, 2009 at 10:31 AM ^
You guys always talk about the recruiting board here like its gold. Its not very accurate at this point. It still has us projected to have 17 scholarships available, has a bunch of prospects listed that arent on our radar anymore, and is missing a some that we are in on.
November 14th, 2009 at 1:19 PM ^
The site's recruiting board hasn't really been updated as the weekly recruiting news has come in (via this site itself). take a look at it. there are some guys still listed on there that we have no chance at. and some guys we do have a chance at missing. i thought it would be nice for my own sake...and many some others' like me, to put this together.
November 15th, 2009 at 11:25 PM ^
Sometimes I don't handle change very well, but the format of the VB recruiting board was much easier to read. The mgoboard has too much irrelevant information and it seems haphazard. No a fan at all of the faces, but maybe it's just because that is a new system to me.
It shouldn't be taken as a knock, but it's just difficult to read.
November 14th, 2009 at 9:59 AM ^
How much influence will the OSU game have on recruits? Win/lose, does it matter?
November 14th, 2009 at 1:20 PM ^
i'd say...a million.
November 14th, 2009 at 10:24 AM ^
Pretty cool to see it simple like that. The visits are HEAVY on the D side of the ball for the OSU game. Do you think the recruits will say, "I have to come here, they really need me" if we have a bad defensive show? Or, will it be more like, "I don't want to be a part of that?"
Hopefully we just win, and nothing else matters (think Metallica's "Unforgiven")
November 14th, 2009 at 1:21 PM ^
depends on the player...josh furman is a guy that see's immediate playing time as a plus and a turn around as inevitable. others might rather go somewhere like usc, sit for three/four years, and have a really nice senior/rs senior season.
November 14th, 2009 at 11:46 AM ^
Thanks for the post. It is simple.... but i miss the Sad Joshs and Nefarious characters. I like the MGO recruiting board.
It's about the pointy teeth and all. : D
November 14th, 2009 at 7:16 PM ^
nice, clean easy to read synopsis
November 15th, 2009 at 1:40 PM ^
Does anyone around here know much about Casius McDowell??
November 16th, 2009 at 6:26 AM ^
The coaches are kind of keeping the wheels greased with him in case they have an extra scholarship or a decommit, but at this point, he's probably missed his chance to commit.
November 15th, 2009 at 9:04 PM ^
I'm pretty sure Mathis and Olaniyan are not going to commit to Michigan. I doubt Jefferson will either. I too thought Jones was being recruited as a QB.