Steve Lorenz: Mailbag questions

With the NCAA changing the rule a few years ago and allowing schools to give cream cheese on bagels to recruits what is Michigan's yearly cream cheese budget? Do they go traditional? Whipped? Flavored? Store bought or from a local bagel shop? What about fragels? 

And what of the lox?!?

Does the potential of playing both ways actually move the needle with top recruits?

A lot of guys name drop Peppers when talking about their potential role at M. With increased specialization in HS I wonder if that's just fun to talk about or if it's an actual difference maker. 

How may the redshirt bonfire affect recruiting? Is there any benefit in how this may influence decisions of top talent?

Can you breakdown the QB board for 2018?

How many players is Michigan targeting for the back end of the defense in this cycle? Do you know of any guys who Michigan has a good shot with besides Ambry Thomas and JKP?

when it is all said and done?

 

DL the other area of concern

 

I think we'll be ok everywhere else

Is Najee Harris a realistic option?

If Michigan has the season we expect then they should garner more attention from some of the higher ranked recruits, similar to last year. What recruits would you guess we are likely to hear about? 

Are we over the MSU '14 game yet?

Are my hot dogs ok for tailgating?

Why doesn't MSU do a better job with recruiting?  Is it the personalities of the coaches?  The fan environment?

How many end up in the class? How many at each position or group? Will any commits get pushed out? If so, who is it? When will Thomas commit? Do we have a silent commit?

Guys it's not Tuesday

Do you know of any dual-threat type quarterbacks we are pursuing? I know Harbaugh is high on Dorian Thompson Robinson out of Bishop Gorman in the 2018 class, but have been surprised at the lack of running threats in the QBs we've pursued thus far. Not a knock on our guys at all, but Harbaugh was the one who drafted Kaepernick.

I'm taking a cue from the lazy questions in press conferences. Specifically, are the coaches looking to add anyone beyond JKP and Thomas? I assume they'd take someone of Holmes caliber as a best player available, but how about Bell or Faison-Walden, etc?

Thanks much for doing this. I appreciate the time and effort. Here are some possible topics and questions.

1. I'd love a long form article on the entire recruiting process. This could include:  how are potential prospects identified? Does JH pull the trigger on every offer given (give the yes or no)? How do we distinguish the kinds of offers? I.e., there seem to be offers that would be accepted any time (Najee Harris, DPJ), but others who are given courtesy offers, or offers that are contingent on there being room. I can't always tell what an "offer" means. What are the qualities that are looked at in who receives an offer? What are the roles of different staff in recruiting? How often are recruits contacted? Who are key support staff in the process?
2. What do you see as the 3 most critical position groups to recruit? OL, DT, and other?
3. 247 has certain prospects listed as "warm," "Warmer," "cool." Is this guage helpful?
4. Which recruits in 2017 and 2018 do you see Michigan and OSU fighting over head to head?
5. What are the differences in the type of recruit OSU and Michigan look at? Are there characteristics that either coach or team really gravitate towards? Avoid?
6. Given the kerfuffle with JH at Stanford dissing Michigan, what are the differences in recruiting between Stanford and Michigan.
7. What has changed from January of 2015 to the current date in how JH and Michigan do recruiting?
8. What happened in the situation with Aubrey Solomon? How could a letter be sent, and misspelled at that? (And has the Solomon ship sailed?)

Who is a recruit in the past that Michigan has really regretted missing on, either "Thought they had" or "Could have had" that exceeded expectations or met high expectations?

Similar question to what others have said above.  It's the MOST important one, IMHO, that ESPN and other talking heads refuse to address b/c it would kill the cash cow.

ARE THE STORIES OF BAG MEN AT EVERY SOUTHERN SCHOOL TRUE?

I have read journalists' reports that they are -- journalists who have said they met and interviewed bagman, seen transactions in real time, learned how bagmen code their payments and player identifications.  And there are anecdotal evidence -- recruits with all their cash, Ole Miss suddently having a top-5 recruiting class with a nobody coach, stories of the $500 per official recruiting visit, etc.  Not to mention, our AD saying Rashan was offered incentives -- and his other finalists were Ole' Miss and Clem[p]son.

OTOH, a big-time Clem[p]son booster I know scoffs at the suggestion of any systematic payoff schemes, saying it doesn't make sense for most recruits (who beg to go to the schools, don't have a pro future, and are a dime a dozen for big-time programs).  Maybe a few players at a few schools might get offered incentives -- but other big schools with rich alumni, ilke OSU and PSU etc. (he didnt toss UM under that bus, but, he knows I'm a UM grad) and USC and UCLA and OU and Texas etc. all have boosters and would be as equally adept at funny business as an Auburn or Clem[p]son.

WHAT'S THE TRUTH?

Does Coach Drevno have aspirations to a HC job eventually?

How universal are bagmen in college football? A few big SEC schools or everywhere to some degree? What is the extent of their involvement in the Big Ten?

any in state kids that are committed to other schools right now that Michigan is trying to flip???