Swim Lanes - The Final Episode 2016
Last go around before we begin the 2017 swim lanes Wednesday evening.
Michigan got counter struck for Fuller, Hamilton was snake oiled away in the cover of darkness Indy Colts style. I am assuming Onwenu is staying in the class and is just trying to build some buzz.
Based on crystall ballz incl our own Acian ballz it seems Murphy to USC and Simmons to Clemson. Boss is up in air but as of this moment it seems like a toss up and other than a tentative ballz by Acian and a UM basketball writer none of the usuals want to put their ballz out for him to UM so I am not counting him in. So do the 2 Cal guys split up after talking of being together for months on end?
This looks like the projected close:
| 25 | Rashan Gary | UM / Clemson |
| 26 | Victor Viramontes | Silently |
| 27 | Lavert Hill | UM / MSU |
| 28 | Quinn Nordin | UM |
| 29 | Alaric Jackson | Snake Oiled late |
| 30 | Devin Asiasi | Left Coast v UM |
This would eliminate any need for grayshirts as spot 31 would remain open and instead of going to another recruit would give everyone a scholarship. Unless of course we flip Greg Little.
If any of the above in chart are misses maybe UM tries to find a lower rated guy from the state of Michigan to flip at last moment. I don't see Harbaugh as a "bank a scholarship" type of guy.
This would still be a great close even as it puts immense emphasis on DT and OT in the 2017 class. Get the #1 player in country, land 2 other top 125 players in Hill/Asiasi, get a developmental but good ceiling OT a year ahead of hopefully 2 very high level 2017 OTs, get a "Harbaugh player" in Vic, and get your local high ranked kicker. Done and done.
February 2nd, 2016 at 10:40 AM ^
February 2nd, 2016 at 11:00 AM ^
Earlier today, Justice released his Best Guess List for the 2016 class. He said his gut tells him Vic will be a Wolverine tomorrow. I'm assuming he's familiar with what Sam Webb's "gut feeling" means and he didn't use that type of language for any other recruit, so that made me pretty confident that Vic is the silent commit he was talking about.
February 2nd, 2016 at 11:22 AM ^
something. I don't think it means the same thing as it does when Sam Webb says it. In some cases, that's very obvious. It wouldn't be cool to co-opt his gimmick.
February 2nd, 2016 at 11:32 AM ^
I don't recall seeing "a bunch of writers" saying anything about a gut feeling. It seems like one of those phrases that seems popular but actually isn't used very often, to me.
I guess we'll find out tomorrow, though.
February 2nd, 2016 at 1:31 PM ^
I didn't think so. Lots of guys say some something similar, including two on MGoFish's roundtable today. Michigan writers aren't likely to adopt Webb's exact phrasing. Non-Michigan writers do sometimes. I would think it has nothing to do with Sam, nor typically any special significance.
February 2nd, 2016 at 2:42 PM ^
that it's getting a commitment from Lasagna tomorrow.
My brain hasn't had the heart to tell it it's actually getting leftover Tuna Helper®
February 2nd, 2016 at 10:08 AM ^
February 2nd, 2016 at 10:09 AM ^
But I think it's time I said something: I wish that the combination of Ace and Brian turned out to be Brace instead of Acian. I guess I prefer the alliteration of "Brace Ballz" instead of "Acian Ballz".
February 2nd, 2016 at 10:12 AM ^
I'll be honest, I read that as Asian ballz at first and was really confused.
February 2nd, 2016 at 10:41 AM ^
Or we could go with an even easier name... Brice.
It is actually a real name and Brice's ballz keeps the alliteration you desire :)
February 2nd, 2016 at 12:24 PM ^
Especially since a brace is a pair of something, which is usually a good thing when it comes to ballz.
February 2nd, 2016 at 10:12 AM ^
How is the 2017 Swim Lanes coming? Can we expect it tomorrow afternoon? Great info thanks.
February 2nd, 2016 at 10:16 AM ^
Washington mods are beginning to put in CBs to Michigan; additionally, the one ANGAR mod in particular - Ruth - has stated that she has received information from strong sources that it will not be UCLA or USC, and that UM is sitting pretty.
February 2nd, 2016 at 10:45 AM ^
Since I don't trust the Washington mods at all, it doesn't look good for UM.
February 2nd, 2016 at 10:46 AM ^
February 2nd, 2016 at 10:23 AM ^
February 2nd, 2016 at 10:26 AM ^
There's a class limit of 25. We can backdate 3. How else do we take the last two?
February 2nd, 2016 at 10:34 AM ^
February 2nd, 2016 at 10:39 AM ^
Brian did a whole front page story on it a few weeks ago. Basically since our 2015 class was so small, the early enrollees can backdate to 2015 as long as it wont take you over the limit of that year.
February 2nd, 2016 at 11:57 AM ^
Im not certain but I believe the rule is that you can take as many EEs as you had scholarships remaining for the year before. We took 16 guys last year. The 7 EEs are backdated to last years class bringing that class to 23. So actually we can take 32 guys this year, 7EEs plus 25. The real problem is getting to 85 total scholarships.
February 2nd, 2016 at 10:28 AM ^
February 2nd, 2016 at 12:21 PM ^
February 2nd, 2016 at 10:28 AM ^
Recruiting is insane and I know first hand - I actually did it for three years for Michigan. Trying to predict the thinking/decisions of a 17 year old is more insane. Getting emotionally invested in said decisions of said 17 year old's is the height of insanity IMO unless you're a coach or the kid's parent.
This is the one time a year I just sit quietly on the sidelines and watch without much (if any) comment.
February 2nd, 2016 at 10:30 AM ^
February 2nd, 2016 at 10:42 AM ^
It must have been a lot different before the internet and social media. Was sport talk radio and newspapers the only way to get recruiting info?
February 2nd, 2016 at 10:50 AM ^
February 2nd, 2016 at 11:11 AM ^
Zeppelin and steam locomotive.
February 2nd, 2016 at 11:01 AM ^
patting yourself on the back
February 2nd, 2016 at 11:14 AM ^
mGrow, wondering if you can answer a question for me. I know things may have changed since then, but I've always been curious about what seemed to work when you were recruiting for Michigan. Obviously every recruit is different, but were there a few things that seemed to be key, effective selling points more than others? Most Michigan fans hold specific things (history of the program, the Big House, academic success, the game day experience) in such high regard and point to them as reasons why someone like Rashan Gary would be crazy not to come here. I'm wondering if any of that stuff actually matters to recruits.
February 2nd, 2016 at 11:54 AM ^
What mattered from 1992-1994 was the following:
1. How soon will I play?
2. How many players at my position have you put into the NFL recently?
3. What's my position coach REALLY like?
4. Are the girls in AA as bad as everybody says? (don't shoot the messenger here guys - unfortunately we DO have a reputation and negative recruiting exists)
5. Academics in general in my major. What's that like?
We got a spreadsheet and were asked to attend certain games and report in weekly on what we saw, who we spoke to and what their friends and family were like (this was VERY important to Michigan FWIW). Most of what we did was through their family and friends as actual contact was limited by the NCAA but those were the questions relayed the most often to us that we'd try and get answers to them.
February 2nd, 2016 at 12:06 PM ^
That's interesting - I didnt know there was a subset of "scouts" if you will who "recruit but don't recruit" since only coaches can have direct contact. So you sort of answer questions of recruits using middlemen i.e. parents, friends. Were you allowed to talk to coaches?
If you get back to this post, do you know if these positions still exist? If so how many. I assume you had a normal job outside of recruiting in that time so that was something you did on Friday and Saturdays? So it would seem we would need a lot of these guys out there as they could only cover so much of a radius in miles.
#1 is obvious as is "getting to the league" (#2) and I'd think recent "winning" matters but back then it was an assumption UM would win as we were winning Big 10 titles on the regular.
February 2nd, 2016 at 12:26 PM ^
That's exactly what we were - "Sub-scouts" . My sister's next door neighboor in AA was Bob Chemiel who was the recruiting coordinator under Mo. And a very good friend of mine here in Cleveland was George Lilja who was an All American center when I was in school and retired from the NFL as a Brown. Couple those two and I got brought into the mix.
No, we could not talk to coaches or players (directly) without violating NCAA rules. But trust me, as soon as word spread there was a scout for Michigan at the game we had no problem at all meeting the frends and family of the player. And we would ask questions and they would ask me questions and so we'd communicate with the player through that Chinese veil of the third party. And yes, we worked the nearby area so for me it ran from Canton to the south to Solon to the north (I didnt recruit Cleveland but did have the Massilon/Barberton, Canton McKinley area).
Yes, winning was ASSUMED in the early 90's. That never even came up as a question.
And someday I'll write a diary about the time Marty Bodnar and me almost got us in trouble with the NCAA by offering to give Scott Loeffler a ride to a game. That was pretty funny but definitely a TL/DR for most.
February 2nd, 2016 at 2:16 PM ^
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February 2nd, 2016 at 11:14 AM ^
But you do comment. How many times are you going to remind everyone that you recruited for Michigan?
I proclaim you the Humblebrag King. Long live the King!
February 2nd, 2016 at 10:36 AM ^
If we assume everyone in the OP stays in their lanes, any ideas w/r/t our overall class ranking?
February 2nd, 2016 at 10:44 AM ^
If Gary Hill and Asiasi all fall we should be #3 or #4 behind LSU and OSU. The others guys wont move the needle. (247 composite) Depending on what Bama lands in the final stretch maybe #4. They only have 17 commitments as of today so I assume will get an avalanche tomorrow.
FSU and or Ole Miss could also push ahead depending on what they land tomorrow - they only have 21 and 22 recruits respectively and have a higher average ranking than us.
So worst case #6 if we land the big 3 but I think it would probably be 4 as I assume Bama will get multiple 5* tomm.
February 2nd, 2016 at 12:06 PM ^
Wiltfong has a free bolt over at 247 that has us 6th. His predicted order of finish is Alabama, LSU, Florida State, Ole Miss, OSU and Michigan. The rankings are kind of grouped with Bama and LSU with a sizable lead over FSU, Miss and OSU and Michigan a distant 6th. He doesnt even have us within shouting distance of 5th.
February 2nd, 2016 at 10:59 AM ^
247 Class Calculator has us at 283.65 if we finish with the posted swim lanes. This would all but guarantee us a Top 5 class.
February 2nd, 2016 at 11:37 AM ^
February 2nd, 2016 at 4:10 PM ^
We should get an extra 10 point bonus for picking up #1 Gary.
February 2nd, 2016 at 11:08 AM ^
February 2nd, 2016 at 12:08 PM ^
According to 78% of American adults opiates will make up for the lack of alcohol.
February 2nd, 2016 at 11:09 AM ^
Appreciate the updates. Not on the site as often as some (most!?). Nice to be able to swoop in and get caught up!
February 2nd, 2016 at 11:37 AM ^
Gary is making me relive the Hand thing.
We led forever until the last 5 minutes.
February 2nd, 2016 at 12:37 PM ^
Although to be fair I totally get the "trained to expect the worst" thing.
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February 2nd, 2016 at 3:19 PM ^
Yeah. I remember Hand's ballz swinging toward Bama earlier than NSD.
February 2nd, 2016 at 11:50 AM ^
Delete
February 2nd, 2016 at 11:52 AM ^
Looks like Lorenz ballz'd Asiasi to UM earlier this morning. Picking up steam with him
February 2nd, 2016 at 12:01 PM ^
Supplemental Final Episodes of Swim Lanes. Well done and much appreciated.
February 2nd, 2016 at 12:17 PM ^