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2009 Recruiting Update 10-23-08

Thursday, October 23, 2008 by Tim

Board.

Moved from Committed:
TX K Anthony Fera. He's headed to Penn State now.

Added:
OH CB Mike Edwards. He now has an offer (info in header).
FL K Brendan Gibbons. Probably Michigan's #1 kicking target now.

New Information:
GA QB/S Donavan Tate. He now say's he'll go to college regardless of where he gets drafted by the MLB. Southern Cal, UNC, Bama, Michigan, and Georgia comprise his current top 5.
MI DT William Campbell. Michigan's top remaining target for 2009.
SC S Devonte Holloman. His teammate (and former UM target) Stephon Gilmore has now committed to South Carolina. Might that help convince Holloman to commit there?
NC OL Travis Bond. He'll be in this weekend (info in header).
FL CB Angelo Hadley. Michigan is in his top 4 (info in header).

Removed:
OK CB Gabe Lynn. Down to a final 5 that does not include Michigan.
TX K Anthony Fera. Penn State commit.
IL DE Craig Drummond. He'll pick between Illinois and Wisconsin.

Etc.:
FL WR Willie Haulstead is not on the board because he's a Florida State commit, but he will be in for the MSU game this weekend.
The Freep weighs in on many of the guys who will be around. Sam Webb does the same in the Detroit News.

Analysis:
Fera's loss is sad, and I would love to have him, but it appears as though he has moved on, and Brendan Gibbons is now the kicker du jour for Michigan.
Columbus Dispatch article in which MI TE Reid Fragel disses Michigan's instate recruiting effort. Gee, an OSU commit trying to badmouth Michigan, I'm so surprised. Much ado about nothing.

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Anthony Fera Decommits

Wednesday, October 22, 2008 by Tim

More bad recruiting news, as Anthony Fera has decommitted from Michigan.

As much as people think the position isn't particularly important for recruiting, we really could have used a good kicker in the 2009 class, and the mere fact that there is more attrition at all is a little unsettling for Michigan fans who follow recruiting.

We'll have to see where the staff goes with this, and I'll bring more info as it comes out.

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Recruiting Update 8-22-08

Friday, August 22, 2008 by Tim

Huge update this week. There is actually more that will have to wait to Monday because this update is so JAM-PACKED. Anyway, here's the board.

Moved to Committed:
TX K Anthony Fera.

Added:
A kicker category to the board. Thanks, Fera, ya jerk. Maybe in the light of more recent developments, I shouldn't be calling anyone committed to Michigan a jerk.

Moved from Committed:
VA QB Kevin Newsome.

New Information:
CA QB Tate Forcier. August 30th visit (info in header).
GA WR Braxton Lane. Skipping football this fall to focus on baseball. Sounds unlikely he'll hit the gridiron in college.
NC OL Travis Bond. His official visit is set for October 25.
VA DE Will Hill. Fluff.
SC DE Chris Bonds. Michigan and Notre Dame won't move into his highest group until after he has a chance to see campus. They are still in his top 5.
OH DE Tank Carradine. Does he have an offer? He's been working on his grades.
FL LB Brandin Hawthorne has set up 5 official visits, despite planning a decision before any of them. If Michigan is his choice on August 30, expect him to either forget about the other visits or not be given all the priviledges (i.e. having a spot saved for you) of a true commit.
OK CB Gabe Lynn. His friend (and former UM target) David Gordon is trying to lure him to Arkansas. Lynn's junior highlights.

Removed:
PA WR Todd Thomas. He may have trouble qualifying. That may explain why Michigan never really seemed interested, despite his early love for the Wolverines.

Etc.:
MN WR commit Bryce McNeal is a speed prospect, but is currently too skinny to be considered speed and size. Paging Mike Barwis, who will have McNeal built like an All-American in no time flat.
TX QB commit Shavodrick Beaver welcomes competition. I was so much more into this article when there was someone in the class for him to compete with.

Analysis:
Recruiting changes from the developing Newsome situation outlined here. On the defensive end front, Michigan still really needs people. Though Tank Carradine is now reporting an offer, his recruitment remains under the radar, likely because of qualifying issues of his own.

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Anthony Fera Goes Blue

Monday, August 18, 2008 by Tim

Texas kicker Anthony Fera has given his word to become a Michigan Wolverine. The 6-2, 215-lber from Houston (St. Pius X) becomes the 15th commit in the class of 2009.

Player Notes
Fera took a Michigan visit over the summer, though he missed Michigan's kicking camp, hosted by former UM kicker Brandon Kornblue. During his performance at the regular Michigan camp, however, Michigan fans were unnerved by reports that his leg was strong but not accurate. However, that is something that Michigan's coaches were not overly concerned about, or that their special teams coaches will have to concentrate on fixing. He is rated by Chris Sailer Kicking as the #2 overall kicker in the class of 2009, and the #1 kicker left uncommitted. He has a strong, (maybe) accurate leg, and could see time kicking or punting in the future.

Recruiting Notes
Though Fera was unable to attend Michigan's kicking camp, the individual focus on him may have paid off in the long run. While the rumored inaccuracies in his kicking likely delayed the tendering of a scholarship offer, they did not prevent him from receiving one. Ohio State and Penn State were the primary competition for Fera, though each was unwilling to offer him a scholarship for the class of 2009. Each was giving a greyshirt offer. However, once Penn State offered a full scholarship, Rich Rodriguez liked what he saw and made a full scholarship offer of his own to Fera, which he accepted almost immediately.

Video

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Recruiting Update 8-15-08

Friday, August 15, 2008 by Tim

The Board misses you. You should really visit every once in a while.

New Information:
FL RB Vincent Smith. His decision will be between Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Tennessee. Things still lookin' good.
OH OL Marcus Hall. Preseason O-line MVP of his league.
SC OL Quinton Washington. A top 10 player in the lowcountry. Whatever the lowcountry is.
PA LB Dan Mason. Fluff.
AL CB Dre Kirkpatrick. It will be a surprise for him to end up anywhere other than Bama, especially with all the time he spends on their campus.
FL CB Angelo Hadley. He has a top/final 5 (Mich, Aub, Fla, UNC, UGa). And fluff is written about him.

Removed:
UT OL Xavier Sua'filo. After expressing early interest in Michigan, there has been no sign that he is still looking at the Wolverines.
WA DT Deandre Coleman. Washington commit.
AZ DE Corey Adams. It seems like he is down to OSU and a couple west coast schools. There hasn't been any Michigan mention in a while.
PA DE/DT Tyrone Ezell. Pitt commit.
MI DE Justice Akuezue. CMU commit.
CA LB John Michael Davis. Same situation as Xavier Sua'Filo. No mutual interest == removal.
MI S Brock Reynolds. I hear almost nothing about this guy, much less articles about his Michigan interest.
OH CB Tony Graham. Same situation as Brock Reynolds.

Etc.:
The Free Press explores the situation with Michigan's scholarship numbers for the 2009 class. The ESPN high school football TV schedule is different every time I look, but here is the most updated master list of games. Note that the Pahokee-Olive Branch game is not there. There is no kickers section on the recruiting board, but TX PK Anthony Fera has been offered (info in header). When I pulled guys off the list for lack of mutual interest, top players got a little more benefit of the doubt in staying on the board. Jamaal Berry is now the guy teetering on the edge, since he continues to list Michigan despite being all but committed to the Buckeyes.

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