Nonetheless, Michigan’s football coach has been covering the country as part of his recruiting plan. He said he started in Detroit, was in Chicago on Wednesday and will hit California, Texas, Florida and Ohio this month before he’s off the road.
You can guess who he's visiting in each place. Snyder also reports that Rodriguez expects 8 early-enrolling recruits from the class of '09. Those would be Tate Forcier, Shavodrick Beaver, Vincent Smith, William Campbell if he re-commits, Anthony LaLota, Brandin Hawthorne, Mike Jones, and Vlad Emilien.
Added to the 2009 Board: LA DE Bennie Logan, who has been offered (info in header). Added to the 2010 Board: NE DB Darius Evans. He grew up in Ohio and likes the Big Ten (info in header).
There's been something of a minor inter-freakout among the Michigan fanbase over a comment posted by DandyDon.com about 2009 MI DT William Campbell.
As for William Campbell, I list him at 60-40 because he has told an LSU commitment more than once that he was going to sign with LSU.
Not to besmirch the honor of Dandy Don, but regardless of his source, I don't think the information is correct. All reports on Campbell's LSU visit have indicated he was less-than-enthused, and barring a sea-change in his sentiments, I think Michigan is still the leader, especially after he stormed the court following the hoops upset over Duke. Also storming the court after the upset over the Blue Devils? 2010 DE William Gholston, pictured below in the lovely purple T-Shirt, along with Brandon Graham in the black jacket.
Still (somewhat surprisingly, given the lack of information about him relating to Michigan) considering the Wolverines is 2009 GA CB Darren Myles. Michigan appears to be in his de facto top 6, along with Alabama, LSU, West Virginia, Purdue, and Georgia Tech.
Though I thought he was planning to make a commitment a couple weeks back, 2009 MD RB Tavon Austinnow says he'll wait until signing day. West Virginia is his current leader, followed by Maryland, UNC, and Michigan.
2010 OH OL Matt James. He has now been offered by Notre Dame (info in header). They seemed to be right in the thick of things before they offered, I'd now assume they are an early leader.
QB Devin Gardner of Inkster is likely to be one of Michigan's top prospects in the class of 2010. His Vikings played East Grand Rapids in the state finals on Saturday, and we'll hopefully have some video soon.
His attendance this summer at the prestigious Elite 11 quarterback camp, sandwiched by camp visits to Michigan, Notre Dame and Michigan State, all helped to better hone his skills. "I'm stronger, faster, and my throwing motion has gotten better," he said. "(The motion) is way higher than it used to be. Most of (the improvement) is decision-making, though.
There's lots of talk about how awesome the coach at Inkster is. I've heard the same thing from lots of sources (many of them about 2009 WR Cameron Gordon) about Greg Carter. He seems to be a good disciplinarian and teacher of the fundamentals, and one of the best coaches in the state. More from Gardner:
"I think I can fit into Michigan real easy," he continued. "They run the exact same offense that we run right now. I already knew the spread offense, but I'm learning (more). I'm doing everything better -- way better. If I go to Michigan, I wouldn't have to adjust that much."
That sounds promising, but Gardner also has nice things to say about Michigan State and Ohio State, so don't get too excited just yet.
I never really thought Michigan would have a great chance with 2010 CA RB Malcolm Jones (Michigan isn't recruiting California as heavily anymore, the school is a traditional USC pipeline, etc.). I didn't even realize, however, that he has an older brother at USC:
Sarkisian attended Friday night's Oaks Christian High School playoff game. The Trojans have not yet offered a scholarship to junior tailback Malcolm Jones, the younger brother of USC safety Marshall Jones. Several Pacific-10 Conference schools already offered Malcolm Jones.
So he was already included on the board only tenuously - he's now a candidate for removal at the next sign that he won't be interested in Michigan.
2010 OH RB Erick Howard was going to move to Seattle but didn't end up doing so, a factoid that, until recently, had confused the hell out of me. Well, now it's a little more clear:
Howard's mother, Ruth, wanted him to move to Seattle with her so he could spend time with his sister, who had just given birth to her first child. Howard resisted but followed and respected his mother's wishes... He missed his friends and teammates. He begged his mother to let him return... She was reluctant but eventually gave in.
...and now that makes a little bit of sense.
''Now, I always carry a pencil and I go to all of my classes trying to be as prepared as I can,'' he said. ''I'm working toward stepping it up and being a better student and earning a scholarship to play football in college because my dream is to play in the NFL.''
So he's trying to succeed through football, etc., etc. He was the district player of the year, and Michigan may get involved with his recruitment down the road.
2010 FL OL Jose Jose might be similarly unlikely to end up at Michigan (he loves the hometown Miami Hurricanes), but he is certainly a prospect that Michigan fans may find intriguing. Luke Stampini of SoFlaFootball.com brings the video:
Luk Stampini of SoFlaFootball.com on Pahokee 2010 Slot De'Joshua Johnson:
When De'Joshua told me before the game he was going to be the starting QB, I didn't believe him. He does like to joke around a bit. After watching him play, he looks to be the best QB Pahokee has put on the field this year. Accurate passer, and when you have the athletes PK does, that's all you really need to be as a QB. He doesn't have the little things true QB's have like knowing when to throw the ball away or when to tuck and run.
Verrry interesting. Might he be the type of guy Michigan tries to bring in to play slot, but giving him a chance to try his hand at QB first? It looks like some of the problems with his game at QB are a matter of inexperience at the position (aside from the fact that he's 5-9, of course).
I have no concerns in this area whether we get Jenkins or not.
I'm sure it's intended to sound so flippant, but it really comes off as though PSU fans couldn't care one way or the other whether they land Jelani Jenkins. I'm sure Michigan fans don't feel that way, and want Jenkins as the cornerstone of the 2009 LB class, not some cherry on top of it.
The new format for recruiting posts is still something of a work-in-progress, so feel free to comment on it.
Removed: FL Slot/DB Marsalis Teague. Focused on four non-Michigan schools. GA TE Terrell Mitchell. Eliminates Michigan. No surprise here, as he hadn't said anything about the Wolverines in a long time. OH DE Tank Carradine. Commits to Illinois. SC S Devonte Holloman. Commits to South Carolina. FL CB Jarvis Byrd. Commits to NC State.
Etc.: MI LB Jeremy Gainer will not be added to the board, because he is still committed to Indiana, but the Livonia Clarenceville player is now looking around. He's added to the list of guys technically committed elsewhere, but hovering on the edge of inclusion (Willie Haulstead, Jamal Patterson, Je'Ron Stokes, and now also Kenny Bell).
Analysis: Graves is a good pickup - as long as it doesn't move Michigan down for Dequinta Jones and William Campbell. It appears that Michigan is getting in on more and more elsewhere-committed recruits. Snake oil time? With Bill Lynch not looking like he'll have a long tenure at Indiana (though he likely won't be fired after this year), Jeremy Gainer may be there for the taking if the Wolverines decide they want him.
Added: SC S DJ Swearinger. Michigan has called the onetime target and former Tennessee commit. Other Tennessee commits may start dominating this category sometime soon.
Etc.: Still elsewhere-committed, GA WR Jamal Patterson is hearing from Michigan regardless. Might they be able to convince him to take a visit? MD RB Tavon Austin is supposed to announced sometime very soon, but I predict his choice will be between WVU and UNC.
Analysis: QBs on the board committing elsewhere should be something we get used to: Michigan is unlikely to grab another one, but none on the board have technically eliminated the Wolverines, so on the board they stay. The Wolverines will probably start looking for more DB prospects, so keep an eye out. The outside WR position is also yet to be filled, and it's looking like a prospect who is or has been committed to another school may end up filling the role.
Analysis Austin will be off the board soon, though that's no surprise considering he suddenly cancelled a Michigan visit early this year. It's sounding more like Michigan probably won't have a chance with Devonte Holloman. They'll get a shot at Mywan Jackson, though it sounds like Angelo Hadley isn't all that interested in Michigan (however, see the Freep article about recruiting teammates).
Added: SC S Devonte Holloman. The former Michigan target has decommitted from Clemson. Potential visits include Michigan. TX S Craig Loston. Also a Clemson decommit. Michigan was in on him early, but they may not be a player anymore. He'll get a little time on the board until we can figure out if he's a viable target.
New Information: MI DT William Campbell. He's set his visits. Sam Webb reveals what they shall be. LA DT Commit DeQuinta Jones. He's looking around a little bit. Might it result in a decommitment? AZ DE Craig Roh. His game this Friday will be broadcast over the internet. You can find it at aia365.com. Just as a disclaimer, I couldn't gt this site to work properly during the week, so don't get your hopes too high. MD DE Jason Ankrah. Visiting PSU for the Michigan game this weekend. MD LB Jelani Jenkins. He has trimmed to 15; Michigan is in.
The Board lives here. Going against the requests of commenters, I'm going to split up 2009 and 2010 updates for now. I think the main fear was that I would be giving less information as a result, but I think it will allow me to give more information on each class.
Analysis: Very Maryland-centric update today. Hawkins and Ankrah both seemed to really dig the Ann Arbor experience. Bryce McNeal's softening of commit status is somewhat troubling, though I still expect that he ends up in blue.
MD LB Jelani Jenkins. Bill Kurelic words his article in a weird way:
Although Jenkins prefers not to name any particular schools of interest, some thought to be in the running include: Penn State, USC, Stanford, Miami, Notre Dame, Florida, LSU and Virginia. However when asked about the Big Ten, Jenkins also mentioned Michigan and Michigan State -- and Illinois can't be ruled out.
He is making it sound like Michigan, Michigan State, and Illinois are afterthoughts. Is he being intentionally misleading (he is a Buckeye, after all), or just stupid (he is a Buckeye, after all)? Fluff regarding his family support in the recruiting process. We have video from his ESPN2 game, but we'll save it for the next recruiting update.
Removed: OK RB David Oku. Apparently, he has committed to Tennessee. With our RB numbers filling up, we weren't likely to land him anyway.
NJ DB Nyshier Oliver. Notre Dame commit.
FL TE Orson Charles. Enjoyed a Georgia visit so much, they are now his co-leader with Miami. Florida and Florida State are his second tier. It appears as though those are his final group, so he is removed.
Etc.:
Allen Trieu/Sam Webb bring a new set of instate 2009 rankings. Big Will #1, Teric #6. State QB commit Andrew Maxwell is somehow #4, though I've seen him play this year and he was terrible.
Other 2010 News: FL S Marvin Robinson. Michigan is the favorite (perhaps prohibitive?) for the bigtime safety. Duh. A question for all: once the 2010 board debuts, should 2010 recruiting updates be rolled in with the standard 2009 updates, or have their own dedicated posts?
MD LB Jelani Jenkins. Some recruiting fluff from the Freep. Sam Webb will see that and raise it in the News. Michigan grades out well in The Matrix (I'm not joking, click the link). By the way, Good Counsel will be on ESPN2 this Thursday.
AL CB Dre Kirkpatrick. It appears he's only taking visits to SEC country. Word on the street is that Georgia conceded him to Alabama Saturday night, and pretty much gave up recruiting him (though the Bama coaches were recruiting him - at their away game).
Requisite Gordon-Will Campbell good feelings exist. Miller's commitment is a good way to keep recruiting mojo working when the 2009 class is mostly full.
The board can be found here. I'm still trying to decide which days/how often to post recruiting updates. Until I settle into something of a rhythm during the season, I'll just post them as the post fills up.
New Information: MI WR Cameron Gordon. He is in no hurry to make a decision. I wonder ig Michigan will pursue him a little stronger now that they want his 2010 teammate Devin Gardner. TN WR/DB Marsalis Teague. He may take a Michigan visit. MI TE Dion Sims. Still hasn't made up his mind, but his current choice is basketball over football. GA TE Terrell Mitchell. Michigan is outside his top 3 (SoCar, WVU, Kentucky). With the Wolverines not really planning on taking a pure TE, he may be close to removal from the board. CA OL Michael Philipp. USC starts showing some interest. MD LB Jelani Jenkins. Michigan will make his next cut (Sam Webb Audio). Sounds like Michigan made quite an impression on his visit. NJ DE Anthony LaLota. No longer planning an early decision, Michigan official tentatively scheduled for Wisconsin game (Sam Webb Audio, same as above). AZ DE Craig Roh. Sam Webb fluff from the Detroit News. Remember, Roh is officially visiting this week. SC S David Sims. Michigan out of his top 5. It's unclear from the article whether that is "top" or "final," so he remains on the board for now. Also: Vincent Smith and Brandin Hawthorne have moved up their announcement(s) from their game Saturday to tomorrow.
Etc.: If anyone manages to catch the Miami (Oh) game against Vanderbilt tonight, e-mail me your thoughts. I's on ESPNU and I won't be able to make it somewhere to watch.
New Information: SC OL Quinton Washington. Not expected to take an official to Michigan. FL QB Eugene Smith. Re-widens his focus after previously having narrowed to a top 5. CA QB Tate Forcier. Top 6. PA LB Dan Mason. Will commit to a school at the Army AA game. His current plan for official visits doesn't include Michigan. OK CB Gabe Lynn. Fluff. FL Slot commit Jeremy Gallon. Most important news EVER: he has dreads. SC DE Chris Bonds. Official visit schedule shaping up. Notre Dame visit for the Michigan game (and he will be unavailable for the big UM-MSU recruiting weekend, when he will be visiting Tennessee). FL DE Ryne Giddins. Michigan outside of his top 6. MD LB Jelani Jenkins. GBW headline says a super linebacker visited on Saturday, and the accompanying picture is of Jenkins, so we can assume he visited this weekend, no? Video fluff:
Added: NC OL Travis Bond. Plans to visit Mich (info in header). Smart money is on MSU or Toledo weekends. TN WR Marsalis Teague. There is some Michigan interest. VA OL Morgan Moses. Virginia's top OL plans a Michigan visit. SC DB David Sims. He plans to take an official visit to Michigan, so it stands to reason that they are in his top 5. AL DE William Ming. Mega-old article, but it mentions that Michigan is recruiting him. IN LB Tyquan Hammock. Visited Michigan this week.
New Information: MD DE Jason Ankrah. Extends his PSU visit. Is he feeling the Nittany Lions? MD LB Jelani Jenkins. His teammate Caleb Porzel picks Maryland. The two had discussed being a package deal.
Removed: MD RB Caleb Porzel. Committed to Maryland.
Removed: SC WR Alshon Jeffrey. Southern Cal commit. FL OL Nick Alajajian. Not in his top 6, combined with the fact that a decision date has been set, seem to show that Michigan is not in this race. MI OL Zac Matthias. Wisconsin commit.
Analysis: Jeffrey and Alajajian were both considered longshots with only token inclusion on the recruiting board. Matthias is a bogger loss for MSU (the Spartans need all the good linemen they can get - especially instate and especially those who are good enough to end up at a lineman factory like Wisconsin) than it is for Michigan, who didn't like him enough to offer before camp.... Speaking of camp, those itching for more commitments should be in luck, as summer camp (Sunday-Thursday) is usually a time when a couple guys get offers and commit.
Homer Ferguson from the site I referenced earlier today about Jelani Jenkins sent me an e-mail explaining what I didn't get the first time around:
Jelani Jenkins was a UVa lean, but his teammate Caleb Porzel decommitted about a week ago. Porzel's parents got very nervous about the number of kids who Al Groh has brought in who get busted for weed. Also, Mike London was the lead recruiter for that high school, and London left last January to take the head job at Richmond. His first move was to bring in 3 kids from the Peninsula District, which is the hotbed of HS football in the area. UVA never had much luck there because Al Groh doesn't get along well with the local coaches.
Homer was also kind enough to give his take on Kevin Newsome:
You also referenced Kevin Newsome. Forget it. He's going to Vah-tech. Michigan doesn't have a shot in the world. If he commits to Michigan, that means they bought his mama a new house. To get a player out of the 757, you need to get someone with ties to the area or deep, deep pockets (a la Percy Harvin, Chris Bell, Jerod Mayo). WVU hired Chris Beattie who coached Tahj Boyd one year at Landsdown (alma mater of Percy Harvin) and knew Logan Heastie from trying to recruit him to move into Landsdown district. Coach Cav and Coach Newsome from Vah-tech are going to lock Newsome up ASAFP. They thought they could sleep on Boyd because they have his HS coach in their back pocket, but Boyd and Heastie were a combo deal. Heastie wanted to go out of state, and Boyd got mad because Vah-tech wasn't pushing that hard. But, Coach Cav won't let that happen with Newsome.
I'm not necessarily sure he is going to be right in the long haul, though I do see VT as one of Newsome's favorites. However, it's a bit too impersonal to say Player is from X area, therefore he will attend X State University. Newsome seems to be genuinely interested in Michigan, and they have a real void at his position. We'll have to see how this one shakes out. Note - I have also heard (secondhand) that VT people think they are fighting an uphill battle for Newsome.
Recruits at the Spring Game: Obviously a lower turnout than usual because of a variety of circumstances, but Kevin Newsome, AJ Fenton, Zach Martin, and Henry Conway were all there, along with several 2008 commits and (I believe both of) the 2009 Cass Tech guys.
Added: IN OL Zach Martin. He was at the spring game, and I believe he got offered. OH OL Henry Conway. He was at the spring game, and I've heard he was an impressive physical specimen.
New Information: PA DE Tahir Basil visits PSU and Rutgers. MN WR Fritz Rock Florida visit. MD LB Jelani Jenkins probably won't go to UVa. I do not follow this post's logic at all, so help me out if you get it.
Etc.: Freep C">Spring Game Article. Ranking the BCS coaches. Much more Spring Game stuff up later today or tomorrow, including video.
The Board. Sometime in the coming days MGoBlog's Brian and I are going to come up with a collaborative effort on the recruiting board. More info when we hash out some definite plans. Added: SC OL Quinton Washington. He seems mostly interested in southern schools, but Michigan has offerred. AZ DE Craig Roh. Jim Stefani has noted that he was someone Michigan should offer - and now they have.
Thanks to a couple guys who e-mailed me about new prospects, and always to Brian, for unearthing a few I hadn't heard about yet. I checked out these guys and added the ones I found to meet the arbitrary criteria I established for the board.
Added: OH DE Devon Curtis. A high school teammate of Patrick Omameh.
The full board. A bit of information was rearranged, but not enough to note it here.
New InformationVA QB Kevin Newsome - linked to State Track meet article. CA QB Tate Forcier - linked to his Michigan offer. Also, current internet rumor du jour is that he is visiting Michigan this weekend. PA RB Jordan Hall - Plans an early decision. MN WR Fritz Rock - Life story article from the Gopher Hole. Football Story MS DT Josh Boyd - has reportedly been offered. MD LB Jelani Jenkins - has reportedly been offered. FL WR Andre Debose - Track results.
Added IL QB Darwin Rogers - run-pass QB from Chicago. FL RB Vincent Smith - HS teammate of Martavious Odoms and Nu'Keese Richardson. May be close to a Michigan offer. GA TE Terrell Mitchell - He claims a Michigan offer. IL OL Chris Watt. He has a Michigan offer. OH LB Dan Fox. Michigan Junior Day attendee.
Removed OH WR Josh Jones. At this time, it doesn't appear that he will be a top prospect.
I reranked the players in accordance with the latest set of Scout rankings, and moved a couple of guys' positions. There is new information on most prospects. I also added new fields for offer status and decision/enrollment timetables. Player/personal and recruiting information have been separated. Most of the new players come on the recommendation of Jim Stefani, who I owe big time.
Changed position: OH S Justin Turner had been at CB MS CB David Conner had been at LB AZ DE Corey Adams had been at DT TX DT Jamarcus McFarland had been at DE
Added: FL WR Andre Debose MA OL Brennan Williams AZ DE Devon Kennard MD LB Jelani Jenkins OH LB Julius Ferrell GA S Donavan Tate MI S Shamari Benton PA CB Corey Brown GA CB Ryan Campbell
| »
