SBNation.com User Blog: MagnusThunder

Recruiting Update: October 2, 2011

MagnusThunder — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 01:20:11 -0000

ADDED TO THE BOARD

Tampa (FL) Middleton wide receiver Richard Benjamin (class of 2013) has been offered by the Wolverines. He's a 6'1", 180 lb. receiver with offers from every powerhouse program in the country. He had 19 receptions for 528 yards (27.8 yards per catch) and 4 touchdowns as a junior last season.

OFF THE BOARD

Exton (PA) Downington East running back Drew Harris committed to Virginia Tech. Harris is the third running back to commit to the Hokies in the class of 2012. He's a 6'2", 215 lb. power runner without a whole lot of shake. Virginia Tech has done a good job of producing running backs in recent years, but Harris is kind of a change from the speedy, shifty backs that have had success there lately.

MINNESOTA VISITORS

Several more high profile visitors were expected at Michigan for the Big Ten opener against the Golden Gophers on Saturday, but reports of bad weather seem to have kept several players away. They missed a fun one. Here are a few of the notable unofficial visitors:

Muskegon (MI) Muskegon running back Juwan Lewis was in Ann Arbor. He's a 5'11", 208 lb. high school fullback, but I could see him bulking up and turning into a combo fullback/tailback in college. Michigan's coaches want to take at least one running back in this class, and while they've got their hopes pinned to Canton (OH) Glenoak's Bri'onte Dunn - which is looking more and more possible - Lewis might be a late addition to the class of the Dunn recruitment goes south. Lewis doesn't have an offer, though, and Erie (PA) McDowell's Greg Garmon is still a possibility, too; Michigan is in Garmon's top six.

Birmingham (MI) Brother Rice linebacker John Reschke, a 2013 prospect, visited once again. This was his second visit to Michigan for a game day experience this season. The other two "favorites" on his list are Michigan State (who played in Columbus, OH) and Notre Dame (who played in West Lafayette, IN), so it makes sense that he would visit Ann Arbor. I was recently told that Notre Dame seems to be the frontrunner, partly because of all the talent that Michigan is bringing in at linebacker for the class of 2012.

Mentor (OH) Mentor defensive end Tom Strobel was there to support his future team. Strobel and his Mentor team moved to 6-0 on Friday night, and it looks like he wanted to celebrate at the Big House. Strobel is a 6'6", 245-pounder that I like more and more as I see and hear more. He was bothered by an injury last year, but he's going full speed this season and his production has picked up.

Mansfield (OH) Mansfield defensive tackle Raheem Washington is a 6'3", 280 lb. prospect for the class of 2013. I've only seen a little bit of film on Washington, who didn't look particularly impressive in the few highlights. He's not consistently aggressive and doesn't manhandle opponents like a 280-pounder should. I doubt Michigan will get involved at any point.

Holland (MI) Holland wide receiver/defensive back Corey Willis was in Ann Arbor, too. Willis is a 5'10", 170 lb. high school quarterback who will almost certainly change positions in college. He hasn't been offered by anyone yet since he's just in the middle of his junior season, but judging from his highlights below, he seems like he'll be getting offered by some mid-level schools sometime soon. I'm a fan of high school quarterbacks due to their understanding of the game, so I anticipate a fairly high ceiling for him.

MagnusThunder is the author of Touch the Banner, a Michigan football blog.

Recruiting Update: September 25, 2011

MagnusThunder — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 14:07:36 -0000

ADDED TO THE BOARD

Joliet (IL) Catholic RB Ty Isaac, a 2013 prospect, received an offer from Michigan. Isaac is a 6'3", 215 lb. power runner with offers from Arizona, Illinois, Iowa, and Notre Dame, along with a couple others. The Wolverines have only offered a couple running backs in the 2013 class, and both are of the large variety. I'm not extremely impressed with what I've seen from Isaac or Novi (MI) Catholic Central's Wyatt Shallman, but they're only sophomores in most of the film that's available, so they still have time to develop.

OFF THE BOARD

Hanahan (SC) Hanahan wide receiver Chris Brown - an unfortunately common name - committed to Notre Dame after the Irish defeated Michigan State last weekend. He made some funny comments like "They got their first win and it was an exciting time" and "They are still trying to get it together."

BITS AND PIECES

There weren't many developments in the recruiting world this week. Brady Hoke and Co. fired out so many early offers for the 2012 class that there's not much to do now except watch and wait. Offers to 2013 guys are going out bit by bit. Remember that the coaches have previously stated that they want to finish off the 2012 class by the end of the regular season and then get a jump start on 2013 recruiting after November.

Lakewood (WA) Lakes OT Zach Banner loved his visit to Michigan a couple weeks ago for the Notre Dame game. He still plans to visit other schools, so hopefully ESPN keeps showing replays of that game for the remainder of the season.

West Des Moines (IA) Dowling Catholic WR Amara Darboh is a strong possibility to choose Michigan. He was supposed to visit Ann Arbor a couple weeks ago, but had to postpone his visit. Florida and Notre Dame are in the running, too. There were some rumblings several weeks ago that Darboh's recruiting situation changed, which hurt Michigan's chances . . . but that appears not to be the case.

Flint (MI) Powers Catholic DT Danny O'Brien set an announcement date of October 6th. He's either going to choose Tennessee and then take a celebrator visit to Knoxville a couple weekends later . . . or he's going to choose Michigan and take an awkward visit to Knoxville. Or he'll cancel. The vibe from recruiting analysts suggest that he'll be celebrating by wearing creamsicle.

Dallas (GA) East Paulding RB Kamani Thomas, a 2013 prospect, visited Michigan for this weekend's victory against San Diego State. He's a 5'9", 180 lb. between-the-tackles runner in the mold of someone like the Atlanta Falcons' Michael Turner (who wasn't always 247 lbs.). There weren't many notable prospects at the SDSU game this weekend, and Thomas was the best of the bunch. Last season he carried the ball 237 times for 1,901 yards and 22 touchdowns. He has already been offered by Mississippi State, Oklahoma State, Vanderbilt, and a few others. However, Michigan is his favorite school. With Michigan's newly rediscovered love for big backs, I'm not sure whether a small guy with good balance will get an offer or not. Personally, I would take Thomas over Isaac or Shallman.

Westlake Village (CA) Oaks Christian WR Jordan Payton is likely to become a Wolverine sooner or later. Sam Webb hasn't offered a gut feeling on that yet, but I wouldn't be surprised if he gets a gut feeling soon. Payton is a 6'2", 199 lb. wideout who looks like a solid possession guy, although he's probably not going to be a big-time playmaker in college.

MagnusThunder is the author of Touch the Banner, a Michigan football blog.

Recruiting Update: September 17, 2011

MagnusThunder — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 15:34:05 -0000

COMMITMENT

After last week's Notre Dame game, Alliance (OH) Marlington Dymonte Thomas committed to the Wolverines. Thomas is a 6'1", 175 lb. running back and safety whom Michigan's coaches are recruiting to play safety. He could be the #1 running back and safety in Ohio, and perhaps even the #1 player in the state overall for the class of 2013. The 2013 Scout 100, released last week, rates him as a 4-star player. (Touch the Banner profile)

ADDED TO THE BOARD

There hasn't been a whole lot of movement with the class of 2012 recently, but there has been a fair amount of action with class of 2013 kids in the last week:

Trotwood (OH) Trotwood-Madison cornerback Cameron Burrows received an offer. He attends the alma mater of WR Roy Roundtree and TE Brandon Moore. Unfortunately, Ohio State is the clear leader for the 6'1", 190 lb. defender. Michigan, Notre Dame, and Tennessee round out his top four. This past Friday night, Burrows helped Trotwood to a 4-0 start by grabbing a 25-yard touchdown pass and an interception.

Pickerington (OH) Central defensive end Taco Charlton received an offer after visiting for the Notre Dame game. He's a 6'6", 240 lb. and is a bit of a developmental prospect. He also sports offers from Purdue, Syracuse, and UCLA, but not Ohio State, which was his favorite team growing up. Charlton is from the same school as freshman safety Tamani Carter.

Celina (TX) Celina offensive tackle Jake Raulerson was offered this week. Raulerson is a 6'5", 250-pounder who could play offensive line or defensive line at the next level. With all the drawing power of the schools in and around Texas, it's tough to imagine him escaping the Big 12 or SEC. Teams like Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Notre Dame, and Oklahoma have already offered.

OFF THE BOARD

Midland (MI) Midland OT Steven Elmer committed to Notre Dame. The 6'7", 295 lb. lineman visited Ann Arbor for last week's Notre Dame game under the lights, but apparently he wanted to see Notre Dame play more than the Wolverines. Recent indications had been that Michigan had surpassed Michigan State and perhaps even Notre Dame, but those proved unfounded on Saturday when Elmer announced. He was recently named a 4-star prospect by Scout.

FINISHING OUT THE CLASS

Over the past couple months, I've provided updates on various offered players from around the country, from both the 2012 and 2013 classes. By now we have a pretty good idea of which players are and are not seriously considering Michigan for the class of 2012. Here's a realistic wish list to get from a class of 22 (Kentucky safety Jeremy Clark is also committed but will greyshirt) to Brady Hoke's stated goal of 26 players, along with options #27 and #28 if the class gets that big:

23. Puyallup (WA) Puyallup OG Joshua Garnett. Garnett is 6'5", 275 lbs. and moves extremely well. He could play either guard or either tackle position, but he has great athleticism for a kid his size. Michigan needs lots of offensive linemen in the next couple classes and Garnett might be better than the current jewel of Michigan's class, Kyle Kalis. (Youtube)

24. Canton (OH) Glenoak RB Bri'onte Dunn. The 6'2", 215 lb. runner is currently committed to Ohio State, but the sanction cloud hanging over Columbus is making him rethink his pledge. Dunn is considering Michigan and Penn State, and the general consensus seems to be that Michigan is the next option. The Buckeyes have a stable of running backs, while Michigan lacks a clear starter. Dunn looks to me like another Anthony Thomas. (Youtube)

25. Flint (MI) Powers Catholic DT Danny O'Brien. The 6'2", 293 lb. O'Brien could play either the 3-tech or the 1-tech position at Michigan. He was feeling Tennessee early in the process, but recent overtures by the Michigan staff - and the commitment of his best friend Matt Godin to Michigan - have made him consider the Wolverines more seriously. Meanwhile, the Wolverines lack underclassman bodies at the interior positions.

26. Westalke Village (CA) Oaks Christian WR Jordan Payton. Payton is a 6'2", 199 lb. wideout who had long been committed to USC. He rescinded his pledge a few months ago, and now Michigan looks to have the inside track on grabbing Payton, who took an official visit to Ann Arbor last weekend for the Notre Dame game. (Youtube)

27. Ramsey (NJ) Don Bosco Prep CB Yuri Wright. Wright plans to visit Michigan (the date is uncertain at this point), but the Wolverines might be on the outside looking in when all is said and done. He's 6'2", 180 lbs. and could play corner or free safety in college. Wright is a consensus top 100 player in the country, but Michigan doesn't need numbers at cornerback right now. A player like Wright would be more of a luxury than a need.

28. A quarterback. I know I'm in the minority here, but I'm still hoping the Wolverines land a quarterback for 2012. Michigan has taken a quarterback for 14 consecutive years and the coaches still don't know how backups Devin Gardner and Russell Bellomy will fare in game situations, other than Gardner's cameo against Bowling Green last year. Even with Shane Morris in the fold for 2013, not taking a quarterback in 2012 would mean sticking with just three scholarship players in the sport's most important position. A transfer or injury could be devastating. No realistic options remain at this point, though, so Michigan would have to make another offer at this point.

MagnusThunder is the author of Touch the Banner, a Michigan football blog.

Recruiting Update: September 11, 2011

MagnusThunder — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 21:12:35 -0000

COMMITMENT

2013 safety/running back Dymonte Thomas committed to Michigan after last night's game:

NOTRE DAME VISITORS

OT Zach Banner (2012): The Lakewood (WA) Lakes offensive tackle is the son of former Washington Husky, Atlanta Falcon, and Oakland Raider Lincoln Kennedy. Banner was on his official visit and was seen dancing on the field after the game. He and 2012 commit Erik Magnuson have been in contact frequently.

OT Kyle Bosch (2013): The Wheaton (IL) St. Francis prospect is a 6'5", 275 lb. lineman with offers from Arizona, Illinois, Iowa, Stanford, and West Virginia, among others. I would not be surprised to see Bosch get an offer shortly after the Wolverines finish their regular season, if not earlier.

DE Pharaoh Brown (2012): The Lyndhurst (OH) Brush defensive end is up to 6'7" and about 230 lbs. Brown is already committed to play defensive end at Michigan (Touch the Banner profile).

CB Cameron Burrows (2013): The 6'1", 195 lb. cornerback from Trotwood (OH) Trotwood-Madison already has offers from Colorado, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, Notre Dame, Ohio State, and Tennessee. Michigan hasn't offered yet, but that might not be too far in the future. Burrows grew up as an Ohio State fan, and they seem to be his leader . . . unless the awesome game on Saturday changed his mind. He attends the same school as current Wolverines Roy Roundtree and Brandon Moore.

DE Jake Butt (2013): The 6'6", 220 lb. end from Pickerington (OH) North has been verbally offered by a smattering of MAC schools and UCLA. He grew up as an Ohio State fan and his grandfather played football at Notre dame, which might have been part of the reason for the visit. If the school name sounds familiar, the Wolverines recruited alumnus Darien Bryant, a 2010 tight end prospect who opted for Vanderbilt.

S Jeremy Clark (2012/2013): The 6'4", 205 lb. safety from Madisonville (KY) North Hopkins committed to Michigan in late June as a greyshirt prospect. If the Wolverines have enough scholarships open for the 2012 class, he'll get a scholarship and begin playing next season. If that's not a possibility, he'll enroll in January 2013 and have freshman eligibility that fall. (TTB)

OG Cameron Dillard (2013): Dillard is a 6'3", 280 lb. prospect from Canton (MI) Canton. He has already been offered by Eastern Michigan.

TE Matt Doneth (2012): Doneth is a teammate of Matt Godin's at Novi (MI) Catholic Central. He holds a variety of offers from MAC and Ivy League schools, but a Michigan offer is probably not forthcoming.

RB Berkley Edwards (2013): Edwards is the 5'8", 176 lb. younger brother of former Michigan wide receiver Braylon Edwards (and son of former Michigan running back Stan Edwards). He attends Chelsea (MI) Chelsea and had almost 300 yards rushing this past Friday night.

OT Steven Elmer (2013): Elmer is a 6'6", 297 lb. lineman from Midland (MI) Midland. He seemed to be a lean to Michigan State early in the process, but rumors have swirled lately that the Wolverines have pulled even or perhaps passed MSU in the Elmer sweepstakes. It might be a two-way battle between Elmer and quarterback Shane Morris to be the top overall player in Michigan for 2013.

S Allen Gant (2012): The 6'2", 210 lb. safety from Sylvania (OH) Southview committed to Michigan back in May. (TTB)

DE Matt Godin (2012): The Michigan commit from Novi (MI) Catholic Central now stands 6'6" and weighs 270 lbs. He was there with teammates Matt Doneth and Wyatt Shallman. (TTB)

WR Jordan Hargrove (2013): The 5'11", 170-pounder hails from Akron (OH) St. Vincent-St. Mary, the alma mater of Lebron James. He doesn't hold any scholarship offers at this point.

LB Royce Jenkins-Stone (2012): Jenkins-Stone, a 6'2", 215 lb. inside linebacker from Detroit (MI) Cass Tech, committed to the Wolverines in April. (TTB)

RB Drake Johnson (2012): The 6'1", 200 lb. prospect has impressed observers, but he hasn't earned any scholarship offers. He would be a prime prospect to walk on at Michigan, considering he'll graduate from Ann Arbor (MI) Pioneer high school, which is just across the street from Michigan Stadium.

OT Erik Magnuson (2012): The 6'6", 275 lb. Carlsbad (CA) La Costa Canyon tackle is one of the top 100 prospects in the country and committed to Michigan back in June. He's attempt to sway friends Zach Banner and Joshua Garnett into joining the Wolverines' outstanding offensive line class. (TTB)

TE Jacob Matuska (2013): A Columbus (OH) Bishop Hartley prospect, the 6'5", 240 lb. Matuska has offers from Cincinnati and Toledo early in the process.

LB Mike McCray (2013): Like Cam Burrows, McCray also plays for Trotwood (OH) Trotwood-Madison. He's a 6'4", 218 lb. outside linebacker with offers from the likes of Purdue, Syracuse, and Tennessee already.

DE Matt Miller (2013): Miller is the 6'5", 250 lb. younger brother of Michigan center Jack Miller, from Toledo (OH) St. John's. His only offer thus far came from the Toledo Rockets.

OT Zach Murdock (2013): Murdock is a 6'5", 260 lb. prospect from Westerville (OH) South. He has no offers so far.

DT Danny O'Brien (2012): Coming out of Flint (MI) Powers Catholic, O'Brien is one of Michigan's biggest targets left on the board. The 6'2", 293 lb. defensive tackle was rumored to have committed to Michigan after the game, but that rumor appears to be false. However, he plans to announce his destination on October 7, which is prior to his upcoming visits to the other leaders on his list, Michigan State and Tennessee. Michigan looks to be in good shape with Tennessee considered to be the main competitor.

DE Mario Ojemudia (2012): The 6'3", 215 lb. Farmington Hills (MI) Harrison product committed to Michigan back in May, along with teammate Devin Funchess. (TTB)

WR Jordan Payton (2012): The 6'2", 199 lb. receiver was one of two official visitors for the Notre Dame game, along with Banner. Payton was previously committed to USC, but is now looking elsewhere. Michigan and Cal are the two supposed leaders, with the Wolverines holding an edge right now. He attends football factory Westlake Village (CA) Oaks Christian.

OT Ethan Pocic (2013): The 6'7", 285 lb. tackle comes from Lemont (IL) Lemont, which might sound familiar because it's the alma mater of current Michigan center David Molk. Pocic could end up being one of the best tackle prospects in the country for 2013, and he currently has offers Illinois, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Purdue, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

LB Jon Reschke (2013): The 6'2", 210 lb. Reschke comes from Birmingham (MI) Brother Rice and already holds offers from Michigan State and Toledo. He won't match Shane Morris or Steven Elmer for talent within the state, but he should be a solid second tier prospect in-state for the upcoming class.

CB Terry Richardson (2012): A 5'9", 160 lb. cornerback from Detroit (MI) Cass Tech, Richardson at one time implied that he wanted to visit other schools. However, he recently backed off that statement and remains committed to the Wolverines. (TTB)

RB Wyatt Shallman (2013): The 6'3", 255 lb. running back/defensive lineman from Novi (MI) Catholic Central was offered as a running back several months ago, but seems to have outgrown that position. He also holds an offer from Cincinnati, but Michigan is the clear leader in the Shallman sweepstakes. It seems only a matter of time before he commits to the Maize and Blue.

CB Anthony Standifer (2012): The 6'1", 178 lb. cornerback committed to the Wolverines back in June. Visiting from Crete (IL) Crete-Monee, he brought his teammate Laquon Treadwell with him. (TTB)

S Dymonte Thomas (2013): A 5'11", 167 lb. running back/safety from Alliance (OH) Marlington, Thomas has made no secret of the fact that Michigan led for his services. He committed to the coaches following Saturday night's game, eschewing offers from Illinois, Iowa, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Tennessee, UCLA, and West Virginia. Thomas is the cousin of 2012 running back Bri'onte Dunn, a highly sought after player who's currently committed to Ohio State and considering Michigan as a backup plan. Thomas is also teammates with running back Alden Hill, who was offered by Michigan but has chosen to play for Tennessee. Thomas could play several positions, but he's being recruited as a safety by the Wolverines.

DT Poet Thomas (2013): Thomas is a 6'6", 295 lb. prospect from Beverly Hills (MI) Country Day. He's a very good athlete who has room to add to those 295 lbs. If his body matures and he puts in time to get stronger, he could be a national recruit by the time everything is said and done.

WR Laquon Treadwell (2013): Treadwell is the teammate of 2012 commit Anthony Standifer. He has declared Michigan his outright leader despite not having been offered yet, and he would likely jump at the chance to play for the Wolverines. The 6'3", 183-pounder has 10 receptions for 300 yards and 4 touchdowns so far this season.

OT Jake Widmer (2013): Widmer is a 6'6", 260 lb. lineman from Novi (MI) Catholic Central, a teammate of Godin, Shallman, and Doneth.

S Jarrod Wilson (2012): Wilson is a 6'2", 190 lb. safety from Akron (OH) Buchtel, where former Michigan running back Ricky Powers is now the head coach. Wilson committed to the Wolverines back in July. (TTB)

DE Christopher Wormley (2012): Wormley is a 6'5", 255 lb. end from Toledo (OH) Whitmer. He committed to the Wolverines at the end of July. (TTB)

MagnusThunder is the author of Touch the Banner, a Michigan football blog.

Recruiting Update: September 5, 2011

MagnusThunder — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 10:47:24 -0000

ADDED TO THE BOARD

Wayne (NJ) Wayne Hills QB Kevin Olsen, a 2013 prospect, has been offered. It's unclear whether Olsen received his offer prior to the commitment of 2013 QB Shane Morris, but he shows an offer nonetheless. Olsen has offers from schools up and down the Atlantic coast, plus Iowa and Michigan. He will likely have offers from all over the country before everything is said and done. There doesn't appear to be a clear leader at the moment.

OFF THE BOARD

New York DT Jarron Jones committed to Notre Dame. The 6'7", 308 lb. mammoth originally committed to Penn State back in April. He rethought his decision and decommitted. He gave another glance at Penn State and considered Virginia Tech, too, but eventually decided on the Fighting Irish. That gives Notre Dame two well regarded prospects on the interior, Jones and Indiana's Sheldon Day.

WESTERN MICHIGAN VISITORS

Several 2012 and 2013 prospects were in attendance for the rainstorm against Western Michigan. The big-time uncommitted prospects will be in town next weekend for the night game against Notre Dame, but in the meantime, here's a look at some of the attendees:

Ben Braden (2012): Offensive tackle commit from Rockford (MI) Rockford (Touch the Banner profile)

Cameron Dillard (2013): Offensive guard from Canton (MI) Canton. Dillard is a 6'3", 280 lb. guard prospect who already sports an offer from Eastern Michigan. Canton runs a "Dead T" offense in which Dillard spends the vast majority of his time run blocking, so it's difficult to gauge his pass blocking abilities. He does have good feet and he plays low. Offers from BCS conferences are sure to be on their way.

Berkley Edwards (2013): Running back from Chelsea (MI) Chelsea. Edwards is the son of former Michigan running back Stan Edwards and brother of former Michigan wide receiver Braylon Edwards. Berkley is 5'8", 176 lbs. and seems a little small to be in Brady Hoke's wheelhouse. He boasts a 4.52 time in the forty yard dash and a 10.92 in the 100 meters, so he has pretty good speed.

Devin Funchess (2012): Tight end commit from Farmington Hills (MI) Harrison (TTB)

Allen Gant (2012): Safety commit from Sylvania (OH) Southview (TTB)

Matt Godin (2012): Defensive end commit from Novi (MI) Catholic Central (TTB)

Luke MacLean (2013): Defensive end from Grand Blanc (MI) Grand Blanc. MacLean is listed as an inside linebacker prospect in some places, but he's already 6'3", 233 lbs. and presumably still growing. He also looks a little too stiff to be a linebacker. I would be surprised if he doesn't move down to the defensive line in college. He already has an offer from Buffalo.

Matt Miller (2013): Defensive end from Toledo (OH) St. John's. The brother of Michigan center Jack Miller is a 6'5", 250 lb. prospect. He already has an offer from Toledo and has been garnering interest from Big Ten schools as well.

Shane Morris (2013): Quarterback commit from Warren (MI) De La Salle (TTB)

Danny O'Brien (2012): Defensive tackle from Flint (MI) Powers Catholic

Karon Poole (2013): Outside linebacker from Cincinnati (OH) Winton Woods, younger brother of Antonio Poole

Wyatt Shallman (2013): Running back from Novi (MI) Catholic Central. Aside from quarterback Shane Morris, Shallman was the only 2013 prospect in attendance who holds a Michigan offer. Shallman is 6'3", 255 lbs. and reportedly was offered by the Wolverines as a tailback. He's put on at least 20 pounds in the offseason and as he continues to grow, I doubt that offer will remain on the same terms. Shallman could play fullback, defensive end, or even defensive tackle at the next level. Michigan seems to hold the edge in his recruitment, although Cincinnati is the only other school to offer so far.

MagnusThunder is the author of Touch the Banner, a Michigan football blog.

Recruiting Update: August 27, 2011

MagnusThunder — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 17:47:30 -0000

ADDED TO THE BOARD

I missed this when it happened, but Michigan offered Miami (FL) Norland ILB Keith Brown awhile ago. Considering that Brown isn't a super elite recruit and he's from Rich Rodriguez's favorite state to recruit, I'm assuming Brown was offered by the Rodriguez regime. Regardless, he's been committed since September of 2010 and Michigan doesn't need any more linebackers.

I also must have been asleep at the wheel when the staff offered South Jordan (UT) Bingham DE Jared Afalava. I've been following Afalava occasionally because he's a national recruit who might be headed to Nebraska, but I hadn't heard until recently that he had been offered. I assume the offer was tendered several months ago, since Michigan is full up with defensive ends.

OFF THE BOARD

Ohio defensive tackle Greg Kuhar committed to Northwestern. Kuhar is a 6'3", 265 lb. championship-caliber wrestler from Lakewood (OH) St. Edward's, the same school as 2012 Michigan commit Kyle Kalis. Kuhar's brother is a wrestler at Northwestern and a couple former high school teammates are at Northwestern, too. There were some rumors several months ago that the offers to Kuhar and teammate Sam Grant were rescinded, and Kuhar never revealed an interest in attending school in Ann Arbor.

New Jersey safety D.J. Singleton committed to Wisconsin. Singleton is a 6'3", 200 lb. kid who could play either safety position or even grow into an outside linebacker for the Badgers.

Georgia cornerback Geno Smith committed to Alabama. Smith is a 5'11", 170 lb. prospect with excellent ball skills and good speed. He's the next in a long line of very good cornerbacks to head to Tuscaloosa. Smith never indicated a desire to come up north.

DEFENSIVE BACK RECRUITING

Michigan has enough defensive backs in the 2012 class to be comfortable, although the lukewarm commitment of Terry Richardson makes this situation fluid. Richardson has seemed a little wishy-washy about his commitment to the program since the day he pledged, so it wouldn't be a big surprise to see him head elsewhere. Therefore, Michigan has kept alive its contact with some other defensive backs. Here's a rundown of the offerees who haven't committed elsewhere yet:

Miami (FL) Columbus CB/S Deon Bush stands 6'1", 185 lbs. and could play either spot at the next level. It seems that Auburn and Miami are his two leaders, although Miami's recently revealed troubles could spell doom for the Hurricanes' chances. Then again, I don't think anyone would be surprised if Auburn climbed into the same sinking ship as Miami soon.

Scottsdale (AZ) Saguaro CB D.J. Foster is a 5'11", 190 lb. prospect who could play several positions in college - cornerback, safety, or wide receiver. He recently named Arizona State as his leader, and I would be surprised if he leaves the Pac-12.

Baltimore (MD) Gilman CB Cyrus Jones is a 5'11", 183 lb. athlete. As one of the more wide open prospects on this list, it's pretty unclear where Jones is headed to play ball. He's considering schools in the ACC, the Big East, etc., but it seems as if he's most interested in playing in the SEC. Recent scuttlebutt suggests Alabama and Auburn as likely destinations, but Geno Smith's commitment to Alabama might make Auburn more likely.

New York (NY) Erasmus Hall CB/S Wayne Morgan was at one time a silent commit to Michigan. He wouldn't pledge to the Wolverines publicly, however, and the coaches moved on to other prospects. Meanwhile, Morgan's rankings have dropped somewhat and some scouts believe he lacks the ability to play cornerback at the next level, which is something I've been saying since March in this very space. He wants to visit Alabama, Miami, and South Carolina this fall, although those aren't necessarily his favorite schools.

Ramsey (NJ) Don Bosco Prep CB Yuri Wright is the rare 6'2" prospect with the speed and hips to play cornerback in college. Michigan's coaches have kept consistent contact with Wright, who might be their #1 backup plan if Richardson heads elsewhere. That would likely be a welcome trade in Michigan fans' eyes, since Wright is the superior prospect. Wright recently released a top two of Cal and Rutgers, but Michigan isn't out of the picture for him.

MagnusThunder is the author of Touch the Banner, a Michigan football blog.

Recruiting Update: August 20, 2011

MagnusThunder — Sat, 20 Aug 2011 02:18:26 -0000

COMMITMENT

None.

ADDED TO THE BOARD

Nobody.

OFF THE BOARD

Washington (D.C.) CB Kenny Crawley committed to Tennessee. Crawley is a 6'1", 170 lb. cornerback who moves well and has a knack for making plays on the ball. He's very thin right now and doesn't have great speed, but he has a very high ceiling if things go the right way for him.

Georgia WR Jason Croom committed to Tennessee. He's a 6'5", 220 lb. receiver who could end up at tight end on the next level. Croom showed fleeting interest in his Michigan offer before quickly deciding that he would play in the SEC.

Texas FS LaDarrell McNeil committed to Tennessee. McNeil is the seventh Michigan offeree that has chosen the Volunteers (after WR Drae Bowles, Crawley, Croom, FB Alden Hill, DE LaTroy Lewis, and LB Dalton Santos). His highlight film is full of him making ballcarriers disintegrate on contact, but he's not the most fluid athlete when it comes to ball skills. Look for him to make some highlight-reel hits by the time his career is over, though.

LINEBACKER RECRUITING

The Wolverines have already snapped up their fair share of linebackers and there are only a few players left at the position group that Michigan pursued in the first place. Two of them are especially highly touted. At this point Michigan doesn't need any more linebackers in the 2012 class, although the departure of Kellen Jones to Oklahoma opens the door a tiny bit wider if the coaches need to fill out the class in February. Here's a look at who's left:

Oxford (AL) Oxford's Kwon Alexander is a 6'2", 212 lb. outside linebacker who's generally considered to be a top 100 player in the country. If he escapes the state of Alabama, everyone will be surprised. He's probably headed to play for the Crimson Tide.

Rockdale (TX) Rockdale's Derek David is a 6'3", 225 lb. inside linebacker prospect. He committed to Texas Tech in June 2010, but the two parties have since gone separate ways. Derek's older brother, Logan David, is a defensive tackle attending Blinn Community College who has committed to Texas A&M for the class of 2012. There's a good chance that Derek follows his brother to A&M, but there's also a chance that he'll go the junior college route.

McKees Rocks (PA) Sto Rox' Deaysean Rippy is a 6'2", 198 lb. outside linebacker. He has offers from all over the country and is a solid 4-star level prospect. There was a good amount of chatter surrounding Michigan and Rippy earlier in the recruiting cycle, but once Michigan reeled in their fourth linebacker of the class, that talk disappeared. Other than the talk about Rippy to Michigan, things have been pretty quiet from Rippy's end and he keeps things to himself.

TEAM RANKINGS

Some team recruiting rankings have been released, and all I can say is oh-boy-oh-boy-oh-boy-oh-boy-oh-boy!

Scout:
#1 Michigan
#2 Texas
#3 Florida
#11 Penn State
#12 Notre Dame
#21 Ohio State
#22 Michigan State

Maxpreps:
#1 Michigan
#2 Texas
#3 Florida
#13 Penn State
#18 Notre Dame
#20 Michigan State
#25 Wisconsin

I doubt Michigan will end the season at #1 but hey . . . this is better than anyone expected.

MagnusThunder is the author of Touch the Banner, a Michigan football blog.

Recruiting Update: August 14, 2011

MagnusThunder — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 01:57:04 -0000

COMMITMENT

Kansas City (MO) Park Hill NT Ondre Pipkins committed to Michigan privately last Thursday and publicly on Monday (Touch the Banner profile here). Pipkins is 6'3", 325 lbs. and has been unstoppable at camps this summer. Considered to be one of the top 20 defensive tackles in the country, he has a chance to be a four-year starter for Michigan at the nose tackle position.

ADDED TO THE BOARD

Nobody.

OFF THE BOARD

New Jersey WR Leonte Carroo committed to Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights have some kind of force field around New Jersey. Maybe it's just Snooki's gravitational pull, but between Carroo, high school teammate Darius Hamilton (who's expected to commit to Rutgers as well), and guys like RB Savon Huggins, DT Marquise Wright, and WR Miles Shuler last year, the team is getting littered with 4-star recruits who have a strong desire to play for a mediocre program.

Utah DE Troy Hinds committed to BYU. I hate to say anything bad about Mormons, but if their honor code was in place at Michigan . . . well, let's just say I would have broken it. At least half of one time. Am I right or am I right?

North Carolina OT D.J. Humphries committed to Florida. He never showed interest in Michigan's offer and seemed a shoe-in to Florida for awhile.

Georgia FS Tray Matthews, a 2013 prospect, committed to Georgia. He never made a peep about his Michigan offer and appeared not to explore much outside of his area. If 2013 prospect Dymonte Thomas, from Alliance, OH, turns his "Michigan is my #1" proclamations into a commitment, this shouldn't be a concern.

Massachusetts CB Armani Reeves committed to Penn State. Reeves had been a big fan of Michigan several months ago, along with high school teammate and Michigan offeree Camren Williams. Williams committed to PSU back in March, and the two players had always talked about playing for the same school. Michigan's coaching staff had recently made contact with Reeves again since Terry Richardson plans to visit other schools, but Reeves decided to announce before Michigan could make a strong push.

Texas LB Dalton Santos committed to Tennessee. He had been committed to Oklahoma State awhile ago, but thought better of that. He must really like the color orange, though.

Illinois DT Tommy Schutt committed to Notre Dame Michigan Penn State. Schutt's story goes like this: he tried to commit to Notre Dame a half-hour after Indiana DT Sheldon Day committed, so Notre Dame told him no. Then he called Michigan to try to set up a visit, and Michigan told him not to bother visiting (which we know now was due to Pipkins' impending commitment). Then he finally settled on Penn State, which should have been choice #1 all along because PSU defensive line coach Larry Johnson spits out NFL draft picks faster than Columbus, OH, boosters ATMs spit out $100 bills.

DEFENSIVE TACKLE RECRUITING

Everybody who's anybody thinks Michigan still needs another defensive tackle in this 2012 class, even with Pipkins' commitment. With Mike Martin graduating after the 2011 season, the departure of Terry Talbott, and the dwindling eligibility of guys like junior William Campbell and redshirt sophomore Quinton Washington, it seems obvious to me that the Wolverines ought to be taking two tackles. There's always a chance that guys like Chris Wormley and Matt Godin could play 3-tech DT, which would be okay, too, but so far they insist they're being recruited for the 5-tech DE spot. Here's what remains on the DT recruiting board:

Lake Forest (IL) Lake Forest Academy's Faith Ekakitie recently named a handful of favorites that includes Boston College, Georgia Tech, Iowa, Northwestern, Oregon, Penn State, and UCLA. So far it seems like he's very high on Boston College and Northwestern.

Washington (DC) Friendship's Eddie Goldman has been generating a lot of buzz for Florida State recently. The 6'4", 307 lb. defensive tackle is considered by many to be the top player at his position and is generally unblockable. It looks as if he's headed south, whether it's to FSU or perhaps SEC country. Regardless, Michigan offered him around March of 2010 and he's really never made a peep about the Wolverines.

Rochester (NY) Aquinas' Jarron Jones was formerly committed to Penn State, which recently accepted a commitment from Schutt at the same position. Jones also likes Notre Dame and Virginia Tech, with North Carolina teetering on the edge due to Butch Davis's firing. Since he's 6'7", 308 lbs., and fast, I think Notre Dame and Penn State would be horrible, horrible choices. I think Blacksburg would be an excellent landing spot. Let's all root for the Hokies.

Lakewood (OH) St. Edward's Greg Kuhar reported a Michigan offer several months ago, but then rumors swirled that Michigan pulled its offer. The 6'3", 265 lb. wrestling champ has placed Northwestern #1, but Ohio State could wrest that spot from the Wildcats if the Buckeyes offer. Kuhar is from the same school as Michigan commit Kyle Kalis.

Monrovia (CA) Monrovia's Ellis McCarthy is a 6'5", 311 lb. prospect for the 3-tech position, and it looks like he'll remain on the west coast. Cal and Oregon seem like possible destinations, although he's still exploring a lot of options and plans to take official visits to other schools outside the state (not to Michigan, though).

Flint (MI) Powers Catholic's Danny O'Brien seems to be the most likely option if the coaches want another true defensive tackle. He's a 6'2", 293 lb. fire hydrant whose top six consists of Alabama, Florida, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, and Tennessee (in alphabetical order). Tennessee seems to be the leader with Michigan making a late push. He's best friends with Godin, which might help Michigan if they continue to pursue his commitment.

Atwater (CA) Buhach's Aziz Shittu committed to Stanford in April, reconsidered by June, and now might be seeing his stock fall due to some unimpressive summer camps. He started off as 247 Sports' #49 player and has since dropped out of their top 100. The 6'3", 275-pounder looks as if he'll stay on the west coast, most likely at Cal or USC.

Edwardsville (IL) Edwardsville's Vincent Valentine is 6'3" and 300 lbs. Nebraska has been his top choice for a long time, and he also has set an official visit for Florida. He'll probably be lining up across from Michigan for the next several years when the Wolverines play the Cornhuskers.

247 SPORTS' NEW RANKINGS

Upstart recruiting service 24/7 Sports re-ranked the class of 2012 recently, and here are the new ratings of Michigan recruits:

#40: OG Kyle Kalis
#56: DE Chris Wormley
#63: OT Erik Magnuson
#88: DT Ondre Pipkins
#100: LB James Ross
#102: CB Terry Richardson
#181: DE Tom Strobel
#190: LB Royce Jenkins-Stone

Recruiting Update: August 6, 2011

MagnusThunder — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 14:55:27 -0000

COMMITMENTS

Salt Lake City (UT) Highland FB Sione Houma committed to Michigan (Touch the Banner profile here).

Toledo (OH) Whitmer DE Chris Wormley committed to Michigan (Touch the Banner profile here).

ADDED TO THE BOARD

Nobody.

OFF THE BOARD

Michigan WR Aaron Burbridge committed to Michigan State. Burbridge was considered a Michigan lean at one point after his high school teammates, TE Devin Funchess and DE Mario Ojemudia, committed to the Wolverines a couple months ago. However, it's no secret that Burbridge has grade issues, and that seemed to curb Michigan's interest. The coaches reportedly backed off of recruiting him several weeks ago, but Michigan State's interest remained unfettered.

Florida QB Bennie Coney committed to Cincinnati. Coney is another player whose off-the-field issues seemed to short circuit his recruitment. He recently stated that Michigan was no longer recruiting him, and when a kid chooses Cincinnati over other "offers" like those from Arkansas, Auburn, LSU, Michigan, and Virginia Tech, you can guess that those other programs likely backed off, too.

Virginia DE Eli Harold committed to Virginia. He picked the Cavaliers over Florida and Penn State. Harold recently lost his mother to pancreatic cancer and hopes to wear #7 at Virginia because it was her favorite number.

North Carolina OT D.J. Humphries committed to Florida, as predicted in this space a few weeks ago.

Indiana QB Gunner Kiel committed to Indiana. Kiel is a quiet kid whose recruitment has been all over the map. At various times he's been rumored to be headed to Notre Dame, Michigan, Alabama, and Oklahoma. Instead, one of the top two or three quarterbacks in the country is headed to play in Bloomington. Gunner's older brother Dusty is also a quarterback for the Hoosiers. Somehow, I get the feeling that the Kiel parents weren't intending for their kids to be dancers or scientists. Younger brothers Boomer, Buster, Blaster, and Destroyer are coming down the pike.

Ohio DE LaTroy Lewis committed to Tennessee. Michigan already has five defensive ends (counting Wormley) so this is not a disappointment, and Lewis never expressed strong interest in coming to Ann Arbor.

Minnesota OT Jonah Pirsig committed to Minnesota. The kid has NFL size already and looks like a pretty good athlete. Naturally, he chose the Minnesota Golden Gophers, who put out NFL linemen at approximately the same rate that Elton John fornicates with women.

BBQ IN THE BIG HOUSE

Brady Hoke and Co. held a gathering for unofficial visitors on July 31 called the "BBQ in the Big House," which is a carry-over tradition from the Rich Rodriguez era. Those in attendance:

Birmingham (MI) Brother Rice OT Ben Braden (2012 commit)
St. Louis (MO) Ladue Horton Watkins WR Jehu Chesson (offered)
Canton (OH) Glenoak RB Bri'onte Dunn (Ohio State commit)
Midland (MI) Midland OT Steven Elmer (2013, offered)
Farmington Hills (MI) Harrison DE Devin Funchess (2012 commit)
Sylvania (OH) Southview SS Allen Gant (2012 commit)
Novi (MI) Catholic Central DE Matt Godin (2012 commit)
Joliet (IL) Catholic RB Ty Isaac (2013)
Detroit (MI) Cass Tech LB Royce Jenkins-Stone (2012 commit)
Lakewood (OH) St. Edward's OG Kyle Kalis (2012 commit)
Warren (MI) De La Salle QB Shane Morris (2013 commit)
Flint (MI) Powers Catholic DT Danny O'Brien (offered)
Farmington Hills (MI) Harrison DE Mario Ojemudia (2012 commit)
Kansas City (MO) Park Hill DT Ondre Pipkins (offered)
Novi (MI) Catholic Central LB Johnny Reschke (2013)
Detroit (MI) Cass Tech CB Terry Richardson (2012 commit)
Orchard Lake (MI) St. Mary's LB James Ross (2012 commit)
Novi (MI) Catholic Central RB Wyatt Shallman (2013, offered)
Crete (IL) Crete-Monee CB Anthony Standifer (2012 commit)
Mentor (OH) Mentor DE Tom Strobel (2012 commit)
Alliance (OH) Marlington FS Dymonte Thomas (2013, offered)
Crete (IL) Crete-Monee WR LaQuon Treadwell (2013)
Cincinnati (OH) TE A.J. Williams (2012 commit)
Toledo (OH) Whitmer DE Chris Wormley (2012 commit)

DEFENSIVE END RECRUITING

With the recent commitment of Chris Wormley, Michigan is almost certainly finished recruiting defensive ends for 2012. However, there are several more whom received offers earlier in the process. Here's what's been going on with them lately:

Clifton (VA) Centreville's Ken Ekanem is a 6'3", 245 lb. OLB/DE hybrid. He would like to play OLB in a 3-4 defense, but there aren't many colleges in the country that run the 3-4. Typically, it seems difficult for Virginia kids to escape going to Virginia Tech if the Hokies go after them hard, but they already have three defensive ends committed for 2012.

Ramsey (NJ) Don Bosco Prep's Darius Hamilton stands 6'4", 245 lbs. and holds offers from nearly every team in the nation. Magically, the one that stands out the most is Rutgers, and he plans to make his choice in October. Hamilton has several teammates who not only have Michigan offers, but also will be playing in January's Army All-American Bowl: wide receiver Leonte Carroo, safety Elijah Shumate, and cornerback Yuri Wright. Hamilton is the son of former University of Pittsburgh and New York Giants defensive end Keith Hamilton.

Kaysville (UT) Davis' Troy Hinds is a 6'4", 225 lb. player who hasn't shown much interest in his Michigan offer. The Utah Utes and BYU Cougars seem most likely to earn his commitment, but Nebraska and Notre Dame are also under consideration.

Hamilton (GA) Harris County's Jordan Jenkins is a 6'3", 245-pounder who seems destined for the Florida Gators. Alabama is his #2 choice.

San Antonio (TX) Sam Houston's Javonte Magee is a 6'5", 262 lb. strongside end prospect who will almost certainly stay in Texas. He has dozens of offers, but Baylor will be hard to beat for his pledge, and Texas A&M is another possibility.

Tampa (FL) Jefferson's Tyriq McCord is 6'3", 222 lbs. and considered to be a heavy Florida lean. If he ends up elsewhere, it seems that USC might have the best chance of pulling him out of the Sunshine State.

Centerville (OH) Centerville's Ifeadi Odenigbo is 6'4", 217 lbs. and quite an OLB/DE hybrid prospect. As one of several high-level defensive ends in Ohio this year, he was thought to be headed to Columbus . . . that is, if the higher ranked prospects didn't take his spot first. But the higher ranked prospects have either committed elsewhere or held off from committing at all, and Odenigbo has followed suit. Cal, Northwestern, and Notre Dame all seem to be major players for him as he sorts out the Ohio State mess. It was even rumored a couple weeks ago that Northwestern might be on the verge of getting him, but Odenigbo has so far kept his options open.

Lehi (UT) Westlake's Moana Ofahengaue is a 6'4", 205 lb. weakside end prospect. Despite being a lightly recruited state, Utah has a couple talented defensive ends that Michigan has pursued, with tight ends coach Dan Ferrigno heading up recruiting in Pac-12 country. Ofahengaue listed Michigan as one of his leaders, but it seems that Florida State or Nebraska will be his choice.

Harrisburg (PA) Bishop McDevitt's Noah Spence consistently avoids giving out much information about what school he's interested in attending, so it's hard to say where he's leaning. He's 6'4" and 245 lbs., is a consensus top 50 player, and has offers from just about every powerhouse program in the country.

Cincinnati (OH) Taft's Adolphus Washington used to be considered a heavy Ohio State lean. The potential shenanigans and the departure of head coach Jim Tressel made him consider other schools a little more, and there was a time that he was rumored to be leaning Michigan's way. If Washington doesn't end up at Ohio State, I wouldn't be surprised if he commits to Michigan State. His teammate, Dwayne Stanford, might also affect his decision, since they had hoped to play together in college. Both have been selected for the Army All-American Bowl in January.

Olney (MD) Good Counsel's Ryan Watson is a 6'3", 270 lb. strongside end, which means he played high school ball with Michigan cornerback Blake Countess. Watson recently listed a top group that included Michigan, but that was before Chris Wormley committed to the Wolverines. Tennessee leads that top group, and with Michigan almost certainly out of the running, Georgia Tech and Michigan State are also in the mix.

MagnusThunder is the author of Touch the Banner, a Michigan football blog.

Recruiting Update: July 20, 2011

MagnusThunder — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 21:28:02 -0000

COMMITMENT

Lakewood (OH) St. Edward OG Kyle Kalis committed to Michigan last Sunday (Touch the Banner profile here). Even though he's rated as one of the top offensive tackles in the country, he looks like a guard to me, which is why I didn't include him in last week's roundup of offensive tackle recruiting. But it was a pretty good clue that Kalis was going to commit to Michigan when he scheduled another visit to Ann Arbor so soon after the last one. Kalis is 6'5", 302 lbs. and the son of a former NFL offensive lineman. The apple didn't fall far from the tree.

ADDED TO THE BOARD

Cincinnati (OH) Moeller WR Monty Madaris received his Michigan offer this past week, as suggested should happen in a recent recruiting update. He's a 6'2", 190-pounder who reportedly ran a 4.4 forty yard dash at a recent camp. His other suitors include the likes of Florida State and Nebraska.

Wimberley (TX) Wimberley FB Dennis Smith was offered by Michigan last week. This might speak to Michigan's hopes of getting a player like Ohio's ~~Alden Hill~~ or Utah's Sione Houma. Smith is similar to both, a 6'1", 212 lb. combo back with the ability to block and run a little bit. E.J. Fatu remains a possibility at the position, but he hasn't visited Ann Arbor. I have a lot of confidence in Greg Mattison as a recruiter, but Michigan is a long way from Texas.

OFF THE BOARD

Tennessee WR Drae Bowles committed to Tennessee. This is a terrible development because Michigan needs wide receivers, and Bowles is pretty durn good.

Louisiana OT Derek Edinburgh committed to LSU. Surprise!

Ohio RB/FB Alden Hill committed to Tennessee, too. He attends Marlington High School in Alliance, OH, which is the same school that 2013 safety target Dymonte Thomas attends. The Volunteers have also offered Thomas . . . and the plot thickens . . .

Florida SS Marcus Maye committed to Florida. He was never expected to escape the gravitational pull of the three big-time Florida schools, so this was not a surprise.

Florida OT John Theus committed to Georgia. This was also predicted in a recent recruiting update.

California WR Bryce Treggs committed to Cal. He had long been considered a lean to the Golden Bears, and there's some talk that fellow Californian wideout Jordan Payton might join him in Berkeley.

OFFENSIVE GUARD RECRUITING

Last week I covered the uncommitted offensive tackles, and the commitment of Kalis to Michigan might change how Michigan recruits along the offensive line going forward. Regardless, here are the uncommitted guards Michigan has pursued:

Puyallup (WA) Puyallup OG Joshua Garnett received an offer from Michigan a while ago, and he recently named a top 11 that includes the Wolverines. He's a 6'5", 275-pounder who could play guard or tackle. Since he's from the northwest, it's not surprising that his top 11 would include six teams from the Pac-12 (California, Oregon, Stanford, UCLA, USC, and Washington). Auburn, Nebraska, Notre Dame, and Oklahoma are also in the mix. He hasn't given out many hints, but he has said that he wants to visit Michigan in the fall. Erik Magnuson, a Michigan commit and fellow west coast resident, has been getting in Garnett's ear.

Weston (FL) Cypress Bay OG Daniel Isidora is one of the more lightly regarded recruits according to the scouting services, but he has a decent offer list that includes Illinois, Miami, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. Somehow I think he'll end up at a school like UCF or West Virginia, despite those offers from bigger programs.

Euless (TX) Trinity OG Hiva Lutui only has a few offers, and it seems like every Polynesian player ends up on the west coast or at Utah. He was born in southern California and wants to play close to him which, combined with those few offers, seems to point directly to UCLA.

Encino (CA) Crespi OG Jordan Simmons was thought by many to have a good chance of ending up in Ann Arbor because he's being mentored by former Michigan offensive lineman Courtney Morgan. However, Simmons's comments about Michigan have always been lukewarm, and most analysts seem to realize that Simmons isn't going to wear the winged helmet. He's a 6'5", 333 lb. bulldozer who's regarded as the #1 offensive guard in the country by Rivals. Miami, Oregon, USC, and Washington are potential destinations.

MagnusThunder is the author of Touch the Banner, a Michigan football blog.

Recruiting Update: July 9, 2011

MagnusThunder — Sat, 09 Jul 2011 14:01:37 -0000

COMMITMENT

Akron (OH) Buchtel FS Jarrod Wilson committed to Michigan yesterday afternoon (Touch the Banner profile here). His coach at Buchtel is none other than Ricky Powers, the former Michigan running back who ran for 2,554 yards and 19 touchdowns in the early 1990s; Powers is an alumnus of Buchtel. Back to Wilson, though, he's a 6'2", 190 lb. safety who had 55 tackles, 8 interceptions, and 5 return touchdowns last year. Between Carvin Johnson, Jordan Kovacs, Marvin Robinson, Josh Furman, and Wilson, the Wolverines finally seem to have the safety position headed in the right direction. Looking back at Michigan's recent safety signings, it's a disaster area. Aside from the aforementioned crew (which has some question marks, too):

Is Ray Vinopal too small and slow? Maybe, but he's also a Pitt Panther.
Is Vlad Emilien recovered from his knee injury? No
Is Demar Dorsey a good student? No.
Is Brandon Smith a safety or linebacker? Trick question, he's a Temple Owl.
Etc.

Wilson looks like a safety, plays like a safety, and runs like a safety. Be still, my beating heart.

ADDED TO THE BOARD

Well, this guy was already on the board, but Rochester (NY) Aquinas DT Jarron Jones decommitted from Penn State. It's unlikely that Michigan gets a hard look, but if I were Jones and I had my eyes set on getting to the NFL, I would go crawling back to the Nittany Lions. Going back to the early 2000s, the list of Penn State defensive linemen getting picked high in the draft is a long one: Courtney Brown, Michael Haynes, Jimmy Kennedy, Tamba Hali, Aaron Maybin, and Jared Odrick all got picked in the first round, in addition to a few more in the second and third rounds. I'm not sure that any school in the country produces defensive linemen (not to mention linebackers) at a higher rate than PSU. Defensive line coach Larry Johnson is one of the best in the business and probably the most impressive coach I've seen at clinics.

OFF THE BOARD

North Carolina WR Jody Fuller committed to South Carolina. He was never very interested in coming up north.

Illinois DT Jaleel Johnson committed to Iowa. Johnson received an offer from the Wolverines and visited this spring, and at one point, it seemed like Michigan was near the front of the pack. But the coaches seem to have been concentrating their DT recruiting efforts elsewhere in recent weeks, and it came down to the Hawkeyes and Michigan State Spartans.

Ohio QB Maty Mauk committed to Missouri. The Tigers, who did well with undersized QB Chase Daniel a few years ago, get another small-ish, mobile QB in Mauk. The original front-runner for his services looked like Notre Dame, whose coach Brian Kelly mentored big brother Ben Mauk at Cincinnati several years ago. If Brady Hoke truly wants a quarterback in this class, he'll have to convince New Jersey's Devin Fuller or throw out some more offers. Fuller wants to play QB, but Michigan wanted him as an athlete, at least until recently. We'll see if Mauk's commitment pushes the coaches to change their minds.

OFFENSIVE TACKLE RECRUITING

I was just going to dump the information on the entire offensive line, but somehow my 1,100-word post got whittled down to 500 words between 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. the other day. I'm taking that as a sign that the guards aren't ready to have their secrets revealed, so we'll cover the behemoth offensive tackles this week and the burly road-graders next Saturday.

Lakewood (CA) Lakes OT Zach Banner is 6'9" and 310 lbs. I'm not sure what they call that in other sports, but in football, we call it "huge." Banner is the son of Lincoln Kennedy who, if you remember, was a behemoth offensive lineman for the Washington Huskies, Atlanta Falcons, and Oakland Raiders. Brainteaser: If Zach Banner leaves Seattle on a train going east at 40 mph and Terrelle Pryor drives a borrowed getaway Corvette west from Columbus at 95 mph, how many Vincent Smiths could play hide-and-seek in Banner's galoshes? (Hint: It's six. The answer is six.)

Pittsburgh (PA) Fox Chapel Area OT Adam Bisnowaty is a 6'6", 275 lb. prospect whom "insiders" insist Michigan's coaches are pursuing pretty hard, more so than some of the other guys on this list. His offer list won't blow you away, but teams like Florida and Penn State are on it, so he's got some interest from good programs. Bisnowaty is physical and athletic, but I've got some concerns from what I've seen on film. He does a little too much standing around; in addition, good offensive linemen seem to be able to tell from a defense's reaction where the play is going, how it's developing behind him, etc. It's kind of a natural instinct, and I'm not sure Bisnowaty has it.

Eden Prairie (MN) Eden Prairie OT Nick Davidson was profiled in last week's post, but there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of mutual interest. If I were him, I would want to get back down south, pronto.

Chicago (IL) Simeon OT Jordan Diamond has visited Michigan several times and want to make it back to Ann Arbor at least once more this summer. He's high on the coaches' priority list, and they have told him that they will notify him when they get down to one scholarship remaining. The Wolverines seem to be his leader, but it's seemed that way for about six months now. Michigan will probably only take two more linemen at this point, so if another guy commits soon, don't be surprised if Diamond hops on the train. Otherwise, he said he'll carry out his decision into the season. I get the feeling that he's enjoying the recruiting process and wants to have all the fun he can have before getting down to the nitty gritty.

New Orleans (LA) Edna Karr OT Derek Edinburgh is a Louisiana kid with an LSU offer. Those types of kids usually stay home.

Charlotte (NC) Mallard Creek OT D.J. Humphries has shown almost no interest in his Michigan offer. Most people think he's going to be a Florida Gator.

San Clemente (CA) San Clemente OT Kyle Murphy seems like a virtual lock to stay on the west coast, even though Michigan commit Erik Magnuson said he would be trying to get Murphy to come east. USC seems a likely destination.

Tempe (AZ) Corona Del Sol OT Andrus Peat visited Michigan a few weeks ago, said gollygoshgeewhizgreat, and now is expected to commit to Nebraska or Texas. At 6'7" and 300 lbs. he has the unique ability to stay low and drive people off the ball. His father, Todd, played offensive line for the great Phoenix Cardinals back in the '80s. His brother, a 4-star prospect creatively named Todd, signed to play defensive tackle for Nebraska back in February. Another brother, Cassius, is currently in ninth grade. Just out of curiosity, how do you get three brothers named Cassius, Andrus, and . . . Todd?

Blue Earth (MN) Blue Earth Area OT Jonah Pirsig is another 6'9" recruit. (There are six 6'9" recruits in Rivals' database for 2012. The only other one with any FBS offers is Chase Nelson, a 355-pound offensive tackle from North Dakota State College of Science, who has a verbal tender from UTEP.) He recently narrowed his choices to Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, with Minnesota being the obviously stupid choice. The last time the Golden Gophers had an offensive tackle who got drafted to the NFL, Matt Anderle was selected one round ahead of Hayden Epstein. Iowa (Bryan Bulaga, 2010) and Wisconsin (Gabe Carimi, 2011) have each produced a first round OT within the past two years.

Jacksonville (FL) Bolles OT John Theus has a brother, Nathan, who committed to Georgia in 2011 to play offensive guard. There's a strong possibility that the younger Theus follows suit, but Florida seems to be option #2.

Palm Beach Gardens (FL) Palm Beach Gardens OT Avery Young is 6'6" and 273 lbs. with offers from most of the major programs in the country. It seems to be a battle between Georgia, which is where he was born, and Florida, which is where he lives now. Young and Theus are generally considered to be the two best offensive lineman in Florida this year.

MagnusThunder is the author of Touch the Banner, a Michigan football blog.

Recruiting Update: July 2, 2011

MagnusThunder — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 08:22:14 -0000

COMMITMENT

Nashville (TN) Montgomery Bell OT Blake Bars committed to Michigan this past week (Touch the Banner profile). Bars is 6'5" and 275 lbs., which sounds like the perfect size for an offensive guard; however, the coaches told him that they intend to see how he does at left tackle before trying him anywhere else. His average star rating between the four major services (ESPN, Rivals, Scout, and 24/7 Sports) is 3.33 and his average position ranking is #43 (though he's unranked by 24/7). What can you expect from someone with that ranking? Well, back in 2002 Michigan got Rivals' #42 and #44 offensive guards. Guard #44 was Tom Berishaj, who hung around for a couple years and then departed prior to 2004 without making an impact. Guard #42 was Mark Bihl, who started 17 games at center from 2004-2006 and was a Rimington Award finalist as a fifth year senior; he signed with the San Diego Chargers as an undrafted rookie free agent in 2007.

ADDED TO THE BOARD

I'm not sure how I missed this, but Eden Prairie (MN) OT Nick Davidson was offered by Michigan a few months ago. He moved from North Carolina to Minnesota back in April due to the fact that his father, Jeff Davidson, was hired to be the OL coach by the Minnesota Vikings. The elder Davidson played for the Denver Broncos and New Orleans Saints and has coached for New Orleans, New England, Cleveland, and Carolina. The younger Davidson has mentioned interest in Clemson, Minnesota, Stanford, and Virginia Tech, and Michigan doesn't seem to be in the running.

New Orleans (LA) Edna Karr OT Derek Edinburgh has also been offered by Michigan. He's 6'8" and 320 lbs. with offers from just about every second-tier school in the country . . . and LSU. If his high school name sounds familiar, that's because it's the alma mater of the awesomely named Munchie Legaux, a 2010 dual-threat quarterback that Rich Rodriguez pursued. Legaux committed to Colorado before settling on Cincinnati, where he played wide receiver last season and caught 1 pass for 18 yards.

Westlake Village (CA) Oaks Christian WR Jordan Payton decommitted from USC. Payton is a 6'2", 199 lb. wideout who has been a soft commit to USC for a long time. He's been showing interest in Michigan for months, and he has stated that he plans to visit Ann Arbor at some point. His coaches won't let their players take official visits during football season, so Payton either has to visit unofficially this summer or take an official visit to Michigan in the dreary winter months.

OFF THE BOARD

Cleveland (OH) Glenville DB De'van Bogard committed to Ohio State. Bogard was being recruited to play the slot corner position that will likely be manned by Thomas Gordon this fall.

Waco (TX) CB Will Hines committed to Missouri. Greg Mattison was recruiting him and making some inroads several weeks ago, but Michigan is pretty full of cornerbacks in the class now.

Baltimore (MD) Dunbar WR Deontay McManus "committed" to West Virginia. I put that verb inside quotation marks because it sounds like he's as committed to West Virginia as Bree Olson was to Charlie Sheen. I'm not saying it's not true love . . . but I just wanted to make an analogy between Sheen and WVU because, well, they're both effed up.

WIDE RECEIVER RECRUITING

The coaches have stated that they would like to take two wide receivers in this class. So far only a couple have shown serious interest, but here's a rundown of the uncommitted offerees:

Jackson (TN) Christian's Drae Bowles has offers from all over the place, and hasn't shown any particular interest in his offer from the Wolverines. Several factors make me think he's headed for (or staying in) SEC country.

Farmington Hills (MI) Harrison's Aaron Burbridge has some work to do in the classroom, but otherwise, it sounds like Michigan would be the leader. He already has two classmates committed to the Wolverines in TE Devin Funchess and DE Mario Ojemudia. He's Rivals' #19 wideout and #134 player overall.

Ramsey (NJ) Don Bosco Prep's Leonte Carroo has shown some interest in Michigan, but all signs point to him staying in the Big East, most likely at Rutgers. He's a 6'1", 205 lb. track star so . . . shucks. Several of his teammates are also being recruited by the Wolverines: DE Darius Hamilton, S Elijah Shumate, and CB Yuri Wright. Shumate and Wright have also shown interest in the Wolverines, but we have almost no shot at Hamilton.

St. Louis (MO) Ladue Horton Watkins' Jehu Chesson was offered by Michigan relatively recently. He's 6'3" and 182 lbs., and while his recruiting profile isn't necessarily as impressive as some others on the list, his physical skills remind me of the Michigan receivers of old - Adrian Arrington, David Terrell, Braylon Edwards, etc. I'm not saying he's as good as all those guys, but the size/speed combo brings back good memories. It sounds like Michigan has as good of a chance as anyone, and he was originally recruited by the Rodriguez staff and visited in summer 2010, so his familiarity with Michigan goes back a little ways.

Norcross (GA)'s Jason Croom was offered a few weeks ago, said thanks but no thanks, and is almost certainly going to stay in the south.

West Des Moines (IA) Dowling's Amara Darboh has said that he wants to visit Michigan this summer, and he's got about a month to do it before summer practice starts for him. Florida, Iowa, and Notre Dame seem to be the leaders, although Michigan has a chance to wedge its way in there. I would really like to see Darboh come to Michigan, but I think those other teams are going to be hard to beat.

Olney (MD) Good Counsel's Stefon Diggs is an all-everything, 5-star recruit who could play safety in college, too. He showed early interest in Michigan partly due to incoming freshman Blake Countess, a former teammate at Good Counsel. But it seems like the Wolverines have fallen off with him and he's a real longshot at this point. He also has a current teammate who's being pursued by Michigan in RB Wes Brown, but that doesn't look like it will happen, either.

Monroe (NC) Sun Valley's Jody Fuller has already decided on a final four that doesn't include Michigan. Those four are Miami, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia Tech.

Springfield (MO) Hillcrest's Dorial Green-Beckham is a consensus top-3 player in the country. He's very quiet when it comes to recruiting and has some family health issues, so I fully expect him to stay somewhere close to home. Elite athletes like Green-Beckham tend to have a relatively straight route to the NFL, and I expect he's no different than the Julio Joneses of the world. I'm guessing he'll spend three years at a big-time program like Oklahoma and then get drafted by one of the NFL's worst five teams.

Tatum (TX)'s Jalen Overstreet is an athlete type who currently plays quarterback in high school. Much like New Jersey QB/ATH Devin Fuller, I don't think it would be a bad idea for Michigan to take a kid with some potential at QB but the ability to play other positions, too. With three current scholarship quarterbacks and a 2013 kid committed in Shane Morris, the coaches can be a little liberal in who they take as a signal caller. Overstreet only has a few offers, but one of them is from Texas Tech, a program that has already sucked in four other Michigan offerees (WR Reginald Davis, OT Trey Keenan, OG Michael Starts, and WR Dominique Wheeler). But defensive coordinator Greg Mattison is on the job in Texas, so never say never.

Westlake Village (CA) Oaks Christian's Jordan Payton was mentioned above.

Lakewood (CA)'s Darius Powe's favorite school is Ohio State. The only problem is that Ohio State hasn't offered. Most of his offers have come from Pac-12 country, and I expect that he'll stay out west if OSU's ~~boosters~~ recruiters don't come through.

Cincinnati (OH) Taft's Dwayne Stanford has been trying to get to Ann Arbor for awhile. He was supposed to visit at the end of June, but plans fell through when his high school teammate, DE Adolphus Washington, couldn't join him. They seem like a package deal. And even though Michigan has plenty of defensive ends in this class, the 6'5" Stanford - who plays like Plaxico Burress - would be a welcome addition . . . and I guess we could take on the burden of Washington, who's a 5-star to Scout.

Bellflower (CA) St. John Bosco's Bryce Treggs seems like a lock to become a California Golden Bear. That's been rumored for a long time, he's a legacy recruit, and his good friend Zach Kline is their 2012 QB recruit. Kline has talked a little bit about visiting Michigan, so if that happens, maybe the door opens a wee bit for Treggs. But don't get your hopes up.

Inglewood (CA)'s Derrick Woods is probably either staying in Pac-12 country or heading to the deep south and playing in the SEC. He has offers from everywhere and wants to drag out his recruitment until National Signing Day, so the chances for Michigan here are somewhere around zero.

As you can tell from that breakdown, things aren't looking particularly promising for anyone. The best chance seems to be with Burbridge, who might be in a Thomas Rawls-type situation where he has to get things in order and then see where things stand in January/February. But Michigan plans to have its recruiting for 2012 done by the end of the season, so he might be out of luck if he has to wait that long. That leaves you with guys like Chesson, Payton, and Stanford, and Michigan has some work to do with all of them. If the coaches do indeed want to pull in two receivers, they might need to settle for one of these guys and then extend an offer to someone like Cincinnati (OH) Moeller's Monty Madaris, who has offers from the likes of Boston College, Illinois, Indiana, Louisville, Michigan State, and Nebraska. Michigan has a strong presence in Ohio and they would instantly be his best offer, with the possible exception of the Cornhuskers.

MagnusThunder is the author of Touch the Banner, a Michigan football blog.

Recruiting Update: June 25, 2011

MagnusThunder — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 12:38:41 -0000

COMMITMENT (SORT OF)

Madisonville (KY) North Hopkins S Jeremy Clark accepted a greyshirt offer from Michigan. He'll have to pay his own way for the first semester of the 2012-13 school year if all goes according to plan, and then he'll get a scholarship in 2013 and count against the class of 2013's numbers. Akron (OH) Buchtel safety Jarrod Wilson is announcing his decision on July 8th at 2:30 p.m. If he opts to attend Notre Dame or Penn State, Clark will reportedly be given Wilson's scholarship offer.

2012 PROSPECTS ADDED TO THE BOARD

Lakewood (OH) St. Edward's OG Kyle Kalis has decommitted from Ohio State. Kalis is a top-50 player nationally and had been committed to the Buckeyes for several months. He was ready to call off his commitment when OSU head coach Jim Tressel resigned, but when Kalis called the coaching staff to call the whole thing off, interim head coach Luke Fickell talked him out of it. Fickell's sweet talk wore off after a couple weeks, though, and now the 6'5", 304 lb. guard is back on the market. Along with Toledo (OH) Whitmer DE Chris Wormley, he visited Michigan this weekend and is good friends with Michigan-bound DE Tom Strobel.

Norcross (GA) WR Jason Croom received an offer last weekend. Croom is a 6'5", 212-pounder who has the frame of a future tight end, but the speed to stay at wide receiver. He has family in the state of Michigan, and the Wolverines need every little connection they can get when trying to pull players out of the deep south. With offers out to wide receivers such as Croom and Cincinnati's 6'5" Dwayne Stanford, it's obvious that the coaches are looking for a big kid who can be a jump ball and red zone threat. However, Croom seems destined for Mississippi State or Tennessee.

Alliance (OH) Marlington RB/FB Alden Hill received a Michigan offer on Wednesday. Hill is a 6'2", 220 lb. runner who looks like a future fullback to me. Rather than 250-pound rhinos like you see at Ohio State and Wisconsin, Brady Hoke seems to be looking for guys who can run and catch a little bit, too. Think B.J. Askew.

2013 PROSPECTS ADDED TO THE BOARD

Stephenson (GA) Stone Mountain DE/LB Reginald Carter was offered last week. At 6'3" and 225 lbs., he looks like a SAM linebacker to me. He played defensive end for Stone Mountain, but has been working out at camps as a linebacker. His future position probably depends on how his body matures.

Midland (MI) OT Steven Elmer finally received his Michigan offer when he camped in Ann Arbor this past week. Elmer already held offers from Michigan State and Mississippi State and looks like a big-time recruit. Elmer is already 6'6" and 297 lbs., runs a 5.15 forty, and has a 4.63 shuttle time. Those are impressive numbers. He and Michigan-committed QB Shane Morris might be the two best players in the state for 2013.

Parker (CO) Ponderosa OT Chris Fox received an offer after camping at Michigan this week. He's 6'6" and 297 lbs. just like Elmer. His only other current offer is from the in-state Buffaloes, but more big-time offers are surely on the way with his size and quick feet.

Hudson (OH) TE Ben Gedeon was offered at Michigan's week-long camp this week. He's only 6'2" and 204 lbs. right now, but he looks like he could grow into an H-back like Ricardo Miller.

Concord (CA) De La Salle LB Michael Hutchings has been offered. He had 53 tackles, 1 interception, and 1 fumble recovery as a sophomore in 2010. Hutchings already has offers from Cal, UCLA, and USC, which are obviously big pulls for west coast kids. De La Salle is the alma mater of former Michigan QB Matt Gutierrez (2002-04).

Dallas (TX) Jesuit WR Jake Oliver has been offered. He seems like a lock to stay in Big 12 country, but as a sophomore, he had 85 catches for 1302 yards and 13 touchdowns.

Baltimore (MD) Gilman DT Henry Poggi has been offered. He's only around 6'3" and 235 lbs. right now, but schools must like what they see, because he's already got offers from Alabama, Auburn, Iowa, Ohio State, and Stanford, among others. Michigan has been trying to make inroads into Gilman for a few years with offers to 2011 WR Darius Jennings, 2012 ATH Cyrus Jones, and now Poggi. His two brothers are both FBS players, with Sam a reserve DE for Duke and Jim a backup LB for Iowa.

Tyrone (GA) Sandy Creek CB Shaquille Wiggins received an offer last weekend. He's 5'10" and 160 lbs., so he's tiny, but just finished his sophomore year of high school. He already has an offer from Ohio State, as well as smaller programs like Ball State, Cincinnati, and Toledo.

OFF THE BOARD

Texas OT Trey Keenan visited Michigan last week and liked what he saw, but ultimately, he chose to become a Texas Tech Red Raider. That's not much of a surprise if you've followed his recruitment.

Texas OG John Michael McGee committed to Oklahoma. He never visited or showed serious interest in the Wolverines.

Ohio DE Greg McMullen committed to Nebraska. Early on he had been thought to be destined for Ohio State, but Nebraska doesn't have any of those damn NCAA investigators ~~Pryoring~~ prying into everything. McMullen is one of Ohio's bumper crop of defensive ends that includes Adolphus Washington (uncommitted), Se'von Pittman (MSU; see below), Tom Strobel (Michigan), Pharaoh Brown (Michigan), Chris Wormley (uncommitted), and Ifeadi Odenigbo (uncommitted).

Pennsylvania OT Chris Muller committed to Rutgers. Say hi to ~~Marcus Witherspoon~~ Anthony Lalota for us.

Massachusetts OT Eric Olson committed to Northwestern. Olson was a kid who visited Michigan and reportedly enjoyed himself. He turned down interest from some schools because he had his eyes only on colleges with stellar academic reputations.

Ohio OG Tyler Orlosky committed to West Virginia. Michigan didn't seem to be pursuing Orlosky very hard (in fact, there were rumors that his offer was retracted). He's the teammate of the highly regarded Kyle Kalis (mentioned above), but Kalis seems to be in no danger of going to WVU, so this probably won't affect Kalis' recruitment.

Ohio DE Se'von Pittman committed to Michigan State. Pittman seemed like he was headed for Ohio State, but then Tatgate happened. Then Pittman seemed like he was headed to Michigan, but the coaching staff was rumored to have told him to hold off. Then Pittman seemed like he was headed to Michigan State, because he was.

Colorado OT Paul Thurston committed to Nebraska. Michigan was one of his three finalists, but ultimately, he chose to become a Cornhusker. Good luck to him.

RUNNING BACK RECRUITING

The uncommitted 2012 offerees include:

Tampa (FL) Berkeley Prep's Nelson Agholor has offers from everywhere and could play any number of positions in college (running back, wide receiver, cornerback, or safety). He's one of the most dynamic athletes in the country. I'm listing him here as a running back, but I imagine any coach in the country would let him choose his position. He hasn't narrowed down his list, so Michigan's chance is as good as anyone's.

Olney (MD) Our Lady of Good Counsel's Wes Brown has been of interest to Michigan fans for several reasons. First, he has an all-everything teammate in 2012 wide receiver Stefon Diggs, whom Michigan is also recruiting. Second, his former teammate Blake Countess is an incoming freshman cornerback. And oh yeah, Brown is pretty good at football, too, with almost 1,300 yards rushing as a junior. Brown has made some comments that indicate he's annoyed with the whole "package deal" thing with Diggs, which Brown said was just a rumor. There's no package deal agreement in place with his teammate. And frankly, it seems that Brown is accepting that he's a good player, but not necessarily a Grade A target. I would not be surprised to see him end up at a second-tier program, maybe in the Big East, ACC, or Big 12.

Erie (PA) McDowell's Greg Garmon visited Michigan recently. And while he's generally considered to be North Carolina's or Penn State's to lose, getting kids on campus almost always gives Michigan at least a temporary bump. He's probably the Wolverines' best chance with an uncommitted running back, but that's not saying much. He reminds me of Wisconsin's soon-to-be-freshman Melvin Gordon.

Exton (PA) Downingtown East's Drew Harris is a bigger running back than most of these guys, standing 6'2" and 195 lbs. He's solidly built and would probably play in college around 215 lbs. Harris stated that Pitt and Virginia Tech are his top two, but he has visited Penn State and will visit again this summer. I haven't seen any evidence to suggest that Michigan can crack his top group.

Murfreesboro (TN) Blackman's I'Tavius Mathers seems like a lock for the SEC, whether it's Alabama, South Carolina, or Tennessee. He's not very noisy on the recruiting trail, so it's hard to get a good feel for where he's leaning. However, I have heard zero buzz about him having serious interest in Michigan. He had 2,614 yards rushing and 29 touchdowns in 2010 and was named the Gatorade Player of the Year in Tennessee.

Raleigh (NC) Millbrook's Keith Marshall is in the race for the #1 running back in the country. He has offers from virtually every major program in the country. Michigan recently made the cut down to his top 12 schools, although he's never visited Michigan and hasn't talked about taking an official. He's 5'11" and 190 lbs. but can run between the tackles or get outside. He plans to graduate early and enroll at the school of his choice, so his recruitment ought to end sooner rather than later.

Bamberg (SC) Bamberg-Erhardt's Demetrius Williams reported a Michigan offer last year when Rich Rodriguez was still here, so I've kept him on the board. However, it seems as though Michigan has stopped recruiting him. His three favorites are Illinois, Michigan State, and Ole Miss (in that order). South Carolina is a talent-rich state, but so far Michigan's coaches have only offered a couple other prospects from the state. One is Williams' teammate, DE Martin Aiken. The other is OG Patrick Destefano, who committed to Clemson.

Perhaps Michigan's best chance with any running back is in the form of Canton (OH) Glenoak's Bri'onte Dunn, which is not a new name to people who follow recruiting. Dunn is currently committed to Ohio State but has made no secret of his dislike for what's going on with Jim Tressel's resignation and the potential sanctions coming down from the NCAA. Dunn has visited Ann Arbor in recent weeks and, while he hasn't said so, I would guess that Michigan's #2 on his list.

Austintown (OH) Fitch's William Mahone is a player to watch for a Michigan offer. I'm a little surprised that Michigan's coaches haven't gone after him yet. The rumor is that Michigan showed some interest in having Mahone play safety, but Mahone sees himself as a running back. So if Brady Hoke and Co. change their tune as to what position he could play, they might be able to get back into it. Much like Greg Garmon and Drew Harris, Penn State ought to be a major player in Mahone's recruitment. If one were to commit to the Nittany Lions, that might affect how the other two choose going forward.

I've maintained all along that Michigan doesn't need a running back in the 2012 class. There are plenty of backs on the current roster, and only one (Michael Shaw) is scheduled to graduate at the end of this season. The coaches ought to take an elite talent if the opportunity presents itself, and just about all the guys on this list would fit in that category. However, taking someone who's "just a guy" just creates even more of a logjam of just-a-guys at the position. In fact, the seeming lack of serious interest from the running backs on this list could very well be connected to the fact that these kids look at Michigan's roster, see seven tailbacks returning, and figure they'll go somewhere with a less crowded depth chart. But if Michigan suffers attrition at the position or just wants to take a running back, anyway, there are a couple potential offerees from the midwest, like Wakarusa (IN) Northwood's Coy Brown or Muskegon (MI)'s Juwan Lewis.

MagnusThunder is the author of Touch the Banner, a Michigan football blog.

Recruiting Update: June 18, 2011

MagnusThunder — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 08:33:34 -0000

ADDED TO THE BOARD

Melbourne (FL) Holy Trinity safety Marcus Maye has been offered. You likely won't see Maye leave the Sunshine State. It's up to Florida, Florida State, and Miami to duke it out.

OFF THE BOARD

Missouri OG Evan Boehm committed to Missouri.

Florida C Ty Darlington committed to Oklahoma. Despite being from the same high school as current Michigan WR Jeremy Gallon, Darlington never seriously considered the Wolverines.

Ohio OG Kyle Dodson committed to Wisconsin. Dodson was always thought to be an Ohio State lean without a Buckeye offer. Instead, he went where all massive offensive linemen seem to go - Madison. He told MGoBlog's TomVH that Michigan finished second in the running for his services.

Georgia DE James Deloach and DT Jonathan Taylor, high school teammates from Millen, committed to the home state Bulldogs. Michigan was never a player for either, and the duo always maintained a desire to stay down south.

Florida CB Brian Poole committed to Florida.

Texas WR Dominique Wheeler committed to Texas Tech.

Georgia WR JaQuay Williams committed to Auburn. Michigan was never really in the running, but he grew up as an Ohio State fan and probably would have chosen the Buckeyes if not for Tatgate. Instead, he chose a program with a squeaky clean image.

VISITORS

Nashville (TN) Montgomery Bell Academy OG Blake Bars is visiting this weekend. Bars is originally from the Great Lakes State and has more than a passing interest in playing in Ann Arbor. He's got offers from some big-time programs (Florida, LSU) in the south, though, and no Tennessee product has chosen the Wolverines in about a decade.

Chicago (IL) Simeon OT Jordan Diamond visited Michigan on Wednesday and is visiting once again this weekend for the Sound Mind, Sound Body camp. I'm not keeping an official stalker tally, but it sure seems that Diamond has visited Michigan more than any other school. I think it would be quite an upset to see him pick anyone but the Wolverines.

Erie (PA) McDowell RB Greg Garmon visited Michigan on Monday. North Carolina and Penn State seem to be ahead of Michigan, but I would probably slot the Wolverines in at #3. Garmon is a solid top-200 prospect nationally and one of the top 15-20 running backs in the nation.

Salt Lake City (UT) Highland FB Sione Houma visited Michigan last weekend. Fullback wouldn't be very high on my priority list for Michigan right now, but Houma and E.J. Fatu are both pretty interested in playing football in Ann Arbor. Houma visited with both of his parents, which means they shelled out airfare for at least three round-trip tickets from Utah to Michigan. He must be taking Brady Hoke's overtures seriously, but Utah remains his leader.

Argyle (TX) OG Trey Keenan is visiting Michigan this weekend. He says it's his last trip of the summer, and my guess would be that he stays in the state of Texas. But like Houma, paying his own way to fly halfway across the country shows serious interest. It's not like the middle of Michigan is a popular destination where you can hit the beach, go to an amusement park, and then stop by the university as you're driving past. He must like what he's hearing from the coaches.

Boyertown (PA) OT Chris Muller is visiting Michigan this weekend. Rivals overrates him as the #69 player in the country, and the Wolverines are in on better prospects than Muller. The coaches have lots of offensive line prospects and can afford to hold out for some of the top guys, in my opinion.

Tempe (AZ) Corona Del Sol OT Andrus Peat is visiting Michigan this weekend. If Jesus had a high school all-star team, Peat would get one of the first invitations. Like any top-notch prospect from Arizona, I expect him to stay in the south or west, perhaps as close as Nebraska. But maybe Taylor Lewan can use his mustache tattoo to convince Peat that exciting things are happening in Michigan.

Cincinnati (OH) Taft WR Dwayne Stanford is NOT visiting Michigan this weekend. His teammate, DE Adolphus Washington, was supposed to join Stanford on the visit. However, Washington had a calendar conflict, and that seems to have kept both away this weekend. They have interest in being a package deal and are best friends, so when one visits Ann Arbor, expect them to be together.

QUARTERBACK RECRUITING

Michigan currently has offers out to four uncommitted quarterbacks. They are:

Columbus, Indiana's Gunner Kiel. Rumors keep popping up that Kiel might drop soon, but those rumors haven't come to fruition yet. And whenever Kiel does decide, I expect it to be for someone other than Michigan. Early in the process, it looked as if Notre Dame might be the team to beat. Lately it seems Alabama and Oklahoma are the two suitors foremost on his mind, and Kiel recently visited Alabama. There's always a chance that persistent recruiting from Michigan gets the Wolverines back on his radar, but don't get too excited. Kiel is from the same high school (Columbus East) as former Michigan and current Oakland Raiders safety Steve Brown.

Kenton, Ohio's Maty Mauk. Mauk is a short-ish Tate Forcier type of quarterback with off-the-charts high school numbers. Like Kiel it seemed to be Notre Dame and then everyone else earlier in the process, but neither one has committed to the Fighting Irish. Mauk seemed to fall off the radar for a little while and Missouri seemed to be the destination du jour, but there's been a little buzz lately that he wants to visit Michigan again and get a better feel for what the future looks like in Ann Arbor. I don't think Mauk has a particularly high ceiling, but wedged between Denard Robinson, Devin Gardner, and Shane Morris, a quarterback in this class doesn't have to be an absolute stud.

Old Tappan, New Jersey's Devin Fuller. Comparisons are bound to be made between Fuller and Denard Robinson, but Robinson is probably a little faster . . . and Fuller is probably a little better of a passer at the same stage in his career. Fuller recently said that about 60% of teams are recruiting him as a quarterback, and 40% want him as an "athlete." Michigan is one of the teams that has consistently talked to him about playing quarterback, and the offensive success (or failure) of Denard Robinson this fall might have an impact on where Fuller decides to go. I think Brady Hoke and Al Borges have to show that they're willing and able to use an athletic quarterback's skills properly.

Plant City, Florida's Bennie Coney. Coney said early on that Michigan was still recruiting him despite the fact that Coney had some serious disciplinary issues for his high school football team last year. In recent weeks it sounds like Michigan has aimed its attention elsewhere. At this point I would be very surprised to see Coney end up in Ann Arbor.

I still believe that any quarterback Michigan gets in the 2012 class will come from a new offer. The Wolverines currently have three 4-star quarterbacks (assuming Shane Morris reaches that status, which I expect) and Russell Bellomy in the mix for the coming years. North Canton, OH quarterback Austin Appleby just picked up his first Big Ten offer from Purdue, and Michigan has been keeping in contact with him. Some Michigan fans were keeping an eye on Lima, OH quarterback Tyler O'Connor but he got an offer from Michigan State and committed to the Spartans a couple weeks ago. Buffalo, NY quarterback Chad Kelly also was on Michigan fans' radar (although he didn't have an offer), but he up and committed to Clemson this week. Detroit, MI quarterback Brian Blackburn is probably a MAC-level recruit, but the possibility exists that Michigan could toss out an offer to him late in the process if their other quarterback targets head elsewhere.

MagnusThunder is the author of Touch the Banner, a Michigan football blog.

Recruiting Update: June 12, 2011

MagnusThunder — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 15:04:43 -0000

COMMITMENTS

Mentor (OH) defensive end Tom Strobel committed to Michigan on Friday (Touch the Banner profile here). He's a 6'6", 245-pounder and a well regarded prospect across the board. If Ohio weren't loaded with a ridiculous amount of defensive end talent this year, Strobel might be the best DE in the state. But there are about four guys competing for that designation. There's a chance that Strobel could bump down to defensive tackle, but guys who are a true 6'6" probably shouldn't be playing on the interior defensive line very often.

Carlsbad (CA) La Costa Canyon offensive tackle Erik Magnuson committed to Michigan on Friday, too (TTB). The coaches established an early relationship with him when they were at San Diego State, and he liked them enough to follow them to Ann Arbor. Magnuson is a consensus top-100 prospect and could play either offensive tackle position, but for now we can probably pencil him in at left tackle once Taylor Lewan graduates.

ADDED TO THE BOARD

Pittsburgh (PA) Fox Chapel Area offensive tackle Adam Bisnowaty was offered by Michigan and visited campus earlier this week. At 6'6" and 275 lbs. he's listed as an OT, but he looks more like a guard to me. With Magnuson coming on board late this past week and Jordan Diamond a strong possibility, I'm not sure that Bisnowaty's offer would be committable as a tackle. I'm not that high on Bisnowaty, anyway. He does a lot of standing around and watching while the play goes on, not exactly the mentality you look for in an offensive lineman.

St. Louis (MO) Ladue Horton Watkins wide receiver Jehu Chesson received an offer earlier this week. He's 6'3" and 175 lbs. with 4.5 speed. He's a little bit raw when it comes to running routes, but he's a solid 3-star prospect with offers from half of the Big Ten. Last year he had 600 yards and 11 receiving touchdowns.

Van (TX) linebacker Dalton Santos de-committed from Oklahoma State. He's a solid player, but will likely stay in Big 12 country. Michigan is all set at linebacker, anyway.

OFF THE BOARD

South Carolina offensive guard Patrick Destefano committed to Clemson a couple weeks ago. I missed that in the previous update.

California wide receiver Malik Gilmore became an Oregon State Beaver the other day. He's never visited Corvallis and said he wants to still take his officials, so the door isn't necessarily closed all the way.

Georgia defensive end Jarontay Jones committed to Virginia Tech. Getting good kids out of the deep south has always been a problem for Michigan (yes, I know there are exceptions like Carlos Brown and Anthony Thomas), but with Michigan's defensive end haul here in 2012, there's not much reason to complain.

California tight end Taylor McNamara committed to Arizona. Not that I expected him to come to Michigan, but I didn't expect him to be a Wildcat, either. Tucson is kind of a cool town and there are lots of good looking girls in Arizona, but the school isn't exactly known for producing high level talent. Perhaps he wanted to follow in the epic footsteps of . . . Brandon Manumaleuna?

Maryland defensive end Michael Moore committed to Virginia. It's pretty impressive that a guy can find the time to practice football between making scathing documentaries about the NRA, General Motors, health care, etc. His dad, Shawn Moore, finished fourth in the 1990 Heisman voting (which Ty Detmer won) as a quarterback for Virginia and now works there as the quarterbacks coach, so this isn't much of a surprise. The elder Moore threw a good number of his passes to none other than former Detroit Lions first round pick Herman Moore, who had 54 receptions, 1190 yards, and 13 touchdowns that season and finished sixth in the same Heisman vote.

Missouri wide receiver Durron Neal committed to Oklahoma. Michigan never seemed to interest Neal very much, but that's one more high quality receiver off the board. I don't blame him for wanting to go to Oklahoma, though. With the way Oklahoma quarterbacks have put up yards and touchdowns over the past decade or so, I don't know why a wideout with an Oklahoma offer wouldn't want to go there.

HOW BIG IS THE BOARD?

In a discussion with Detroit News reporter Angelique Chengelis a couple days ago, head coach Brady Hoke told her that he expects the recruiting class to be 25 . . . or at least 23. So with 16 players committed already, I guess we should plan on seeing at least seven more players added to the class.

By my count Michigan has offered 170 players so far.

MagnusThunder is the author of Touch the Banner, a Michigan football blog.

Recruiting Update: June 4, 2011

MagnusThunder — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 12:56:22 -0000

COMMITMENTS

Sylvania (OH) Southview strong safety Allen Gant committed to Michigan on Tuesday (Touch the Banner profile here). Gant is kind of big and slow, but that didn't stop Ernest Shazor from leaving early for the NFL Draft and then going undrafted, so there's that. Gant is the son of former Wolverine safety Tony Gant ('82-'86).

Crete (IL) Monee cornerback Anthony Standifer committed to Michigan on Wednesday (TTB). Standifer is 6'1", 178 lbs. and doesn't run extremely well, but should be able to fit in at either boundary corner or free safety. Michigan was one of the first schools to offer him, but several others hopped on board soon. He's a real throwback to ye olden days, when cornerbacks weren't required to be 5'9" or shorter to get a Michigan scholarship.

ADDED TO THE BOARD

Lehi (UT) Westlake defensive end Moana Ofahengaue received an offer. He has offers from every corner of the country, but I haven't seen any film on him, so your guess is as good as mine. Michigan is supposedly in his top five and he might be camping in Ann Arbor this summer.

Atwater (CA) Buhach defensive tackle Aziz Shittu de-committed from Stanford. Rumors abound that he was embarrassed about his team's mascot being a tree. Unlike Ohio State's mascot, which is an Escalade. Michigan needs early-impact defensive tackles, and Shittu would fit that category. Coming to Ann Arbor is a realistic possibility, but I wouldn't put the Wolverines in the driver's seat.

OFF THE BOARD

Colorado offensive tackle Shane Callahan committed to Auburn. Cam Newton's father reportedly served as Callahan's representative during the process.

Ohio tight end Sam Grant committed to Boston College. He had an offer from the Wolverines, but the coaching staff seems to be backing off pursuit of tight ends. With two already in this class, the position has fallen way off in terms of priorities.

Texas offensive guard Michael Starts committed to Texas Tech, where he will be a perennial backup.

FALLOUT FROM OHIO STATE'S SHENANIGANS

Josh Helmholdt over at The Wolverine did a good breakdown of the Michigan targets who might/will be affected by the resignation of Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel. Perhaps no other school will be affected by the Buckeyes' idiocy than Michigan, whose coaches are heavily recruiting loads of Ohio players and OSU targets.

Allow me to toss in my own two cents on each of Helmholdt's 10 highlighted players:

1. Bri'onte Dunn (RB - Canton, OH). Dunn is currently committed to Ohio State. And while he's not a loud kid, he has made it no secret that he's unhappy with what's going down in Columbus. He might be a kid who waits out the process to see what kind of sanctions are doled out, but if there are any significant punishments (which there should be, for God's sake), then I expect Dunn to head elsewhere. Michigan seems to be #2 on his list.

2. Se'von Pittman (DE - Canton, OH). Pittman seems like the type of kid who might just go to Ohio State, anyway. I'm not a huge fan of Pittman's game, anyway, but it makes more sense to push for the next two guys on the list.

3a. Dwayne Stanford (WR - Cincinnati, OH). Stanford is a tall (6'5") wideout in the mold of . . . well . . . nobody Michigan has had for as long as I can remember. He's a bit like Plaxico Burress minus the gunshot wound. When Tressel announced his resignation, Stanford's Facebook status changed to something like "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!" My Spidey Sense tells me that he liked Ohio State, which is supported by the fact that he's previously said "I like Ohio State." In addition to his receiving skills, he might bring along with him to Michigan . . .

3b. Adolphus Washington (DE - Cincinnati, OH). In a perfect world, Pittman would commit to OSU and the Buckeyes would stop recruiting Washington, which would force Washington and Stanford - who want to be a package deal - into the arms of Michigan. Then an angry Washington and Stanford could dance on the Buckeyes' grave for four years. The only problem is that both Washington and Stanford play positions that aren't top priorities in terms of need, so with only 4 spots remainning in the 2012 class, I think some more room needs to open up before Michigan could take commitments from both of them.

5. Chris Wormley (DE - Toledo, OH). I discussed Wormley's game a few weeks ago, so it's no secret that there are concerns there. Michigan and OSU were supposedly neck-and-neck for his services before the fallout began, and now Michigan should be in the driver's seat once again. But with no pressing need for another strongside end, I would prefer that any strongside end comes riding into town with a wide receiver sidekick.

6. De'van Bogard (CB - Cleveland, OH). Bogard is being recruited for the nickel corner position, which isn't a big need to me. The Wolverines have enough cornerbacks that one ought to be able to bulk up a bit and slide inside. With a couple corners from the 2010 class, four from 2011, and at least two in 2012, the need for another corner doesn't really stand out.

7. Jordan Diamond (OT - Chicago, IL). Diamond had an offer from Ohio State, but I truly think Michigan has been his leader the entire time. I'm not sure Tressel's resignation has much of an impact here.

8. Tom Strobel (DE - Mentor, OH). The state of Ohio has a ton of talent at defensive end this year, including the guys on this list . . . and that doesn't even mention Ifeadi Odenigbo and Michigan commit Pharaoh Brown. Strobel's a good player and would be a solid consolation prize if the guys above don't pan out for Michigan, but you can't have 'em all. Strobel is basically Matt Godin with some quickness.

9. Kyle Kalis (OG - Lakewood, OH). Like many high school kids, Kalis has a hard time making up his mind. He committed to OSU early. Then when Tressel resigned, Kalis called up the coaching staff to tell them he was de-committing. And he was instantly swayed back by new (interim) head coach Luke Fickell. And by "swayed" I mean he was offered a Corvette.

10. Ondre Pipkins (DT - Kansas City, MO). Again, I don't think Ohio State was going to be a major player for Pipkins, anyway.

MagnusThunder is the author of Touch the Banner, a Michigan football blog.

Recruiting Update: May 29

MagnusThunder — Sun, 29 May 2011 17:33:00 -0000

ADDED TO THE BOARD

Nashville (TN) Montgomery Bell offensive guard Blake Bars was the only new offer this past week to a 2012 recruit.

However, several 2013 recruits have been offered, including Ohio RB/S Dymonte Thomas, Pennsylvania TE Adam Breneman, North Carolina LB Peter Kalambayi, and Georgia S Tray Matthews.

OFF THE BOARD

California QB Jake Rodrigues committed to Oregon.

California OT Max Tuerk committed to USC.

Colorado OT Shane Callahan committed to Auburn.

CLASS SIZE

Fans keep asking about how the class will finish, who will be included, etc. With the departure of wide receiver D.J. Williamson, who has been given his release to transfer, the current class should be 18. However, there will almost certainly be additional attrition between now and next February, whether from unhappiness, failure to qualify, homesickness, injury, etc. So while people are eager to project which players will end up in the class, it's somewhat of a fool's errand at this point. Michigan has more commitments on May 27, 2011, for the upcoming class than for any class since Rivals/Scout started keeping track. This is uncharted territory.

According to Rivals insider Josh Helmholdt, the coaches have been recruiting for a 22-person class. Recruiting guru Jim Stefani thinks Michigan's class will be 25 or more by February. I really have no idea what to expect. From the classes of 2008-2010, eight February signees never made it through their freshman years. That's an average of 2.7 per year. From the classes of 2005-2007, only one player - defensive end Quintin Woods - failed to qualify or begin his freshman season.

There's ample evidence to suggest that the Rich Rodriguez years took a step back when it came to actually getting kids on campus, but what's unclear is whether that trend will continue. Much of the 2011 class was landed by Rodriguez's staff, but a full 50% jumped on board after the hiring of Brady Hoke, including running back Thomas Rawls, who reportedly struggled to qualify. So recent history suggests that 2-3 of the 2011 signees will be gone by February, increasing the class size to 20-21. However, one would hope that the attrition rate during Rodriguez's tenure will drop off in the coming years.

BIGGEST NEEDS, BY POSITION

1. Defensive tackle. Tackles normally need a redshirt year, which means that the only options in 2013 would be fifth year senior Quinton Washington; redshirt juniors Richard Ash and Terry Talbott; and any redshirt or true freshmen from the 2012/2013 classes. That's especially scary considering since Washington hasn't played much yet and Talbott has reportedly struggling with a back injury that might hamper his career.

2. Offensive line. Teams are built on the offensive and defensive lines, and recruiting on the OL has been paltry in the past few years. There have been some good players, but not much in terms of quantity. The coaches want to take six in 2012, and even if tight end A.J. Williams converts to offensive tackle, Michigan needs three more players here.

3. Quarterback. Michigan only needs one quarterback, but it's imperative that they at least fill the position. There's no guarantee that Denard Robinson and Devin Gardner will fit the new offensive equation, and the earliest Shane Morris might get to Michigan would be January 2013 . . . if he enrolls early. That's too far off to count on. Michigan has taken at least one quarterback in each class for the past 14 years, so a QB in this class is extremely likely - and imperative.

4. Safety. There's youth at the safety positions, but not much in the way of depth. Furthermore, at least two of the safeties (Marvin Robinson, Josh Furman) were considered by many to be headed for linebacker. Other than Jordan Kovacs, Carvin Johnson, and incoming freshman Tamani Carter, the position seems slim.

5. Wide receiver. With Williamson gone and four wideouts scheduled to graduate this year, Michigan doesn't need many receivers . . . but they could use one or two good ones.

6. Cornerback. The coaches are still going after cornerbacks even with Terry Richardson in the fold for 2012, but missing out on other cornerbacks wouldn't hamper the team too much. Michigan just picked up four in the 2011 class, and sophomore Courtney Avery is already pushing to lock down a starting position for the next three years.

7. Defensive end. Michigan got three in 2011 and already has three for 2012. There's some elite talent interested in Michigan for the upcoming class, and those guys shouldn't necessarily be turned down if they want to come to Ann Arbor. But if the class ended today with just Mario Ojemudia, Pharaoh Brown, and Matt Godin, I wouldn't be disappointed.

8. Tight end. The Wolverines already have two committed for 2012, and the staff seems to have backed off Ron Thompson a little bit. They seem to be satisfied with their haul so far unless they might be able to pull in an elite talent.

9. Running back. This is another position where a great player would always be welcome, but numbers don't require an addition. There will probably be seven running backs still on the roster in 2012, and if history can be trusted, only about three of them will play significantly in any given year.

10. Linebacker. There will be 13 linebackers on the 2012 roster for a position group that only puts three on the field at once.

11. Kicker/punter. Michigan has already committed three scholarship kickers/punters on the 2011 roster, all of whom will still have eligibility through at least 2013.

MagnusThunder is the author of Touch the Banner, a Michigan football blog.

Recruiting Update: May 22

MagnusThunder — Fri, 20 May 2011 20:06:12 -0000

COMMITMENTS

Detroit (MI) Cass Tech cornerback Terry Richardson committed to Michigan on Thursday morning (Touch the Banner profile here). Richardson is a 5'9", 165-pounder with offers from just about every notable school in the country (Alabama, LSU, Ohio State, USC, etc.). He had originally said that he wanted to commit at the Under Armour All-America Game, which happens in early January, and Michigan seemed to be on the outside looking in. However, his good friends Royce Jenkins-Stone and James Ross committed to Michigan in recent weeks, and that seems to have sped up and perhaps changed Richardson's mind. It may be interesting to see what happens if one of that trio starts to have a wondering eye, because they seem to be a very tight group. I'm not expecting them to waver, but a decommitment from one could cause a Domino effect, just like the commitments have done.

Commitment #13 has dropped for the Wolverines, but he's a silent commit. It will likely be made public early this coming week.

ADDED TO THE BOARD

Cleveland (OH) Glenville cornerback De'van Bogard was offered by Michigan earlier this week. He's a little tricky to evaluate because his highlights consist of the 5'11", 172-pounder playing middle linebacker. That's not something you see every day.

Jackson (TN) Christian wide receiver Drae Bowles is the #109 player in the country to Rivals, and he was offered by Michigan this week. Bowles is lightning fast with offers from tons of mid- to high-level programs. Not a whole lot of kids come out of Tennessee, but pulling players out of SEC country is always difficult.

Lake Forest (IL) Lake Forest defensive tackle Faith Ekakitie is a new Michigan target. He's 6'2", 280 lbs. Don't let the recruiting websites trick you into thinking he's a defensive end.

Sylvania (OH) Southview safety Allen Gant got a Michigan offer. He's the son of Tony Gant, a Michigan safety from 1982-1986. The elder Gant had 96 career tackles, 11 pass breakups, and 3 interceptions. I'm not a big fan of what I've seen of the younger Gant on film, but he's a big kid (6'2", 210 lbs.) with decent bloodlines.

Virginia Beach (VA) Ocean Lakes defensive end Eli Harold got an offer, too. He's 6'4" and 215 lbs., a wide receiver/defensive end in the same way 2011 recruit Desimon Green was, a guy who's big and fast right now but will probably outgrow the receiver position. He's probably a weakside end type, and Michigan might have a little flexibility with Pharaoh Brown and Mario Ojemudia either having the frame or tenacity to be strongside defenders in the future. I won't hold my breath for a kid from Virginia Beach, though.

Waco (TX) Waco cornerback Will Hines earned an offer on Wednesday. He has good size at 6'1" and 175 lbs. but there are times in his highlights where he looks a little tentative when it comes to contact. The team could use a bigger corner to go along with the tiny ones brought in over the last couple classes.

Salt Lake City (UT) Highland fullback Sione Houma reports a Michigan offer. He's a 6'1", 215 lb. fullback for a triple-option team. The Wolverines could use a fullback, since the only current options for 2012 are hefty tailback Stephen Hopkins and incoming walk-on Joey Kerridge.

Land O'Lakes (FL) Land O'Lakes tight end Kent Taylor picked up an offer. He's the #68 tight end in the country to Rivals, which isn't surprising because he's 6'5", 220 lbs., and runs like the wind. This might tell you a little something about how Michigan feels about Ron Thompson. Thompson keeps delaying his decision, and the coaches might move on without him. Florida, Florida State, and Miami seem to be the leaders, and I doubt the Wolverines will get a whiff.

OFF THE BOARD

Fairless Hills, PA offensive tackle J.J. Denman committed to Penn State. He visited Ann Arbor this spring and Michigan might have even been as high as #2 on his list, but the Nittany Lions were always the leader. It's a disappointing loss because Denman is one of the top players in the country, but it wasn't unexpected. In fact, I'm a little surprised he didn't drop for PSU earlier.

Charlotte, NC tight end Mark Harrell committed to Notre Dame. He was pretty high on the Wolverines at one time and visited this spring, but perhaps Michigan's other tight end commits got in the way. Harrell can really run, but some also figured he might grow into an offensive tackle.

Georgia linebackers Raphael Kirby and Dillon Lee committed to Miami and Alabama, respectively. Both are excellent prospects, but pulling recruits out of Georgia is tough for Michigan to do. And, of course, there are already four linebackers committed to Michigan.

Guyer, TX fullback/tight end Dominic Ramacher committed to Oklahoma State. He had a few teammates who went to Oklahoma State last year, and the Cowboys are a common destination for Texans who don't pull offers from the Longhorns.

Recruiting Update: May 14

MagnusThunder — Sat, 14 May 2011 13:27:02 -0000

I swear, this has been the most exciting spring for Michigan football since I started following Michigan recruiting closely about five years ago. In the Rivals/Scout era, Michigan has never had 10 commitments for the upcoming class by early May . . . and that number jumped to 11 on Thursday.

COMMITMENTS

The long awaited silent commitment finally dropped publicly in the form of Novi (MI) Catholic Central defensive end Matt Godin (Touch the Banner profile here). If you hadn't figured out that Godin was the silent, then you're either reading about Michigan recruiting for the first time or you're an MSU fan. Godin isn't the world's most talented athlete, but he's a big body (6'5", 253 lbs.) that the combo of Brady Hoke, Greg Mattison, and Jerry Montgomery might be able to turn into an eater of blocks.

Also, some kid who just grew his first armpit hair committed to the Wolverines on Tuesday. He's 2013 quarterback Shane Morris (TTB) from Warren, MI. It's impossible to project recruiting rankings this far out and with so many sophomores who are absolute unknowns right now, but there's been chatter amongst recruiting types that he'll be a top-5 quarterback when all is said and done. I won't pretend to know what the 2013 quarterback class looks like, so I'll just say that Morris looks pretty good. He ought to be Michigan's best left-handed quarterback since the days of Clayton Richard.

Lyndhurst, OH, defensive end Pharaoh Brown (TTB) became a Wolverine last Saturday. He's 6'6", 220 lbs. and is your average DE/QB combo for his Brush High School team. If you think that's thin for a defensive end, consider that Terrelle Pryor was listed at the same height but 15 pounds heavier coming out of high school. Brown isn't quite as fast as Pryor and doesn't have the same ability as a thrower, but if Brown's not a thousand times smarter, I'll be very surprised. He's a pass rushing end who should be able to create some havoc down the road with his long arms clogging passing lanes.

And finally (or first?) defensive end Mario Ojemudia (TTB profile; pronounced OH-juh-MYOO-dee-uh, from what I understand) committed to Michigan early last Saturday, too, making him the second Farmington Hills (MI) Harrison commitment of the class; teammate Devin Funchess became a Wolverine last month. Ojemudia is 6'2", 215 lbs. right now and will likely become a weakside end in college. Their teammate, wide receiver Aaron Burbridge, has reportedly started smellin' what Brady Hoke is cookin', which is a good thing because Burbridge is Rivals' #134 overall player.

OFF THE BOARD

Nobody.

EXPLAINING THE RANKINGS

Now that Scout, Rivals, and 24/7 Sports have all released at least some of their rankings, we can take a look at some of them and see what the reasoning might be. For full disclosure, I have been a Rivals member for several years, but I've followed all the rankings to some degree. However, I'm not exactly a Rivals shill, because I've had my go-rounds with those guys over there at times. I've thought long and hard about canceling my subscription, but I don't figure any site out there will give me 100% satisfaction. All that being said, I have more insight into how Rivals does their rankings than any of the other sites.

Royce Jenkins-Stone (Rivals: 4-star, #87 overall): Jenkins-Stone is a 6'2", 215 lb. middle linebacker (who could also play SAM). He has all the size, athleticism, and aggressiveness you would want in a high school middle 'backer with the frame to add another 25-30 lbs. Since 6'2" and 245 lbs. is approximately the ideal size for an NFL middle linebacker, it's not surprising that Rivals would rank him so high. But he's not exactly a man-child or a physical freak, so he's out of 5-star reach.

James Ross (Rivals: 4-star, #143 overall): Personally, I think Ross is the better player. He's more fundamentally sound (except for a minor tackling flaw of dragging his feet at times) than Jenkins-Stone and a better all-around athlete. But at only 6'0" tall, he lacks ideal height to be an NFL linebacker. If Ross shoots up 2" or 3" in the next year, I wouldn't be surprised to see him leap over Jenkins-Stone. NFL potential is weighed heavily in Rivals' rankings, but the 2010 All-Big Ten linebackers weren't particularly tall (all were 5'11"-6'2" except Martez Wilson at 6'4"). Since height isn't a major factor in college linebacker success, this knock on Ross doesn't concern me much at all, especially since Michigan had a couple pretty good, small linebackers in the late '90's and early '00's who went on to NFL careers (Larry Foote, Ian Gold).

Joe Bolden (Rivals: 4-star, #167 overall): Bolden has the size to be good, but he's not quite the athlete that Jenkins-Stone and Ross are. I think his instincts and fundamentals are a notch above Jenkins-Stone's, but athleticism rules over all. Still, for Michigan to have three linebackers in the top 167 players in the country, you have to think that at least one (if not more) of these guys will turn out to be a major player at the next level.

Pharaoh Brown (Rivals: 4-star): I wasn't quite sure if Brown would get a fourth star from Rivals or not, but the analysts liked what they saw. He's a relative string bean at 6'6" and 220 (Bolden is four inches shorter but five pounds heavier), but he has oodles of athleticism. The technique isn't there yet, but athletes like this don't grow on trees. Shawn Crable might be a natural comparison, but Brown doesn't look like he has Crable's bird legs, so Pharaoh might end up a bit bigger from head to toe.

Michigan's other seven commitments are unranked as of yet, but all should end up as 3-stars:

Devin Funchess is a WR/TE tweener. I could see him getting a fourth star at some point, depending on whether he adds some weight or gets faster between now and the fall.

Mario Ojemudia is a DT/DE/LB tweener. I only include DT because that's where Scout lists him, but he's only 6'2" and 215 lbs., which is the same height and weight as our prize middle linebacker, Royce Jenkins-Stone. He's another one whose best chance of getting a fourth star would be to pack on another 20 lbs. or so by the fall.

Kaleb Ringer is considered by some to be the #1 linebacker in Ohio, but I don't know that Ohio is rife with linebackers this year. Obviously, Rivals thinks Bolden is better, and so do I. There's a bumper crop of defensive linemen in Ohio this year, so you can't have everything. There's still a shot for Ringer to move up, though.

As for Ben Braden, Matt Godin, Caleb Stacey, and A.J. Williams, I think three stars might be their ceiling. The combination of their offer lists, early commitments, positions, and solid-but-unspectacular athleticism could very well stagnate them pretty stagnant in the rankings.

THE WORMLEY QUESTION ANSWERED (MAYBE)

If you're like me, you were surprised when Toledo (OH) Whitmer defensive end Chris Wormley was ranked as a 3-star by Rivals. Some considered him to be a 5-star player and the #1 player in the state of Ohio for 2012. I didn't think he was quite that good, but I thought he was 4-star material for sure. So I had to go back to the videotape, and maybe I found an answer.

Here's what he looked like as a sophomore in 2009. You see a kid listed at 6'5", 250 who explodes off the ball and gets after the quarterback.

Below is a small sample of his junior highlights from 2010:

Those two people are not the same player. First of all, if he was 250 as a sophomore, then he's 265 or 270 in his junior year. It looks like he put on some weight, and it doesn't necessarily look like pure muscle. Secondly, it looks like he's either favoring some part of his body or he just lacks aggression. On that first clip, he lays on the ground for a second after making the tackle. In a couple of the other ones, it almost looks like he's afraid to hit people. I'm not calling him a wimp. I'm saying it looks like something is wrong. Additionally, he doesn't get off the ball as quickly in his junior film, and it looks like he lost a notch in the speed department.

After watching his junior highlights, I'm no longer surprised that he's a 3-star to Rivals. And if he plays like this as a senior, I'm betting his lofty rankings on the other sites (#3 SDE to 24/7 Sports, #57 overall to Tom Lemming, #13 DE to Scout) begin to slip. A recent Inside The Fort article ($) suggests that Wormley might not have the temperament for defensive end, and that he might actually have more upside as an offensive tackle. Michigan happens to need both.

MagnusThunder is the author of Touch the Banner, a Michigan football blog.

Recruiting Update: May 6

MagnusThunder — Thu, 05 May 2011 21:51:01 -0000

COMMITMENTS

Orchard Lake linebacker James Ross committed to Michigan on Monday morning (Touch the Banner profile). He's 6'0" and 215 lbs. with offers from all over the country. He has the talent and flexibility to play all three linebacker positions. Greg Mattison has decided to steal the title of "Linebacker U" away from Penn State by literally recruiting every linebacker in the Eastern Standard Time zone.

And before you ask . . . yes, there's still a silent commit.

OFF THE BOARD

North Carolina offensive tackle Brock Stadnik committed to South Carolina. He was never really in danger of being a Wolverine.

ADDED TO THE BOARD

Florida running back/wide receiver/cornerback/safety Nelson Agholor was offered by Michigan yesterday. The level of competition isn't great, but he makes opponents look downright silly in this nearly fifteen-minute highlight video. He wants to have a top 10 by the end of the month, so Michigan has a few weeks to convince him. I've read that Florida State fans are expecting him to be a Seminole, but he's been pretty non-committal publicly.

Illinois defensive tackle Jaleel Johnson has been positioning himself for a Michigan offer for awhile. That offer finally came on Wednesday.

Missouri wide receiver Durron Neal was offered earlier this week. He's a 6'1", 195-pounder with offers from everywhere. He wants to get to a top 7 sometime this month, so Michigan probably got in on him a little bit late. The kid offered 47 yards per punt return as a junior. The fact that he can even catch a punt makes him instantly better than most of the Wolverines returners.

Arizona cornerback D.J. Foster was also offered earlier this week. He's from Saguaro High School in Scottsdale, AZ, which is the same high school as 2011 offensive guard target Cyrus Hobbi; not the same school as Craig Roh or Taylor Lewan.

Illinois defensive back Anthony Standifer was given an offer on Thursday at school. He's a big corner (6'1", 178 lbs.) or a free safety.

WHIRLWIND WEEKEND

All kinds of stuff is happening this weekend, and frankly, there's almost too much to keep up with:

Ohio running back Bri'onte Dunn is visiting today. He's currently committed to Ohio State, but it sounds like the shenanigans having to do with Tatgate and the potential sanctions could scare him away. If he doesn't choose Ohio State, there's a very good chance he ends up a Wolverine. Michigan doesn't need a running back in 2012, but a big-time player like Dunn wouldn't hurt. He looks like an exact replica of Anthony Thomas.

Colorado offensive tackle Paul Thurston is also visiting today. Typically, when a kid visits on his own dime from a long way away, that means he has some serious interest. Michigan has a serious need for offensive tackles. Thurston's film isn't great, but it's not bad, either.

The three big-time recruits from Farmington Hills Harrison are planning to visit Ann Arbor on Saturday. Tight end/H-back Devin Funchess committed to Michigan a couple weeks ago. There have been rampant rumors that defensive end Mario Ojemudia has already decided to commit to Michigan, but it's not "official" yet. And wide receiver Aaron Burbridge - the best of the three, in my opinion - will be joining them. Concerns have persisted that Burbridge has grade issues, but they supposedly aren't bad enough to prevent Michigan from taking a run at him. Burbridge especially looked like an MSU until recently, but he could be swayed if both his teammates hop on the Brady Hoke train. He's a wispy speedster in the mold of Mario Manningham.

HOLD YOUR HORSES

This probably holds true for every team's fans, but message boarders seem to be getting a little carried away with expectations. While I'm as impressed as anyone with the job Brady Hoke and Mattison are doing on the recruiting trail, I also realize that at one time last year, Michigan was expected to get top-100 recruit Anthony Zettel and elite running back Demetrius Hart.

If you're one of those fans expecting commitments from Gunner Kiel, Greg Garmon, Stefon Diggs, Aaron Burbridge, Ron Thompson, Jordan Diamond, J.J. Denman, Kyle Dodson, Chris Wormley, Mario Ojemudia, Matt Godin, Pharaoh Brown, Jaleel Johnson, Ondre Pipkins, Sheldon Day, Danny O'Brien, Wayne Morgan, Terry Richardson, Armani Reeves, and Jarrod Wilson . . .

. . . well, that's about 28 recruits. This ain't the SEC. It's almost assured that some of those guys will end up in the Maize and Blue, but let's not get crazy. There have been reports in the past week or two that Michigan's coaches have backed off a few guys, and I wouldn't be surprised if that's because recruiting is roaring along at a faster pace than they expected. Remember there's a new rule that prevents teams from sending out official offers until August 1 for any of these kids. Michigan currently has over 150 verbal offers floating around out there, but that comes after two consecutive years of the Wolverines handing out approximately 190 offers by National Signing Day. In other words, it's the beginning of May, and Michigan will have surpassed last year's offer total by the beginning of summer if the current rate continued. This is a new recruiting landscape, and the coaches might be making some mid-flight adjustments to their strategy.

Recruiting Update: April 30

MagnusThunder — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 15:26:52 -0000

COMMITMENTS

Cincinnati middle linebacker Joe Bolden committed to Michigan on Friday (Touch the Banner profile here). The 6'2", 225-pounder didn't quite have A-list offers from around the country, but B+ might be an accurate description of that list. The presence of Bolden might give the Wolverines some flexibility to put Royce Jenkins-Stone at SAM linebacker if they want.

Scout.com's Sam Webb has also said that there is a silent commit who's waiting to announce publicly. Michigan fans on the interwebs have a pretty good idea of who it is, but I don't really like to speculate about silent commits, because I don't like to steal their thunder. We should be hearing about this guy openly within a couple weeks.

OFF THE BOARD

Wisconsin linebacker Vince Biegel committed to the Badgers. Michigan was in his top three, but it was pretty clear from early on that he would choose either BYU (his father's alma mater) or Wisconsin. There are plenty of linebacker prospects who are either committed to or interested in Michigan, so he wasn't a huge loss.

Texas defensive end Devonte Fields committed to TCU. Fields never seemed extremely interested in coming to Ann Arbor, but he is from the same school as incoming freshman Russell Bellomy. Defensive end is a spot where Michigan needs some depth, so it's not a great development, but hopes were slim for Fields, anyway.

California defensive tackle Aziz Shittu committed to Stanford. Michigan's main hope was that the intelligent Shittu would value a Michigan education, but Stanford's kind of good at making smart people, too. I'm a little disappointed that Stanford doesn't get much publicity on the east coast, though, because I'm looking forward to seeing announcers stumble over his name. I wonder what his friends call him for short.

Texas running back Jonathan Williams committed to Missouri. Michigan threw its hat into the ring too late to really have a chance with Williams. He only had 2,000 yards rushing as a junior, which is pretty crappy. He did have one nice run, though (fast forward to :55 in this Youtube highlight).

CLASS SIZE

The recent and semi-recent departures of cornerback Cullen Christian and safety Ray Vinopal made this recruiting class swell to about 17. There has also been a roundly accepted (but as yet unofficial) report that wide receiver D.J. Williamson has left the team. Josh Helmholdt, a quality moderator at The Wolverine, has stated that the coaches have been recruiting for approximately a 22-person class. They obviously expect some attrition or early NFL entrants next winter. If the Williamson rumors are true, Michigan seems to be at 18 and counting for the 2012 class.

As for linebackers, a lot of Michigan fans have been wondering if the coaches would accept a fourth linebacker, particularly Orchard Lake's James Ross. None of the three current commits (Bolden, Jenkins-Stone, or Kaleb Ringer) has the size or frame to become a defensive end like Brandon Graham. If those three follow through and sign with Michigan in February - and none of the current linebackers transfer - that would give the Wolverines 12 linebackers for three starting positions. It's not outside the realm of possibility for Michigan to take a kid like Ross, but that could make the roster somewhat linebacker-heavy. It's a bit of a balancing act with the numbers, especially with only 18 scholarships. Of course, if that number swells to 22 or more, then the chances increase that another linebacker could be added.

CLASS RANKING

It's way too early to get a good handle on the final recruiting class rankings, but for some perspective, Michigan has four kids who seem like 4-star recruits (Bolden, Devin Funchess, Jenkins-Stone, Ringer) and three who look like 3-star players (Ben Braden, Caleb Stacey, A.J. Williams). That would make for an average star ranking of 3.57, which would have put Michigan at #8 in average star ranking on Rivals last year and #9 on Scout.

MagnusThunder is the author of Touch the Banner, a Michigan football blog.

Post-Spring Game Recruiting Update

MagnusThunder — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 11:15:16 -0000

COMMITMENTS

So far Michigan has picked up four player commitments in the forms of:

Rockford, MI offensive tackle Ben Braden (Touch the Banner profile here). Braden is a 6'6", 285 lb. right tackle prospect.
Cincinnati, OH offensive guard Caleb Stacey (TTB). Stacey is 6'4", 275 lbs. and could play either guard spot.
Clayton, OH linebacker Kaleb Ringer (TTB). Ringer stands 6'0" tall, weighs 219 lbs., and will be a weakside linebacker.
Detroit, MI linebacker Royce Jenkins-Stone (TTB). Jenkins-Stone is a 6'2", 215 lb. middle linebacker.

KEY LOSSES IN RECENT WEEKS

Edgewood, KY quarterback Zeke Pike committed to Auburn on Wednesday. There was one time when Pike looked like he would choose Michigan, and he was even reportedly doing a bit of recruiting for the Wolverines. However, the kid visited Auburn for the Tigers' spring game this weekend, and Pike said "It was a God thing, I can't explain it." And that's definitely feasible, because I hear Auburn recruiting literature has In God We Trust written all over it.
Barrington, IL offensive tackle Dan Voltz committed to Wisconsin a few weeks ago. He's a right tackle who had offers from all over the country. The commitment from Braden mitigates the removal of Voltz from the equation somewhat, but Voltz is a consensus top 100 player. With Wisconsin's recent success on the field and their production of offensive linemen (Joe Thomas, Kraig Urbik, Gabe Carimi, John Moffitt), it's not hard to see why a guy would want to go there. Plus I think Wisconsin's nutritionists encourage their linemen to eat whatever they want as long as it's not "green" or "low in fat," so the only downside is having to deal with head coach Bret Bielema on a daily basis.
Oxon Hill, MD athlete Ronald Darby committed to Notre Dame last week. Darby is one of the fastest prospects in the country and could have played either running back or cornerback. The Fighting Irish aim to put him at cornerback and have him return punts, but they said he might be able to play some offense, too. It would be tough to turn that down.

PROSPECTS WHO SHOULD BE ON YOUR RADAR

Columbus, IN quarterback Gunner Kiel. If he doesn't choose Notre Dame, he will likely head down south. He's a borderline 5-star prospect who would be ideal for Michigan's system. Michigan's coaches might make a push for him, but I'm not sure how open Kiel will be to the idea of playing in Ann Arbor.
Kenton, OH quarterback Maty Mauk. Mauk is another kid who seems to be ticketed for Notre Dame. If Kiel picks Notre Dame (which I don't necessarily expect), then Michigan might be Mauk's next option. Comparisons to Tate Forcier abound.
Southfield, MI tight end Ron Thompson. Thompson has been close to committing to Michigan for a while but keeps putting it off. He recently transferred from Eastpointe High School to Southfield High School because of the firing of his old coaching staff. He's more of a pass receiving tight end, even though he's recently put on some [bad] weight.
Cincinnati, OH tight end A.J. Williams. The 6'6", 260 lb. Williams, who's more of a blocker, would make a nice complement to Thompson. He visited Michigan recently and had a lot of good things to say.
Chicago, IL offensive tackle Jordan Diamond. Diamond is 6'6", 289 lbs. and the former teammate of 2011 signee Chris Bryant. Diamond is thought to be a Michigan lean, but Ohio State and Auburn are sticking their noses in there, along with lots of other schools around the country.
Toledo, OH defensive end Chris Wormley. It's a Michigan-Ohio State battle for Wormley, who's 6'4" and 255 lbs. He was frustrated with Michigan early on because he didn't get offered as soon as he would have liked, but a Michigan offer put the Wolverines out in front. Things seem to have evened out recently, but I think Michigan still has the edge.
Novi, MI defensive end Matt Godin. Godin is being recruited to play the 5-tech DT position currently manned by Ryan Van Bergen. He coveted a Michigan offer for a long time, got one several weeks ago, and now looks to be Michigan's to lose. He has stated that he will make his college choice before his senior season begins, but there should be an answer well before that.
Indianapolis, IN defensive tackle Sheldon Day. There were rumors this past weekend that Day had silently committed to the Wolverines, but Day and Scout.com's Sam Webb have strongly denied those rumors. Day is still open, but he visited for Michigan's spring game and would be a great pickup for the Wolverines.
Cincinnati, OH middle linebacker Joe Bolden. It's a little unclear where Bolden stands right now. He declared Michigan his outright leader a couple weeks ago, but it appears the coaches might be putting him on the backburner a little bit. They have stated that they will take three linebackers in this class, and James Ross is probably a higher priority. Michigan doesn't need another MIKE with the commitment of Jenkins-Stone, and with such a small class (16 scholarships so far), they can't really afford to overload at one position.
Orchard Lake, MI weakside linebacker James Ross. Ross is very good friends with Jenkins-Stone and has visited Michigan frequently, including for last weekend's spring game. The weakside linebacker position is a little thin right now, even with the commitment of Ringer. Michigan's non-senior WILL's are essentially Rodriguez-recruited safety/linebacker tweeners and don't seem to fit what defensive coordinator Greg Mattison is trying to do on defense. Ross is a consensus top 100 player, so this could be a monstrously talented linebacker class.
New York, NY cornerback Wayne Morgan. Morgan is a bit of an outlier coming from New York City, but he's strongly interested in coming to Ann Arbor. The Wolverines probably only want to take one cornerback in 2012, so hopefully whomever they take will be a playmaker. It seems to be a race between Rutgers and Michigan.
Detroit, MI cornerback Terry Richardson. The Wolverine's Josh Helmholdt has intimated repeatedly that he expects Richardson to head out of state. Michigan has been making inroads with him in recent weeks, and it doesn't hurt that Jenkins-Stone pulled the trigger for the Wolverines last week. He should definitely be on the radar, but a commitment doesn't seem imminent.

MagnusThunder is the author of Touch the Banner, a Michigan football blog.

An Exercise in Optimism: The 2012 Recruiting Class

MagnusThunder — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 18:21:34 -0000

So far Michigan's coaches have laid out almost 140 offers to players in the class of 2012, but offers in the past couple weeks seem to have slowed a bit. I assume that the coaches wanted to get a feel for what elite prospects would be interested in becoming Wolverines, and then they will expand the list where needed. With the class scheduled to give out 16 scholarships (although that number will likely rise), here's a look at what 16 prospects could be part of the class next February. This is probably an overly optimistic look at Michigan's recruiting status, but Brady Hoke and Co. have at least a fighting chance with each of the prospects listed below:

QUARTERBACK
Zeke Pike - Edgewood, KY
Pike is a borderline 5-star prospect to the recruiting services. He's 6'5" and 220 lbs. or more with a rocket arm and good athleticism for his size. Detroit News and Scout.com analyst Sam Webb has suggested that if National Signing Day were right now, Pike would be a Wolverine. There's a long time between now and February 2012, but things are looking good for the position. Michigan is likely looking to take only one quarterback in this class, but on the heels of taking a relatively lightly regarded prospect (Russell Bellomy) in 2011, it would be nice to get a blue chip player at the position.

RUNNING BACK
Donovan Roberts - Norman, OK
Brady Hoke stated that he would always like to take "a couple" running backs in each cycle, so it's possible that we might see up to two running backs in this class. However, it's not necessary that one is a gamebreaker. Despite the lack of production from Michigan's running backs in the past couple seasons, I think Hoke and offensive coordinator Al Borges will use their talents better. There are scheduled to be eight running backs on the roster in fall 2011, and the only guaranteed departure will be senior Michael Shaw. Michigan could afford to take a solid but unspectacular recruit this season and go for a home run in 2013. Roberts is probably a 3-star prospect when all is said and done, and he reminds me a bit of current Michigan running back Fitzgerald Toussaint.

FULLBACK
E.J. Fatu - Klein, TX
The only reason Fatu appears on this list is because he's the only fullback to have been offered so far. He only has a few tenders, but I have a hard time seeing him in Maize and Blue next year. I expect other names to pop up as the recruiting cycle goes along.

WIDE RECEIVER
Dorial Green-Beckham - Springfield, MO
Green-Beckham is a consensus top-2 recruit, and Michigan could really use a stud wideout in the 2012 class. If Michigan is indeed able to secure a commitment from Pike (who would like to reach a decision in the next couple months), then that would help the Wolverines' chances with the nation's #1 wide receiver. Green-Beckham reportedly has a little brother who suffers from leukemia, and that's weighing heavily on him at this point. He might not want to venture too far from home, but then again, it's hard to picture such a high-profile recruit going to a relatively nearby school like Missouri or Illinois. I'm certainly not expecting him to choose the Wolverines, but Michigan has about as good of a chance as anyone.

TIGHT END
Ron Thompson - Detroit, MI
Thompson's pledge to Michigan seems to have been pending for a few weeks, and many people think it's only a matter of time before he drops for the Maize and Blue. He recently relocated to Southfield High School after his old high school's staff was fired. He's an athletic kid who surprised many Michigan fans when he was ranked the #137 overall prospect in the recently released Scout 300. With the speed to be a possession receiver but the frame to add another 25-30 lbs., it's not hard to see why he would be a coveted prospect.

A.J. Williams - Cincinnati, OH
With the number of offers out there to tight end prospects, it seems apparent that Michigan would actually like to get two players at the position. While Thompson is more of a pass-catching threat, there are also offers to guys like Williams and Mark Harrell, which suggests to me that Brady Hoke wants a blocking tight end, too. Williams seems to be the most likely of the blocking bunch to choose Michigan.

OFFENSIVE LINE
Ben Braden - Rockford, MI
Braden, an offensive tackle prospect, committed to Michigan a couple weeks ago.

Caleb Stacey - Cincinnati, OH
Stacey, an offensive guard prospect, committed to Michigan a couple weeks ago.

Zach Banner - Lakewood, WA
Banner is 6'9" and 300 lbs. but moves very well for his size. He doesn't really look like a football player right now because his weight is pretty evenly distributed over those 81", but as his body matures, he could very easily weigh 330 or 340 lbs. without looking sloppy. Michigan's coaches seem to have done a good job of informing him of Michigan's tradition on the offensive line, and he seems intrigued by coming across the country. Washington is a long way from Ann Arbor, though, so this might be a difficult pull.

Jordan Diamond - Chicago, IL
Diamond played high school football with 2011 Michigan signee Chris Bryant, and it seemed at one point that Diamond was close to pulling the trigger for the Wolverines. His interest in Michigan doesn't seem to have waned, but he's put the brakes on his recruitment. Some recruiting services think he's a borderline 5-star player, but I think he'll settle in as a solid 4-star.

Kyle Dodson - Cleveland, OH
Dodson is a 6'6", 310 lb. guard or right tackle who could very well choose Michigan . . . as long as Ohio State doesn't offer. I'm not fully confident that the Buckeyes won't come forth with an offer at some point in the future, but if not, Dodson could be a big-time addition to the class.

DEFENSIVE END
Chris Wormley - Toledo, OH
Wormley is one of the top defensive ends in the country and ranked as the #57 overall prospect by both 247 Sports and Tom Lemming. He's 6'4" and 255 lbs. with considerable speed and athleticism. It's been rumored that Wormley has been a Michigan lean for a long time, but Ohio State might have something to say about that.

Matt Godin - Novi, MI
Godin is a 6'5", 253 lb. strongside end (a.k.a. 5-tech DT). He was yearning for a Michigan offer and was publicly frustrated that the coaches hadn't offered him. Now that he has the offer, he has said that he would like to decide on a school prior to the beginning of his senior year. Unless something drastic happens, things look to be in Michigan's favor.

DEFENSIVE TACKLE
Sheldon Day - Indianapolis, IN
Day is one of the quickest defensive tackles in the country. He has visited Michigan and likes the defensive staff, but he could go almost anywhere in the country. But at 6'2" and 268 lbs., he would be a perfect 3-tech DT for the Wolverines.

Ondre Pipkins - Kansas City, MO
Pipkins grew up in Michigan and seems to be headed to a midwestern school. But whether that's Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Missouri, or some other school, it's hard to say. But with Day as a possible 3-tech and Pipkins as a nose tackle, that would be a pretty formidable front for a Michigan team in dire need of defensive linemen.

LINEBACKER
Kaleb Ringer - Clayton, OH
All indications point to Ringer committing this Friday, April 15th, which is Ringer's birthday and the eve of the spring game. He's the #206 player in the country, according to Scout.com, and would appear to be headed for the WILL linebacker spot. Linebacker isn't a huge position of need when looking at pure numbers, but the quality of players at the position is somewhat questionable. Ringer would be a welcome addition for his speed and hitting ability.

CORNERBACK and SAFETY
No defensive backs are necessary in the 2012 class with the glut of players Michigan has recruited in the past couple classes, but I don't expect a class completely devoid of DB's, either. When (not if, but when) the class expands from 16 to somewhere between 18 and 20, you can expect to see the coaches go after some DB's, particularly an impact free safety.

MagnusThunder is the author of Touch the Banner, a Michigan football blog.

Recruiting Visitors: March 29-April 2

MagnusThunder — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 17:07:23 -0000

This is a little different than the past couple installments, because there were some midweek visits from a couple highly regarded prospects. Here's a brief rundown of this week's visitors:

VISITORS

Zeke Pike - Quarterback - Edgewood, KY
Offers: Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisville, LSU, Michigan, North Carolina, Oklahoma State, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Purdue, South Carolina, Tennessee, UCLA, USC, West Virginia, and Wisconsin, among others
Scoop: A 6'5", 220 lb. quarterback (that weight seems like a lowball estimate, by the way) with offers from every corner of the country, Pike seems to have more than a passing interest in Michigan. This probably isn't a comparison anyone who likes women would appreciate, but he plays a little like Ben Roethlisberger. Pike possesses a very strong arm and can run a little bit, but he's not fast enough to be a spread quarterback like Tim Tebow or Cam Newton. One plus for Pike is that he doesn't seem to possess the ego of some other big-time quarterbacks. Perhaps his small-town upbringing (Edgewood has about 9,400 citizens) has kept him humble. Additionally, Pike only has one year of starting under his belt, so he's a little bit raw and inexperienced. He hasn't announced a leaning toward any particular school; however, he has stated his intentions to visit Auburn, Clemson, Florida State, Georgia, and Tennessee before trying to zero in on a summer decision. In case you can't tell, the only school north of the Mason-Dixon Line in that visit list appears to be Michigan. I don't know if that's good or not. Pike is also friends with 2011 Michigan signee Chris Barnett.

Kaleb Ringer - Linebacker - Clayton, OH
Offers: Cincinnati, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisville, Michigan, and Toledo
Scoop: Ringer is a 6'0", 219 lb. inside linebacker prospect. He can run a little bit, blitzes well, and can bring the hammer when he chooses. I'm a little unsure about Ringer, because I've seen two different players on two different films. One shows a guy who's decisive, aggressive, and flies to the football. The other shows a kid who doesn't diagnose plays very quickly, leaves his feet too often, and takes too many blockers head on. I think he has the ability to be a good player, but he has to be the former type of player on a consistent basis. As for his recruitment, it seems pretty clear that Ringer will be announcing for Michigan on April 15th, the day before the spring game. His father played linebacker at Iowa, and his uncle (Javon Ringer) was a Michigan State Spartan running back who now plays for (er...uhh...is locked out from) the Tennessee Titans.

Austin Appleby - Quarterback - North Canton, OH
Offers: Kent State, Temple, Toledo
Scoop: At 6'5" and 228 lbs., Appleby has the size of a Michigan quarterback. It was reported at one time that Appleby had been offered by the Wolverines, but that seems to have been a mistaken report. Since Michigan has their eyes on a few other realistic possibilities, it's not surprising that Appleby wouldn't have an offer at this point. It's not impossible that Appleby could be offered later in the process; however, he's not on par with the other guys. I see a lot that Appleby needs to improve. He needs to be quicker getting out from under center, he needs to hold the ball higher to give him a consistent throwing motion (and speed up his delivery), and he needs to strengthen his arm. He doesn't put great spin on the ball, which isn't necessary to be a good quarterback (see Peyton Manning) but it helps. There is potential for Appleby, but Michigan fans might not like the comparison I see: John Navarre.

Maty Mauk - Quarterback - Kenton, OH
Offers: Cincinnati, Illinois, Michigan, Missouri, Notre Dame, Vanderbilt
Scoop: Mauk is an intriguing prospect. More inclined to the spread, he's a 6'2", 185 lb. gunslinger whose father/high school coach runs a five-wide, shotgun spread offense that has Mauk slinging the ball all over the field; over 13 games in 2010, he threw the ball 568 times, which is almost 44 times a game. He's quick and has a bit of gunslinger mentality. Like Appleby, he has a lot of work to do on his throwing motion. While his release is quicker because of a three-quarters throwing motion, a low release on a 6'2" quarterback is asking for trouble. There have also been rumors of leadership issues for Mauk. And while rumors aren't always true, generally it seems that if you find smoke, you will eventually find fire. Mauk's older brother Ben played for Notre Dame's Brian Kelly at Cincinnati, and Maty's size, experience, and skill set make me think he will also want to be coached by Kelly.

MagnusThunder is the author of Touch the Banner, a Michigan football blog.

Recruiting Visitors: March 25-27

MagnusThunder — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 21:46:54 -0000

Michigan had a load of visitors in Ann Arbor this past weekend for the new coaching staff's first junior day. There were several talented players in town, a few of whom I profiled below.

Mark Harrell - Tight end - Charlotte, NC
Offers: Auburn, Clemson, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Notre Dame, Stanford, Virginia, Virginia Tech, West Virginia
Scoop: Harrell is a 6'5", 260 lb. tight end/offensive tackle prospect. Michigan's coaches have made it clear to Harrell that they want him to play tight end. Maybe I'm guilty of stereotyping, but when I first saw pictures of Harrell awhile ago, I assumed playing tight end at a high level was a pipe dream. But after seeing some recently posted video of him, I'll admit my initial guess was wrong. The kid can flat-out run. A good comparison might be Notre Dame tight end Kyle Rudolph, although Rudolph was more of a wideout as a high schooler. Harrell hasn't voiced much of a preference as far as position goes, saying that he'll play wherever a team needs him. He can't afford to add too much weight and stay at tight end, but if he can transform his body a little bit, he could remain there. He also has excellent potential as an offensive tackle because he plays low and moves his feet so well. The kid is a very impressive player. He has stated that distance is not a factor, and I wouldn't be surprised at all to see him commit to a program in the midwest.

Wayne Morgan - Cornerback - Brooklyn, NY
Offers: Alabama, Boston College, Connecticut, Maryland, Miami-FL, Michigan, Penn State, Rutgers, Syracuse
Scoop: Morgan is a 5'11", 188 lb. defensive back. He's a jack of all trades for his high school team, playing quarterback, running back, safety, cornerback, kick returner, etc., but most teams want him as a corner. From what I see on film, I have some questions about his speed. He has decent hips and playmaking ability, but I think he might fit better as a safety at the next level. New York doesn't typically produce a great deal of football talent, but he has earned offers from schools in various areas of the country. His early favorite appeared to be Rutgers, but as the recruiting cycle continues and he gets more offers, I would expect that Rutgers falls behind; mediocre Big East teams have a hard time hanging with the big boys when it comes to recruiting. Morgan added a Michigan offer on his trip to Ann Arbor, so it will be interesting to see how things play out. I'm not extremely optimistic about kids from his part of the country, though.

Jonah Pirsig - Offensive tackle - Blue Earth, MN
Offers: Auburn, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Ohio State, Wisconsin
Scoop: Pirsig is a 6'9", 300 lb. offensive tackle. Which is huge, in case you didn't know. Watching Pirsig on film, he's an extremely impressive prospect. He has very good feet and moves much better than one would expect for someone his size. There are plenty of tackles who are three or four inches shorter that would love to be as agile as him. Pirsig took a swing through the midwest and visited four schools - Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, and Wisconsin. He seems interested in staying in Big Ten country, which is good for Michigan. But Wisconsin and Ohio State have good histories with monster linemen, too. Wherever he goes, I think this kid is going to be a very good player.

Se'von Pittman - Defensive end - Canton, OH
Offers: Alabama, Florida, Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, West Virginia
Scoop: Pittman is a 6'4", 225 lb. defensive end/outside linebacker. The only highlights available are from his sophomore season, so it's difficult to glean too much. However, if I had to make a prognostication, I would assume that he's going to play defensive end at the next level. He's a little bit stiff in his movements, which makes me think he'll play with his hand down. Additionally, he has the frame to add plenty of bulk. The frontrunner for Pittman seems to be Ohio State, and I get the feeling that OSU is going to have their pick of a number of very good defensive end prospects from within their own state's borders. Michigan will have a good chance at much of OSU's leftovers, but I'm not optimistic about the Wolverines' chances with Pittman.

OTHER NOTABLE VISITORS:

De'van Bogard - Cornerback - Cleveland, OH
Joe Bolden - Linebacker - Cincinnati, OH (Profiled last week)
Chase Deback - Offensive tackle - Charlotte, MI
Devin Funchess - Tight end - Farmington Hills, MI (Offered)
Allen Gant - Wide receiver/safety - Sylvania, OH
Sam Grant - Tight end - North Royalton, OH (Offered)
A.J. Williams - Tight end - Cincinnati, OH (Offered)
Chris Wormley - Defensive end - Toledo, OH (Offered)
Mario Ojemudia - Defensive end - Farmington Hills, MI (Offered)

MagnusThunder is the author of Touch the Banner, a Michigan football blog.

Recruiting Visitors: March 18-20

MagnusThunder — Sat, 19 Mar 2011 12:18:17 -0000

Michigan has given 126 verbal offers up to this point. Not all 126 are going to be interested in playing at Michigan, but kids who make unofficial visits at their own expense must be at least a little bit serious about being future Wolverines. Here's a rundown of this week's visitors as spring practice starts today:

Joe Bolden - Linebacker - Cincinnati, OH
Offers: Arizona, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Northwestern, Stanford, Tennessee, West Virginia
Scoop: Bolden is a 6'2", 225 lb. kid whose biggest asset is his max effort and intelligence. He's not the most athletic linebacker, which might be why most of his BCS conference offers so far are from B-list contenders. Listed as an outside linebacker by Rivals, he looks more like a WILL or MIKE for Michigan. The Wolverines have had some recent success at Bolden's high school (Colerain), but both of the recent acquisitions from the school had less than stellar experiences at Michigan: running back Mister Simpson transferred to Cincinnati and got in trouble with the law, and linebacker Cobrani Mixon transferred to Kent State, got in trouble with the law, but later became a stellar MAC linebacker. I'm not sure how much those experiences might play into Bolden's recruitment, if at all. He's got a 4.0 GPA and says academics are the most important thing to him.

Pharaoh Brown - Defensive end - Lyndhurst, OH
Offers: Arizona State, Colorado, Michigan, Syracuse
Scoop: Brown is a bit of an anomaly - a 6'6", 220 lb. quarterback/defensive end combo. Like John Navarre but fast. The state of Ohio is loaded with defensive ends in 2012, and it seems like Michigan will be left to fight for whichever DE's the Buckeyes can't cram into their class. To be honest Brown looks a little like Devin Gardner would if Gardner played defensive end - he's long, lean, and not the most fluid athlete, but he gets the job done. Despite his slight build as of now, Brown looks like he'll develop into a strongside end. He doesn't have the lateral quickness to be a weakside end/rush linebacker, and with a 6'6" frame, he should be pretty heavy once his body fills out. He could also play tight end, although blocking would be a new thing for him. I would expect more and more offers to come Brown's way, because I don't think colleges really know what to do with him right now. He's an athlete without a true position, but summer camps and senior film should give programs a better idea of where his future lies.

Kyle Dodson - Offensive tackle/guard - Cleveland, OH
Offers: Alabama, Cincinnati, Illinois, Michigan, Michigan State, North Carolina State, South Florida, Vanderbilt, West Virginia
Scoop: At 6'6" and 315 lbs., Dodson looks like a good candidate for the right tackle position. However, he doesn't move his feet extremely well, which I think could force him to move inside to guard. He reminds me a little bit of Aundrey Walker, the class of 2011 lineman from Glenville Academic Campus in Cleveland; Walker is bigger than Dodson, but both are hulking figures with less than stellar feet. Like many Ohioans, Dodson grew up as a fan of Ohio State. The Buckeyes haven't offered yet, but if they do, they would be hard to beat for his services. Outside of the Alabama offer, Dodson's offer list is unspectacular, and Michigan should have a decent chance as long as OSU doesn't jump into the fray.

Kelby Latta - Offensive guard - Battle Creek, MI
Offers: Western Michigan, Wisconsin
Scoop: Michigan fans are probably going to hate me for saying this, but Latta reminds me a lot of Justin Boren. He's powerfully built and stays low coming out of his stance. Latta has stated that he doesn't know which side of the ball Michigan would want him to play. It sounds like most teams want him to play guard or center, but he seems to think he would make a better defensive player. I see him more as an interior offensive lineman, but he could also be effective as a space-eating nose tackle. He doesn't have a Michigan offer yet, but I have a hard time believing that he won't earn one at some point. Michigan has handed out a large number of offensive line offers so far this year, but they're going to have to recruit even more if they want to reach their quota of six for this year.

Armani Reeves - Wide receiver/cornerback - West Roxbury, MA
Offers: Boston College, Connecticut, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, Penn State, Stanford, Wake Forest
Scoop: Reeves is a 5'11", 185 lb. athlete who could play on either side of the ball. He's not the prototypical Michigan wide receiver from the days of yore who's 6'3" and 210 lbs., but I think you always need a receiver like him on your team - a guy who can stretch the field with his speed or take short routes and turn them into big plays. He has the quick twitch movements and hips to be an effective cornerback, too, and Michigan could use help in both areas. Reeves is the high school teammate of Camren Williams (profiled below) and they have talked about being a package deal, although package deals rarely come to fruition. The Wolverines are arguably the highest profile team to offer Reeves, but Michigan hasn't recruited Massachusetts much in recent years. In the past decade, the only other player to come to Michigan from Massachusetts was Michael Cox back in 2008.

Camren Williams - Linebacker - West Roxbury, MA
Offers: Boston College, Connecticut, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, Penn State, Virginia, Wake Forest
Scoop: The 6'2", 215 lb. linebacker is the younger brother of Brennan Williams, a former Michigan target who is currently in line to start at offensive tackle for North Carolina. Their father is from Flint, a Michigan fan, and was recruited to play for Toledo by running backs coach Fred Jackson. Camren is also close friends with Armani Reeves, who reportedly spends a great deal of time in the Williams hosehold. Camren projects as a middle linebacker prospect. He plays very low and has a thick haunches, giving him a strong base to fight off blocks and drive ballcarriers backward. While Michigan is in a very strong position, I wouldn't be surprised to see Camren follow his brother to UNC. The Williams clan seems to be very close-knit.

Vontrell Williams - Defensive tackle - Chicago, IL
Offers: Bowling Green, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Illinois, Toledo, Western Michigan
Scoop: Vontrell is a 6'3", 263 lb. defensive lineman who looks like a 3-technique defensive tackle. He plays a little high at times, and he's not particularly fast or explosive. He doesn't have a Michigan offer at this time, and I would be surprised if he earns one anytime soon. He looks like the type of kid who might be worth a late offer or who might impress with his senior film, but so far Michigan has limited its offers to mostly upper echelon prospects, and Vontrell doesn't fall in that category. Still, it doesn't hurt to get kids on campus, if only to build relationships.

Other players expected to visit (most of whom you're probably familiar with):

Ben Braden - Offensive tackle - Rockford, MI
Royce Jenkins-Stone - Linebacker - Detroit, MI
Terry Richardson - Cornerback - Detroit, MI
James Ross - Linebacker - Orchard Lake, MI

MagnusThunder is the author of Touch the Banner, a Michigan football blog.

Recruiting Visitors: March 11-13, 2011

MagnusThunder — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 14:34:20 -0000

So far Michigan has given verbal offers to 122 prospects for the Class of 2012, so there's no possible way for me to highlight each and every one of those kids. Many aren't any more interested in Michigan than I am in learning about World of Warcraft, so there's no need. But kids who take the time to visit Michigan on their own dime are likely interested in playing in the Big House, or at least visiting Mr. Spot's. So here some brief profiles of this weekend's visitors:

Vince Biegel - Linebacker - Wisconsin Rapids, WI
Offers: BYU, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Stanford, Tennessee, Wisconsin
Scoop: Biegel is a well trained and fundamentally sound defender. At 6'3" and 210 lbs., he could project as an inside or outside linebacker. Watching his film, he keeps his shoulders square to the line of scrimmage, flows down the line well, and attacks the line of scrimmage when holes open up. To be quite honest with you, he looks like he could start for Penn State right now if he were a bit heavier. PSU is known for developing its linebackers, and there's not much more work to be done on Biegel before he's ready to be a starter at the next level. Biegel's father played linebacker at BYU, and Wisconsin is obviously the home-state program. The main connection Biegel has to the Wolverines is that defensive coordinator Greg Mattison recruited Biegel's father coming out of high school, so it would appear that Michigan is on the outside looking in. If it weren't for the presence of Mattison on the staff, I have a feeling that Michigan wouldn't even be considered. But the aforementioned three schools are Biegel's top three, and anything can happen if you get a kid on campus. Biegel is a Mormon, and unlike BYU (and several other schools out west), Michigan doesn't typically get many Mormons on its roster. I believe the last one to play for Michigan was Tyler Ecker, a tight end whose eligibility ran out in 2005. Biegel's decision will likely come in the next few weeks, and my gut feeling tells me that he will end up in Provo or Madison.

Sheldon Day - Defensive tackle - Indianapolis, IN
Offers: Arkansas, Cincinnati, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Penn State, Purdue, Stanford, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, Wisconsin
Scoop: At 6'2" and 268 lbs., Day is one of the quicker defensive tackles I've seen in the Class of 2012. He has an amazingly fast first step and the speed to chase down quarterbacks and running backs in the backfield. He will need to add 20 lbs. or so to play at the next level, but even if he loses half a step due to the added weight, his speed and quickness should be sufficient to torment interior linemen. His penetrating ability would make him especially dangerous at the 3-technique defensive tackle position, but if he somehow added a great amount of weight, he could also be an asset as a nose tackle. His three childhood favorite schools were Miami, Oklahoma, and Michigan, but he hasn't yet been offered by the former two. The Wolverines have a great chance to get Day's commitment, and he would like to make his decision prior to his senior year.

Devin Funchess - Tight end - Farmington Hills, MI
Offers: Cincinnati, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Michigan State, Missouri, Nebraska, Virginia
Scoop: Funchess is a 6'5", 215 lb. tight end from traditional MSU stronghold Harrison High School. In the last decade, MSU has pulled in Harrison players Mark Dell, Agim Shabaj, and Drew Stanton. The only recruit to choose Michigan over MSU was Charles Stewart back in 2004. Funchess could grow into a traditional tight end role, but early on he would likely be an H-back sort who could split out wide or motion into the backfield. His lack of bulk won't necessarily be a huge issue, because San Diego State's starting tight end in 2010 was a 6'6", 229 pounder. On a talented all-around team, Funchess caught 34 passes for 709 yards and 5 touchdowns in 2010, so he has the ability to streth the field and make big plays in the passing game. Funchess does have a sister who majors in Movement Science at Michigan, so that might be a positive for the Wolverines' recruitment. But with two teammates who are considered to be leaning toward MSU (wide receiver Aaron Burbridge and defensive end Mario Ojemudia), it might be difficult for Michigan to convince the younger Funchess to move to Ann Arbor.

MagnusThunder is the author of Touch the Banner, a Michigan football blog.

2011 Michigan Recruiting Grades: Defense

MagnusThunder — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 18:48:15 -0000

This is a follow-up to last week's 2011 Michigan Recruiting Grades: Offense post.

NOTE: All links will take you to Touch the Banner's commitment post for each player

DEFENSIVE END

Signings: Brennen Beyer (Canton, MI), Keith Heitzman (Hilliard, OH), Chris Rock (Columbus, OH)
Biggest miss: Anthony Zettel (West Branch, MI)
How it went: Especially with the return of the 4-3, Michigan needed defensive linemen of all kinds. Beyer was originally recruited to play outside linebacker for the previous regime, but he'll be a weakside end for Hoke. Meanwhile, everyone who follows recruiting assumed that Zettel would end up a Wolverine, but the big defensive end lost interest in the Wolverines' and Rodriguez' losing ways and picked Penn State in December. Michigan picked up Chris Rock along the way. For now Rock has the size of a strongside end, but his athleticism is more reminiscent of a 3-tech defensive tackle. Heitzman was a late addition to the program, decommitting from Vanderbilt to choose Michigan. He has some position flexibility with the ability to play defensive end or tight end; Hoke also hinted that he thinks Heitzman has the frame to add some weight and play inside as well. Beyer is the treasure here, and while I'm not particularly excited about the other two, the defensive end haul from the past couple classes - Craig Roh, Jibreel Black, Ken Wilkins - means that Michigan could afford a couple sleepers.
Grade: B

DEFENSIVE TACKLE

Signings: None
Biggest miss: Timmy Jernigan (Lake City, FL)
How it went: As obvious as the need must have been for defensive tackles in the 2011 class, Michigan was rarely in danger of actually getting a recruit at the position. Jernigan was a big-time player who eventually committed to Florida State, and he was interested in Michigan throughout the process. However, word was that he didn't want to be a nose tackle in Rich Rodriguez' 3-3-5 defense. So by the time Greg Mattison was hired, it was too late. Michigan also had a shot at Maryland defensive tackles Darian Cooper (Iowa) and Vincent Croce (Virginia). There's a chance that one or more of the defensive end prospects could end up at DT, but as it stands now, Michigan was losing three senior defensive tackles and replaced them with zero.
Grade: F

LINEBACKER

Signings: Frank Clark (Cleveland, OH), Kellen Jones (Houston, TX), Desmond Morgan (Holland, MI), Antonio Poole (Cincinnati, OH)
Biggest miss: Kris Frost (Matthews, NC)
How it went: Linebacker was a huge need in the 2011 class, too, but the coaches obviously addressed this need better than defensive tackle. Frost was a 5-star prospect who was very high on Michigan for the entire process. He was even reportedly a silent commit until the Rodriguez fiasco, which caused him to pick Auburn. Jones was the first commitment. He doesn't have prototypical size for the middle linebacker position, but he plays like it. Morgan was the second linebacker to drop, and he also should be headed for the MIKE spot. As a high school quarterback, he brings a unique perspective and knowledge to the defensive side of the ball. Poole was offered by the new regime and convinced by Mattison to become a weakside linebacker. He possesses the speed and blitzing ability to imitate some of Michigan's inside linebackers of a decade ago (Larry Foote, Ian Gold). The last addition was Frank Clark, an outside 'backer from Ohio State stronghold Glenville Academic Campus in Cleveland. Clark is a good all-around athlete (he could have been a WR, TE, LB, or DE) but his body needs to fill out a little bit, since he's 6'2" and only around 210 lbs.
Grade: B+

CORNERBACK

Signings: Greg Brown (Fremont, OH), Blake Countess (Olney, MD), Delonte Hollowell (Detroit, MI), Raymon Taylor (Highland Park, MI)
Biggest miss: Dallas Crawford (South Fort Myers, FL)
How it went: Brown committed almost as soon as he got an offer during September of his junior year. He was a bit of a curious situation, because he wasn't tagged by the recruiting services as a big-time player and he hadn't created much buzz prior to the offer, either. He enrolled early this past January. Hollowell also committed fairly early in the process, which put him in approximately the same boat as Brown - not very highly touted, but the old coaching staff thought he was worthy of an offer. Crawford committed later in 2010 and was the jewel of the DB recruiting class until Rodriguez' job status became tenuous. Soon hometown favorite Miami came calling, and Crawford was lured by their new coach, Al Golden. Countess and Taylor were added to the class close to National Signing Day. Countess was a fairly well regarded recruited who played in the Army All-American game. Taylor had been an Indiana commit, but he grew up a Michigan fan and couldn't pass up the opportunity to become a Wolverine. The early commits were a little questionable, but Brady Hoke's coaching staff made up for it by keeping Countess committed and nabbing Taylor. With cornerback a huge need in the class of 2011, it was important to get numerous players who might be able to contribute at the position.
Grade: B+

SAFETY

Signings: Tamani Carter (Pickerington, OH)
Biggest miss: Avery Walls (McDonough, GA)
How it went: This was one of the bigger disappointments in the class of 2011. Michigan needed multiple safeties, especially of the centerfielder variety. The losses of Demar Dorsey (DNQ) and Vladimir Emilien (injury, transfer) severely crippled the free safety position in 2010, so much so that an outside linebacker, Cam Gordon, played the position for half the season. Once Gordon was put at a more natural position, that left lightly regarded Ray Vinopal as essentially the only FS on the roster. Crawford could have played safety, too, but his decommitment made Michigan's defensive backfield situation even more precarious. At one time Walls was considered a Michigan lean, but he committed to Cal and broke Michigan fans' hearts. Carter was offered by the new staff and decommitted from Minnesota to become a Wolverine. He was a high school cornerback, but Hoke mentioned on National Signing Day that Carter would be a safety. Carter is more of a fundamental, sure tackler than a true ballhawk to patrol the middle of the field, but the position needed to be addressed.
Grade: C-

OVERALL: C+

MagnusThunder is the author of Touch the Banner, a Michigan football blog. And he probably shouldn't have eaten a Volcano Burrito for lunch.

2011 Michigan Recruiting Grades: Offense

MagnusThunder — Sun, 20 Feb 2011 16:17:53 -0000

The 2011 class is a tough one to grade. With Rich Rodriguez being ousted approximately a month before National Signing Day and Brady Hoke hired with only about three weeks to fill out the class, it's difficult to blame either one for the mediocre team rankings for the Wolverines (#21 to Rivals, #27 to Scout). Ultimately, rather than grading Rodriguez or Hoke, we can only really judge how the program did overall.

Note: All links will take you to Touch the Banner's commitment post for each player.

QUARTERBACK

Signings: Russell Bellomy (Arlington, TX)
Biggest miss: Marquise Williams (Charlotte, NC)
How it went: With a trio of highly recruited quarterbacks already on the roster, Michigan didn't have much of a shot at an elite quarterback in the 2011 class. Rodriguez realized that early in the recruiting cycle, offering and accepting a commitment from a big project in Florida quarterback Kevin Sousa. Sousa had potential, but he was the type of kid who needed a few years to percolate. But even Rodriguez soured on Sousa and stopped recruiting him hard, which caused Sousa to decommit before the coach was even fired. Some Michigan fans thought that Brady Hoke should just ignore the quarterback position - which would have been a bad idea in itself - but with the departure of Tate Forcier, the QB position became even more of a necessity. Hoke snatched Bellomy from Big Ten foe Purdue. Bellomy isn't a superstar, but he seems to be a quality individual, he's a good runner, and he could be a Scott Dreisbach-type starter in a few years.
Grade: B

RUNNING BACK

Signings: Justice Hayes (Grand Blanc, MI), Thomas Rawls (Flint, MI)
Biggest miss: Demetrius Hart (Orlando, FL)
How it went: Hart - the high school teammate of current Michigan player Ricardo Miller - was thought to be a Michigan lock early on, having repeatedly stated how much he loved Michigan and Coach Rodriguez. Many expected him to commit much earlier than he did, but it dragged out due to Rodriguez's uncertain job status. Eventually, Hart committed to the Wolverines, only to rescind his commitment when it became clear that Michigan was looking to make a change. Meanwhile, former Notre Dame commit Justice Hayes pledged to the Wolverines after becoming disgruntled with the Fighting Irish. Hayes committed to Coach Rodriguez, but oddly, I think Hayes will fit better with Brady Hoke's offense. Hayes doesn't have much power, but he can catch the ball out of the backfield and run some quick-hitters. He reminds me a bit of Clarence Williams. Rawls struggled with qualifying, but sorted out his academic issues in time to earn a Michigan offer and commit to the Wolverines. He's a Kevin Grady-like back, thick and powerful. If Michigan brings back the old counter trey and isos they used to run so well, I can see Rawls being a solid back. I don't think either of these backs is a superstar, but after losing one of the top backs in the country like Hart, these two are solid pickups.
Grade: B+

WIDE RECEIVER

Signings: None
Biggest miss: Devin Lucien (Encino, CA)
How it went: Michigan got an early commitment from Shawn Conway, who stuck with Michigan . . . until he realized that he wouldn't qualify for admittance. Several other receivers were high on Michigan throughout the process (Sammy Watkins early on, then Hakeem Flowers and Prince Holloway, to name a couple). Lucien and Flowers would have ended up at Michigan if they had continued to be recruited, but Lucien was told by Hoke that he was only wanted as a defensive back, and Flowers was told that he wouldn't be admitted. The new coaching staff didn't offer any more receivers, so I assume that they didn't feel like receiver was a big need. With three seniors graduating after 2011 (Darryl Stonum, Junior Hemingway, Martavious Odoms), it remains to be seen whether that was a good idea or not.
Grade: F

TIGHT END

Signings: Chris Barnett (Hurst, TX)
Biggest miss: Ray Hamilton (Strongsville, OH)
How it went: Michigan got in on Hamilton early and looked like a strong contender, but shortly afterward, Hamilton became the jewel of the Hawkeyes' class. Meanwhile, Michigan struggled to generate much interest from tight end prospects, who all seemed to want to head to the south or go to Ohio State. Michigan fans have been saying for a few years that they expected tight ends to get more involved in the offense, but Rodriguez didn't use TEs much at West Virginia and the best season for a TE at Michigan was Kevin Koger, who had 16 catches for 220 yards and 2 touchdowns in 2009. Rodriguez seemed to repel tight ends, but Hoke handed out a late offer to then Arkansas commit Chris Barnett. Barnett has a great deal of talent, but is coming off a senior year ACL injury and needs to work harder and get into better shape. The Wolverines would have benefitted from taking two tight ends in the class, but one talented one is a decent haul.
Grade: B

OFFENSIVE LINE

Signings: Chris Bryant (Chicago, IL), Jack Miller (Toledo, OH), Tony Posada (Plant City, FL)
Biggest miss: Jake Fisher (Traverse City, MI)
How it went: Rich Rodriguez surely knew that Michigan needed offensive linemen - badly - in the coming recruiting classes. But his efforts seemed a bit lackluster. Thirty-one total offensive line prospects received offers, with four of them committing at various times. Miller and Posada both committed fairly early in the process; Fisher did, too, but that commitment ended once the writing was on the wall for Rodriguez. And as much as I would have liked for Fisher to be a Wolverine, my interest in him as a Michigan player waned a bit with the hiring of Brady Hoke. As a high school tight end, he would have been perfect for Rodriguez's zone blocking scheme as a left tackle. But as a straight ahead blocker for Hoke? I'm not sure he would have fit so well. Bryant committed a few days before National Signing Day. And while Bryant seems like a future mauler, Miller was somewhat lightly recruited and there have been questions about how high Posada's ceiling might be. It surprised me that Hoke mostly chose to recruit prospects who were already heavily interested in Michigan, rather than trying to recruit uncommitted players or flip players committed to other schools. There are only three when Michigan could have used four or five. Additionally, they all project as interior linemen, which leaves the tackle position dangerously thin.
Grade: C+

OVERALL: C+

MagnusThunder is the author of Touch the Banner, a Michigan football blog. And right now he could really go for an El Gordo.

2012 Recruiting Needs: Defense

MagnusThunder — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 01:53:02 -0000

This post is a sequel to last week's offense portion, which doled out 10 of Michigan's estimated 16 scholarships. How should Michigan use the remaining six?

(Note: "Needs" are defined as the bare minimum. Also, depth charts are listed in order of seniority, not starters and then backups.)

DEFENSIVE END

Projected 2012 Depth: Craig Roh (Sr.), Jibreel Black (Jr.), Jordan Paskorz (RS So.), Ken Wilkins (RS So.), Brennen Beyer (So.), Keith Heitzman (So.), Chris Rock (So.)
Needs: 1
A team should always take at least one guy at each position. So even though the defensive end spots look pretty good from a numbers standpoint, the two most talented players (in my opinion) will be upperclassmen. After that the talent gets a little bit murky, and so do positions - guys like Wilkins, Heitzman, and Rock all might have the ability to become 3-tech defensive tackles if they add some weight. Michigan needs at least one guy here, and with the number of offers being handed out to DEs so far in the recruiting cycle, the coaches are more likely looking to add two.

DEFENSIVE TACKLE

Projected 2012 Depth: William Campbell (Sr.), Quinton Washington (RS Jr.), Richard Ash (RS So.), Terry Talbott (RS So.)
Needs: 2
This is obviously the most pressing defensive need in the Class of 2012. None of the above players have made an impact yet at Michigan, and the stalwart for the past few seasons - Mike Martin - will be gone after 2011. It's possible that a couple players from the above "Defensive End" category will move to tackle, but it's still not a position of strength going forward. Teams should go at least three-deep at each position, and there are two DTs on the field most of the time. Washington impressed me with his limited play at DT this past season, and Ash has created some practice buzz, but it's a very thin group.

LINEBACKER

Projected 2012 Depth: Kenny Demens (RS Sr.), ,Brandin Hawthorne (Sr.), Isaiah Bell (RS Jr.), Cam Gordon (RS Jr.), Mike Jones (RS Jr.), Josh Furman (RS So.), Jake Ryan (RS So.), Frank Clark (So.), Kellen Jones (So.), Desmond Morgan (So.), Antonio Poole (So.)
Needs: 1
It seems a little odd to take only one player at a position where three are usually on the field, but Demens will be the only senior in the group. There is some position flexibility here; for example, Ryan could play defensive end. But the Wolverines took four linebackers in the Class of 2011, so it's not a pressing need in the immediate future.

CORNERBACK

Projected 2012 Depth: J.T. Floyd (RS Sr.), Courtney Avery (Jr.), Cullen Christian (Jr.), Terrence Talbott (Jr.), Greg Brown (So.), Blake Countess (So.), Delonte Hollowell (So.), Raymon Taylor (So.)
Needs: 0
With so many freshmen coming in 2011, at least a couple are virtually guaranteed to redshirt. There will also probably be some movement in positions, as Floyd, Christian, Brown, and Taylor could all become safeties. But as you can see above, there are eight spots allotted to cornerbacks, and the only departure after 2012 will be Floyd. Michigan will probably end up taking a cornerback in the upcoming class, but it's not necessary if all the above players remain at the position.

SAFETY

Projected 2012 Depth: Jordan Kovacs (RS Sr.), Thomas Gordon (RS Jr.), Carvin Johnson (Jr.), Marvin Robinson (Jr.), Ray Vinopal (Jr.), Tamani Carter (So.)
Needs: 2
The byproduct of playing so many freshman safeties in 2010 is that by 2012, all three will be upperclassmen. Unless somebody redshirts in the next two years by choice or injury, there will be four senior safeties on the roster in 2013. The likelihood of that scenario actually playing out is somewhat thin (unfortunately, one will probably get injured, transfer, etc. before then), but the point is that the talent isn't spread evenly over several classes. Carter would be the only underclassman, although it's a near certainty that one or more of the cornerbacks will be safeties by then. Michigan should probably be searching for one free safety and one strong safety by the end of the class.

SPECIALISTS

Projected 2012 Depth: Brendan Gibbons (RS Jr.), Will Hagerup (Jr.), Matt Wile (So.)
Needs: 0
Michigan already has one more scholarship kicker than is necessary, so unless something drastic happens, the Wolverines shouldn't be looking for another specialist. If Gibbons happens to be beaten out for the kicking job by Wile or a walk-on, I wouldn't expect him to be given a fifth year beyond 2012.

MagnusThunder is the author of Touch the Banner, a Michigan football blog. Also, he likes Reese's Peanut Butter Cups if you have any extras.