2010 Recruiting Board. Big update today. Hopefully everything from the last week can get taken care of in the next update.

Fluff on LA QB Terrance Broadway. There’s no Michigan mention, and it appears as though Michigan probably isn’t pursuing him. Broadway is on the fringe of being removed from the board.

Removed OH QB Dwight Macon. He named a top 3 of Ball State, Toledo, and Bowling Green. It appears at this time that he’s probably a MAC-level talent, and of no further interest to Michigan fans.

Michigan is likely to make the next cut for FL RB Brandon Gainer (info in header).

Removed GA RB Kendrun Malcome, who committed to Georgia. Malcome wasn’t a great prospect of interest to Michigan fans, but the Wolverines may feel a ripple effect. Georgia has been the leader for FL RB Eduardo Clements for some time, with Michigan not far behind. Malcome joins 2009 commit Washaun Ealey in the Dawgs’ backfield, and the crowded situation may help the Wolverines look a little more attractive in comparison.

Removed OH RB Braylon Heard, who’s headed to West Virginia.

Removed PA RB Dom Timbers. He committed to Syracuse, and was likely not a Michigan-caliber recruit.

Removed FL WR James Louis. He’s narrowed down to a final 4 that does not include Michigan.

Removed PA WR Andrew Carswell. He committed to Pittsburgh.

Removed FL OL Chaz Green. He’s only focusing on 5 main schools. With a planned decision by the end of summer, that doesn’t give Michigan enough time to try to get back into this one.

OH DT Terry Talbott plans to take all 5 official visits before committing to any school. By the way, he and his (non-twin) brother Terrance happen to attend the same school as QB Braxton Miller, probably Ohio’s top prospect in the class of 2011.

Removed FL DT Richard Ash, who has now been offered by USC. Since USC and Florida were his dream offers, and he has them both now, look for one of those two schools to land the Pahokee product. His early commitment (August 28th) doesn’t give Michigan much time to get back into this one, either.

Sam Webb Detroit News fluff on MI DE CJ Olaniyan. Of note: He’s close to setting a top-5 list, and Michigan is one of the 5-6 schools he’s already visited. the Wolverines look to have a chance for his top list. However, with the way defensive end recruiting has gone so far this season, I’d be surprised if he ultimately ended up in blue.

Removed GA DE Henry Anderson, who picked Stanford.

Added OH LB Cameron Ontko, who is “hearing from Michigan” (info in header).

Removed FL LB Zachery Allen. The Pahokee product (probably Michigan’s last best hope for a Blue Devil in the class of 2010) picked Wake Forest.

The somewhat-odd saga of MI LB/DE Andy Phillips came to an end last week. Early in the week, he said “if I’m going to play MAC ball, I’m going to play at CMU” ($). He was still seeking out better offers, but by the weekend, he was ready to play MAC ball for CMU. I’ve removed him from the board.

Removed MI S Earnest Thomas, who committed to UCLA. He never received much attention from Michigan, but it seems as though he blossomed into a better prospect than many were expecting. In other Orchard Lake St. Mary’s news, QB Robert Bolden, who has already been removed from the recruiting board, is announcing a decision on Friday, likely for Penn State.

FL CB Tony Grimes has set up his official visit to Ann Arbor (info in header). Forthcoming: free news on when that visit actually is.

MI CB Dior Mathis now favors Oregon and Michigan State over the Wolverines. Since Michigan had long been considered the favorite, that’s a bad thing, but there’s plenty of time to get back in the forefront of this Cass Tech player’s radar. Mathis will decide after his senior season, and plans to enroll early at his school of choice.

Sparty fluff on MI P Mike Sadler, who is one of the three kicking specialists Michigan is looking at heavily for this class (WI P Will Hagerup is the only one who has been offered at this point). Also mentioned is OH LB Jewone Snow. Michigan has yet to offer, but does have a family connection in their favor, as he’s the son of Garland Rivers. I wouldn’t be upset if the Wolverines offered for two reasons 1) He’s at MLB, a position of need, and 2) It could only help in recruiting his 2011 teammate, DE Steve Miller.

…and that seems like a perfect transition to talk a little 2011 recruiting and Miller. Video interview (HT: UMGoBlog):

Miller has visited Ann Arbor, but he says that Ohio State was his dream school growing up. If this Michigan coaching staff wants to get truly serious about recruiting, they’ll have to start beating the Buckeyes for prospects from Ohio. Going hard after Miller might be a good way to start getting that going. Steve already holds a Michigan offer.

Since the 2010 recruiting class is already starting to take shape, the 2011 recruiting board should be ready to debut any time. I’ll unleash it on the publis whenever the Wolverines get their first verbal commit for the class of 2011 (which may be coming soon, according to some insiders).

Posted under Football, Recruiting

2010 Michigan Recruiting Board.

OH QB Caleb Watkins appears to be a MAC-level talent. With that in mind, along with the fact that the Wolverines already have two quarterbacks committed, he’s ready to be removed from the board.

Josh Helmholdt says in the Free Press that which has already been internet scuttlebutt for quite some time: MI RB Austin White has been a Michigan lean since early this spring. The rest of the article is mediocre at best, with the general idea being “MSU is way better because they signed 12 guys from the state of Michigan last year,” but, like, Michigan only wanted maybe 304 of them, so what’s the point?

FL RB Eduardo Clements counts Michigan among his top 3 with Georgia and Miami. He plans an additional pair of official visits to Tennessee and South Florida.

FL RB Giovanni Bernard seems to have eliminated Michigan from the running:

“I have it nailed down to my nine right now. I don’t know exactly when I’ll make my choice, maybe make my one school decision around signing day. I’m just really trying to enjoy this, really concentrate on the schools I’m wanting to go to and at the same time concentrate on football. Right now, the nine schools are Alabama, Tennessee, Florida, FSU, Miami, Oklahoma, Oregon State, Notre Dame, and Nebraska.”

I’ll leave him on the board just a little while longer until it can be confirmed he’s naming a final 9, rather than just a top 9. He plans to announce his commitment near Signing Day.

GA RB Mack Brown will be announcing his decision in July, and is down to two choices (info in header). Since Michigan hasn’t been involved in his recruitment lately, it’s probably safe to assume that the Wolverines won’t be his choice. That’s reason enough for me to remove him from the board.

Removed GA RB Kendrun Malcome, who committed to UGa.

Removed MI RB Nick Hill, who committed to Michigan State. Actually, he was a guy who reeeally wanted a Michigan offer, so I’ll leave him on the board just a bit longer.

Removed PA RB Dom Timbers, who committed to Syracuse.

Fluff on LA WR Trovon Reed, about losing his mother this spring. Reed is a prototypical slot receiver, and part of a potential mega-package including TX RB Lache Seastrunk. With these factors in mind, it’s hard to imagine a reason that the Michigan staff hasn’t heavily pursued him, and instead went for players like Tony Drake and Drew Dileo. There’s always the chance that they know something we don’t, but doesn’t it seem like they didn’t even give top-ranked guys a chance? Michigan isn’t mentioned in the article, and Reed is soon to be long gone from the board.

FL WR Chris Dunkley doesn’t seem to be too high on Michigan anymore (if he ever really was):

“I like West Virginia, I like Florida, Florida State. I like Ohio State, I like USC, and I like Georgia. That’s not in any order I’m just naming schools off the top of my head.”

Since that’s not an official list at this time, I’ll leave him on the board. He plans to announce his decision during the Under Armour All American game in January.

Removed OH OL Taylor Miller, who committed to Toledo.

GA DT Michael Thornton has received a Michigan offer (info in header). His alleged excitement about it is more likely to be headline writing rather than an indication of his actual interest, though, so don’t think he’ll be committing to Michigan any time soon.

OH DT Jibreel Black has selected Indiana. This is only a moderate surprise, since his brother Larry already plays for the Hoosiers. However, Jibreel had a much more impressive offer sheet than his brother coming out of high school, including teams like Michigan and Michigan State. I wouldn’t put it past this Michigan staff to give Black one more big push. If they don’t, I’ll remove him from the board.

GA DE Henry Anderson was considering a Michigan visit this week:

Clemson and South Carolina will make the cut with DE/OL Henry Anderson (6-6, 245) of College Park, Ga., when he gets down to a final 10 this week. Anderson said last week Georgia Tech, Stanford and Virginia also will be on the list. He will visit Wisconsin on Tuesday and might see Michigan while he’s up in that area.

No word on whether he actually made it, but if he did, the Wolverines are likely to be on that top 10 list. When it is revealed to a free source, we’ll know if Michigan is still under consideration.

In your occasional 2011 snippet, Bucknuts guru Bill Kurelic thinks that 2011 OH CB Greg Brown might be committing to Michigan sometime soon. Brown has been favoring Michigan for a while now (though it had been thought that OSU was making a play for him this spring), and received an offer from the coaching staff following Michigan’s camp.

Whenever Michigan gets its first 2011 commit, the 2011 recruiting board will debut. If you know of anyone who should be on it, let me know in the comments or by e-mail.

Posted under Football, Recruiting

2010 Recruiting Board

Moved to committed:
SC QB Cornelius Jones. This recruitment train has been chugging along on the track to inevitable commitment for quite some time, and he committed at Michigan’s camp on Monday. Local paper commitment article.

The situation of TX LB Holmes Onwukaife is much less clear, but it appears as though he’s been given the same treatment that FL CB Travis Williams received when he tried to commit earlier this spring: The coaches told him to wait it out, and make sure he was making the right decision. In other words, they told him not to commit.

Sam Webb Detroit News fluff on the Sound Mind, Sound Body Camp in Detroit. Included is the indication that MI QB Commit Devin Gardner is all but assured to take over the throne as the to player in the state of Michigan, replacing recent MSU commit DE William Gholston (though the indications have been piling up since long before Gholston’s pledge). Gardner has excelled at QB in such events recently, so much so that he’s taken to showing off his athleticism at WR as well.

The paring down of QBs will be done a little more liberally, now that it’s unlikely that Michigan is in the market for another.

Removed TN QB Barry Brunetti, who committed to West Virginia.

Removed FL QB Christian Green, who hasn’t been considering Michigan all-too-seriously of late.

FL RB Eduardo Clements made his way to Michigan’s camp this week, and it seems as though the Wolverines may be his new leader.

Removed FL OL Brent Benedict, who committed to Georgia.

OH DE Darryl Baldwin seems to have settled on a final list of schools that does not include Michigan. The Buckeyes, Spartans, Nittany Lions, and Irish will vie for his services. I’ll leave him on the board for now, since that’s the first I’ve heard of such a narrowing. However, don’t expect him to remain much longer: Ohio State may be receiving a commitment soon.

FL DE Delvin Jones has named a top 3 of Alabama, USC, and Tennessee. With the Wolverines not on his short list, he’ll be a candidate for removal sooner rather than later.

Removed MI DE/LB William Gholston, who committed to Michigan State. This was a shocking turn of events that was not at all expected.

DC LB Javarie Johnson has named a top 4 of Michigan, Michigan state, Maryland, and Miami of Florida. The linebacker, who only likes schools starting with the letter “M,” has not formed a timetable for a decision (and no, he hasn’t committed to Michigan, though that would likely make the Wolverine coaches ecstatic).

TX LB Corey Nelson bizarrely named Michigan his leader a while back, sight unseen (and despite holding offers from other bigtime schools). The teammate of RB commit Tony Drake has since changed his tune, however, and it doesn’t seem like Michigan is in his top 5 or top 10, much less his leader. Drake may not have a ton of time to sway Nelson, since the linebacker intends to shorten his timetable for a decision.

OH LB Jordan Hicks has named three of his official visits. Ohio State, Texas, and USC will receive officials, with Alabama, Georgia, and Florida likely to be contending for his 4th and 5th visits. Michigan is nowhere to be seen on the list, but with his teammate, TE Alex Smith, apparently very interested in the Wolverines, they have some upward mobility in his favorites list. Still, the Buckeyes and Longhorns are probably a prohibitive top 2.

After Michigan offered last week, OH S Bobby Swigert has now also received an offer from Ohio State (info in header).

SC CB/WR Nick Jones has Michigan among his favorite schools, and claims a Michigan offer (the veracity of which I’m skeptical about). He’s yet another Byrnes, SC product that Michigan is recruiting, though it seems less and less likely (i.e. rapidly approaching zero probability) that any of the bigtime prospects from that school – RB Marcus Lattimore and DEs Brandon Willis and Corey Miller – will even visit Ann Arbor, much less pick Michigan. Miller, at least, has not begun to narrow his list of suitors yet.

Removed MI CB Mylan Hicks, who committed to Michigan State.

Posted under Football

2010 Michigan Recruiting Board.

OK QB/Ath DeMarco Cobbs has a top 10 list which includes Alabama, Arizona, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Southern Cal. Most schools are recruiting him as a receiver, rather than a QB. Michigan appears to be on the outside looking in. Time for some flufftastic fluff. The list is apparently a fluid one, but I’ve heard very little about Michigan involvement of late.

Removed DC QB/Ath Ricardo Young, who will announce a college decision today from a group of school that does not include Michigan.

Michigan’s chances at SC RB Marcus Lattimore, TX RB Lache Seastrunk, and AR RB Michael Dyer are not high (they’re certainly lower than Auburn’s chances). HOWEVA, at least one of them (Lattimore) has stated that he’ll officially visit An Arbor, and this video was too good to pass up (HT: JCCW).

FL RB Eduardo Clements is favoring Miami, Georgia, and Florida State. As mentioned here earlier, Michigan is a fairly recent entrant into the sweepstakes for his services, so they have a chance to claw their way back in.

FL WR Marquel Wade wasn’t previously on the board, but maybe he should be if the Wolverines want any chance to land his teammate, FL CB Derek Owens:

Additionally, it appears Wade and teammate Derek Owens will commit as a “package deal.”

At this point, it’s probably more likely that I should remove Owens from the board than expect Michigan to pick up yet another receiver. I haven’t heard much news on the Owens/Michigan front, so keep tuned for a potential removal in the near future.

SC OL Eric Mack has received a Michigan offer, so I’ve added him to the board.

SC DT AJ Cann has named a top 7 that does not include Michigan: South Carolina, Clemson, North Carolina, N.C. State, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech and Tennessee.The recruitment has been odd, in that Michigan was thought to be very strong for Cann, and they somewhat suddenly fell off the radar. With a pre-season decision on the table, they probably don’t have much of a shot to get back in this one.

Added UT DT Ricky Heimuli to the board, as he’s received a Michigan offer (info in header).

Somewhat encouraging news that FL LB Christian Jones may not be an FSU lock:

FSU is the clear front-runner because that’s where his father ( Willie Jones) and brother (Willie Jones Jr.) played defense. “Everybody wants to know if they can get him away from FSU,” said Tom Oliver, Lake Howell’s coach. “Christian’s dad wants him to look for what’s best for him. He’s open.”

So it’s certainly possible, if not likely, that someone can pull him away from the Noles.

Sporting News fluff on OH LB Jordan Hicks. Though the Wolverines have offered, his interest level doesn’t seem to be particularly high. Most people have him pegged to end up at OSU or Texas.

After last week stating that Michigan was his leader, TX LB Corey Nelson has named Texas A&M as the top school on his board. At this point, Nelson is already starting to develop a reputation as a guy who chenges his mind with the wind, and to not pay too much attention to his top schools until he starts making visits.

OH LB Jewone Snow plans to visit Michigan again by the end of May. He had previously visited for the spring game with his 2011 teammate Steve Miller.

The Wolverines have extended an offer to FL CB Tony Grimes (info in header). He’s added to the board.

Michigan is showing interest in FL CB Keion Payne. Whether that will result in an offer down the road remains to be seen.

The Penn State Nike Combine went off last weekend, and here are some of the returns for Michigan prospects:

[LB] Khairi Fortt (Stamford, Conn.) passed the “look test” and then showed why he is one of the country’s top prospects. Fortt moved with grace and power and was very difficult to block. He also showed great instincts, the ability to drop into coverage, and the speed to stay with running backs coming out of the backfield on pass routes. Fortt projects as a difference maker at the next level.

Whether he is listed as a defensive end or outside linebacker, Dakota Royer (Manheim, Pa./Central) is an absolute stud. He worked out with the defensive linemen Saturday and showed a fluid and aggressive style. Royer runs like a deer, with long strides. He does not weigh enough right now to play on the defensive line at the next level, but give him two years and he should fill out into the 230-to-240-pound range. One thing Royer has that can’t be taught is the ability to get to the ball in a hurry. In college, he has the potential to be an edge player who must be accounted for at all times.

Sharrif Floyd (Philadelphia, Pa./George Washington) was equally as impressive as Royer — the two worked in the same group. Floyd showed strength, power and an intense attitude… There has been some debate as to whether Floyd will play defensive end or tackle in college. Based on his performance at Penn State, put him down as an interior lineman at the next level, and he has the tools to be a very good one.

Defensive back Cullen Christian (Pittsburgh/Penn Hills) may not get as much publicity as his teammate, wide receiver/defensive back Brandon Ifill, but it was Christian who came away from the camp with honors. Ifill did a nice job Saturday and showed why he has scholarship offers from multiple BCS schools. But Christian was even better and was named the camp’s defensive back MVP.

Javarie Johnson (Washington D.C./Dunbar) passed the look test and showed a great attitude Saturday. The 6-foot-3 and 210-pound outside linebacker struggled a bit in pass coverage, but he has the potential with his long and lanky frame to gain plenty of weight and put his hand down and move to defensive end in college.

I’m not quite sure how prominently Michigan figures in Khairi Fortt’s recruitment, but they are players for all of the other guys listed (they’re in the top group for Floyd (info in header)).

Posted under Football, Recruiting

2010 Michigan Recruiting Board.

Michigan has offered IA QB AJ Derby. He had previously been included on the board as a defensive back, but made it clear that he’s being recruited as a QB. I’ve moved him and reflected that he has an offer. I was actually very crurious about the seeming lack of Michigan interest, so the offer certainly goes a long way to assuage those fears. For further education on Derby, check out the Youtube highlight of his team’s 2008 season. Understandably, said highlights have lots of QB action.

Removed WA QB Jake Heaps, who has narrowed his list to five. Michigan was never particularly involved in his recruitment, so this comes as no surprise. Time to pare down a few more of these QBs. Who’s next?

FL RB Eduardo Clements has started to name favorites, and Georgia is on top for now. However, Michigan doesn’t seem to be that far behind for the south florida speedster:

“As of right now, Georgia is still my leader but Miami and Florida State are really high for me too. Michigan is an offer that came in not too long ago and I’m interested in them just because of their offensive scheme and how they pound the ball.”

Sounds like the Wolverines are hanging on at the end of an unofficial Top 4, no? Considering they were the most recent to offer him (which is now reflected on the board), they seem to be right in the thick of the race for his services.

OH RB Tyson Gulley is starting to see bigger interest, as IU is close to offering. However, with Michigan already having a couple backs in the class, I’d be shocked if they reached for a lesser-rated guy like Gulley.

Michigan has offered MD WR Adrian Coxson (info in header). This is odd, because they’re already drowning in WR recruits.

FL OL Brent Benedict is a hotly-recruited prospect, and he’ll basically have his choice of any school when it comes time to decide. That said, it’s an encouraging sign that Michigan is among the campuses he plans to visit this summer, as he conducts research for his eventual college decision.

Removed IN OL James Hurst, who committed to North Carolina. It’s odd that Michigan never really got in on his recruitment, considering he’s just one state away, and is considered one of the top offensive linemen in the class of 2010 at this early stage.

Were reports of OH DE Darryl Baldwin‘s narrowing his list to four schools (UM, MSU, OSU, ND) premature? His coach says so. Still, even if he hasn’t limited his choices to those, it’s fair to say that they are his top4. Also, note the article writer’s disdainful look at the internet recruiting sites “Internet reports speculated…” Yes, they speculated something by taking a quote directly from the kid’s mouth. FAIL.

TX LB Corey Nelson has named Michigan his leader. He’s a serious prospect, and Michigan is certainly in the hunt for linebackers. The interest came from the commitment of RB Tony Drake, yet another example of Rich Rodriguez’s recruiting strategy of building pipelines at powerhouse programs and taking multiple recruits from the schools in a single year. Burnt Orange Nation, of all places, has a bit of fluff on him as well:

The other top linebackers, Corey Nelson and Aaron Benson, are both smaller, faster linebackers more highly rated than Jackson (for now, at least), with Nelson in particular looking physically more like a safety than a linebacker as a junior.

Is that a problem? Should Nelson or Benson be punished for not fitting cleanly into the traditional stereotype of their positions? In a word – no. Throw out the old prototype of big linebackers with two-gap responsibility asked to take on fullbacks in the hole – there’s a new sheriff (or pirate, if you prefer) in town who likes playing in the wide-open places on the field.

That’s pretty effusive praise for a guy who almost certainly will not end up playing for Mack Brown’s Longhorns.

The Wolverines have sent an offer to CT LB Khairi Fortt (info in header). He’s a 4-star to Scout and to Rivals.

FL CB Cody Riggs nearly committed to Notre Dame on his visit to the spring game. I think he’s a guy that we can almost forget about, if not quite yet.

An all-star game update: FL WR James Louis (who may be close to committing to Florida) will play in the ESPNU game. The article mentions that FL LB Jeff Luc, who at last word was waiting to decide which all-star game to play in, has decided on the ESPNU game.

From Sam Webb’s Wednesday Recruiting Roundup:

• SC OL AJ Cann is not as high on the Maize-and-Blue anymore as he had been in the recent past.
• Despite receiving an offer from Oklahoma, it is not a foregone conclusion that MI DT Jonathan Hankins will see the in-state schools follow suit. Look for him to be offered a little further down the road, if at all.

Posted under Football, Recruiting

Michigan has tendered an offer for GA QB/DB Blake Sims. He’s currently listed on the board as a DB, but may move over to QB, since this article certainly seems like he is being recruited for that position by Michigan.

LA QB Terrance Broadway has Alabama as his early favorite, and most schools pursuing him are in the South. He is more of a mobile pocket passer than a spread or running QB.

Tate Forcier’s high school teammate, CA RB Brennan Clay, has Michigan barely hnging in on his top 5. The Wolverines trail Oregon, USC, Cal, and Stanford. He would like to stay a little closer to home, but the Wolverines will get visits to change his mind.

FL Slot WR De’Joshua Johnson has set his decision date: September 27, the first anniversary of the death of Pahokee teammate Norman Griffith, who was also a good friend of Vincent Smith and Brandin Hawthorne. Positive notes regarding Michigan’s shot:

Michigan already has three ex-Pahokee players on its roster, which certainly will appeal to Johnson, and the Blue Devils always have had a good relationship with West Virginia and its staff.

Obviously, West Virginia’s staff is in Ann Arbor now, and the Pahokee pipeline factor will hopefully play a role. Johnson is expected to play QB for Pahokee this year, but play slot in college.

SoFlaFootball tells us of a couple guys whose stock is on the rise, including a guy already on the recruiting board as well as one to add:

Michaelee Harris – WR Northwestern: The talented 6-foot, 170-pound receiver for the Bulls was a name many people knew, and he showed flashes of greatness on the field. The past couple weeks at the Badger Sports Passing Camp and the Under Armour Combine, he’s looked like man amongst boys.

Delvin Jones – DE/TE Palmetto: It’s hard to miss this 6-foot-6, 230-pound man child, but the agility he displayed during the Badger Sports Passing Camp was impressive. The defensive side of the ball is where Jones’ home will be in college, and this spring he must show a more consistent motor coming off the edge.

Keep these guys in mind, and it’s good to see a couple Michigan prospects’ stock on the rise.

FL WR Gideon Ajagbe sounds like he favors Florida, North Carolina, and everyone else, in that order. With Michigan’s WR situation, it seems unlikely that they start showing much interest in him.

Will Bryce Brown end up at Miami? I don’t really care, except it likely has a bearing on these guys:

The 2010 recruiting class is loaded with stud running backs and the top four, Eduardo Clements, Brandon Gainer, Giovanna Bernard [sic], and Jakhari Gore (Frank Gore’s cousin) have all listed Miami has their top choice.

Tha U probably won’t take all four guys regardless of Brown’s final decision, but they’ll certainly take even fewer if Brown ends up signing there.

Michigan is showing interest to NC OL Robert Crisp, which is nothing new or surprising, but it’s worth noting that he’s mentioning the Wolverines in his updates.

TX DT Jay Guy has been offered by Missouri (info in header). The Longhorns never offered, however, which means is recruitment looked outside the Big12. Of course, he has since committed to Cal, but I’m going to adjust VB policy and leave him on the board since he’s said he’ll take visits.

SC S DeAndre Hopkins has been named his state’s Mr. Basketball. He is also all-state for the third time. Hooray for ridiculously gifted youngsters.

FL S Marvin Robinson, who had previously asked Ohio State to stop recruiting him, now says he will visit the Buckeyes.

Posted under Football, Recruiting

Let’s start with the odd/potentially important news. 2009 OH CB Dale Peterman didn’t seem to be too high on Michigan’s radar. However, there is this random quote from a basketball article:

Only one player, Ursuline’s Dale Peterman, who is expected to announce early next week that he will be attending the University of Michigan to play football, fouled out.

Take that for what it’s worth (very little, if you ask me). To the best of my knowledge, he hasn’t been offered.

All-League teams from the San Diego Area include a UM commit and a 2010 prospect:

Eastern League

First-team offense–Wesley Cody (Mira Mesa) Sr.; Tyler Gaffney (Cathedral Catholic) Sr.; Dana Barbaro (St. Augustine) Jr.; Allen Aguilar (St. Augustine) Jr.; Duante Jones (Patrick Henry) Jr.; Robert Forcier (Scripps Ranch) Sr.; Brennan Clay (Scripps Ranch) Jr.

Good for Tate, and I assume having him on the team will help with the recruitment of Clay, if Michigan wants him.

Not to be outdone, FL RB commit Vincent Smith was named his area’s Player of the Year.

Fluff on Michigan’s Ohio commits that are playing in all-star games this weekend. Justin Turner:

Projected as a defensive back once he gets to Ann Arbor, athlete Justin Turner (6-0, 186) of Massillon Washington is representing both Ohio and Michigan in the Army All-American Bowl. He is rated as the No. 25 athlete prospect in the country by ESPN.

Turner, ranked No. 7 in the state by Ohio High, was a two-way standout for Massillon at running back and at defensive back. He rushed for 1,380 yards and 11 touchdowns on 207 carries on offense. Defensively, he had 29 tackles, three interceptions (two for touchdowns) and a forced fumble for the Tigers (6-5).

Turner was a first team All-Ohio selection on defense in Division I and was also a member of the Ohio High/ONN All-Ohio team.

Isaiah Bell:

Headlining the Ohio contingent in the Under Armour game is Youngstown Liberty safety Isaiah Bell on the Black Team. Ohio High ranks Bell (6-2, 200) as the No. 32 prospect in the Class of 2009 while ESPN has Bell as the No. 9 safety in the country and No. 91 player overall.

…and uncommitted prospect Marcus Hall:

Offensive tackle Marcus Hall (6-5, 290) of Cleveland Glenville was a first team All-Ohio selection this season in Division I and an Ohio High/ONN All-Ohio team selection. Hall is rated as the No. 3 player by Ohio High magazine for the Class of 2009 and ESPN has Hall rated as the No. 11 offensive tackle in the country and No. 78 overall.

Hall is the highest rated player nationally from Ohio participating in the three all-star games.

He is considering scholarship offers from Ohio State, Michigan, Illinois, Miami (Fla.) and Tennessee. While the Army All-American Bowl has evolved into a stage for players to announce their college choices about a month before National Signing Day, Hall does not plan on announcing at the game wanting to take all of his official visits before he decides.

2010 FL RB Eduardo Clements sounds like he may be a Miami of Florida lock:

The 5-foot-10, 185-pound running back with documented 4.45-second speed in the 40-yard dash rushed for about 900 yards this year in the hammer-hard competition of Dade County. His first scholarship offer was from Miami, something he savors.

“I mean, my first scholarship offer was from the Canes,” Clements told SN Today. “I was thinking about how my childhood favorite—that I was so up about—had just offered me a scholarship. It was great that people were looking at me and seeing how hard I work.”

He also sports offers from South Florida, Central Florida, West Virginia, Boston College, Iowa, Oregon, Rutgers, and a few others. He doesn’t plan to commit anywhere until his senior year, but it sounds like Miami certainly has a leg up on the competition.

Removed 2009 MN WR Bryce McNeal, a former commit. He announces his decision (already made) this weekend at the Army All-American Bowl between Oregon, Clemson, Minnesota, and Colorado.

Added 2010 FL OL Torrian Wilson. SoFlaFootball reports he has been hearing from Michigan.

2009 MI QB AJ Westendorp has earned a scholarship offer (info in header). This vastly decreases the likelihood he’ll walk on at Michigan.

It doesn’t sound like FL CB Jayron Hosley will be into the weather when he comes on his official visit:

The Michigan staff better have a hill and a sled for Jayron when he visits Ann Arbor Jan 16. He heard about the snow Michigan received a week or so ago and is not feeling that. “I heard they got a bunch of snow and some people even lost power, I don’t want that [laughing].” Michigan seems to be behind the 8 ball now, but like I always said, sell him early playing time. The early playing time, showing him snow actually can be fun [sledding is fun for all ages], and see where it gets you.

If you want to hear Jim Carty’s take on the William Campbell situation, head over to his site to listen to the audio from his weekly WTKA appearance. For the record, Sam Webb still thinks Michigan gets him.

Posted under Football, Recruiting

Following up on the 2009 recruiting update from a day ago, here’s its 2010 counterpart. The recruiting board esta aqui.

Added: MI WR Baquer Sayed. Michigan already has a couple of wideouts in the class of 2010, but Sayed seems like he may be a pretty good one, and he’s right in the Wolverines’ backyard:

“Very rarely do we have a 6-2 receiver that can run, jump and catch the ball the way (Sayed) can. I don’t know if he is going to run a 40-yard dash in front of a college scout and give him a blazing time [4.6 range]. Baquer can improve that, definitely. That is my job and the rest of our coaching staff’s job to get him to do that.” [Sayed’s coach Fouad Walker]

“I think, as a high school receiver, Sayed could be the best in the state,” said [Scout analyst Allen] Trieu. “Prospect wise, Jackson brings a little more size and Banks brings a little more explosiveness. However, I think Sayed has the best ball skills of the three.”

Sayed also mentioned potentially playing both basketball and football in college, though he would choose football if he could play only one. His recruiting has been slow to start so far, but looks to be picking up:

Sayed doesn’t hold any offers at the moment, but Michigan, Michigan State, Cincinnati, Indiana, UCLA and Bowling Green all have sent letters expressing interest.

Also added to the board: PA CB Cullen Christian. He has been offered by Michigan ($).

Michigan will continue to look to Pahokee for talent in the future, and DL Antonio Ford may be one possibility in the class of 2010. SoFlaFootball brings the info:

The 6-foot-4, 255-pound Ford has the impressive frame and long limbs coaches look for in lineman. The talented lineman is still maturing and his size is only a fraction of what he will end up being in the future.

Ford is currently offerless, but is getting communications from Duke, West Virginia, and Maryland.

OH LB Scott McVey recently visited Ohio State, where he enjoyed himself greatly (info in header). All the news on McVey has been rather Buckeye-centric lately, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he ended up committing to the Bucks.

FL DB LaMarcus Joyner has a pretty solid top 3 of Florida, FSU, and Ohio State (in that order). He is not considering MIami of Florida, and it will be interesting to see if any other schools (namely Michigan) will be able to break his top group’s stranglehold on his recruitment.

PA LB Sam Bergen tore his ACL this past season, but that won’t stop him from being a bigtime recruit:

Bergen was, and strives to be again, the top linebacker in the Mountain Valley Conference. Despite the injury, Bergen, like his older brother Max, who is a redshirt freshman at Stanford, remains a top recruit — and he’s got two binders of letters from universities across the country to prove it.

As of now, his favorite schools include but are not limited to Notre Dame, Penn State, Illinois, Rutgers, Stanford and Boston College.

FL RB Eduardo Clements sat down for an interview with SoFlaFootball. He currently favors FSU, Boston College, and Miami of Florida. He’s trying to put on some weight going into next season to have a more successful year.

FL WR/Slot Chris Dunkley talks offers with SoFlaFootball, but he refuses to discuss a favorite. He says all of the schools that he is considering are even, though it seems Florida and Georgia may be just a bit out front. He is considering taking summer visits to USC and West Virginia.

Posted under Football, Recruiting