Tag: Markquese Bell

Recruiting Snapshot: Maryland

Anthony McFarland, Jr. (image via 247 Sports)

2017 Team Ranking: #18. Maryland signed eight 4-stars and twenty 3-stars.

Cream of the 2017 Crop: Is it possible that anyone’s better than wide receiver/cornerback Fofie Bazzie? I think not. It’s not often this can be said, but it’s hard to determine which player is the crown jewel of Maryland’s class because there are so many good options. The highest ranked player is Hyattsville (MD) DeMatha’s Anthony McFarland, Jr., a running back who missed most of his senior year with a leg injury. He’s the #100 overall player in the class and has some big-play ability. The Terps also landed Oxon Hill (MD) Potomac cornerback Deon Jones (#175 overall), Bridgeton (NJ) Bridgeton safety Markquese Bell (#191 overall), and Washington (DC) St. John’s quarterback Kasim Hill (#240 overall), all skill guys who could be difference-makers at the next level. In addition, Maryland has really struggled in the trenches in recent years, but they signed DeMatha offensive guard Marcus Minor (#225 overall) and Owings Mills (MD) McDonough offensive tackle Jordan McNair (#285 overall). Hill is a guy who looked pretty good, especially as a runner, in the Under Armour All-American Game:

Hit the jump for a look at the 2018 class.

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2017 Recruiting Update: January 11, 2017

Chuck Filiaga with Jim Harbaugh

COMMITMENT

Aledo (TX) Aledo offensive tackle Chuck Filiaga committed to Michigan (LINK).

OFF THE BOARD

Clinton (MS) Clinton running back Cam Akers committed to Florida State at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. He was considering Ohio State, so this is somewhat of a recruiting win for Michigan. He enrolled early, so there’s no chance of him flipping now, either. Akers looks to me like the best back in the 2017 class.

Bridgeton (NJ) Bridgeton safety Markquese Bell committed to Maryland. This is a pretty good pull for D.J. Durkin. Bell is the 247 Composite #188 player and #7 athlete in the country. He was a Michigan lean at one point, but Michigan supposedly put him on the back burner. He also considered Clemson, Ohio State, and Rutgers. Two of those things are not like the other.

Wylie (TX) East running back Eno Benjamin committed to Arizona State. Benjamin named Michigan to his top six, and I had hoped that the Wolverines would somehow be able to reel him in despite their pursuit of Najee Harris. He seems like a good kid and trained with former Michigan running back David Underwood. However, the Wolverines stopped pursuing him weeks before his final decision.

Hit the jump for several other news bits.

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2017 Recruiting: Upcoming announcement dates

Cheshire (CT) Cheshire Academy WR Tarik Black (image via Eleven Warriors)

With a flurry of recruiting activity coming in the weeks leading up to the early enrollment period, the All-American games, and National Signing Day, I’ll keep a running list here of announcement dates for prospects of interest:

Tarik Black – WR – Cheshire (CT) Cheshire Academy: December 14, 2016 (picked Michigan)

Donovan Peoples-Jones – WR – Detroit (MI) Cass Tech: December 15, 2016 (picked Michigan)

Isaiah Wilson – OT – Brooklyn (NY) Poly: December 16, 2016 (picked (Georgia)

Cesar Ruiz – C – Bradenton (FL) IMG Academy: December 19, 2016 (picked Michigan)

Jordan Anthony – LB – Bradenton (FL) IMG Academy: December 22, 2016 (picked Michigan)

Markquese Bell – S – Bridgeton (NJ) Bridgeton: January 1, 2017 (picked Maryland)

Eno Benjamin – RB – Wylie (TX) East: January 7, 2017

Chuck Filiaga – OT – Aledo (TX) Aledo: January 7, 2017

Deron Irving-Bey – DE – Flint (MI) Southwestern: January 7, 2017 (picked Michigan)

Nico Collins – WR – Pinson (AL) Clay-Chalkville: February 1, 2017

Aubrey Solomon – DT – Leesburg (GA) Lee County: February 1, 2017 or later

Visitors: Michigan vs. Wisconsin

Alex Leatherwood

This might be Michigan’s biggest recruiting weekend of the year, since the MSU and OSU games are on the road. So here’s an early list of the visitors headed to Ann Arbor.

2017

Jordan Anthony – LB – Bradenton (FL) IMG Academy: Anthony is a 6’0″, 220 lb. prospect with offers from Auburn, Clemson, Georgia, Maryland, Michigan, Oklahoma, and Penn State, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #7 outside linebacker, and #115 overall. Though he has played the last couple seasons in Florida, he’s a Maryland native. The Crystal Ball is 40% in favor of Michigan. This is his official visit.

Markquese Bell – S – Bridgeton (NJ) Bridgeton: I did a scouting report on Bell in April (LINK). He tweeted not long ago that distance is no longer a factor in his decision, which has made some people think that he’s leaning away from Rutgers and perhaps toward Michigan. UPDATE: Bell is no longer planning to visit.

Kenney “K.J.” Britt – LB – Oxford (AL) Oxford: Britt is a 6’0″, 232 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Florida, and Michigan, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #15 inside linebacker, and #317 overall. So far his Crystall Ball is 67% for Auburn and 33% for Georgia. UPDATE: Britt is no longer planning to visit.

Hit the jump for a bunch of people who are planning to visit, I swear.

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Visitors: Michigan vs. Penn State

Detroit (MI) Cass Tech WR Donovan Peoples-Jones (image via 247 Sports)

2017

Toryque Bateman – OT – Gadsden (AL) Gadsden City: Bateman is a 6’8″, 305 lb. prospect with offers from Arizona State, Miami, Michigan, and Tennessee, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #43 offensive tackle, and #408 overall. Bateman was close to committing to Michigan at one point and the Crystal Ball is still 62% in favor of the Wolverines, but there have been rumors that Michigan might back off due to questions about whether he’ll qualify or not. UPDATE: Bateman did not make it to town.

Markquese Bell – WR – Bridgeton (NJ) Bridgeton: Bell is a 6’3″, 194 lb. prospect with offers from Clemson, Florida, Maryland, Michigan, and Rutgers, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #6 athlete, and #179 overall. I did a scouting report on him back in April (LINK). He said several weeks ago that distance would no longer be a factor in his recruitment, which led some to believe that he was leaning away from Rutgers and perhaps toward the Wolverines. UPDATE: Bell is now visiting for the Wisconsin game on October 1.

Ellis Brooks – LB – Richmond (VA) Benedictine:

Nico Collins – WR – Pinson (AL) Clay-Chalkville: Collins is a 6’5″, 195 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Florida State, Georgia, and Michigan, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #13 wide receiver, and #86 overall. Alabama was thought to be the early leader, then Michigan jumped to the front, and now there are rumors that Georgia is in the driver’s seat. This will be his third visit to Michigan in the last few months. The Crystal Ball is 62% in favor of the Wolverines. UPDATE: Collins did not make it to town.

Hit the jump for several more visitors.

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