Tag: Najee Harris

Recruiting Down the Stretch: Running Back

Antioch (CA) Antioch RB Najee Harris (#2)

COMMITMENTS

Michigan currently has commitments from three players, and all three are likely to be running backs, not “athletes” who bounce back and forth between positions. The speedster is Los Lunas (NM) Los Lunas runner O’Maury Samuels (4-star, #21 RB, #276 overall), who at one time had the national lead in SPARQ rating. While he was eventually passed up for that honor, he showed that he has the athleticism to be a national recruit. He has continued taking visits while committed to Michigan, perhaps just doing his due diligence while Michigan also explores other options. The bruiser is Groton (MA) Lawrence Academy’s A.J. Dillon (4-star, #19 ATH, #298 overall), who is 6’1″, 230 lbs. and runs a sub-4.6. Dillon broke his leg mid-season and missed a chunk of his senior year. The pinball is Loganville (GA) Grayson’s Kurt Taylor (3-star, #55 RB, #873 overall), a 5’9″, 200-pounder who is neither extremely fast or extremely bruising. He is a notoriously hard worker and has welcomed competition throughout his recruitment, so while he may be a little short on talent, he might just be one of those “Harbaugh guys.”

Hit the jump for more on Michigan’s running back situation.

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Who’s enrolling early in 2017?

Brooklyn (NY) Poly OT Isaiah Wilson

Some class of 2017 prospects will be enrolling in January, which means there’s only a few weeks left for players to make college decisions. Here’s a look at the players Michigan is targeting who plan to enroll early, along with their scheduled commitment dates (if they have been announced).

Cam Akers – RB – Clinton (MS) Clinton: N/A

Aaron Banks – OT – El Cerrito (CA) El Cerrito: Committed to Notre Dame

Ja’Raymond Hall – OT – Oak Park (MI) Oak Park: Committed to Michigan

Najee Harris – RB – Antioch (CA) Antioch: Committed to Alabama

Tarik Black – WR – Cheshire (CT) Academy: Committed to Michigan

Jaylen Kelly-Powell – S – Detroit (MI) Cass Tech: Committed to Michigan

Alex Leatherwood – OT – Pensacola (FL) Washington: Committed to Alabama

Corey Malone-Hatcher – DE – St. Joseph (MI) St. Joseph: Committed to Michigan

Tre’ McKitty – TE – Bradenton (FL) IMG Academy: Committed to Florida State

Donovan Peoples-Jones – WR – Detroit (MI) Cass Tech: Committed to Michigan

Shanon Reid – LB – Ft. Myers (FL) Dunbar: Committed to Tennessee

Cesar Ruiz – C – Bradenton (FL) IMG Academy: Committed to Michigan

Benjamin St-Juste – CB – Montreal (Canada) Vieux: Committed to Michigan

Ambry Thomas – CB – Detroit (MI) King: Committed to Michigan

Isaiah Wilson – OT – Brooklyn (NY) Poly: Committed to Georgia

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2016 BBQ at the Big House visitors

Antioch (CA) Antioch RB Najee Harris

The BBQ at the Big House, founded by Rich Rodriguez, has continued through Brady Hoke and now Jim Harbaugh. It has always been a big recruiting weekend with a lot of visitors, although Harbaugh has switched it up a little bit. Instead of having it near the end of July when players are still able to take visits freely, putting it in early August makes it a bit tougher for players to make lengthy travel plans, since a lot of states start practice at the beginning of August. This year’s BBQ at the Big House will supposedly be split up into two events, one on August 6 and one on August 8.

2017

Jordan Anthony – LB – Bradenton (FL) IMG Academy: Anthony is a 6’0″, 220 lb. prospect with offers from Auburn, Clemson, Georgia, LSU, Maryland, Michigan, Ohio State, Oklahoma, and Penn State, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #8 outside linebacker, and #113 overall. A Maryland native, he transferred to IMG prior to his junior year. UPDATE: Anthony is no longer planning to visit.

Henry Bainivalu – OT – Sammamish (WA) Skyline: Bainivalu is a 6’6″, 290 lb. prospect with offers from Michigan, Oregon, UCLA, USC, Washington, and Washington State, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #23 offensive tackle, and #182 overall.

Aaron Banks – OT – El Cerrito (CA) El Cerrito: Banks is a 6’7″, 344 lb. prospect with offers from Cal, Michigan, Notre Dame, Oregon, and USC, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #21 offensive tackle, and #167 overall.

Hit the jump for a ton more players who are attending the BBQ.

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Rivals 100 to Watch for 2017

Detroit (MI) Cass Tech wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones

Rivals released their early top 100 prospects to watch for 2017 (LINK); while the players are not listed numerically, they have been given star ratings. Below is a list of the players Michigan has offered:

5-stars:
Calvin Ashley – OT – Florida
Najee Harris – RB – California
Darnay Holmes – CB – California
Devon Hunter – S – Virginia
Josh Myers – OT – Ohio (Ohio State)

4-stars:
A.J. Epenesa – DE – Illinois
Darnell Ewell – OT – Virginia
Paris Ford – ATH – Pennsylvania
Anthony Hines – LB – Texas
Dylan McCaffrey – QB – Colorado
Jake Moretti – OT – Colorado
Jeffrey Okudah – ATH – Texas
Donovan Peoples-Jones – WR – Michigan
Stanford Samuels III – ATH – Florida
Jeff Thomas – WR – Illinois
Shaun Wade – CB – Florida (Ohio State)
Jamyest Williams – ATH – Georgia
Marcus Williamson – CB – Ohio

2017 Recruiting Update: January 26, 2015

Antioch (CA) Antioch RB Najee Harris (image via San Jose Mercury News)

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2017
Antioch (CA) Antioch running back Najee Harris was offered by Michigan. Harris is a 6’1″, 210 lb. prospect with offers from Cal, UCLA, and Utah, among others. He’s a 247 Sports 4-star, the #5 running back, and #42 overall in his class. Harris represents Jim Harbaugh’s first offer in the 2017 class, and we have seen that kind of early attention pay off in past classes, such as with Bryan Mone in the 2014 class. The running back is a sturdy north-south runner who lacks great speed but is only coming out of his sophomore year. As a sophomore this past season, he carried the ball 271 times for 2,263 yards (8.4 yards/carry) and 23 touchdowns.

OFF THE BOARD
Miamisburg (OH) Miamisburg offensive tackle Josh Myers committed to Ohio State over the weekend. Myers is one of two linemen in his class to have earned offers from Michigan (both from the Hoke regime), along with Florida’s Calvin Ashley. Early on Myers is 247 Sports’ #1 offensive tackle and #3 overall player, so this is a big commitment for the Buckeyes.

MISCELLANEOUS
Ann Arbor (MI) Pioneer running back Antjuan Simmons visited Michigan this past weekend. Simmons is a 6’1″, 205 lb. prospect with no offers at this time, but he boasts a 4.55 forty and could play several positions at the next level. It’s early yet, but he looks like one of the top few prospects in the state for 2017.

Over on Recruiting Season, I added/updated profiles for Warren De La Salle RB Allen Stritzinger, Detroit King CB Ambry Thomas, and Detroit Cass Tech WR Donovan Peoples-Jones.