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Tyus Battle, Wolverine

Tyus Battle (image via Scout)

I don’t cover much basketball here, because jack of all trades, master of none, right? But I am a big Michigan basketball fan, and I’m excited to see that Gladstone (NJ) Gill St. Bernards shooting guard/small forward Tyus Battle committed to Michigan yesterday. He’s a 247 Composite 5-star and #12 overall in the 2016 class. Nobody seemed to be expecting Battle to commit to the Wolverines, at least not yet. Take the following with a grain of salt because I don’t – I repeat, don’t! – mean these players are the same caliber, but the way Battle moves around the floor, handles the ball, etc. reminds me of a young Kobe Bryant.

Site News: Launch date (plus a mid-day serving of Jourdan Lewis)

Jordan Lewis (image via Maize and Blue News)

In site-related news, the tentative launch date of the new website is June 7. Thanks to those of you who have contributed to the efforts. If you would like to donate, please use Paypal (on the left sidebar) or do some shopping through Amazon (LINK).

In football-related news, a video popped up on Scout of cornerback Jourdan Lewis working out against various guys at Belleville High School (LINK). One of the guys is former Detroit (MI) Cass Tech quarterback Jayru Campbell, who is headed to prep school after squandering away his college opportunities.

2016 Recruiting Update: May 11, 2015

Fort Lauderdale (FL) St. Thomas Aquinas wide receiver Michael Irvin, Jr. (image via MaxPreps)

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2016
Harbor City (CA) Narbonne wide receiver Devaughn Cooper was offered by Michigan. He’s a 5’10”, 171 lb. prospect with offers from Arizona and Washington, among others. As a junior in 2014, he caught 34 passes for 587 yards and 8 touchdowns. He claims a 4.61 forty. Cooper doesn’t have amazing physical skills, but he’s a nifty runner after the catch and isn’t afraid to catch the ball in traffic. He is a teammate of offensive tackle Alex Akingbulu, who also holds an offer from Michigan.

Tampa (FL) Catholic wide receiver Nate Craig-Myers decommitted from Auburn. He’s a 6’2″, 205 lb. prospect who’s a 247 Composite 5-star, the #1 wide receiver, and #23 overall. He never really showed interest in his Michigan offer, and Ohio State has a slim chance, but it looks like Florida State will be the beneficiary of his parting ways with Auburn.

Winchester (IN) Community safety Kiante Enis was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’1″, 180 lb. prospect with offers from Cincinnati, Indiana, and Louisville, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #61 running back, and #792 overall. As a junior in 2014, he ran the ball 299 times for 3,189 yards and 49 touchdowns. He claims a 4.35 forty. Enis has good speed, although film should be taken with a grain of salt when he’s running past small-town Indiana kids for a high school that has roughly 500 kids. He’s the nephew of former Penn State running back Curtis Enis, who went on to be a first round pick of the Chicago Bears. Michigan appears to be looking at Enis as a safety, although he has some position flexibility to play running back or receiver at the next level.

Hit the jump for several more new offers, a few guys who committed elsewhere, and then some random bits.

Fort Lauderdale (FL) St. Thomas Aquinas wide receiver Michael Irvin, Jr. was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’3″, 212 lb. prospect with offers from Georgia and Miami. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #94 wide receiver, and #619 overall. Much like his father – former University of Miami and Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Michael Irvin – the younger Irvin is not known for his speed. Irvin, Jr. spent his junior season at Plano (TX) Prestonwood Christian, but he will be playing for St. Thomas Aquinas this fall, a Florida powerhouse. Michigan has unsuccessfully recruited several players from there before, although transfer quarterbacks Jake Rudock and John O’Korn are both alums. Regardless, Irvin is expected to follow in his footsteps and become a Hurricane.

Roswell (GA) Roswell linebacker Tre Lamar was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’4″, 240 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, LSU, and Notre Dame, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #5 inside linebacker, and #148 overall. As a junior in 2014, he made 131 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, 4 sacks, and 7 pass breakups. Lamar is a large kid with a thick lower body, and he will probably outgrow the position and become a defensive end at some point. His teammate, 2017 cornerback LeAnthony Williams, also picked up an offer from Michigan. Lamar is expected to end up at Clemson.

Brentwood (TN) Brentwood Academy offensive tackle Bryce Mathews was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’5″, 275 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Ohio State, Ole Miss, Tennessee, and Texas A&M, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #23 offensive tackle, and #227 overall. Mathews is the son of former Texas A&M and NFL tackle Jason Mathews.

Loganville (GA) Grayson defensive end Mykelle McDaniel was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’4″, 255 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Notre Dame, and Stanford, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #25 strongside end, and #479 overall. McDaniel is a big body with a pretty good motor, although he does not have outstanding athleticism. His teammate, 2019 running back/linebacker Owen Pappoe, was also offered by the Wolverines.

Greensboro (NC) Page wide receiver Diondre Overton was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’4″, 193 lb. prospect with offers from Clemson, North Carolina, North Carolina State, and Tennessee, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #29 wide receiver, and #160 overall. Despite being a tall guy, Overton has very good short-area quickness and run-after-the-catch abilities. His leader appears to be Clemson, which is a good destination for receivers these days.

Jacksonville (NC) Southwest defensive end Jimmie Taylor was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’3″, 220 lb. prospect with offers from Florida, North Carolina, North Carolina State, and Tennessee, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #48 weakside end, and #760 overall. He looks like a kid who might outgrow the weakside end position into a strongside guy since he is solidly built, and he does not have a great speed rush.

Downey (CA) Downey athlete Daevon Vigilant was offered by Michigan. He’s a 5’7″, 180 lb. prospect with offers from Colorado, San Diego State, Utah, and Washington State, among others. He is currently unranked by the recruiting services. As a junior in 2014, he had almost 2,000 rushing yards and 300 receiving yards. It’s unclear which position Michigan wants him to play since he is rather small for a running back, but he could be a receiver, corner, or returner. One thing on Michigan’s end is clear – the Wolverines need more guys who can make plays with the ball in their hands. Teammate Darrian Franklin is a 2016 prospect who also holds a Michigan offer and likes the Wolverines.

OFF THE BOARD
Phenix City (AL) Central cornerback John Broussard committed to Auburn. He was expected to stay down south, and did not show much interest in his Michigan offer. He’s the #98 overall player in the country according to 247 Composite rankings.

Rancho Cucamonga (CA) Los Osos offensive tackle Cohl Cabral committed to Arizona State. This is a bit of a steal for the Sun Devils, since Cabral was expected to take USC up on their offer.

Plymouth (MI) Plymouth offensive tackle Michael Jordan committed to Ohio State. This was a bit of a surprise because Jordan was reportedly hoping to take his time with his recruitment. It was not so much of a surprise that he committed to Ohio State. Not only does he want to pursue a program that some other schools don’t offer, but despite growing up a Michigan fan, he always had an eye on Ohio State and was not as enthused about his Michigan offer as some in-state guys are. It’s a blow to Michigan, because he’s the #156 player overall and I had him as the #4 player in the state of Michigan (LINK).

MISCELLANEOUS
Norfolk (VA) Lake Taylor cornerback Wayne Davis named a top five that includes Michigan. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #30 cornerback, and #330 overall. However, he said Ohio State and Virginia Tech are tied for the lead, and he plans to make a visit this summer, so Michigan needs to get him on campus if they want a shot.

Evanston (IL) Evanston defensive tackle Naquan Jones also named a top five that includes Michigan. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #28 defensive tackle, and #323 overall. The other teams on that list are Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State, and South Carolina.

Darien (IL) Hinsdale South defensive end Josh King named a final five that includes Michigan. The big fish on this list of kids who named top lists, King is a 247 Composite 4-star, the #6 strongside end, and #73 overall. The Wolverines are competing against Michigan State, Notre Dame, Penn State, and USC.

I wrote up a scouting report on Paramus (NJ) Catholic defensive tackle Rashan Gary (LINK).

Here are a couple visitors from this past week (LINK).

What I’ve Been Watching

The 100. I barely made it through one episode. It’s about a post-apocalyptic world in which 100 teenagers are sent back to Earth, following 97 years of exile due to a nuclear holocaust. If I had to choose between watching an entire season of this show or attempting to have an intelligent conversation with Cardale Jones, I would . . . still watch the show. But it wouldn’t be an easy choice.

Hit the jump for a few more television series I’ve been watching, and feel free to leave me some suggestions.

Bloodline. Coach Taylor from Friday Night Lights  is the leading man, but the guy who makes the whole show is actor Ben Mendelsohn who plays Danny Rayburn. The show revolves around a family that runs a hotel in the Florida Keys. Oldest son Danny is a criminal and lifelong screwup, second son John (Kyle Chandler) is the local sheriff, third son Kevin (Norbert Leo Butz) is the hothead, and baby of the family Meg (Linda Cardellini) is an up-and-coming lawyer. Meanwhile, the patriarch and matriarch are played by Sam Shepard and Sissy Spacek. The Netflix Original series takes a rather daring approach by giving viewers a glimpse of the season’s ending in the first episode, but without context it doesn’t make a ton of sense. Then the intervening episodes put the pieces of the puzzle together. (On a side note, Norbert Leo Butz is an accomplished Broadway actor who was the lead in the original Wicked cast.)

The Glades. I’m still feel out this show, a few episodes into season two. It’s about a Chicago detective who gets shipped out and heads to Miami to do some crime-solving. It’s definitely not a show that I can get totally wrapped up in, but it’s not a bad serial to watch as a one-off when I’m looking for something to watch. Jim, the main character, starts off as a little too sarcastic and silly of a character, but the writers and directors seem to figure that out by the end of season one. A little more serious with more on the line, I’m enjoying season two a little more.

The Killing. I got a late start on this show. I kept seeing it pop up on Netflix, but I never really heard anybody talking about it. Based on a Danish series of the same name, the American version was canceled twice by AMC – after season two and three – only to be purchased by Netflix for a fourth season. It stars Mireille Enos (as Detective Sarah Linden) and Joel Kinnaman (as Detective Stephen Holder) as Seattle detectives who essentially investigate one murder (or several related murders) per season. I thought it was interesting how Linden went from a likable character to one who spiraled out of control – almost as loony as Carrie Matheson – but Holder went from a bit of a shady cop to one who sort of found his way throughout the four seasons. The murder mysteries are pretty intriguing, although I found season four’s main plot to be very predictable and guessed the outcome in episode one. Outside of Breaking Bad, I think this may be one of the most compelling TV dramas I’ve found.

Sons of Anarchy. I discovered this show a couple years ago, and I just finished watching the seventh and final season. It follows a biker gang in California, which is eventually led by Jax Teller (Charlie Hunnam). In some ways like Breaking Bad  or Dexter, you have a morally bankrupt protagonist that makes you feel guilty for rooting for him. As many shows are, this one is a bit unrealistic when you count up the bodies and realize that the cops must be extremely inept to not have made a few more arrests. Then again, I like watching movies about Superman, Thor, and Darth Vader, so who am I to judge based on realism? It’s very convenient that almost all of the Sons of Anarchy’s rivals are completely oblivious to impending danger, and the ending of the series wraps things up a little too cleanly for all the shenanigans that go on throughout the series. I also was not a fan of the final scene, which was a bit too cheesy. However, I do appreciate some good, old-fashioned violence, and this series has plenty of it.

What else should I watch? What are your favorite shows?

4 Potential Grad Transfer Wide Receivers

Could Valdez Showers be coming home to Michigan to complete his college career?

If you’re doing some late Mother’s Day shopping, please consider doing some shopping on Amazon (LINK). Thanks!
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It’s not really a secret at this point that Michigan is looking for a receiver or two to supplement the current wide receiver corps. The Wolverines do not have a clear option to be the #1 guy for the upcoming season, and at this point, all current players are complementary at best. I mentioned a couple days ago that we would probably be hearing about some potential transfers soon, and Michael Spath from The Wolverine dropped a few receiver names today. I can say that only one of these players was a name I had heard connected to Michigan the other day, and this is the first time I’ve heard of A.J. Legree (Chris Gallon, Josh Grady, and Valdez Showers were all familiar to me from when they were high schoolers).

Here’s a look at each of the potential transfers:

Chris Gallon – WR – Bowling Green State University: Gallon is a 6’4″, 229 lb. wideout who is a cousin of former Wolverine wide receiver Jeremy Gallon. While Jeremy went to Apopka (FL) Apopka, Chris attended Orlando (FL) Dr. Phillips, which produced players like Demetrius Hart (Alabama/Colorado State), Hasean Clinton-Dix (Alabama), Kenny Shaw (Florida State), and Trey Griffey (Arizona). Chris was a Rivals 3-star and the #65 wide receiver in the 2011 class. He redshirted as a freshman and then led the team with 54 catches, 720 yards, and 6 touchdowns in 2012. His last two seasons have been interrupted by injuries (24 catches, 232 yards, 2 touchdowns in 2013), including a total washout of 2014. Gallon is a big target without a lot of speed. On a mostly unrelated note, Gallon was at one time a teammate of former Michigan wide receiver Je’Ron Stokes at BGSU.

Hit the jump for more.



Josh Grady – WR – Vanderbilt: Grady is a 6’0″, 202 lb. player who attended Seffner (FL) Armwood, a powerhouse school in Florida that also produced running back Matt Jones (Florida), wide receiver Alvin Bailey (Florida), and safety Leon McQuay III (USC). Grady was a Rivals 3-star and the #45 athlete in the country. Grady arrived at Vanderbilt as a quarterback, moved to wide receiver, moved back to quarterback, and then returned to the receiver position. He has 7 career catches for 89 yards, all of which came as a redshirt freshman during that 2011 season. He has also completed 3/7 passes for 27 yards, 0 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions, plus carrying the ball 11 times for 20 yards.


Alphonso “A.J.” Legree – WR – USF: Legree was a Rivals 3-star coming out of Fort White (FL) Fort White in 2012, when he signed with Kentucky. He caught 12 passes for 113 yards as a true freshman. As a sophomore in 2013, he started two games and caught 7 passes for 97 yards, but he left Kentucky in the spring of 2014 to transfer to South Florida, where he had to sit out the year due to transfer rules. Now entering his fourth college season and listed at 6’1″, 194 lbs., he is reportedly graduating and potentially looking for a new situation. South Florida head coach Willie Taggart is a former Jim Harbaugh assistant coach. UPDATE: Rivals says Legree is likely not an option since he will probably not have enough credits to graduate this summer.


Valdez Showers – WR – Florida: Showers is listed at 5’10”, 188 lbs. Originally from Madison Heights (MI) Madison, Flowers spurned Michigan and Rich Rodriguez/Brady Hoke in the 2011 class to play corner at Florida. He was a Rivals 3-star and the #40 cornerback. He redshirted during his first year down in Gainesville, and he made 2 tackles playing special teams as a redshirt freshman. Going into 2013, he switched to running back/wide receiver for Will Muschamp. That season he ran the ball 12 times for 103 yards, and he also caught 18 passes for 102 yards and 1 touchdown. This past year he had 1 carry for -5 yards and 2 catches for 31 yards.

THE TAKEAWAY
None of these names are particularly exciting, but that’s the nature of grad transfers. Usually, these guys are transferring because they’re not getting playing time and want some. (It’s the same reason that Richard Ash, Josh Furman, Mike Jones, Thomas Rawls, etc. have left Michigan recently.) Some new names are likely to pop up, but here’s my pecking order of these four guys:

1. Valdez Showers – Speedy, fairly experienced hometown kid.
2. A.J. Legree – Decent sized kid with fair combination of skills.
3. Chris Gallon – Big possession receiver whose body type and skill set are similar to players already on roster. History of knee injuries.
4. Josh Grady – Fairly inexperienced and largely unproductive.