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2016 Recruiting Update: April 20, 2015

Paramus (NJ) Catholic wide receiver Donald Stewart (image via NorthJersey.com)

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COMMITMENT
Houston transfer quarterback John O’Korn finally got a writeup (LINK).

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2016
Moultried (GA) Colquitt linebacker Ja’Quain Blakely was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’2″, 205 lb. prospect with offers from Arkansas, Florida, Iowa, Mississippi State, Nebraska, and Tennessee, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #34 outside linebacker, and #476 overall. Blakely has some good coverage ability and changes direction well in space. He named Florida his early leader after they offered, although other schools have continued to come in with offers in recent weeks.

Lake Forest (IL) Academy defensive end Daniel Joseph was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’3″, 240 lb. prospect with offers from Illinois, Iowa, Michigan State, Nebraska, and Stanford, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #16 strongside end, and #267 overall. Joseph looks a little passive at times, especially when taking on blockers, but he’s an aggressive tackler. He also shows some impressive athleticism in the linked highlight when he leaps for a one-handed touchdown reception, although he does not consistently show that kind of effort. His two leaders at this time appear to be Iowa and Michigan State.

Hit the jump for a couple guys added to the board, several guys who committed elsewhere, and some random bits.

Savannah (GA) Christian wide receiver Demetris Robertson decommitted from Alabama. Robertson is a 6’1″, 165 lb. prospect who is now considering Georgia, LSU, Stanford, and possibly others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #1 athlete, and #35 overall. He’s blazing fast and claims a 4.38 forty. Robertson was originally recruited by Michigan as a wideout, although he could play several different skill positions in college. The linked highlights say that he touched the ball 25 times in his first four games and scored 10 touchdowns.

Paramus (NJ) Catholic wide receiver Donald Stewart was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’4″, 180 lb. prospect with offers from Iowa, Maryland, Northwestern, and Rutgers, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #148 wide receiver, and #1030 overall. Stewart has good size and just so-so speed, but where he makes hay is with his precise attention to route running. He attends the alma mater of Jabrill Peppers and Juwann Bushell-Beatty, which is also the former team of recruiting coordinator Chris Partridge. Steve Lorenz of 247 Sports recently put in a Crystal Ball pick for Stewart to Michigan.

OFF THE BOARD
Cleveland (OH) St. Ignatius offensive tackle Liam Eichenberg committed to Notre Dame. His affection for Notre Dame was the worst kept secret in the midwest.

Oradell (NJ) Bergen Catholic quarterback Jarrett Guarantano committed to Tennessee. I had pegged Guarantano for Ohio State initially, but Texas quarterback Tristen Wallace committed to the Buckeyes first. As soon as Guarantano heard, he said he would be announcing that afternoon, and he chose the Volunteers. Michigan was not actively recruiting Guarantano since the Harbaugh hire.

Santa Ana (CA) Mater Dei offensive tackle Frank Martin II committed to USC. The Trojans also picked up another big-time tackle this weekend in Nathan Smith, whom Michigan was feeling out but had not yet offered.

Charlotte (NC) Ardrey Kell defensive end Julian Okwara committed to Notre Dame. He had named Michigan to his top five prior to the announcement, but he had never visited Ann Arbor. Okwara’s brother, Romeo, also plays for Notre Dame.

Santa Ana (CA) Mater Dei linebacker Curtis Robinson committed to Stanford. A teammate of Martin’s, Robinson was one of the new staff’s first volley of offers in the Golden State. On the bright side, Michigan is going so hard after California kids that not all of them can commit to Stanford, UCLA, and USC. So there’s that.

Flower Mound (TX) Marcus tight end Kaden Smith committed to Stanford. Michigan had made some inroads with Smith since Harbaugh was hired, but it was always going to be a long shot. He had basically written off Michigan altogether when Hoke was still in town.

Copperas Cove (TX) Copperas Cove offensive tackle J.P. Urquidez committed to Baylor. A military son, Urquidez transferred from the Big Ten imprint – at Hyattsville (MD) DeMatha – to Copperas Cove after his junior season was finished. That move paid off for the Golden Bears.

Stow (OH) Walsh Jesuit center Jack Wohlabaugh committed to Ohio State. Wohlabaugh’s offer from Michigan was his best offer up until this past weekend, when he visited Columbus for the Buckeyes’ spring game and was offered. He committed on the spot. Wohlabaugh is the son of former NFL center Dave Wohlabaugh, a Super Bowl champion with the New England Patriots.

MISCELLANEOUS
Scout updated their top 300 prospects (LINK).

I posted a scouting report on Philadelphia (PA) Imhotep tight end Naseir Upshur (LINK).

Over on Recruiting Season, I added/updated profiles for Plymouth offensive tackle Michael Jordan and Warren Mott wide receiver Tylen Redding.

Video: Trailer for Jim Harbaugh’s appearance on Real Sports

Carter Dunaway, Wolverine

Carter Dunaway with Jim Harbaugh (image via Twitter)

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Bloomfield Hills (MI) Brother Rice tight end Carter Dunaway committed to Michigan on Friday night. The 2017 prospect had no other offers at the time of his commitment.

Dunaway is 6’6″, 232 lbs. and, according to Maxpreps, had 1 catch for 9 yards (plus a two-point conversion) as a sophomore in 2014.

Hit the jump for more on Dunaway and his commitment to Michigan.

RATINGS
ESPN: Unranked
Rivals: Unranked
Scout: Unranked
247 Sports: Unranked

Dunaway is the son of former Michigan tight end Craig Dunaway, who caught 55 passes for 775 yards and 8 touchdowns for Bo Schembechler in the early 1980s. Carter’s older brother, Jack, will be a preferred walk-on defensive end out of Brother Rice this coming fall (LINK).

Carter was offered two weeks ago on the weekend of Michigan’s spring game. He was essentially considered a shoo-in for Michigan at the time, and that assumption turned out to be spot on.

Not much is known in the recruiting world about his abilities. He obviously has good size for a high school sophomore, and he has good bloodlines with his dad (who went on to spend one year in the NFL) and a brother who’s a pretty good athlete. He spent his sophomore season mostly watching senior tight ends Brian Fortin (18 catches, 195 yards, 4 touchdowns) and Michael Roney (22 catches, 366 yards, 2 touchdowns) catch passes from Alex Malzone, who is now playing quarterback for Michigan. That obviously worked well for Brother Rice on their way to a 10-1 record, but it doesn’t tell us much about Dunaway.

In my years of following and analyzing Michigan recruiting, this is the biggest head-scratcher I have seen. Brother Rice is a solid program in the state of Michigan, but even at national powerhouses, I have never seen Michigan offer a scholarship to a third-stringer. Personally, I believe that players are made on game day, and presumably without much film (Carter does not have a highlight video), the coaches were going off of meeting him, perhaps watching him work out, and the advice of non-staff members (Dunaway’s family members, coaches, etc.). Certainly Michigan’s staff could have waited until a few games into Carter’s junior season to see how he fared before pulling the trigger on an offer.

But Jim Harbaugh chose not to do so. I mean, we’re talking about Jim Harbaugh, who is extremely competitive and a tight end whisperer. There are four options here:

1. Harbaugh’s legendary intensity has been overcome by Michigan nostalgia, and he offers any and every Michigan legacy.
2. Harbaugh likes what he and his staff have seen of Carter Dunaway in workouts enough to the point that game film and experience are superfluous.
3. Michigan could feasibly have a giant 2017 class, so there are bound to be a couple flyers.
4. Harbaugh can turn anybody who’s 6’6″ into a stud tight end.

*Just kidding. I won’t give out TTB Ratings for 2017 kids until the 2016 class is complete.

Scout 300 updated for 2016

Downers Grove (IL) South offensive tackle Erik Swenson is the #102 player

Scout updated their top 300 players for the class of 2016 (LINK) a couple days ago. Here are a list of Michigan commits:

– Erik Swenson is #102
– Matt Falcon is #147
– Brandon Peters is #283

Hit the jump for all of Michigan’s targets on the list.

5-stars:
1. Rashan Gary – DT – New Jersey
5. Greg Little – OT – Texas (Texas A&M)
6. Shea Patterson – QB – Lousiana (Ole Miss)
8. Caleb Kelly – LB – California
10. Nate Craig – WR – Florida (Auburn)
11. Jacob Eason – QB – Washington (Georgia)
12. Kareem Walker – RB – New Jersey (Ohio State)
13. Ed Oliver – DT – Texas
16. Levonta Taylor – CB – Virginia (Florida State)

4-stars:
21. Ben Bredeson – OT – Wisconsin
22. Justin Madubuike – DE – Texas
25. Dexter Lawrence – DT – North Carolina
26. Devin Duvernay – WR – Texas
31. Michael Menet – OT – Pennsylvania
32. Binjimen Victor – WR – Florida
33. Tommy Kraemer – OT – Ohio (Notre Dame)
36. Boss Tagaloa – DT – California
37. Willie Allen – OT – Louisiana
38. Ben Davis – LB – Alabama
39. Brandon Jones – S – Texas
42. Mique Juarez – LB – California (USC)
44. Charlie Woerner – TE – Georgia
46. Kaden Smith – TE – Texas (Stanford)
47. Jack Jones – ATH – California
48. E.J. Price – OT – Georgia (Georgia)
49. Ahmir Mitchell – ATH – New Jersey
50. Marlon Davidson – DE – Alabama
51. Curtis Robinson – LB – California (Stanford)
52. Jeffrey McCulloch – LB – Texas
53. Demetris Robertson – ATH – Alabama (Alabama)
54. Jaquan Yulee – LB – Virginia
55. K.J. Costello – QB – California (Stanford)
56. Jared Mayden – CB – Texas
57. Janarius Robinson – DE – Florida (Florida State)
59. Clark Yarbrough – OT – Virginia
64. Collin Johnson – WR – Texas (Texas)
66. Liam Eichenberg – OT – Ohio
67. Dylan Crawford – WR – California
68. Dee Anderson – WR – Texas
71. Terrance Davis – OT – Maryland
76. Ben Cleveland – OG – Georgia (Georgia)
80. Isaiah Chambers – DE – Texas
81. Isaac Nauta – TE – Georgia (Florida State)
82. Jordan Elliott – DT – Texas
83. Lokeni Toiailoa – LB – California (UCLA)
84. Austin Mack – WR – Indiana
85. Trayvon Mullen – CB – Florida
87. Dontavious Jackson – LB – Texas
88. Auston Robertson – DE – Indiana
89. Devin Asiasi – TE – California
91. Devin White – LB – Louisiana
92. Jake Hausmann – TE – Ohio (Ohio State)
96. Theo Howard – WR – California (Oregon)
98. Miles Sanders – RB – Pennsylvania (Penn State)
99. Chris Daniels – DT – Texas
102. Erik Swenson – OT – Illinois (Michigan)
103. Josh King – DE – Illinois
104. Erick Fowler – DE – Texas
107. Malik Henry – QB – California (Florida State)
108. Sam Bruce – WR – Florida (Miami)
110. Mike Williams – DT – Texas
111. Jaylon Jones – CB – Texas
112. Nigel Knott – CB – Mississippi
113. Scott Bracey – WR – Virginia (Duke)
114. Donnie Corley – WR – Michigan
116. Jonah Williams – OT – California (Alabama)
122. Jordan Fuller – CB – New Jersey
126. Jarrett Guarantano – QB – New Jersey (Tennessee)
134. Steven Smothers – WR – Maryland
135. Julian Okwara – DE – North Carolina (Notre Dame)
144. Brad Hawkins – WR – New Jersey
145. Michael Jordan – OT – Michigan
146. Devery Hamilton – OT – Maryland
147. Matt Falcon – RB – Michigan (Michigan)
149. Amani Bledsoe – DE – Kansas
152. Rahshaun Smith – DE – Florida (Clemson)
154. Luke Farrell – TE – Ohio
157. Camilo Eifler – LB – California
159. Mecole Hardman – ATH – Georgia
160. Trevon Sideny – ATH – California
163. Eli Stove – WR – Florida
167. Michael Onwenu – DT – Michigan
170. Lavert Hill – CB – Michigan (Penn State)
171. Shaquille Quarterman – LB – Florida (Miami)
172. Antonio Williams – RB – North Carolina (Wisconsin)
174. C.J. Pollard – S – California
179. Justin Layne – WR – Ohio
184. John Broussard – CB – Alabama
187. Cole Van Lanen – OT – Wisconsin
201. Daelin Hayes – LB – Michigan (USC)
203. Xavier Kelly – DE – Kansas
208. Frank Martin II – OT – California (USC)
212. Naseir Upshur – TE – Pennsylvania
213. Jacob Mathis – TE – Florida
214. Darrian Franklin – LB – California
219. Patrick Bethel – DE – Florida
225. David Long – CB – California
228. Levi Onwuzurike – DE – Texas
235. Wayne Davis – CB – Virginia
236. Steffon McKnight – WR – California
237. Marquel Dismuke – S – California (Cal)
238. Dwayne Haskins – QB – Maryland
239. Khalid Kareem – DE – Michigan
243. Calvin Bundage – S – Oklahoma
250. Eric Cuffee – CB – Texas
251. Cameron Lewis – S – Louisiana (LSU)
256. Thiyo Lukusa – OG – Michigan
259. Cary Angeline – TE – Pennsylvania
260. Desmond Fitzpatrick – WR – Michigan (Louisville)
264. Damar Hamlin – CB – Pennsylvania
266. Terrell Hall – DE – Washington, D.C. (Ohio State)
268. LaMar Winston – LB – Oregon
271. Connor Murphy – DE – Arizona
277. Demetric Vance – S – Michigan
279. Naquan Jones – DT – Illinois
280. Bryson Young – DE – California
283. Brandon Peters – QB – Indiana (Michigan)
285. Simi Fehoko – WR – Utah
291. Jauan Williams – OT – Washington, D.C.
292. Tavares Chase – WR – Florida
293. Jordan Woods – DE – Florida

Class of 2015 Preferred Walk-ons

Saline (MI) Saline running back Kevin Gross

Saline (MI) Saline running back Kevin Gross recently posted on Twitter that he would be walking on to Michigan’s football team, giving Michigan at least seven preferred walk-ons for the fall. Sometimes walk-ons never contribute, sometimes they play special teams, and sometimes they play significantly. For whatever reason(s), these past few seasons have featured several walk-ons in prominent roles: Jordan Kovacs, Graham Glasgow, and Ryan Glasgow, among others.

The Glasgows were the preferred kind, which means they were guaranteed a spot on the team in fall camp. In addition to the 85 scholarship players, 20 more (for a total of 105) can begin fall camp and practice with the team from day one. More players can join the team after the first day of classes, but these players will be there learning and earning their shot from day one. Kovacs, on the other hand, was a student body walk-on, meaning basically that the coaches had no idea who he was before he showed up for a tryout in the middle of the year.

Hit the jump for the profiles and highlights of the seven walk-ons.

John Andrysiak – LB – Flint (MI) Powers Catholic: Andrysiak, a 6’1″ and 205 lb. linebacker, is the son of former Notre Dame quarterback Terry Andrysiak. As a senior in 2014, he made 100 tackles, 7 sacks, and 1 interception. He also rushed for 391 yards and 16 touchdowns as a fullback, and he claims a 4.7 forty. Andrysiak is a solidly built inside linebacker type who lacks great size and athleticism, but he could be a special teams coverage guy on punt or kickoff. (MLive article)

Jack Dunaway – DE – Bloomfield Hills (MI) Brother Rice: Dunaway is 6’3″, 212 lbs. and the son of a former Michigan tight end. He’s also the teammate of two incoming scholarship freshmen, quarterback Alex Malzone (who technically enrolled early in January) and wide receiver Grant Perry. And to top it off, he’s the older brother of 2017 tight end Carter Dunaway, who was offered a scholarship by Michigan recently. In his own right, Jack made 20 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, 5 forced fumbles, and 4 pass breakups from his defensive end spot this past season. Dunaway has some explosiveness as a defensive end and the bloodlines to potentially develop into a player, although he does not have great measurables.

Jordan Glasgow – S – Marmion (IL) Marmion Academy: Glasgow is a 6’0″, 205 lb. player who was a running back and safety in high school. He is the younger brother of Graham and Ryan Glasgow, a fifth year senior center and a redshirt junior defensive tackle, respectively. As for Jordan himself, he is a thickly built defensive back who will probably be limited to special teams duty and a chance to play some strong safety, though he lacks the speed to play much in space. (Kane County Chronicle article)

Kevin Gross – RB – Saline (MI) Saline: The 5’11”, 195 lb. Gross was accepted to Michigan’s engineering program. From nearby Saline High School, he suffered a broken leg during his junior year that limited his playing time and ability. As a senior he rushed for 662 yards and 15 touchdowns, caught 20 passes for 422 yards and 6 touchdowns, and even threw a touchdown for good measure. (MLive article)

Cheyenn Robertson – DE – Jersey City (NJ) St. Peter’s Prep: Robertson is a 6’4″, 220 lb. player who played against new recruiting coordinator Chris Partridge’s Paramus (NJ) Catholic team this past season. St. Peter’s Prep went on to win the state championship. Robertson is a decent sized kid who does not look like a quick-twitch athlete. While he has the size of an outside linebacker, he probably lacks the quickness, and he might be best served by builking up and playing end. (NJ.com article)

Chris Terech – LB – Saline (MI) Saline: Another walk-on from Saline, Terech is a 6’2″, 220 lb. linebacker who led the state in tackles during his senior season. He finished the year with 151 tackles, 3 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, and 3 fumble recoveries. Terech lacks the measurables of an elite linebacker, but he has a good nose for the ball and packs a punch once he arrives. (MLive article)

Ryan Tice – K/P – Saline (MI) Saline: Yet another Saline Hornet, Tice graduated in December, enrolled at Michigan in January, and participated in spring football this past semester. He’s listed as a 6’1″, 177 lb. kicker/punter. Both of Michigan’s kicking specialists graduated after last season, so the jobs are open.

Who is the most likely to contribute?