Posts by: Thunder

2019 Under Armour All-American Game

Mazi Smith (image via 247 Sports)

The 2019 Under Armour All-American Game is being played tonight at 6:00 p.m. EST. The game will be played in Orlando and broadcast on ESPN2.

Michigan commits selected for the game include:

TEAM FLASH (Coached by Steve Mariucci)

• #40 Anthony Solomon, LB
• #50 Nolan Rumler, OG
• #74 Trente Jones, OT

TEAM BALLAHOLICS (Coached by Deion Sanders)

• #31 Quinten Johnson, DB
• #36 Mazi Smith, DT

Running back Zach Charbonnet was also selected, but he’s injured and not participating.

Players scheduled to announce their college decisions include:

• LB Shammond Cooper
• WR Arjei Henderson
• DE Tre’Mon Morris-Brash

None of them will be picking Michigan.

Here’s a link to all the players who have participated in the game since its inception in 2008 (LINK).

Zach Gentry and David Long, Jr. are headed to the NFL

Zach Gentry

Michigan took a couple big hits in personnel on Wednesday when redshirt junior tight end Zach Gentry and junior cornerback David Long, Jr. said they would be skipping their final year of eligibility to go to the NFL.

New Mexico native Gentry was a 4-star recruit in the 2015 class, the #8 pro-style quarterback, and #174 overall. A one-time Texas commit, the then newly hired Jim Harbaugh got Gentry to pick Michigan late in the recruiting cycle. After a season spent attempting to learn the quarterback position, Gentry started catching passes during bowl practices of his freshman year. He didn’t catch his first pass until 2017. In total, he hauled in 49 passes for 817 yards (16.7 YPC) and 4 touchdowns over his career, and he was named Third Team All-Big Ten in 2018.

David Long, Jr.

Long, from Los Angeles, was a 4-star cornerback in 2016 and ranked as the #7 player at his position and #65 overall. Michigan hauled him in late in the 2016 class, and one of the big recruiting stories down the stretch was the story of Jim Harbaugh climbing a tree at Long’s house while on a home visit. Long played sparingly in 2016 but then became a lockdown corner for the 2017 and 2018 seasons. He allowed only one touchdown in 2018 and was named First Team All-Big Ten. He made 38 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks, 3 interceptions, and 17 pass breakups during his career.

Gentry said he was not disappointed with his draft grade, and he should be highly valued at 6’8″ and 262 lbs. with good speed. He’s also a position-switcher who still has room to improve and develop. He won’t be a first round pick, but I would expect him to go somewhere in the middle rounds of the draft.

Long has decent size for a corner at 5’11” and 187 lbs. He tackles well, has good speed, and knows how to be physical. There’s no buzz about him being a first round pick, but he could go late on day two.

Ex-Wolverine Player Updates: Post-2018 Recap

Keith Washington (#28, image via Zimbio)

At this point in Michigan’s program, along with the college football landscape, there are too many players to include in one post. There are at least 53 players who have either transferred or decommitted from Michigan in the last five full classes (2014-2018), plus the incomplete 2019 class. So I’m temporarily breaking up this concept into three separate posts, one for transfers, one for former commits, and one for coaches. It’s a lot easier to manage during the season when people are injured, redshirting, etc.

TRANSFERS

Devin Asiasi, TE (UCLA): Asiasi was second on the depth chart at tight end behind Caleb Wilson, who was the team’s leading receiver. Asiasi himself made 6 catches for 130 yards (21.7 YPC) and 1 touchdown. UCLA went 3-9 and missed out on bowl eligibility.

Ian Bunting, TE (Cal): Bunting was Cal’s leading tight end, finishing with 18 catches for 195 yards (10.8 YPC) and 0 touchdowns. Cal went 7-6.

Freddy Canteen, WR (Tulane): Canteen – who had injuries at Michigan, transferred to Notre Dame, had more injuries at Notre Dame, and then transferred to Tulane – missed the 2018 season with yet another shoulder injury. His spate of injuries may allow him to apply for a sixth year of eligibility in 2019 if he wants to continue playing.

Brian Cole, S (Mississippi State): Cole played in the first five games of the season for Mississippi State until a shoulder injury sidelined him for the remainder of the year. During those five games, he made 11 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 1 interception, and 10 kickoff returns for 225 yards (22.5 yards/return). Mississippi State went 8-4.

Hit the jump for more.

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Senior Highlights: QB Cade McNamara

2020 Recruiting Update: January 1, 2019

Kalil Branham (image via Detroit News)

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Here’s a quick look at the 2020 prospects Michigan has in the fold so far (links go to their commitment posts):

• QB J.D. Johnson: 3-star, #744 overall
• WR Kalil Branham: 4-star, #306 overall
• TE Nick Patterson: 3-star, #450 overall
• LB Cornell Wheeler: 3-star, #411 overall
• CB Andre Seldon, Jr.: 4-star, #283 overall

Here’s a link to the 2019 Scholarship Count (LINK), which shows that Michigan will have at least 16 spots open in the 2020 class.

OFF THE BOARD

Jaheem Joseph – CB – Opa Locka (FL) Monsignor Pace: Joseph committed to Northwestern, which is an odd choice for a 3-star Florida prospect so early in the process. Northwestern is a great school and a solid football program, but I would not be surprised if he shakes loose before he signs.

Elias Ricks – CB – Santa Ana (CA) Mater Dei: Ricks is a 5-star, the #1 cornerback, and #9 overall player in the country, and as a Mater Dei product, he naturally chose . . . LSU? Okay, this makes sense because LSU produces a ton of talented players, but USC is a more traditional destination for Mater Dei grads. He’s thinking outside the box with this decision.

Derek Wingo – LB – Fort Lauderdale (FL) Saint Thomas Aquinas: Wingo committed to Penn State. He’s a 4-star, the #10 outside linebacker, and #199 overall.