Posts by: Thunder

Way Too Early 2017 Depth Chart: February 2017

Wilton Speight (image via Times Leader)

Back in August I took a look at how the depth chart might look in 2017 (LINK), and then I updated it in September (LINK), November (LINK), and January (LINK). Of course, things are always fluid, there will be early departures, there will be injuries, etc. But now that we have the 2017 class signed or enrolled early, things are perhaps a little bit clearer.

Hit the jump for another early look at 2017.

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2017 Recruiting Grades: Defense

Aubrey Solomon (image via Scout)

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I posted the 2017 offensive recruiting grades last week (LINK), so here are my thoughts on the defensive side of the ball. Click on the player names below for their commitment posts.

DEFENSIVE END: B+
Commits (4): Deron Irving-Bey, Donovan Jeter, Corey Malone-Hatcher, Kwity Paye, Luiji Vilain
Decommits (0): N/A
Why? Michigan went after some elite rush ends (Jaelan Phillips, K’Lavon Chaisson, etc.) in this cycle, but none showed much interest. Instead, Michigan got home-stater Malone-Hatcher, Boston College decommit Paye, and Canada native Vilain as weakside end types. I thought Vilain improved significantly over the last couple years since moving from Ontario to Virginia. On the strong side, Michigan got Irving-Bey and Jeter, both of whom could end up as a 3-technique tackles. I don’t see dominant players here, but it is a solid group and they’ll get high-quality coaching.

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2017 Recruiting Update: February 13, 2017

Willie Gay (image via The Clarion-Ledger)

The 2017 recruiting class is in the rear view, but there were naturally a bunch of players who committed on or around National Signing Day. Here’s a wrap-up of all the various goings-on regarding those players who were offered by Michigan.

COMMITMENTS

Iowa City (IA) West wide receiver Oliver Martin committed to Michigan (LINK).

Westerville (OH) South punter Brad Robbins committed to Michigan (LINK).

Leesburg (GA) Lee County defensive tackle Aubrey Solomon committed to Michigan (LINK).

Hit the jump for 26 guys who signed elsewhere.

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Help Wanted: Looking for up-and-coming writer

I started this blog in 2008, and for the vast majority of that time, I have been the sole contributor. I had help from a friendly chap named Andrew for a while, and he did a great job, but life caught up to him. I must admit that while I’m extremely passionate about the game of football – and Michigan in particular – it’s a struggle at times to write content for 14+ posts per week.

So I’m once again opening things up to passionate fans or young up-and-comers who want to add to their writing portfolios. Touch the Banner gets over 300,000 page views per month and has been mentioned on USAToday.com and Washingtonpost.com, not to mention contracted by Lindy’s national college football preview magazine. I don’t run a media giant, but it holds its own in the Michigan blogosphere.

Here’s a sample of the types of pieces I would like a new writer to work on:

• Recruiting interviews
• Where are they now? interviews
• Summaries of the careers of former Wolverines (NFL, college transfers)
• Other relevant ideas you might have

So if you’re a young guy wanting to start a writing or journalism career, or if you’re just a passionate fan looking for a hobby, consider sending me an e-mail at [email protected]. I’m looking for 1-2 posts per week (to start) from someone with the professional sense to use grammar and spelling properly. A good sense of humor is a plus, but being humorless is okay, too.

Recruiting Snapshot: Illinois

Oak Lawn (IL) Brother Rice WR Ricky Smalling

Team Ranking for 2017: #45. Illinois signed 25 three-stars.

Cream of the Crop for 2017: Illinois’ top-ranked player is Oak Lawn (IL) Brother Rice linebacker Ricky Smalling, a 3-star, the #52 wide receiver, and #357 overall. He picked the Fighting Illini over offers from Minnesota and Wisconsin. They also signed 6’1″, 215 lb. Delshawn Phillips, the #31 overall JUCO player from Garden City (KS) Garden City Community College. Phillips played his high school ball at Detroit (MI) Cass Tech. The one player Michigan offered in the Illini’s class is 6’0″, 185 lb. running back Mike Epstein, a 3-star, the #59 running back, and #1051 overall.

Team Ranking for 2018: N/A. Illinois has zero commits.

Cream of the Crop for 2018: N/A. See above.

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