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2017 Recruiting: Upcoming announcement dates

Cheshire (CT) Cheshire Academy WR Tarik Black (image via Eleven Warriors)

With a flurry of recruiting activity coming in the weeks leading up to the early enrollment period, the All-American games, and National Signing Day, I’ll keep a running list here of announcement dates for prospects of interest:

Tarik Black – WR – Cheshire (CT) Cheshire Academy: December 14, 2016 (picked Michigan)

Donovan Peoples-Jones – WR – Detroit (MI) Cass Tech: December 15, 2016 (picked Michigan)

Isaiah Wilson – OT – Brooklyn (NY) Poly: December 16, 2016 (picked (Georgia)

Cesar Ruiz – C – Bradenton (FL) IMG Academy: December 19, 2016 (picked Michigan)

Jordan Anthony – LB – Bradenton (FL) IMG Academy: December 22, 2016 (picked Michigan)

Markquese Bell – S – Bridgeton (NJ) Bridgeton: January 1, 2017 (picked Maryland)

Eno Benjamin – RB – Wylie (TX) East: January 7, 2017

Chuck Filiaga – OT – Aledo (TX) Aledo: January 7, 2017

Deron Irving-Bey – DE – Flint (MI) Southwestern: January 7, 2017 (picked Michigan)

Nico Collins – WR – Pinson (AL) Clay-Chalkville: February 1, 2017

Aubrey Solomon – DT – Leesburg (GA) Lee County: February 1, 2017 or later

Attractive Michigan Girl of the Week

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Visitors: December 9-11, 2016

Najee Harris (image via Sports Illustrated)

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2017

Tarik Black – WR – Cheshire (CT) Cheshire Academy: Black is a 6’3″, 208 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Auburn, Michigan, and Stanford, among others. He’s a 4-star, the #17 wide receiver, and #122 overall. He’ll be announcing his college decision on Wednesday, December 14, and he’s expected to pick the Wolverines.

Nico Collins – WR – Pinson (AL) Clay-Chalkville: Collins is a 6’5″, 195 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, LSU, and Michigan, among others. He’s a 4-star, the #13 wide receiver, and #90 overall. He took an official to Michigan on November 5, so this will be an unofficial visit. His Crystal Ball is 64% in favor of the Wolverines. UPDATE: Collins was unable to make the trip.

*A.J. Dillon – RB – Lawrence (CT) Groton Academy: Dillon is a Michigan commit (LINK).

*Paris Ford – S – Pittsburgh (PA) Steel Valley: Ford is a 6’1″, 180 lb. prospect who committed to Pitt in October; he also has offers from Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Michigan, Ohio State, and Penn State, among others. He’s a 4-star, the #12 safety, and #89 overall. UPDATE: Ford did not make the trip.

Ja’Raymond Hall – OT – Oak Park (MI) Oak Park: Hall is a Michigan commit (LINK).

*Najee Harris – RB – Antioch (CA) Antioch: Harris is a 6’3″, 226 lb. prospect who’s been committed to Alabama since April. However, he also has an offer from Michigan – along with lots of others – and 33% of the Crystal Ball picks are in favor of Michigan, who is generally thought to have the best chance to flip him. He’s an early enrollee, so he will have to make a decision this month about whether to stick with the Crimson Tide or become a Wolverine. He’s the #1 overall recruit in the country, and getting him would mean a second year in a row where Michigan would get the #1 player (after Rashan Gary in 2016).

Hit the jump for several more visitors.

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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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2017 Recruiting Update: December 8, 2016

Bradenton (FL) IMG Academy TE Tre’ McKitty (image via USA Today)

COMMITMENTS

Suffield (CT) Suffield Academy wide receiver Brad Hawkins, Jr. appears to be a member of the 2017 class now. The 6’2″, 190-pounder graduated high school from Camden (NJ) Camden in 2016, and usually these prep school things don’t work out for Michigan. However, Hawkins and the coaching staff expect him to be in this class now. Here are his highlights from this fall:

Detroit (MI) King cornerback Ambry Thomas committed to Michigan (LINK).

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2017

Dallas (TX) Bishop Dunne cornerback Chevin Calloway decommitted from Iowa. He’s a 4-star, the #12 cornerback, and #113 overall. Michigan is not and has not been involved, even though they have a need at cornerback. He is leaning toward Arkansas, though Tom Herman is trying to get him to stay in-state with the Longhorns.

Clearwater (FL) Central Catholic wide receiver C.J. Cotman decommitted from Tennessee. He’s a 4-star, the #16 athlete, and #278 overall. Michigan isn’t involved, and he’s taking a trip to North Carolina this coming weekend.

Virginia Beach (VA) Bishop Sullivan Catholic defensive tackle Breyon Gaddy decommitted from Tennessee, along with his twin brother. The 4-star, #19 defensive tackle, and #323 overall prospect is taking an official to Maryland this weekend.

Hit the jump for many, many more updates.

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