2018 Recruiting Update: December 12, 2017

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12Dec 2017
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2018 Recruiting Update: December 12, 2017

Mission Viejo (CA) Mission Viejo OT Jarrett Patterson (image via Orange County Register)

COMMITMENT

Ole Miss quarterback Shea Patterson announced his intention to transfer to Michigan (LINK).

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2018

Zephyrhills (FL) Wesley Chapel cornerback Isaiah Bolden decommitted from Oregon. He will probably be following Willie Taggart to Florida State.

Colony (CA) Colony tight end Michael Ezeike decommitted from Oregon. He’s a 4-star, the #13 tight end, and #251 overall. It’s unclear if Michigan will pursue him, as they have two tight end commits already and are pursuing Georgia’s Tommy Tremble. Ezeike is a wide receiver/tight end hybrid type of player.

Yoakum (TX) Yoakum wide receiver Joshua Moore decommitted from Nebraska. He’s a 4-star, the #17 wide receiver, and #85 overall. Michigan was never really involved prior to his commitment, and I doubt they will become a factor now.

Hit the jump for the rest of the update.

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11Dec 2017
Blog, homepage 21 comments

Shea Patterson, Wolverine

Ole Miss quarterback Shea Patterson has announced that he will be transferring to Michigan:

 

I wrote a piece on the possibility of Patterson transferring in last week (LINK), and just as a refresher, I’ve had my eye on Patterson since Michigan recruited him out of high school, when I had him #2 on my QB wish list (LINK). (Coincidentally, there had been rumors about the #1 guy, Jacob Eason, also being interested in transferring to Michigan from Georgia.)

Hit the jump for more on Patterson’s commitment.

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11Dec 2017
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Who might not return on defense in 2018?

Bryan Mone and Chase Winovich (image via iSportsWeb)

I addressed potential offensive attrition last week (LINK), and here’s the defensive edition. As I mentioned in that previous post, this is about the depth chart and opportunity for playing time; these posts are not about rumors or talent judgments.

DEFENSIVE LINE: First of all, it’s important to note that there are few places in the country where defensive linemen get better coaching than Michigan. If you want to be good and have the ability, Michigan gives you as good of a chance as anyone. It’s not like Alabama or Clemson, where elite recruits simply continue to be elite. It’s a place where walk-ons (Ryan Glasgow) and lowly 3-stars (Frank Clark, Maurice Hurst) can be turned into high draft picks. But if you’re not on their level, you won’t get on the field. In that regard, there are a few guys who are buried on the depth chart. One is defensive end Reuben Jones (RS Jr.), who has been passed by younger guys, and another is Ron Johnson (RS So.), who has bounced between defensive end and defensive tackle. Both are finding it difficult to find the field. Meanwhile, interior players Lawrence Marshall (RS Sr.) and Bryan Mone (RS Sr.) have both been passed by younger guys, most notably Aubrey Solomon, a 2017 signee. Michigan rotates defensive linemen quite a bit, so there’s playing time available for both, but becoming a starter would be a tall order. Most importantly of all, there’s a chance that Chase Winovich (RS Sr.) might enter the NFL Draft.

Hit the jump for a discussion of the linebackers and defensive backs.

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