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247 Sports: Top 247 for 2016 updated

Erik Swenson

247 Sports updated their top 247 prospects for 2016 (LINK) at the end of January, but I was too busy with wrapping up the 2015 class to pay much attention. Here’s what the list looked like last April, which is the last time I updated (LINK). Erik Swenson has dropped from #233 to #240 on the list. Here are the rest of the players who hold offers from Michigan:

5-stars:
1. Greg Little – OT – Texas (Texas A&M)
2. Rashan Gary – DT – New Jersey
3. Jacob Eason – QB – Washington (Georgia)
5. Malik Henry – QB – California (Florida State)
9. Liam Eichenberg – OT – Ohio
12. Ben Cleveland – OT – Georgia (Georgia)

4-stars:
15. Isaac Nauta – TE – Georgia
16. Jauan Williams – OT – Washington, DC
17. Dexter Lawrence – DT – North Carolina
19. Willie Allen – OT – Louisiana
21. Kareem Walker – RB – New Jersey (Ohio State)
23. Ben Bredeson – OT – Wisconsin
25. Deontay Anderson – S – Texas
26. Caleb Kelly – LB – California
31. John Broussard – CB – Alabama
36. Brandon Jones – S – Texas
38. Nate Craig-Myers – WR – Florida (Auburn)
40. Tommy Kraemer – OT – Ohio (Notre Dame)
41. Demetris Robertson – ATH – Alabama (Alabama)
46. Dwayne Haskins – QB – Maryland
50. Michael Menet – OT – Pennsylvania
52. Josh King – DE – Illinois
53. Levonta Taylor – CB – Virginia
54. Shaquille Quarterman – LB – Florida (Miami)
56. Scott Bracey – WR – Virginia (Duke)
60. Dylan Crawford – WR – California
65. Shea Patterson – QB – Louisiana
67. Sam Bruce – WR – Florida (Miami)
70. Steven Smothers – WR – Maryland
71. Josh Brown – DE – North Carolina (Florida State)
74. Trayvon Mullen – CB – Florida
75. Janarius Robinson – DE – Florida (Florida State)
76. Binjimen Victor – WR – Florida
78. Daelin Hayes – LB – Michigan (USC)
81. Ed Oliver – DT – Texas
92. Jordan Fuller – ATH – New Jersey
94. Cameron Chambers – WR – New Jersey
95. Richard Merritt – OG – Washington, DC
98. Justin Layne – WR – Ohio
100. Dontavious Jackson – LB – Texas
102. Jarrett Guarantano – QB – New Jersey
103. Clark Yarbrough – OT – Virginia
110. Kaden Smith – TE – Texas
112. Auston Robertson – DE – Indiana
115. K.J. Costello – QB – California
116. Donnie Corley – WR – Michigan
121. Auston Mack – WR – Indiana
126. Quayshon Alexander – DE – New Jersey
132. Miles Sanders – RB – Pennsylvania (Penn State)
133. Collin Johnson – WR – Texas (Texas)
134. Ahmir Mitchell – ATH – New Jersey
145. Kendell Jones – DT – Texas
149. Rahshaun Smith – DE – Florida
150. E.J. Price – OT – Georgia
152. Tavares Chase – WR – Florida (Clemson)
153. Lavert Hill – CB – Michigan (Penn State)
166. Antonio Williams – RB – North Carolina (Wisconsin)
179. Brad Hawkins – WR – New Jersey
180. Damar Hamlin – CB – Pennsylvania
181. Jordan Woods – DE – Florida
189. Jaquan Yulee – LB – Virginia
192. Michael Onwenu – DT – Michigan
196. Kyree Campbell – DE – Virginia
201. Naseir Upshur – TE – Pennsylvania
220. Jake Hausmann – TE – Ohio (Ohio State)
233. Michael Williams – DT – Texas
237. Devery Hamilton – OT – Maryland
240. Luke Farrell – TE – Ohio
241. Erik Swenson – OT – Illinois (Michigan)
244. J.P. Urquidez – OT – Maryland
246. Darrian Franklin – LB – California

2015 Recruiting Grades: Offense

Zach Gentry (image via Maxpreps)

With the 2015 class about wrapped up, I’ll offer some final takeaways from the recruiting cycle. With something like this, it’s difficult to separate Brady Hoke’s recruiting efforts through early December from Jim Harbaugh’s efforts over the last five weeks of the cycle. So the grades and feedback I provide are geared toward the program’s job of recruiting, not necessarily a specific coach.

Starters are listed in italics.

QUARTERBACK
Lost from 2014: Russell Bellomy (transfer), Devin Gardner (graduation)
Commits: Zach Gentry, Alex Malzone
Grade: A-
Comments: Michigan needed to add talent and numbers to the quarterback position to engender competition, and they did that. Gentry (#8 pro-style quarterback, #175 overall) is the raw talent at 6’7″, 230 lbs. with a reported 4.6 forty and a strong arm. Malzone (#13 pro-style quarterback, #295 overall) is the local field general with good skills all around but nothing that really stands out. Other than getting a truly elite prospect, Michigan did about as well as they could. Toss in the possible arrival of Houston transfer John O’Korn, and all these guys won’t finish their careers at Michigan, but at least one should emerge looking good.

RUNNING BACK
Lost from 2014: Justice Hayes (transfer)
Commit: Karan Higdon
Grade: C
Comments: The unfortunate thing here is that Michigan had two top-150 running back talents committed at different times, and the Wolverines let both of them slip through their fingers. The first one, Damien Harris, ended up signing with Alabama. The second one, Mike Weber, was darn close to flipping from Ohio State to Michigan at the last minute, but he ultimately stuck with the Buckeyes around 10:30 a.m. because Higdon had committed to Michigan at 8:00 a.m. Michigan stole Higdon (#40 running back, #479 overall) himself at the last minute from Iowa, so there’s something to be said for getting someone on the board, at least. Still, this could have looked better.

WIDE RECEIVER
Lost from 2014: Devin Funchess (early NFL draft entrant)
Commits: Brian Cole, Grant Perry
Grade: B+
Comments: Michigan might have hit a home run with Cole (#5 athlete, #75 overall), who was a jack-of-all-trades player in high school and will have to learn the receiver position in college. Perry (#109 wide receiver, #864 overall) is a solid role player plucked from Northwestern at the last minute. Otherwise, both Hoke and Harbaugh swung and missed at the big-timers in the class.

TIGHT END
Lost from 2014: Keith Heitzman (transfer)
Commit: Tyrone Wheatley, Jr.
Grade: B
Comments: Michigan let Chris Clark slip through their fingers, although Clark was wishy-washy and seemed to be all over the place with his recruitment. The Wolverines may have dodged a bullet, because Wheatley – as the son of a coach on staff – might be less likely to flake out if things don’t go smoothly from day one. Wheatley (#12 tight end, #313 overall) has a fair amount of talent himself, although some think he’s better suited for defense. It would have been nice to get two tight ends with Heitzman transferring, A.J. Williams being a senior in 2015, and starter Jake Butt a junior who could possibly go pro if he stays healthy.

OFFENSIVE LINE
Lost from 2014: Kyle Bosch (transfer)
Commits: Grant Newsome, Jon Runyan Jr., Nolan Ulizio
Grade: B
Comments: The offensive line recently went from being “way too young” to being “maybe too old” now that four projected starters will be fifth-year guys (2) or fourth-year guys (2), joined by sophomore left tackle Mason Cole and redshirt junior utility man Erik Magnuson. With a couple backups looking stuck there for a reason, Michigan needed to bring in some fresh talent. Newsome (#22 offensive tackle, #235 overall) is a possible star, whereas Runyan (#122 offensive tackle) and Ulizio (#137 offensive tackle) look like they could be passable players in a few years. This probably isn’t the class that will turn around Michigan’s fortunes immediately, but they’re functional. Michigan essentially ignored a national prospect with high interest (USC-bound Chuma Edoga) and a local, guru-approved guy with high interest (Wisconsin-bound David Moorman), so hopefully they picked the right ones to pursue. If Newsome pans out like I think he should, he’ll make this class look pretty good.

On Michael Weber

As most diehard Michigan fans know by now, Detroit (MI) Cass Tech running back Michael Weber signed his National Letter of Intent to Ohio State on Wednesday after an intense battle between the Buckeyes and Wolverines. Of course, his position coach and lead recruiter, Stan Drayton, publicly accepted the running backs coach job for the Chicago Bears the very next day. This has prompted a bit of an uproar in recruiting circles and from Cass Tech head coach Thomas Wilcher, a former Wolverine himself who went on the radio to vent about Urban Meyer’s disrespect toward Weber and Cass Tech.

The key point is that Weber was on the verge of choosing the Wolverines, and his relationship with Drayton was one of the things that sold him on Ohio State. The final nail in Michigan’s coffin was that they had accepted a commitment from Florida running back Karan Higdon, which was announced at 8:00 a.m., approximately 2.5 hours before Weber himself announced. Weber thought he was going to be the only running back in Michigan’s class. But if he had been made aware of Drayton’s impending departure, he almost certainly would have chosen Michigan.

The practice of coaches leaving immediately after National Signing Day without informing recruits is sneaky and slimy and dirty. It’s dishonest to recruit17- and 18-year-old kids – or even grownups – into a situation where the recruiter knows the dynamic will change 24 hours after the binding agreement is signed. Texas’s defensive line coach did it, UCLA’s defensive coordinator did it, and there have probably been more instances this season of which I’m unaware. Coaches spend as much time with these kids as anyone over the next four years and often make promises of helping them reach the next level. It’s one thing to take a promotion after a year or two or three, because the flow of life is inevitable. It’s quite another to voluntarily leave the next day.

Weber’s choices now include accepting his fate and sticking with Ohio State, where head coach Urban Meyer – who almost assuredly knew of Drayton’s future – obviously isn’t a straight shooter. Weber could also transfer schools, which would force him to sit out the 2015 season, accept a redshirt, and have four seasons to play four seasons at his chosen destination. The third most prominent option would be to fight the National Letter of Intent’s validity, legally proving that Ohio State knowingly misled him into his current situation. California defensive tackle Eddie Vanderdoes successfully pulled the third option a couple years ago, which got him away from Notre Dame and to UCLA, where he played as a true freshman in 2013.

For what it’s worth, I have heard through the grapevine that Weber wants out of his Ohio State deal, which is understandable considering the distrust he probably has for Meyer. Michigan and Wisconsin are both potential landing spots, as both recruited him hard, and with new staffs in place, everyone is almost 100% secure for the next year, at least. A Detroit-area lawyer has offered his services pro bono to Weber, who has a good case but might not want the headache of going through the legal process. It would be a difficult choice for a high school kid whether to prolong the recruiting shenanigans (Weber got tired of recruiting and does not bask in the attention) or start on the path to four years with an ethically questionable coach.

From Michigan’s end, Weber said on National Signing Day that he thought he was the only running back being recruited by the Wolverines. Perhaps there is some distrust there, or perhaps he simply thought Jim Harbaugh would wait for Weber’s decision before accepting another running back. Either way, it is a bit naive to think that Michigan – which did not take a running back in 2014 – would risk going a second straight year without a running back signee. If Weber had been given or accepted good advice, he should have reserved his spot with Michigan before Higdon even had a chance to flip. Programs can’t gamble like that if they want to find success consistently.

Michigan did something similar to Ohio State back in 2006 when offensive coordinator Terry Malone left for the New Orleans Saints a day after National Signing Day. Of the signees that year, Malone appears to have been the lead recruiter only for Obi Ezeh. While the situation is somewhat similar, Ezeh was a fullback/linebacker who ended up playing defense, and Michigan promoted special teams coach Mike Debord from within to take over offensive coordinator duties. Those facts are somewhat beside the point, but the negative repercussions seem pretty minimal.

As for Weber’s future, Ohio State has junior Ezekiel Elliott, sophomore Curtis Samuel, and redshirt junior Warren Ball ahead of him; they also have the nation’s #1 running back, Kareem Walker, committed in the 2016 class. They hired Nebraska offensive coordinator Tim Beck to replace Tom Herman, but Beck helped launch the careers of Ameer Abdullah and Rex Burkhead, so that’s a positive if Weber ever earns the starting gig. Wisconsin’s new head coach, Paul Chryst, is known for a power running game and has sophomore Corey Clement taking over the starting role; they also have a highly touted running back for 2016 in the form of Antonio Williams. Michigan has a top-heavy backfield scheduled for 2015, with three juniors and a redshirt sophomore vying for the starting gig but no 2016 commits in the fold. Regardless of where Weber ends up or when, there’s going to be competition.

My guess is that Weber stays at Ohio State, where he would join rising sophomore cornerback Damon Webb and fellow 2015 signee Joshua Alabi, both of whom also went to Cass Tech. The allure of playing for the defending national champions and being “the next Ezekiel Elliott” is significant. The leading rumor right now for Drayton’s replacement appears to be Notre Dame’s Tony Alford.

If nothing else, this gives Weber an early introduction into the cold, cruel world of “business decisions.”

2015 Recruiting Awards

Lawrenceville (NJ) School offensive tackle Grant Newsome

It’s that time of the year. The class has wrapped up (barring any last-minute changes), and it’s time to start judging. Here are the annual recruiting awards, chosen by yours truly. If you want to look at past years’ awards, here they are: 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, and 2009.

And away we go!

Best Overall Recruit: OT Grant Newsome
I’m tempted to go with Brian Cole, who is Michigan’s top-rated recruit in the class. But I believe that this coaching staff will do a great job of developing offensive linemen, and I think Newsome is the cream of the crop. He has the size and the athleticism to be a very good left tackle, so without a true superstar recruit, I’ll put my metaphorical chips on Newsome.

Best Offensive Recruit: OT Grant Newsome
See above.

Best Defensive Recruit: DE Shelton Johnson
This is a bit of a gamble here, because I have bad memories of Rich Rodriguez-era Floridians. I’m attempting to put most of the Rodriguez years behind me, so I’m going with Johnson. He has a good body to work with, he can play low, he’s athletic, and he’s violent. But if he takes things seriously, I think he can be Michigan’s best defensive end since Brandon Graham.

Recruit Most Likely to Make an Early Impact: K Andrew David
Michigan enters the year having lost both their punter and placekicker from 2014. The punting job should go to walk-on Kenny Allen, but the placekicking job is there for the taking. Allen can do both, but he has reportedly been shaky. Meanwhile, David is the 247 Composite #9 kicker in the country and has a pretty clear path to the job. Add to that a dedicated special teams coach in John Baxter, and hopefully David’s impact will be a good one.

Fastest Recruit: CB Keith Washington
Michigan’s class is light on skill guys, with only Washington, WR Brian Cole, WR Grant Perry, RB Karan Higdon, and S Tyree Kinnel. While I doubt Washington’s claim that he can run a 4.3 forty, he does have impressive acceleration and earns this prestigious award by a hair over Cole.

Strongest Recruit: OT Grant Newsome
With a 305 lb. bench and a 465 lb. squat, Newsome edges out fellow offensive lineman Nolan Ulizio (315 and 410, respectively).

Best Under-the-Radar Recruit: WR Grant Perry
My original criterion was going to be any guy who’s a 247 Composite 3-star or lower, but I just can’t bring myself to count Shelton Johnson – who fits that description – as an under-the-radar guy since he was wanted by some big-time schools. So my next choice is Perry. Perry is a guy who I don’t think will be a superstar, but I think he will reach the level of being a consistent possession target.

Most Overrated Recruit: QB Zach Gentry
Michigan doesn’t have many to choose from this year, so I’ll put Gentry here since I think of him as a boom-or-bust type of guy. Gentry has all kinds of physical tools, but his mechanics are raw. Having played very weak competition in New Mexico and being so far from home, Gentry has the type of profile where he might transfer away from Michigan if he doesn’t win the starting job within a couple years. The Wolverines are bringing in a lot of competition – especially if Houston transfer John O’Korn is official – and the quarterback position has a high turnover rate because those kids want to play. I do think Gentry has higher upside than classmate Alex Malzone and anyone else on the roster save perhaps Shane Morris, but Malzone is a hometown kid who might stick it out a little bit longer.

Most Likely to Redshirt: OG Jon Runyan, Jr.
Runyan did get bigger from his junior year to his senior season and looks more the part of a college lineman now, but he still looks the least ready of Michigan’s three offensive linemen in the class. The rest of the signees play positions where freshmen contribute regularly, except for quarterback – but Michigan has a wide-open quarterback position. My non-lineman pick would be RB Karan Higdon, who joins a team that includes three guys who have started games at Michigan (Derrick Green, Drake Johnson, and De’Veon Smith) and perhaps the best of the bunch coming off a transfer redshirt year (Ty Isaac).

Personal Favorite Recruit: WR Grant Perry
I’m picking the underdog here. Perry grew up a Michigan fan and you could tell throughout the process that he was dying for a Michigan offer. There were reasons for Michigan not offering, but Brady Hoke’s coaching staff told him to be patient and that an offer might come. Late in the process, Jim Harbaugh’s staff extended an offer. Perry, already committed to Northwestern by that point, flipped to the Wolverines almost immediately but not until he took the time to let the Wildcats’ coaches know. This is a feel-good story about hard work, perseverance, and love for the program.

Tyrone Wheatley, Jr., Wolverine

Tyrone Wheatley, Jr. with Tyrone Wheatley, Sr. on National Signing Day

Manlius (NY) Canisius tight end Tyrone Wheatley, Jr. committed to Michigan on Wednesday afternoon. He chose the Wolverines over offers from Alabama, UCLA, and USC, among others.

He’s a 6’6″, 260 lb. prospect. As a senior in 2014, he caught 11 passes for 182 yards and 2 touchdowns, while also making 68 tackles, 24 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, 4 forced fumbles, 3 pass breakups, and 2 blocked punts on defense/special teams.

RATINGS
ESPN: 3-star, 79 grade, #12 TE
Rivals: 4-star, #13 TE
Scout: 4-star, #25 DE, #279 overall
247 Sports: 4-star, 90 grade, #13 TE

Wheatley was offered early on by the previous Michigan regime, and it looked for a while like it would only be a matter of time before he committed to the Wolverines. The longer he held out, the lower those chances got. When Brady Hoke’s staff was on its way out, Wheatley was considering the likes of Alabama, USC, etc. Even after Jim Harbaugh was hired, Wheatley said that he had not heard from Michigan’s staff in a while and they dropped out of his top four. Then his dad – former Michigan great Tyrone Wheatley – was hired, and Junior seemed destined to join his dad. Except he still seemed lukewarm on the idea of attending Michigan, did not make plans to visit Michigan, and scheduled a visit to Oregon. Then he surprised everyone with a late-January, mid-week visit to Ann Arbor. Michigan’s odds had a pulse once again, and his final two – Michigan and UCLA – resulted in a pledge to the Wolverines on National Signing Day.

Wheatley has a large frame with a solidly built lower body. Looking at him without pads, his upper body seems a little undeveloped as of now. As a pass catcher, Wheatley shows some decent hands and catches the ball away from his body. He shows a couple nice adjustments to passes thrown over his head, which is pretty impressive when considering that he only caught 11 passes during his senior year. Playing in a run-heavy offense, he didn’t get a ton of options to showcase his abilities. He shows decent speed that should be able to challenge linebackers vertically and to split out wide or in the slot at times. I think Wheatley shows the most upside (on the offensive side of the ball) as a blocker, where he could use some technique work but shows the knee bend, footwork, and leverage to be very effective.

I do not think Wheatley shows a great deal of promise as a receiver. He does not wow you with his athleticism, and his speed is adequate but not extremely impressive. He also does not seem to be a natural pass catcher and is somewhat mechanical in that phase of the game. Furthermore, he does not run crisp routes, but that’s not much of a surprise since he’s in high school and is not in a pass-heavy offense; that is correctable.

At least based on his junior highlights, I like Wheatley’s physicality more as a blocker than I do as a defensive end, where he seems like too much of a finesse player. Unfortunately, there’s more to playing tight end than blocking. If the aggression could translate to defense, I would like him even more on the defensive side of the ball. On a bit of a side note, I have seen it suggested elsewhere – and I somewhat agree – that Wheatley could play offensive tackle in college. Considering Michigan’s current roster makeup, I think he needs to play tight end to start his college career, but I would not be surprised if he switches to defensive end or even offensive tackle by the time all is said and done. I think he can have a good career as a tight end, but I do not see him as a game-changing mismatch. He looks more like a Martell Webb type of player to me.

Wheatley was Michigan’s fourteenth and final commit in the 2015 class, barring a change of heart from Georgia linebacker Roquan Smith, who verbally committed to UCLA but remains unsigned. Wheatley is the only tight end in the class and joins a depleted position group that has junior Jake Butt, redshirt sophomore Khalid Hill, and redshirt freshman Ian Bunting. He’s the first signee from the state of New York since lineman John Ferrara in 2006, and the first ever from Canisius.

There’s also a younger brother named Terius Wheatley, a 2016 prospect with no offers yet (HIGHLIGHTS). Terius played for Orchard Park this past season but will presumably be joining a team in the Ann Arbor area for his senior year, so keep an eye out for him at the likes of Saline, Ann Arbor Pioneer, etc.

TTB Rating: 82 (ratings explanation)

Here are Tyrone Wheatley, Jr.’s defensive highlights from his junior year (LINK), and below are his senior tight end highlights: