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Mailbag: Two quarterbacks a year?

Kevin Hogan

Numerous people have been asking about Jim Harbaugh’s “standard” practice of taking two quarterbacks in each class. At Stanford he took 2, 1, 2, and 3 quarterbacks during his four years there, so it averaged out to two per year. Without getting into actual quarterback performance (which has been pretty good), here’s how the position has fared over the years. I used Rivals ratings since 247 Sports Composite ranking doesn’t work for ye olden days.

2006*
Alex Loukas (3-star): Redshirted in 2006. Backup quarterback in 2007, 2008, 2009. Moved to safety in 2010.

2007
L.D. Crow (3-star): Crow sat on the bench in 2007 and 2008. Transferred to UCF, so he sat out 2009. Third-stringer in 2010.


Kellen Kiilsgaard (4-star): Kiilsgard immediately became a safety in 2007 when he realized he had a better shot to play on defense. Spent one year on the team before quitting in favor of a baseball career.


2008
Andrew Luck (4-star): Redshirted in 2008, then became starter for 2009, 2010, and 2011 seasons. Became #1 overall draft pick in 2012.


2009
Taysom Hill (3-star): Signed with Stanford out of high school. Went on his Mormon mission and ended up at BYU when he returned. Backup in 2012, starter for Cougars in 2013 and 2014.


Josh Nunes (3-star): Other than part-time starting gig in 2012 trying to replace Andrew Luck, spent rest of time on the bench. Medically retired before 2013 season due to weightlifting injury.


2010
Darren Daniel (3-star): Sat on the bench in 2010. Moved to wide receiver in the spring of 2011, then transferred to Itawamba Community College, then to Alabama State.


Dallas Lloyd (3-star): Signed in 2010. Went on his Mormon mission and then returned to Stanford in 2012. Spent 2012 and 2013 as a backup quarterback. Moved to strong safety in 2014.


Brett Nottingham (4-star): Signed in 2010. Backup quarterback in 2011 and 2012. Lost quarterback job to Kevin Hogan, so Nottingham transferred to Columbia. Sat out most of 2013 with broken wrist. Started for Columbia in 2014 but got benched and then quit the team.


2011*
Evan Crower (3-star): Sat on bench in 2011 and 2012. Backup quarterback in 2013 and 2014. Potential for a return as a fifth year senior in 2015.

Kevin Hogan (4-star): Redshirted in 2011. Backup quarterback in 2012. Starter in 2013 and 2014. Will reportedly return as a fifth year senior in 2015.

STARTERS FOR STANFORD
2006: T.C. Ostrander/Trent Edwards
2007: T.C. Ostrander/Tavita Pritchard
2008: Tavita Pritchard
2009: Andrew Luck
2010: Andrew Luck
2011: Andrew Luck
2012: Josh Nunes/Kevin Hogan
2013: Kevin Hogan
2014: Kevin Hogan
2015: Kevin Hogan (probably)

CONCLUSIONS
As you can see, taking multiple quarterbacks per year did not affect Stanford negatively when it comes to scholarships. Of the eight quarterbacks Harbaugh signed during his tenure, only two (2!) spent four years at the quarterback position for the Cardinal. The rest of them transferred, changed positions, or quit football. Stanford also recruited a couple Mormon players who either never played for Stanford (Taysom Hill) or became a backup QB and then moved to defense (Dallas Lloyd). That situation may not arise for the Wolverines because the Big Ten imprint – Michigan’s primary recruiting grounds – does not have a huge Mormon population. Unless recruiting Mormons makes a drastic difference between the two schools, the numbers should not be an issue. Furthermore, that practice for Stanford led to a great three-year starter (Luck) and a solid almost-four-year starter (Hogan)

As for position changes, we’ll just have to see. Shane Morris has never played defense, although he probably has the speed to be some kind of safety. Wilton Speight has the size to move to tight end. Alex Malzone is too small and too slow to do anything else. Zach Gentry has the size and athleticism to become a tight end.

If Michigan continues to recruit two quarterbacks in each class, things will sort themselves out. Guys will quit, change positions, or transfer. In the meantime, Stanford has had solid to great quarterback play over the years, and I would expect that trend to continue for Harbaugh at Michigan. The cream rises to the top.

*I included the years before and after Harbaugh’s Stanford tenure just for a fuller picture of the roster dynamics.

Official Visitors: January 30 – February 1, 2015

Manlius (NY) Canisius tight end/defensive end Tyrone Wheatley, Jr. (image via MaxPreps)

Jarius Adams – CB – Palm Beach Gardens (FL) Dwyer: Adams is a 5’11”, 180 lb. prospect who has been committed to Rutgers since July. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #127 cornerback, and #1405 overall. Along with Michigan, Florida Atlantic and Wisconsin have also come in with offers in recent weeks. He took an official to FAU but won’t visit Madison, so his decision probably comes down to sticking with Rutgers or flipping to the Wolverines.

Titus Booker – RB – Grayslake (IL) North: Booker is a 5’11”, 172 lb. prospect who has been committed to Wisconsin since mid-November, and he was previously committed to Indiana. The Badgers want him as a cornerback, whereas Michigan is looking at him to run the ball. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #60 running back, and #767 overall. As a senior this past season, he rushed 184 times for 1,931 yards (10.1 yards/carry) and 26 touchdowns based on his 4.4 speed. He appears to be canceling an official visit to Iowa in order to visit Michigan. UPDATE: Booker no longer plans to visit Michigan and says he’s solid to Wisconsin.

Deontay Burnett – WR – Gardena (CA) Junipero Serra: Burnett is a 6’0″, 166 lb. prospect who has been committed to Washington State since last July; he also has offers from Arizona State, Miami, and Utah, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #85 wide receiver, and #686 overall. Burnett just got his offer from Michigan this week, so this is a quickly planned official visit. Junipero Serra produces a lot of high-quality talent, so getting a commitment from Burnett might help to get a foothold in the program.

Karan Higdon – RB – Sarasota (FL) Riverview: Higdon is a 5’10”, 190 lb. prospect who has been committed to Iowa since October; he also has offers from Arizona, Arkansas, South Florida, and Tennessee, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #40 running back, and #478 overall. Higdon is reportedly a high-character kid who originally said he is “all Iowa” after receiving the offer on Saturday morning, but he quickly planned a flight to Michigan for Saturday afternoon.

Van Jefferson – WR – Brentwood (TN) Ravenwood: Jefferson is a 6’2″, 183 lb. prospect who has been committed to Ole Miss for just a few days now; he has also taken visits to Georgia and Oklahoma. He’s a U.S. Army All-American, a 247 Composite 4-star, the #11 wide receiver, and #108 overall. As a senior this past season, he caught 47 passes for 1,224 yards and 13 touchdowns. For those worried about the rumored shady recruiting practices at Ole Miss (and elsewhere in the SEC), I’ll throw this out there: Jefferson’s father is former NFL wide receiver and current wide receivers coach Shawn Jefferson, so the draw of a $500 handshake may not be as enticing to the son of an NFL player and coach. Even so, Michigan is late to the party, but growing up in Michigan (Van used to attend Orchard Lake St. Mary’s while his dad coached for the Lions) may be a draw.

Tyrone Wheatley, Jr. – TE – Manlius (NY) Canisius: Wheatley is a 6’6″, 260 lb. prospect who has listed a top four that includes Alabama, Oregon, UCLA, and USC. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #12 strongside defensive end, and #310 overall. He recently played in the Semper Fi All-American Bowl. Wheatley could also play tight end or offensive tackle at the next level, although most coaches have been saying his highest upside is on defense. He is, of course, the son of former Michigan great Tyrone Wheatley, who went on to a solid NFL career with the Giants and Raiders. There’s also a younger brother, Terius, who is a 2016 prospect with no offers at this point. Tyrone, Jr. maintained for a while that Michigan had not talked to him in a while, the new staff was slot to contact him, and he was not sure if he would visit. Flying under the radar, however, he is taking a mid-week official visit to Ann Arbor, beginning on Tuesday.

Messiah DeWeaver, Ex-Wolverine

Messiah DeWeaver

Huber Heights (OH) Wayne quarterback Messiah DeWeaver decommitted from Michigan on Tuesday night. He had been committed to the Wolverines since June of 2014. DeWeaver is a 6’3″, 202 lb. kid in the class of 2016. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #14 pro-style quarterback, and #310 overall.

Before he was originally offered a scholarship, I was hoping the coaching staff would hold off. The Wolverines were evaluating or had offered several other quarterbacks who I believed had higher potential, and I thought DeWeaver would jump at the chance to play for Michigan. The poor 2014 season for Michigan may have derailed their chances with some of the guys I viewed as better prospects, so for Michigan’s long-term prospects, that may have been a blessing in disguise. Once a player decommits from a program, it can be tough to tuck the tail between the legs and come back.

Now Michigan has a fresh start with a well-established new coach in Jim Harbaugh. Harbaugh has had success developing quarterbacks in the past, including former #1 overall draft pick Andrew Luck (Stanford) and former 5th round draft pick Josh Johnson (San Diego), not to mention NFL quarterbacks Alex Smith and Colin Kaepernick. When Harbaugh was at Stanford, he brought in an average of two quarterbacks per class, and he looks to continue to do so at Michigan. The Wolverines already have Alex Malzone enrolled early, and last weekend saw a commitment from Zach Gentry, who will sign with Michigan next week. Meanwhile, even with DeWeaver committed, Harbaugh had been meeting with California QB K.J. Costello and Washington QB Jacob Eason, who are the #4 and #1 pro-style quarterbacks for the 2016 class. The previous staff had offered seven quarterbacks (LINK), and that number may increase in the near future.

With DeWeaver committed, I had secretly been hoping to avoid doing scouting reports on 10-20 quarterback prospects for 2016. But now it looks like that’s exactly what I’ll be doing in the next couple weeks.

2016 Recruiting Update: January 28, 2015

Manvel (TX) Manvel safety Deontay Anderson (image via 247sports.com)

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2016
Harbor City (CA) Narbonne offensive tackle Alex Akingbulu was offered by Michigan. Akingbulu is a 6’6″, 275 lb. prospect who just finished playing his first year of organized football, and Michigan is his first (and only) offer. Offensive coordinator Tim Drevno is the point man on him, so his west coast connections must have paid off with the little known recruit. Akingbulu does not have much technique at this point, but he is an impressive athlete who moves his feet really well. With a good deal of coaching, he could be pretty special. You might remember his high school from when Michigan was recruiting safety Sean Parker (Washington) in the 2010 class.


Manvel (TX) Manvel safety Deontay Anderson was offered by Michigan. Anderson is a 6’1″, 192 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Notre Dame, Texas, Texas A&M, UCLA, and USC, among others. Basically, he can go to school wherever he wants. Michigan recently had a flirtation with his 2015 teammate, cornerback Will Lockett, who ultimately decided to stick to his UCLA pledge. Anderson is an early 247 Composite 5-star, the #2 returner (this is a category now?), and #25 overall in the class. As a junior in 2014, he made 59 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 2 interceptions (1 returned for touchdown), 8 pass breakups, and 1 punt return for a touchdown.

Concord (CA) De La Salle tight end Devin Asiasi was offered by Michigan. Asiasi is a 6’5″, 255 lb. prospect with offers from Nebraska, Oregon, and USC, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #10 weakside end, and #148 overall. He’s a big kid but someone who can be split out at times, and he even takes an occasional direct snap. Former Michigan (and Idaho and New England Patriots) quarterback Matt Gutierrez was from there, and I recently watched When the Game Stands Tall, a decent football movie about the school, which set the national record for consecutive victories.

Hit the jump for a couple more offers, commitments elsewhere, and some random tidbits.

Huber Heights (OH) Wayne quarterback Messiah DeWeaver decommitted from Michigan on Tuesday night. DeWeaver is a 6’3″, 202 lb. prospect who committed to Michigan in June of 2014. He has picked up offers from Kentucky, Michigan State, and Penn State in the meantime, and he’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #14 pro-style quarterback, and #306 overall. He held out through the coaching change and met the new staff, but ultimately, he has decided not to remain committed. DeWeaver transferred from Trotwood (OH) Trotwood-Madison – which has sent several players to Michigan over the years – to Huber Heights (OH) Wayne after the football season. Wayne has been somewhat kind to Michigan over the years, too, with 2015 safety commit Tyree Kinnel and then the Talbott brothers several years ago.

Oakland (CA) Bishop O’Dowd linebacker Camilo Eifler was offered by Michigan. Eifler is a 6’2″, 210 lb. prospect with offers from Colorado, Duke, and Washington. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #45 outside linebacker, and #594 overall. Eifler is a speedy, hard-hitting linebacker, and I’m surprised that he doesn’t have more offers at this point. His head coach is Napoleon Kaufman, whom you may remember as a tremendously speedy running back for the Washington Huskies and then the Oakland Radiers.

Los Angeles (CA) Loyola cornerback David Long, Jr. was offered by Michigan. Long is a 6’0″, 175 lb. prospect with offers from Arizona, Arizona State, Miami, Oregon, UCLA, and Washington, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #34 cornerback, and #329 overall. He claims a 4.5 forty and a 34″ vertical. It’s unclear at this point whether Michigan wants him as a corner or receiver; he looks more engaged playing receiver, but he does have some skills on defense. Long is also friends with quarterback K.J. Costello and wide receiver Dylan Crawford, both Californians in the 2016 class whom Michigan has already offered.

Pompano Beach (CA) Coconut Creek cornerback Trayvon Mullen was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’2″, 175 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, LSU, and Miami, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #6 cornerback, and #63 overall. He also claims a 4.37 forty. The previous Michigan staff also offered two teammates of Mullen, wide receiver Binjimen Victor and cornerback Malek Young.

OFF THE BOARD
Cincinnati (OH) Moeller tight end Jake Hausmann committed to Ohio State. Hausmann is one of the top few tight end prospects in the country. On the plus side, Michigan has also been pursuing Perry (OH) Perry tight end Luke Farrell, who also had the Buckeyes at or near the top of his list. This may open the door a little bit for Farrell to come up north, although he too has plenty of suitors.

MISCELLANEOUS
Lawrenceville (GA) Archer offensive tackle E.J. Price included Michigan in his top ten, specifically at #2. Price grew up in Grand Rapids, and he has stated that Michigan was his childhood favorite team. Price is a 6’6″, 290 lb. prospect who’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #9 offensive tackle, and #65 overall. The 247 Crystal Ball currently has Georgia leading with some votes for Auburn, so there might be some ground to make up if the new staff wants to reel him in.

Egg Harbor (NJ) Cedar Creek safety Ahmir Mitchell included Michigan in his top eight.

Over on Recruiting Season, I added/updated profiles for:

• Detroit King CB Dontre Boyd
• Muskegon Mona Shores WR Hunter Broersma
• Traverse City West OG Jacob Cerny
• Southfield RB Matt Falcon
• West Bloomfield QB Trishton Jackson
• Farmington Hills Harrison DE Khalid Kareem

2015 Recruiting Update: January 27, 2015

Left to right: Reuben Jones, Greg Mattison, and Jake Pickard

COMMITMENTS
Albuqerque (NM) Eldorado quarterback Zach Gentry committed to Michigan (LINK).

Lakeland (FL) Lake Gibson defensive end Reuben Jones committed to Michigan (LINK).

West Chester (OH) Lakota West offensive tackle Nolan Ulizio committed to Michigan (LINK).

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2015
Fort Lauderdale (FL) St. Thomas Aquinas cornerback Rashard Causey decommitted from Florida Atlantic. Michigan offered almost exactly a year ago, but then he surprisingly committed to FAU in April over some decent offers. The 6’0″, 185 lb. prospect took officials to Wisconsin and Louisville in the meantime, and he decommitted following the Louisville visit. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #50 cornerback, and #517 overall. He’s also a teammate of cornerback Damon Arnette, who visited Michigan two weekends ago but remains committed to South Carolina at this time. Causey transferred to St. Thomas Aquinas – a powerhouse program in Florida – prior to his senior season. Georgia and Tennessee have entered the fray and may be difficult to beat, but Michigan could also throw its hat into the ring once again, as Causey says he is “open to everyone.”

Houston (TX) Cypress Falls cornerback Nate Dalton was offered by Michigan. The 6’2″, 185 lb. prospect scheduled an official visit to Michigan for this past weekend, but he then promptly announced that he would not be taking the visit and committed to Arkansas instead. Dalton is a 247 Composite 3-star, the #90 cornerback, and #1011 overall, but the book appears to be closed on him. File him under “Off the Board.”

Manvel (TX) Manvel cornerback William Lockett was offered by Michigan. Lockett is a 6’0″, 182 lb. prospect who has been committed to UCLA since last August. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #79 cornerback, and #849 overall. Lockett took an official visit to Michigan this past weekend, but he has since said that he’ll stick with his commitment to UCLA. So maybe he should be in the “Off the Board” category.

Hit the jump for a couple more new offers, some commits elsewhere, and some other tidbits.

Omaha (NE) Central defensive end Daishon Neal was offered by Michigan. Neal is a 6’7″, 250 lb. prospect who has been committed to Nebraska since April 2014; he also has offers from Arkansas, Iowa, Oklahoma, and Oregon, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #36 strongside end, and #674 overall. Neal has said that he has narrowed his choices down to the Cornhuskers or potentially Michigan, and that was before the offer came through on Monday. It’s quite possible that he will visit Ann Arbor officially this coming weekend. As far as talent goes, Neal has some untapped potential. He’s a good athlete with some speed and length, but he plays a little high and doesn’t get off blocks as quickly as he should. I see him more as a 3-4 defensive end than a speed rusher or one-gap guy, so it will be interesting to see how Michigan runs their defense if he comes on board.

Millburn (NJ) Millburn defensive end Jake Pickard was offered by Michigan. Pickard is a 6’6″, 231 lb. prospect who has been committed to Wisconsin since last July; he also has offers from Nebraska, Oregon, Rutgers, and Syracuse, among others. Pickard canceled a potential official visit to Oregon for an official to Michigan this past weekend, and he will be having coaches from Syracuse, Wisconsin, and Michigan in to visit him this week. It was reported that Pickard was told he was the only defensive end Michigan is offering, but that deal seemed to expire on Monday when the coaches officially went after Neal. Pickard is another long, thick guy who is being recruited for the end position, but he could also play tight end, defensive tackle, or even offensive tackle, depending on how his body fills out. He seems to be a high-effort player whose film is full of him getting penetration and batting down passes, which can be be useful assets.

Prattville (AL) Prattville cornerback Keith Washington was offered by Michigan. Washington is a 6’2″, 170 lb. prospect who just committed to Cal on Sunday. He has also taken officials to North Carolina, Indiana, and Louisville – with two remaining – and holds offers from Duke (where he was committed last summer), Kentucky, Miami, Missouri, and TCU, among others. He is a 247 Composite 3-star, the #75 dual-threat quarterback, and #952 overall, but several teams are recruiting him as a defensive back. As a senior this past year, he was 93/162 for 1,718 yards, 17 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions; he also ran for 1,201 yards and 20 scores. He moved from Texas to Alabama prior to his senior year, which is why you might see some highlights wearing two different uniforms.

OFF THE BOARD
Princeton (NC) Princeton running back Johnny Frasier flipped from Florida State to North Carolina State. Frasier immediately becomes the Wolfpack’s top recruit (#76 overall), ranked even higher than former Michigan commit Darian Roseboro. They’re quietly putting together a solid class with #27 overall ranking for 2015.

Oak Park (MI) Oak Park running back John Kelly committed to Tennessee. Kelly was recruited hard by Jim Harbaugh, but Michigan got in on him late and he was friendly with Mike Weber. If the Wolverines had been able to hold onto Weber’s commitment, they might have had a chance. Instead, Weber is committed to Ohio State, and Kelly – who was not offered by the Buckeyes – chose the Volunteers.

Salt Lake City (UT) Brighton linebacker Osa Masina committed to USC. Masina is a 247 Composite 5-star and Michigan got in on him relatively early, but the Wolverines’ poor season seemed to turn him off. Michigan had been consistently in his top four or five schools, but they dropped out of it recently and it was understood they had no chance. Masina spurned the chance to play at Utah with his older brother.

Greenbelt (MD) Eleanor Roosevelt offensive tackle Isaiah Prince committed to Alabama. The Crimson Tide pulled off a minor upset by stealing him away from Maryland.

MISCELLANEOUS
Here’s a list of last weekend’s official visitors (LINK).

It’s obvious that Michigan wants at least one more cornerback in this class, but options are getting slim now that Dalton committed to Arkansas, Lockett reconfirmed to UCLA, and Long Beach (CA) Poly’s Colin Samuel canceled a hastily planned official visit. Late in the recruiting process, you start to look at lower-rated guys from Michigan or Ohio, places where a childhood affinity for – or awareness of – Michigan’s tradition can play a factor. I’ll throw out a few names to keep an eye on if Michigan continues to be rebuffed:

• Southfield (MI) Southfield wide receiver/defensive back Ja’Mar Antwine is a 6’0″, 181 lb. prospect who committed to Central Michigan last June. He’s a 247 Composite 2-star, the #236 cornerback, and #2682 overall. Antwine looks more like a safety at the next level and is probably an inch or two shorter than 6’0″.
• Grand Rapids (MI) Ottawa Hills wide receiver/cornerback Sam Beal is a 6’2″, 177 lb. prospect who’s committed to Western Michigan. He probably projects best as a wide receiver, but he has good speed and a long frame to work with. He’s a 247 Composite 2-star, the #165 athlete, and #2089 overall.
• Southfield (MI) Southfield wide receiver/cornerback Ray Buford, Jr. is 6’1″, 195 lbs. and committed to Minnesota last July over a bunch of MAC offers. He was a teammate of current Michigan defensive end Lawrence Marshall and Southfield has some decent prospects in the pipeline, too, including 2016 running back Matt Falcon. Buford doesn’t offer a ton of speed, but he has decent size and a solid frame. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #77 athlete, and #978 overall.
• Saline (MI) Saline defensive back Tyrone Miller started off his high school career at Ann Arbor (MI) Pioneer and has visited Michigan a few times. He’s 6’1″, 171 lbs. and claims a 4.61 forty. He’s not the quickest kid around, but he is fairly physical and could be a boundary corner, play in the slot, or play safety. Miller held out on committing to MAC schools for a while but committed to Central Michigan in December; however, he recently picked up offers from Kansas and more could be on the way. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #112 cornerback, and #1262 overall.

Over on Recruiting Season, I added/updated profiles on:

• Saline DB Tyrone Miller
• Farmington Hills Harrison LB Michael Ojemudia
• West Bloomfield DT Eddy Wilson II
• Bright TE Alexx Zielinski