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Kiante Enis, Wolverine

Winchester (IN) Winchester running back Kiante Enis (image via Scout.com)

Winchester (IN) Winchester running back Kiante Enis committed to Michigan on Thursday. He chose the Wolverines over offers from Cincinnati, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan State, and a handful of MAC programs.

Enis is a 6’1″, 200 lb. player who reported an electronically timed 10.53 in the 100 meters. As a junior in 2014, he carried the ball 299 times for 3,189 yards and 49 touchdowns. As a sophomore in 2013, he had 139 carries for 1,409 yards and 15 scores.

RATINGS
ESPN: Unranked
Rivals: 3-star, #54 ATH
Scout: 3-star, #26 ATH
247 Sports: 3-star, 87 grade, #36 RB, #552 overall

The nephew of former Penn State running back and Chicago Bears’ first round draft pick Curtis Enis, Kiante is relatively new on Michigan’s recruiting radar. He had not heard much from the Wolverines when he was offered in early May, but it was his biggest offer. He visited Ann Arbor in late May, attended Michigan’s satellite camp today, and committed to the staff.

Enis is a speedy runner who’s the fastest guy on the field in every game. He often looks for cutbacks, and he has the acceleration to make a cut upfield and leave a lot of people in the dust. Unlike some track guys, he has some change-of-direction skills. His speed puts a lot of pressure on defenders and can force them into some poor decisions when it comes to angles, tackling technique, etc. When he’s on defense himself, he takes good angles, wraps up, and shows a willingness to hit that belies his thin frame. When he gets the ball in his hands, he knows what to do with it.

As successful as he is (he led the nation in rushing yardage in 2014), Enis is not a polished runner. He can dance a little too much, he carries the ball a little too loosely, and he does not run behind his pads. When he gets into traffic, he tries to twist his body around and wriggle out of tackles, which is not a skill that suits his skills and frame. He needs to get stronger in the lower body and learn to fight through contact. Defensively, Enis is a bit lazy in his stance and does not show a lot of polish, either, but that can probably be explained by the fact that he ran the ball 299 times last year. When the offense consists of Kiante Left and Kiante Right, Kiante’s going to get tired.

Overall, much like the commitment of Michael Onwenu a couple days ago, Enis is a good pickup because of his versatility. The coaches are bringing him in as a running back, but he won’t necessarily stay there. If offense doesn’t work out after a year or two, he’s a guy who might be able to play receiver, cornerback, safety, or even outside linebacker, depending on how his body develops. Personally, I think he looks like a safety, although I’m reminded of former Michigan (and USC) running back Justin Fargas, who played a bit of both running back and safety in Ann Arbor before transferring and making it to the NFL as a runner.

Enis is the eighth commitment in the 2016 class and the third  running back, joining Matt Falcon and Kingston Davis. Both of those players are perhaps a little more limited to running back, but they are thicker and in Davis’s case, he’s strictly a between-the-tackles runner. There is virtually zero chance that all three players (and there might be more!) finish their careers playing running back at Michigan. Enis also joins another Indiana player (and there might be more!), quarterback Brandon Peters, in the current cycle.

TTB Rating: 78 (ratings explanation)

Michael Onwenu, Wolverine

Detroit (MI) Cass Tech offensive guard Michael Onwenu

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Detroit (MI) Cass Tech offensive guard Michael Onwenu committed to Michigan on Tuesday. He chose the Wolverines over offers from Alabama, Illinois, Miami, North Carolina State, Ohio State, and Penn State.

Onwenu is 6’3″ and 365 lbs. He is committed to play in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl.

RATINGS
ESPN: 4-star, 80 grade, #17 OG
Rivals: 4-star, #191 overall
Scout: 4-star, #5 OG, #169 overall
247 Sports: 4-star, 94 grade, #5 OG, #140 overall

As a Cass Tech player, Onwenu had been on Michigan’s radar for a long time and started visiting campus with his school a few years ago. At the time he was around 6’0″ and well over 300 lbs., so it was unclear how he was going to develop. His first offer came from Ohio State in May of 2014, which is part of the reason why he had an affinity for the Buckeyes. Brady Hoke’s staff offered him last July before his junior year began. He was thought to be an Ohio State lean at one point, but the Buckeyes’ treatment of former teammate Michael Weber (his position coach recruited him up until the last minute and then took a job with the Chicago Bears immediately after Signing Day) left a sour taste in his mouth. Jim Harbaugh’s staff, meanwhile, had been recruiting Weber and Onwenu hard, and Michigan’s established pipeline with Cass Tech players seemed to bode well for their chances. After visits to campus this winter and spring, it seemed like a foregone conclusion that Onwenu would end up committing to the Wolverines.

Onwenu was being looked at for defense by Hoke’s staff, but Harbaugh and offensive coordinator/line coach Tim Drevno have made it clear they want him for the interior offensive line. That’s not to say that he won’t play defense at some point, because Harbaugh lets guys work on both sides of the ball at times. His position may not be determined for a while.

As an offensive lineman, Onwenu has surprisingly good feet for his size, and he can move when he wants to move. He also packs quite a punch, and he’s not going to get overpowered by anyone.

In my opinion, though, there are more negatives than positives when talking about him on offense. There are a lot of technique issues to work out here. Onwenu is slow out of his stance, sometimes steps with the wrong foot, does not use good hand placement, and does not finish plays on a consistent basis. Even on his highlights, it’s rare to see more than a few steps with any kind of purpose. Once he reaches his assignment – a guy who’s unlikely to move around the mountain – Onwenu essentially stops to watch the play.

The place where Onwenu shows a sense of urgency is at nose tackle on defense. He looks like a totally different player. He’s quick off the ball, uses good technique, and finishes plays. He probably won’t be much of a pass rusher because it’s tough to contort 365 lbs. in enough ways to wiggle around offensive linemen, but he can be a run-stuffer in the middle, especially if Michigan is going to run any 3-4 looks.

Overall, Onwenu is a good pickup for the staff. I think he’s a guy that has some potential, and you have to look at a kid like that in your home state as a priority. Whether he has more upside on offense or defense is somewhat immaterial – the important thing is to get him on your team somewhere. Even on offense, he has the physical tools to mold into quite a player; it’s the mental aspect that seems to be lacking. If he stays on that side of the ball, hopefully Drevno can work the kind of magic that Darrell Funk never seemed to be able to harness.

Onwenu is the seventh overall commit and the second offensive lineman in the 2016 class, joining offensive tackle Erik Swenson. Michigan will only lose guard/center Graham Glasgow to graduation after this coming season, but there are four redshirt juniors who will need to be replaced before long. The 2016 class is scheduled to be at least 15 players strong (LINK), but that number will surely increase, and various recruits have been talking and tweeting about calling this class the “Fab 25.” I would expect the Wolverines to take 4-5 linemen in this class to prepare for those upcoming departures. The pipeline of Cass Tech will see Onwenu join a team that already includes cornerback Terry Richardson, cornerback Jourdan Lewis, offensive guard David Dawson, and safety Delano Hill.

TTB Rating: 74 (ratings explanation)

Rivals 250 for 2016 updated

Brandon Peters is the #229 player in the 2016 class

Rivals updated their top 250 prospects for 2016 (LINK). I posted the top 100 yesterday (LINK). Here’s what it looked like in February (LINK). Brandon Peters dropped from #211 to #229. Here are the rest of Michigan’s offerees:

101. Binjimen Victor – WR – Florida
109. Ron Johnson – DE – New Jersey
111. Auston Robertson – DE – Indiana
113. Boss Tagaloa – DT – California
117. E.J. Price – OT – Georgia (Georgia)
122. Terrance Davis – OG – Maryland
124. Devin Asiasi – TE – California
125. Jauan Williams – OT – Washington, DC
126. Damar Hamlin – CB – Pennsylvania
128. Elijah Holyfield – RB – Georgia
131. Amani Bledsoe – DE – Kansas
132. Diondre Overton – WR – North Carolina
133. David Long – CB – California
136. Cameron Chambers – WR – New Jersey (Michigan State)
139. Collin Johnson – WR – Texas (Texas)
140. Camilo Eifler – LB – California
146. Jean Delance – OT – Texas
147. Jared Mayden – CB – Texas
150. Xavier Kelly – DE – Kansas
151. J.P. Urquidez – OT – Texas (Baylor)
153. Jaquan Yulee – LB – Virginia
154. Joseph Jackson – DE – Florida (Miami)
156. Devin Bush – LB – Florida
157. Elysee Mbem-Bosse – LB – Georgia
160. Chris Daniels – DT – Texas
161. Josh Imatorbhebhe – WR – Georgia
162. Isaiah Chambers – DE – Texas
166. Nigel Knott – CB – Mississippi
167. Lavert Hill – CB – Michigan (Penn State)
171. Lamar Winston – ATH – Oregon
174. Steffon McKnight – WR – California
180. Shaquille Quarterman – LB – Florida (Miami)
181. Justin Layne – WR – Ohio (Michigan State)
182. John Broussard – CB – Alabama (Auburn)
183. C.J. Pollard – S – California
187. Carlo Kemp – DE – Colorado
189. Bryce Mathews – OT – Tennessee
191. Michael Onwenu – OG – Michigan
194. Jamal Pettigrew – TE – Louisiana (LSU)
195. Luke Farrell – TE – Ohio
198. Messiah DeWeaver – QB – Ohio (Michigan State)
202. Terrell Hall – DE – Washington, DC (Ohio State)
205. Tre Nixon – WR – Florida
206. Brad Hawkins – WR – New Jersey
207. Darrian Franklin – LB – California
208. Austin Mack – WR – Indiana
210. Koby Quansah – LB – Connecticut
213. Jeffrey McCulloch – LB – Texas
219. Antonio Williams – RB – North Carolina (Wisconsin)
220. Clark Yarbrough – OT – Virginia (Stanford)
224. Thaddeus Moss – TE – North Carolina
227. Rakeem Boyd – RB – Texas
229. Brandon Peters – QB – Indiana (Michigan)
234. Cameron Lewis – S – Louisiana (LSU)
236. Grant Holloway – WR – Virginia
238. Demetric Vance – S – Michigan (Michigan State)
241. Justin Madubuike – DE – Texas
243. Jaylon Jones – S – Texas
245. Alex Akingbulu – OT – California
247. Freddie Swain – WR – Florida

Visitors: June 2, 2015

Detroit (MI) Cass Tech wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones

This event is a meet-and-greet for in-state 2017 prospects. It will take place at 3:30 p.m.

Carter Dunaway – TE – Bloomfield Hills (MI) Brother Rice: Dunaway committed to Michigan in April (LINK).


Ja’Raymond Hall – OT – Oak Park (MI) Oak Park: Hall is a 6’5″, 255 lb. prospect with offers from Miami-OH and Michigan. He’s a 247 Sports 4-star, the #13 offensive tackle, and #82 overall. He is thought to be leaning toward the Wolverines.


K.J. Hamler – WR – Orchard Lake (MI) St. Mary’s: Hamler is a 5’9″, 155 lb. prospect with offers from Michigan, Michigan State, and several others. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #45 wide receiver, and #279 overall. While he has the size to also play cornerback, he wants to play offense, although he would have to be a slot guy and maybe a kickoff returner. He is considered to be a Michigan State lean.

Hit the jump for a few more visitors.



Jaylen Kelly-Powell – S – Detroit (MI) Cass Tech: Kelly-Powell is a 6’0″, 183 lb. prospect with offers from Michigan, Minnesota, Northwestern, and Pitt, among others. He’s a 247 Sports 4-star, the #13 safety, and #187 overall. He claims a 4.49 forty. Named after former Michigan basketball player Jalen Rose, Kelly-Powell is considered a Michigan lean.


Corey Malone-Hatcher – DE – St. Joseph’s (MI) St. Joseph’s: Malone-Hatcher, the #193 overall player in the class, visited this past weekend because he can’t make it to campus on June 2.


Donovan Peoples-Jones – WR – Detroit (MI) Cass Tech: Peoples-Jones is a 6’2″, 183 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, LSU, Michigan, Michigan State, and Ohio State, among others. He’s a 247 Sports 4-star, the #3 wide receiver, and #12 overall. He is pretty quite on the recruiting scene despite picking up numerous big-time offers, but he does have a family connection to Michigan, since his father played for the Wolverines in the 1990s.


Joshua Ross – LB – Orchard Lake (MI) St. Mary’s: Ross is a 6’1″, 210 lb. prospect with offers from Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, and Oklahoma, among others. He’s a 247 Sports 4-star, the #3 inside linebacker, and #116 overall. A teammate of Hamler (see above), Ross is the younger brother of Michigan senior linebacker James Ross III; because of that reason, he is thought to be a Michigan lean.


Allen Stritzinger – RB – Warren (MI) De La Salle: Stritzinger is a 6’0″, 183 lb. prospect with offers from Cincinnati, Michigan, and a few MAC programs. As a sophomore in 2014, he ran the ball 244 times for 1,356 yards and 20 touchdowns, and he added 9 receptions for 238 yards and 1 touchdown. He attends the alma mater of junior quarterback Shane Morris and redshirt freshman Jared Wangler.

Ambry Thomas – CB – Detroit (MI) King: Thomas is a 5’11”, 165 lb. prospect with offers from LSU, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State, and Tennessee, among others. He’s a 247 Sports 4-star, the #11 cornerback, and #150 overall. He was considered to be a slight Michigan State lean, but several new programs have thrown their hats in the ring recently and he may be openly considering his options.

2015 Rivals 5-star Challenge participants

Detroit (MI) King wide receiver Donnie Corley

The 2015 Rivals 5-star Challenge will be taking place in Baltimore on June 5-7. This is Rivals’ counter to Nike’s The Opening, and it’s an event where some of the top talent from around the country will be competing against each other. While it’s not as exciting as The Opening because it lacks the same kind of television coverage, there are always news bits and interviews coming out of the camp. Here are some participants who are being recruited by Michigan:

Sam Bruce – WR – Florida (Miami)
Devin Bush, Jr. – LB – Florida
T.J. Chase – WR – Florida (Clemson)
Jack Coan – QB – New York*
Donnie Corley – WR – Michigan
Nate Craig-Myers – WR – Florida
Ben Davis – LB – Alabama
Terrance Davis – OG – Maryland
Wyatt Davis – OT – California*
Landon Dickerson – OT – North Carolina
Rashan Gary – DT – New Jersey
Joey Gatewood – QB – Florida**
Maleik Gray – LB – Tennessee*
Trevon Grimes – WR – Florida
Mecole Hardman – WR – Georgia
Daelin Hayes – LB – Michigan (USC)
Lavert Hill – CB – Michigan (Penn State)
Anthony Hines – LB – Texas
Devon Hunter – S – Virginia*
Ron Johnson, Jr. – DE – New Jersey
Jack Jones – CB – California
Kendell Jones – DT – Texas (Alabama)
Caleb Kelly – LB – California
Xavier Kelly – DE – Kansas
Dexter Lawrence – DT – North Carolina
Richard LeCounte – CB – Georgia*
Greg Little – OT – Texas (Texas A&M)
Frank Martin – OT – California (USC)
Jared Mayden – CB – Texas
Nate McBride – LB – Georgia*
Richard Merritt – OG – Washington, DC
Ahmir Mitchell – WR – New Jersey
Byron Murphy – CB – Arizona
Isaac Nauta – TE – Georgia (Florida State)
Jeffrey Okudah – S – Texas*
Michael Onwenu – DT – Michigan
Donovan Peoples-Jones – WR – Michigan*
Jamal Pettigrew – TE – Louisiana (LSU)
C.J. Pollard – S – California
William Poole III – CB – Georgia*
Isaiah Pryor – S – Georgia*
Demetris Robertson – WR – Georgia
Shawn Robinson – QB – Texas*
Stanford Samuels – CB – Florida*
Miles Sanders – RB – Pennsylvania (Penn State)
Trevon Sidney – WR – California
Eli Stove – WR – Florida (Auburn)
Lokeni Toailoa – LB – California (UCLA)
Naseir Upshur – TE – Pennsylvania
Binjimen Victor – WR – Florida
Kareem Walker – RB – New Jersey (Ohio State)
Devin White – LB – Louisiana
LeAnthony Williams – CB – Georgia*
Lyndell Wilson – LB – Alabama
Marvin Wilson – DT – Texas*
Jaquan Yulee – LB – Virginia

*Denotes 2017 prospects
*Denotes 2018 prospects