Michigan wrapped up a decent recruiting class earlier in February. There are no 5-star recruits, but the Wolverines got a fair share of 4-star guys. For a historical perspective on where they match up with recruits from the past, here’s a look at where they slot in all-time, according to the 247 Composite.
A.J. Henning – WR – Frankfort (IL) Lincoln-Way East
2020 ranking: #101
Historical ranking: #80 all-time at Michigan
Flanked by: RB Kareem Walker (#100 in 2016) and DT Will Johnson (#105 in 2004)
Closest positional comparisons: Toney Clemons (#96 in 2007) and Adrian Arrington (#115 in 2004)
Braiden McGregor – DE – Port Huron (MI) Northern
2020 ranking: #122
Historical ranking: #103
Tied with: WR Tarik Black (#122 in 2017)
Closest positional comparisons: Aidan Hutchinson (#112 in 2018) and Chris Wormley (#129 in 2012)
Hit the jump for more.
Blake Corum – RB – Baltimore (MD) St. Frances
2020 ranking: #128
Historical ranking: #108
Tied with: OG Mason Cole (#128 in 2014)
Closest positional comparisons: Justice Hayes (#125 in 2011) and Jerome Jackson (#133 in 2003)
Kalel Mullings – LB – Milford (MA) Milford Academy
2020 ranking: #151
Historical ranking: #123
Flanked by: OT Adam Kraus (#149 in 2003) and DT Alan Branch (#153 in 2004)
Closest positional comparisons: Royce Jenkins-Stone (#140 in 2012) and Michael Ferns III (#159 in 2014)
Andre Seldon, Jr. – CB – Belleville (MI) Belleville
2020 ranking: #161
Historical ranking: #128
Tied with: LB Chris Graham (#161 in 2004)
Closest positional comparisons: Leon Hall (#156 in 2003) and Myles Sims (#170 in 2018)
Jordan Morant – S – Oradell (NJ) Bergen Catholic
2020 ranking: #165
Historical ranking: #130
Flanked by: CB Andre Seldon (#161 in 2020), Chris Graham (#161 in 2004), and OG Justin Schifano (#166 in 2005)
Closest positional comparisons: Steve Brown (#124 in 2006) and Brandon Smith (#169 in 2008)
Darion Green-Warren – CB – Santa Ana (CA) Mater Dei
2020 ranking: #189
Historical ranking: #151
Flanked by: DE Brennen Beyer (#188 in 2011) and WR Steve Breaston (#190 in 2002)
Closest positional comparisons: Myles Sims (#170 in 2018) and Jalen Perry (#201 in 2019)
Makari Paige – S – West Bloomfield (MI) West Bloomfield
2020 ranking: #243
Historical ranking: #185
Tied with: OG Jeff Zuttah (#243 in 2003) and WR Laterryal Savoy (#243 in 2005)
Closest positional comparisons: Jarrod Wilson (#238 in 2012) and Marvin Robinson (#253 in 2010)
R.J. Moten – S – Delran (NJ) Delran
2020 ranking: #254
Historical ranking: #188
Flanked by: S Marvin Robinson (#253 in 2010), DE Mario Ojemudia (#253 in 2012), and DT Maurice Hurst, Jr. (#257 in 2013)
Closest positional comparisons: Marvin Robinson (#253 in 2010) and Jamar Adams (#262 in 2004)
Zak Zinter – OG – Cambridge (MA) Buckingham Browne & Nichols
2020 ranking: #264
Historical ranking: #193
Flanked by: TE Devin Funchess (#262 in 2012) and OT Karsen Barnhart (#265 in 2019)
Closest positional comparisons: Jeff Zuttah (#243 in 2003) and Chris Bryant (#287 in 2011)
Jaylen Harrell – DE – Tampa (FL) Berkeley Prep
2020 ranking: #292
Historical ranking: #214
Tied with: RB Darnell Hood (#292 in 2002) and DE Corey Malone-Hatcher (#292 in 2017)
Closest positional comparison: Corey Malone-Hatcher (#292 in 2017)
Osman Savage – LB – Baltimore (MD) St. Frances
2020 ranking: #298
Historical ranking: #220
Tied with: S Delano Hill (#298 in 2013)
Closest positional comparisons: Brandon Herron (#296 in 2009) Devin Bush (#316 in 2016)
Jeffrey Persi – OT – San Juan Capistrano (CA) J Serra
2020 ranking: #321
Historical ranking: #234
Tied with: WR Ricardo Miller (#321 in 2010)
Closest positional comparisons: Ja’Raymond Hall (#318 in 2017) and Juwann Bushell-Beatty (#331 in 2014)
Roman Wilson – WR – Honolulu (HI) St. Louis
2020 ranking: #348
Historical ranking: #249
Tied with: TE Erick All (#348 in 2019)
Closest positional comparisons: Jeremy Gallon (#345 in 2009) and Cameron Gordon (#394 in 2009)
Nikhai Hill-Green – LB – Baltimore (MD) St. Frances
2020 ranking: #388
Historical ranking: #267
Flanked by: RB Fitzgerald Toussaint (#387 in 2009) and DE Mike Morris (#389 in 2019)
Closest positional comparisons: Brandon Logan (#381 in 2005) and Kenny Demens (#410 in 2008)
Matt Hibner – TE – Burke (VA) Lake Braddock
2020 ranking: #394
Historical ranking: #272
Tied with: WR Cam Gordon (#394 in 2009)
Closest positional comparisons: Kevin Murphy (#376 in 2002) and Carson Butler (#586 in 2005)
Reece Atteberry – C – Aurora (CO) Eaglecrest
2020 ranking: #435
Historical ranking: #286
Flanked by: DE Frank Clark (#434 in 2011) and LB John Thompson (#439 in 2004)
Closest positional comparisons: Jeremy Ciulla (#415 in 2004) and Christian Pace (#494 in 2010)
William Mohan – LB – Brooklyn (NY) Erasmus Hall
2020 ranking: #457
Historical ranking: #294
Tied with: DT Phillip Paea (#457 in 2017)
Closest positional comparisons: John Thompson (#439 in 2004) and Taylor Hill (#468 in 2008)
Cornell Wheeler – LB – West Bloomfield (MI) West Bloomfield
2020 ranking: #460
Historical ranking: #295
Flanked by: DT Phillip Paea (#457 in 2017) and LB Taylor Hill (#468 in 2008)
Closest positional comparisons: John Thompson (#439 in 2004) and Taylor Hill (#468 in 2008)
Aaron Lewis – DE – Williamstown (NJ) Williamstown
2020 ranking: #461
Historical ranking: #296
Tied with: DT Phillip Paea (#457 in 2017) and LB Taylor Hill (#468 in 2008)
Closest positional comparisons: Ken Wilkins (#447 in 2010) and Kwity Paye (#485 in 2017)
Eamonn Dennis – ATH – Shrewsbury (MA) St. John’s
2020 ranking: #480
Historical ranking: #301
Flanked by: RB Avery Horn (#479 in 2007) and DE Kwity Paye (#485 in 2017)
Closest positional comparisons: Roy Roundtree (#449 in 2008) and Maurice Ways (#497 in 2014)
Kris Jenkins, Jr. – DE – Olney (MD) Good Counsel
2020 ranking: #509
Historical ranking: #309
Tied with: RB Christian Turner (#509 in 2018)
Closest positional comparisons: Kwity Paye (#485 in 2017) and Taylor Upshaw (#562 in 2018)
Dan Villari – QB – Massapequa (NY) Plainedge
2020 ranking: #1220
Historical ranking: #411
Flanked by: DT Marques Walton (#1194 in 2004) and S German Green (#1231 in 2018)
Closest positional comparisons: Justin Feagin (#989 in 2008)
*Edward Warinner – LB – Powell (OH) Olentangy Liberty
2018 ranking: #1252
Historical ranking: #413
Flanked by: S German Green (#1231 in 2018) and DE Keith Heitzman (#1255 in 2011)
Closest positional comparisons: Dytarious Johnson (#1139 in 2016) and Marell Evans (#1326)
*Transferred to Michigan
CONCLUSIONS
Okay, it’s impossible to come to any real conclusions based on this data. These are not 1-to-1 comparisons. Jon Runyan, Jr. was ranked close to where Dan Villari is, and James McKinney (who? you ask) was ranked a couple spots above A.J. Henning.
But for fun, reaching one spot above where these guys are ranked or who they’re tied with, imagine the 2020 class gave Michigan the following guys:
RB Kareem Walker, WR Tarik Black, OG Mason Cole, OT Adam Kraus, LB Chris Graham, OG Justin Schifano, DE Brennen Beyer, OG Jeff Zuttah, DE Mario Ojemudia, TE Devin Funchess, RB Darnell Hood, S Delano Hill, WR Ricardo Miller, TE Erick All, RB Fitzgerald Toussaint, WR Cam Gordon, DE Frank Clark, DT Phillip Paea, LB Taylor Hill, RB Avery Horn, RB Christian Turner, DT Marques Walton, and S German Green
Position-by-position that class doesn’t make any sense (no QB, no CB, etc.), but in that group you have the following:
- 4 NFL draft picks: Cole, Funchess, Delano Hill, Clark
- 5 fringe NFL careers: Kraus, Beyer, Ojemudia, Toussaint, Gordon
- 2 college contributors: Graham, Hood
- 2 early retirees: Schifano, Zuttah
- 6 eventual transfers: Walker, Black, Miller, Taylor Hill, Horn, Walton
- 4 TBD: All, Paea, Turner, Green
That’s not a great class, but it’s not a terrible one, either. If you have four guys drafted and five others hang around the NFL for a little bit, that’s a decent haul. Considering that the four TBD guys haven’t done anything in college yet, you can guess that 3 of them probably won’t be high-impact guys, while it’s truly too early for Erick All, a rising second-year tight end. The above class isn’t one that’s going to win you any championships.
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Ouch! We want Championships! And too expect them!
But Yep. This is the current state of Michigan football. Its been 15ish years since an incoming class experienced any kind of Big Ten Football championship so ah thats a lot of Michigan classes that haven’t been a part of winning anything.
“Those who stay will be Champions.” ? Nobody gets to stay 15 years or More……….
OHhh unless maybe its the HC.
Sooner or later? Hmmm…………..INTJohn
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I’m thinking the Big Ten should rotate Michigan, Penn St & Wisconsin with the Big Ten West. You know each year 2 of them have to be in the East. Then Mich & PSU would have a shot at a West Championship handed to them once every three years, at least, rather than simply give a carte blanche pass to Wisconsin every year to appear in Indy.
I mean we all know OSU will still be the Big Ten champ but at least it would make the rest of each season more interesting.
Jus sayin…………intjohn
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That’s actually not a bad idea. I don’t think it would ever happen, but I like it. You could still have your protected rivalry games if Michigan and Ohio State were in opposing divisions to ensure that they play at least once every year, but then you have to play the teams in your division. If only fantasy could become reality…
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It may not be “fair” but I like things the way they are. OSU/UM game often decides who advances from the east. I think many year you’ll see Wisc/Iowa function the same way in the west though Nebraska could certainly have something to say about that (as could PSU in the east).
I hate the idea of a potential rematch between OSU/UM one week after The Game. The finality of outcomes is a great thing about college football.
We don’t need to run away from OSU, we need to find a way to beat them.
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Or better yet make the West OSU’s permanent duty station and put Wisky in the East permanent. I mean hell we know Iowa & Purdue can kick OSU’s ass once in awhile………
That would definately make things more competitive.
Wouldn’t it? I’m thinkin ,yep.
Jus sayin………..intjohn
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Aawe wtf, while we’re doing this rearrangement lets put Nebraska in the East too and send Indiana to the west so they can have that Purdue thing consistent…….
There, now I’m happy………intjohn
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I think the Big Ten should get rid of conferences. 14 teams; each team plays 8 games each. At the end of the regular season, we have a 4-team play-off in the Big Ten. Much more fun, much more exciting. As for scheduling, each team has 1 “permanent” partner where they play every year. The rest of the scheduling: Get the computer to figure it out.
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Or, get rid of Divisions. And conference championship games
Build the conference schedule based off t the record of the previous year: ohio gets the toughest, Rutger gets the easiest
This is similar to what the NFL does (scheduling); not perfect, but it would give Rutgers a little reprieve, and allow PSU, UM, and Wisc the same shot at finishing #1 or 2, and an invite to a (bigger) playoff
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I think this is a great idea if you limit it to cross-division matchups. I still want everyone within the division to play each other.
It might be a long time before we play Purdue or Illinois which would be kind of strange, but that’s worth it if it means more high quality football.
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OSU already gets the toughest every year. They play Michigan , PSU & the West Champ in Indy. This past yr for OSU it was all of the above and Wisky twice.
Jus sayin………intjohn
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OSU has it easy – they almost never have to play the best team in the Big Ten.
2011 and 2016 being exceptions.
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Ok, maybe sooo lets do this………
OSU gets a bye the week before The Game but they have to play themselves. The buckeye Sr’s & Sophs must play the Buckeye Jrs & freshmen and the Winner plays Michigan in The Game.
Would this maybe at least make The Game semi competitive? Maybe Michigan loses by only 7 points or so instead of 2020’s prolly 30+?
intjohn
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Another option is to simply make the West OSU’s permanent duty station and put Wisky in the East. Hell Michigan plays them every year anyway…….
………and we know Iowa & Purdue can kik OSU’s ass.
For the sake of competitive equality…….PLEASE!?
Intjohn
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Good post. I think the conclusion – not a great class, but not terrible either – feels on point. Of course we’ll see about that.
If you do this again it might be more useful to look at similarly ranked players at that position. I’m not sure how much I’m getting from a Will Johnson to AJ Henning comp. Like all recruiting analysis it works better in aggregate.
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I updated the post just for you.
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There’s a lot of familiar names on the “closest positional comparisons,” and many are from our RR era. Sigh
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Nice! Good additions. Better informs expectations and in many cases points to the high variability of performance relative to rank.
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This is the reality of Michigan football at this point in time – good but not great. Not competing consistently with OSU in the near future.
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