If I Had My Druthers . . . 2016 Wide Receivers

If I Had My Druthers . . . 2016 Wide Receivers


January 24, 2016

Mecole Hardman

This is the order in which I would rank the uncommitted wide receivers Michigan has offered. Star rankings don’t matter, the likelihood of a commit doesn’t matter, etc. These rankings are purely based on my ideal team:

1. Mecole Hardman – ATH – Elberton (GA) Elbert County:
Hardman isn’t a pure receiver. He might end up at cornerback at the next level, and he’s not very big at 5’10”, 171 lbs. If he were to get polished up as a receiver, though, he could be a big-time player. He also has value as a kickoff and punt returner.

2. Nate Craig-Myers – WR – Tampa (FL) Catholic:
There’s no question that Craig-Myers is big, strong, and fast at 6’2″, 210 lbs. and with a 4.4 forty. He could probably even play running back with his build. There have been some reported issues with drops and a lack of concentration at times, so he may not be a guy who can star right away in college. But with a year or two of development, he could round into a college standout.

3. Demetris Robertson – ATH – Savannah (GA) Christian: 
Another player who could end up at a few different positions, Robertson is 6’0″, 172 lbs. He’s maybe not as shifty or agile as Hardman, but both are similar prospects with very good speed.

Hit the jump for the rest of the list.

4. Tre Nixon – WR – Viera (FL) Viera:
At 6’1″, 170 lbs., Nixon is very thin but has speed to burn. He is a decent route runner and deceptively fast, though he could afford to get stronger. He and McDoom are very similar players.

5. Eddie McDoom – WR – Winter Garden (FL) West Orange:
McDoom is 5’11”, 170 lbs. but he has the ability as a route runner to play on the outside as well as in the slot. He shows good foot quickness and vision after the catch to make him a dangerous catch-and-run guy.

6. Keyshawn “Pie” Young – WR – Miami (FL) Miami:
From an athletic standpoint, I like the 5’11”, 163 lb. Young. I don’t love his game, but I like it. He has some decent quickness and can make some exciting plays. However, he is somewhat lackadaisical on the field and seems too interested in making things look fancy rather than getting the job done. Maybe he would be higher on the list, but flips into the endzone, unsportsmanlike conduct penalties, celebration penalties, etc. aren’t high on my list of desires, and his highlights are littered with them.

7. Donald Stewart – WR – Paramus (NJ) Catholic:
The 6’3″, 190 lb. Stewart is long and lanky and struggles to get separation. He still seems to be growing into his body a little bit, and because of that he can be a little awkward on the run. For such a big receiver, he does not use his length well and does not high-point the ball.

8. Desmond Fitzpatrick – WR – Waterford (MI) Mott:
Fitzpatrick is a 6’2″, 192 lb., workmanlike receiver. He does not have outstanding physical gifts, but he is a decent route runner with decent hands and okay speed. I do not think he’s a difference-maker at the next level.

17 comments

  1. Comments: 1356
    Joined: 8/13/2015
    Roanman
    Jan 24, 2016 at 7:55 AM

    It’s interesting that according to 247, Pie Young is being recruited by Greg Jackson. McDoom and Stewart are being recruited by Jed Fisch.

    I like Stewart a little better than Thunder does. He can make the tough catches. I agree that some of those catches wouldn’t have to be so tough if he would just post up, use his size and go straight up for the ball, but some of the guys he was playing against looked like they could turn and run a little and his QB occasionally throws balls back into guys Stewart already has beat once, so there’s that.

    Evidently Velus Jones just flipped to Oklahoma from USC. Of the little guys, Hardman excepted, Jones was the kid I liked best, but evidently recruiting is making him crazy now too. I have a hard time getting real exercised about a school coming off of a kid when the kids are flipping all over the place themselves. In our recent examples I find the assertion that Swenson’s pull came without warning to be nonsensical, especially with our current administration.

    • Comments: 3844
      Joined: 7/13/2015
      Jan 24, 2016 at 8:09 AM

      You’re way behind the times – Velus Jones flipping to Oklahoma was SO two days ago. Yesterday he flipped back to USC.

      • Comments: 1356
        Joined: 8/13/2015
        Roanman
        Jan 24, 2016 at 8:27 AM

        Such a fast paced world and I’m so old and slow.

        • Comments: 1356
          Joined: 8/13/2015
          Roanman
          Jan 24, 2016 at 8:33 AM

          Damn, he flipped twice in four hours. I’m feeling a little better about myself.

  2. Comments: 1356
    Joined: 8/13/2015
    Roanman
    Jan 24, 2016 at 8:02 AM

    As an aside,Chris Partridge to Rutgers at some point is the lock of the century.

  3. Comments: 26
    Joined: 10/14/2015
    Tanisr4
    Jan 24, 2016 at 8:20 AM

    So you saying of all our potential commitment you like mcdoom the most how bout mitchell and johnson granted who knows where he goong

    • Comments: 3844
      Joined: 7/13/2015
      Jan 24, 2016 at 10:12 AM

      I like Johnson probably a notch below McDoom. Not quite as versatile, but still a good slot prospect. Mitchell would be probably fourth or fifth on the list, but mainly because if he doesn’t work out as a WR, he could play an H-back role, safety, or outside linebacker.

  4. Comments: 134
    Joined: 9/13/2015
    AC1997
    Jan 24, 2016 at 9:36 AM

    Magnus,

    How do you feel about the overall recruiting of WR in this class? If you take this but add to it the five guys already “committed” to Michigan, how do you feel?

    Would you rather have some of these uncommitted guys than the committed ones? Would you even take more than 5 in this class?

    • Comments: 3844
      Joined: 7/13/2015
      Jan 24, 2016 at 10:20 AM

      I think Michigan has done a good job of recruiting receivers. I don’t think there are any surefire superstars, but it’s a good enough mix of players that at least a couple of them should have pretty good careers. I think Crawford is college-ready and maybe the surest bet of the group. Mitchell has star potential if his hands don’t become an issue. I would most certainly take some of these uncommitted guys. I would take the top three guys here – and maybe the top four – over all the guys we have committed. I wouldn’t take more than five based on who we’re expected to get (McDoom was supposedly going to commit this weekend), but if Michigan were magically able to pull in another one of those top few guys (Hardman, for example), I would not have a problem with adding a sixth.

      • Comments: 1356
        Joined: 8/13/2015
        Roanman
        Jan 24, 2016 at 11:13 AM

        You have to think that with the possible exception of Crawford and maybe Johnson, all of these guys coming in are going to get a shot at both receiver and DB.

        I watch Ahmir Mitchell and Brad Hawkins film and think to myself that I sure wouldn’t want to be third and long very often with those two guys roaming around back there.

        Hawkins gets overlooked some in my opinion probably because he’s been committed for a while, but he’s big, strong, makes plays, hits some, has some hands and is fast enough. I think he has a chance to be really good. He has that crazy thing where the ball just seems to treat him kindly. When it hits the turf it bounces his way, thigh high and soft. You hope that continues at the next level.

  5. Comments: 71
    Joined: 8/11/2015
    umfarnn
    Jan 24, 2016 at 12:39 PM

    It seems you agree with this staff on talent evaluation more than the previous staff. After 1 year of Harbaugh do you think these guys are better talent evaluators than the previous staff? Obviously you can’t know for sure until we see results on the field but you seem higher on the lower ranked guys than in years past.

    • Comments: 3844
      Joined: 7/13/2015
      Jan 24, 2016 at 12:50 PM

      We’ll see what happens. I think Hoke did a good job of recruiting talented, hardworking players with character. I think maybe he vetted players a little more and worked on developing tight relationships. It seems like Harbaugh is a little less scared of taking on talent and the egos/personalities that come along with that talent.

      That being said, I don’t know that we’ll ever get a good grasp on the truth. You might say that Hoke saw what kind of talent Jehu Chesson had, but it doesn’t matter quite so much because he was never able to develop it. So I think there was definitely some wasted talent over the previous four years. Maybe those under-the-radar guys were plenty talented. Harbaugh is a better coach and mostly has a superior staff, so decently talented players might find a higher level of success.

  6. Comments: 118
    Joined: 10/22/2015
    SinCityBlue
    Jan 24, 2016 at 12:50 PM

    Fun read. Thanks Thunder! Are you gonna do any of the other positions?

    • Comments: 3844
      Joined: 7/13/2015
      Jan 24, 2016 at 12:54 PM

      I’m not sure yet. I’m only rating uncommitted prospects, so I’m going to skim through at some point and see what position groups have at least a handful of uncommitted guys still. It’s not much of an exercise to pick between just two or three guys. Linebackers and cornerbacks might be worthwhile, since we’re still recruiting those positions.

  7. Comments: 117
    Joined: 9/28/2015
    PapaBear
    Jan 24, 2016 at 2:35 PM

    Can you give us your best Sam Webb Gut feeling and guess who fills out this class?

    • Comments: 3844
      Joined: 7/13/2015
      Jan 24, 2016 at 2:38 PM

      I think the only wide receiver we’ll add is Eddie McDoom. As for others, that will be a separate post.

  8. Comments: 1356
    Joined: 8/13/2015
    Roanman
    Jan 24, 2016 at 8:06 PM

    I’m a little sick, so I blew off today and watched wide receiver film. My impressions are as follows.

    Eddie McDoom looks bigger than advertised. Because he plays in Florida, I expected a high level of competition, but at times he’s running around basically uncovered. On one play, he just blows past a kid and I’m thinking “Whoa … fast.” But upon further review, the coverage kid doesn’t even turn his head. I don’t know what the other guys were coaching for reads all week as Eddie MCDOOM for Pete’s sake. He has seriously good hands, and I do love the name.

    I think should Nate Johnson change his mind, that would be a loss, but I also think he looks more explosive on film than he really is because safeties in his league are pretty slow.

    I might be even less enamored of Pie Young than is Thunder, although corners and safeties on his film mostly run and cover pretty good. He is a chippy kid that might be tough. i think he’s a cornerback here.

    Stewart ….. see above.

    I think Velus Jones is the pick of the litter among the small quick guys we’ve been in on, but he ain’t coming here and he might be nuts.

    Crawford is very good and maybe very, very fast. He played against real good California competition and lots of the guys he ran against can cover, but ….. he played with a big time QB prospect that helped him look good at times, and he had a big, talented guy playing on the other side who might be better than he is. He does look like the most college ready kid on this list, except for Fuller.

    Hardman, I don’t even know how you evaluate Hardman as a receiver. They mostly just snap the ball directly to him and he takes off running somewhere. 5 to 8 seconds later, he crosses the goal line. He can certainly catch a snap.

    Nate Craig-Myers looks like a man among boys out there ….. on his Sophomore film. Guys that big and fast should not be allowed to be that shifty, It’s dangerous to defensive backs when the decision is made to not go around you. I’d be so delighted to get this kid, but that ain’t happening. Hell, I wouldn’t really even care that much about drops. “You just go catch the next one, Son.”

    247 has Demetris Robertson as a receiver, but his film has him mostly running the ball and playing safety. i like him at safety, maybe corner.

    Tre Nixon might be as skinny as Anthony Carter. That’s where that comparison ends. He is way fast tho, That setting up your blocker thing so far has eluded him as he occasionally gets going so fast, he runs up some blockers back and falls down. I’d take him in a minute.

    What’s real interesting about this list is that Georgia is in on all the best ones. They could be on their way to just a helluva signing day. Coaching change or not.

You must belogged in to post a comment.