Tag: 2012 Recruiting

Kaleb Ringer, Wolverine

Clayton, OH linebacker Kaleb Ringer

Kaleb Ringer, a linebacker from Clayton, OH, committed to Michigan on Friday night.  It had been strongly rumored, hinted at, etc. for about a month that Ringer would commit to the Wolverines.  He finally made it “official” on Friday, even though a newspaper reporter jumped the gun early last week.  Other options included Cincinnati, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisville, and Toledo.

Ringer is listed at 6’0″ and 219 lbs.  As a junior, he had 85 tackles, 1 interception, and 1 touchdown.  According to Scout, he’s a 4-star recruit and the #8 middle linebacker prospect in the country.  The other recruiting services haven’t bothered to rank him yet, but when they do, I doubt they’ll place him higher than Scout did.

He’s a thick kid who can drive runners back into the hole and stop their forward momentum.  He stays low and drives through ballcarriers.  He also seems to do a pretty good job of wading through the trash to find the ball.  However, the criticism I’ve heard most often – and something I agree with – is that he lacks a great deal of speed and athleticism in the open field.  Ringer is not a naturally gifted, fluid athlete.  He’s your quintessential thumper.  Typically, a kid his size would end up at WILL, but I’m not sure he has the athleticism to do what a weakside linebacker would need to do.

The Wolverines seem to be loading up on inside linebackers recently, with incoming freshmen Kellen Jones, Desmond Morgan, and Antonio Poole; and 2012 commits Ringer and Royce Jenkins-Stone, both of whom committed this past weekend.  With the exception of Poole, all of them seem like future MIKE linebackers.  Kenny Demens will be a redshirt junior returning starter in 2011 and likely stick around into 2012, which means Ringer should have a chance to redshirt as a freshman.  The only other middle linebacker on the roster beyond 2011 should be Isaiah Bell, who will be a redshirt junior when Ringer arrives on campus.

TTB Rating: 64

2012 Offer Board Update

Buford, GA linebacker Dillon Lee (green jersey) makes the pick

The 2012 Offer Board has been updated:
Added Georgia LB Dillon Lee.

Ohio LB Kaleb Ringer committed to Michigan.

Added Texas RB Jonathan Williams.

New York DT Jarron Jones committed to Penn State.

Added Georgia CB Geno Smith.

Added South Carolina OG Patrick Destefano.

Tom Lemming Top 100 Released

Washington offensive tackle Zach Banner (#73 above) is the nation’s #12 recruit.

Recruiting guru Tom Lemming released his top 100 players for the Class of 2012.  Michigan has offered 51 of them.

The highest rated recruit from the state of Michigan is Terry Richardson, a cornerback from Detroit Cass Tech, at #33 overall.

1. Dorial Green-Beckham – WR – Missouri
2. Gunner Kiel – QB – Indiana
4. Noah Spence – TE – Pennsylvania
5. Mario Edwards – DE – Texas (Florida State)
6. John Theus – OT – Florida
7. Ellis McCarthy – DT – California
12. Zach Banner – OT – Washington
13. Jarron Jones – DT – New York
14. Stefon Diggs – ATH – Maryland
15. D.J. Humphries – OT – North Carolina
17. Andrus Peat – OT – Arizona
18. Eddie Goldman – DT – Washington, DC
23. Matt Jones – RB – Florida (Florida)
24. Keith Marshall – RB – North Carolina
26. Ron Darby – ATH – Maryland
27. Jordan Simmons – OG – California
28. Connor Brewer – QB – Arizona (Texas)
30. Zeke Pike – QB – Kentucky
31. Kwon Alexander – LB – Alabama
32. Arik Armstead – DT – California (USC)
33. Terry Richardson – CB – Michigan
35. Tee Shepard – CB – California (Notre Dame)
36. J.J. Denman – OT – Pennsylvania
37. Derek David – LB – Texas
41. Jordan Diamond – OT – Illinois
43. Josh Garnett – OT – Washington
46. Tommy Schutt – DT – Illinois
49. Ifeadi Odenigbo – DE – Ohio
50. Michael Moore – OG – Maryland
57. Chris Wormley – DE – Ohio
58. Avery Johnson – WR – Florida (LSU)
60. Darius Hamilton – DE – New Jersey
61. Kyle Kalis – OT – Ohio (Ohio State)
63. Se’von Pittman – DE – Ohio
64. Jonathan Taylor – DT – Georgia
65. Deon Bush – CB – Florida
67. Dan Voltz – OT – Illinois (Wisconsin)
71. Leonte Carroo – WR – New Jersey
72. Bennie Coney – QB – Florida
74. James Ross – LB – Michigan
75. Ty Darlington – C – Florida
76. Troy Hinds – DE – Utah
78. Brock Stadnik – OT – North Carolina
80. Devin Fuller – QB – New Jersey
81. Jordan Payton – WR – California (USC)
82. Greg Garmon – RB – Pennsylvania
88. Cyrus Jones – CB – Maryland
90. Yuri Wright – CB – New Jersey
95. Vince Biegel – LB – Wisconsin
96. Deaysean Rippy – LB – Pennsylvania
97. Jordan Jenkins – DE – Georgia
98. Sheldon Day – DT – Indiana

Scout 300 Released

Dorial Green-Beckham is the #2 prospect in the country, according to Scout.com

Scout.com released its top 300 players for the Class of 2012, and it shows an interesting recruiting trend, if you’re into that sort of thing.

Brady Hoke and his staff were receiving some flak for offering so many prospects early in the recruiting cycle.  By my count the Wolverines have offered scholarships to 139 players at this juncture.  You will find 108 of them on this list, which means 77.7% of Michigan’s offers are to players considered to be in the top 300 prospects nationwide.

Compare that to Rich Rodriguez.  By the end of the 2011 recruiting cycle, he (and Brady Hoke, who tossed out a handful of offers between his hiring and National Signing Day) had offered 190 players.  On the final Scout 300 list, there were only 94 Rodriguez/Hoke offerees.  So only 49.5% of Rodriguez offers went to the top 300 players in the country [Thanks to commenter Anonymous for catching my math error.].

Of course, this isn’t the final Scout 300.  Prospects could move up or down on this list, they could fall out of the top 300, etc.  But if you were unsure about the quality of recruits Michigan is pursuing, it seems that our new staff has taken a different – and dare I say better – approach to the recruiting process.

Here are the players Michigan has offered, with any current pledges noted in parentheses:

1. Arik Armstead – DT – California (USC)
2. Dorial Green-Beckham – WR – Missouri
3. Andrus Peat – OT – Arizona
4. John Theus – OT – Florida
5. Keith Marshall – RB – North Carolina
6. Noah Spence – DE – Pennsylvania
8. Mario Edwards – DE – Texas (Florida State)
12. Jarron Jones – DT – New York
13. Avery Young – OT – Florida
14. Eddie Goldman – DT – Washington, DC
15. Kwon Alexander – LB – Alabama
16. Stefon Diggs – S – Maryland
17. Gunner Kiel – QB – Indiana
20. Malcolm Brown – RB – Texas (Texas)
21. Adolphus Washington – DE – Ohio
22. Kyle Kalis – OT – Ohio (Ohio State)
24. Josh Garnett – OG – Washington
25. Zeke Pike – QB – Kentucky
26. Darius Hamilton – DE – New Jersey
27. D.J. Humphries – OT – North Carolina
28. Brionte Dunn – RB – Ohio (Ohio State)
30. Jordan Simmons – OG – California
31. Leonte Carroo – WR – New Jersey
34. Kyle Murphy – OT – California
38. Ellis McCarthy – DT – California
40. Jordan Diamond – OT – Illinois
41. Brian Poole – CB – Florida
43. Jordan Jenkins – DE – Georgia
44. Wes Brown – RB – Maryland
45. Zach Banner – OT – Washington
46. Tommy Schutt – DT – Illinois
47. Ronald Darby – CB – Maryland
49. Tee Shepard – CB – California (Notre Dame)
50. Aziz Shittu – DT – California
52. LaDarrell McNeil – S – Texas
56. Matt Jones – RB – Florida (Florida)
58. Ifeadi Odenigbo – DE – Ohio
60. Jordan Payton – WR – California (USC)
63. Brock Stadnik – OT – North Carolina
64. Sheldon Day – DT – Indiana
65. Greg Garmon – RB – Pennsylvania
69. Michael Starts – OG – Texas
71. Troy Hinds – DE – Utah
72. James Ross – LB – Michigan
73. Jonathan Taylor – DT – Georgia
76. Avery Johnson – WR – Florida (LSU)
78. Se’von Pittman – DE – Ohio
84. Aaron Burbridge – WR – Michigan
86. Bryce Treggs – WR – California
90. Taylor Decker – OT – Ohio (Notre Dame)
91. Elijah Shumate – S – New Jersey
95. Peter Jinkens – LB – Texas (Texas)
96. Erik Magnuson – OT – California
98. Vincent Valentine – DT – Illinois
99. Dan Voltz – OT – Illinois (Wisconsin)
100. Evan Boehm – C – Missouri
101. Deaysean Rippy – LB – Pennsylvania
102. Jabari Ruffin – LB – California (USC)
104. Martin Aiken – DE – South Carolina
105. Royce Jenkins-Stone – LB – Michigan
106. Dwayne Stanford – WR – Ohio
107. Kendall Sanders – CB – Texas (Oklahoma State)
110. J.J. Denman – OT – Pennsylvania
111. Paul Thurston – OT – Colorado
112. Chris Wormley – DE – Ohio
116. Maty Mauk – QB – Ohio
119. Reginald Davis – WR – Texas (Texas Tech)
125. Jaquay Williams – WR – Georgia
127. Connor Brewer – QB – Arizona (Texas)
131. Danny O’Brien – DT – Michigan
137. Ron Thompson – TE – Michigan
139. Terry Richardson – CB – Michigan
143. Camren Williams – LB – Maryland (Penn State)
146. Devin Funchess – TE – Michigan
150. Devonte Fields – DE – Texas
151. Jarrod Wilson – S – Ohio
153. Ryan Watson – OG – Maryland
159. Greg McMullen – DE – Ohio
163. Devin Fuller – QB – New Jersey
164. Amara Darboh – WR – Iowa
165. Taylor McNamara – TE – California
166. Dalton Santos – LB – Texas (Oklahoma State)
170. Mike Madaras – OT – Maryland (Maryland)
171. John Michael McGee- C – Texas
174. Shane Callahan – OT – Colorado
176. Derrick Woods – WR – California
177. Armani Reeves – CB – Maryland
180. Mario Ojemudia – DE – Michigan
185. Zach Kline – QB – California (Cal)
188. Ondre Pipkins – DT – Missouri
191. Kyle Dodson – OG – Ohio
200. Tom Strobel – DE – Ohio
202. Ty Darlington – C – Florida
206. Kaleb Ringer – LB – Ohio
218. Vince Biegel – LB – Wisconsin
222. Deon Bush – CB – Florida
224. Evan Baylis – TE – Colorado
226. Jeremiah Tshimanga – LB – Texas (Oklahoma State)
237. Drew Harris – RB – Pennsylvania
238. Joe Bolden – LB – Ohio
246. D.J. Singleton – S – New Jersey
255. Sean Price – TE – Florida
259. Malik Gilmore – WR – California
260. Raphael Kirby – LB – Georgia
263. Wayne Morgan – CB – New York
264. Vonte Jackson – RB – Wisconsin (Wisconsin)
271. Brent Wilkerson – DE – Maryland (Penn State)
281. Latroy Pittman – WR – Florida (Florida)

2012 Offer Board Update

California wide receiver Darius Powe

The 2012 Offer Board has been updated and now shows 138 offers:

Added Texas FB E.J. Fatu.

Added Texas WR Reginald Davis, who committed to Texas Tech.

Added California WR Darius Powe.

Added Texas LB Derek David.

Added California DT Ellis McCarthy.

Added New York CB Wayne Morgan.

Ohio OG Caleb Stacey committed to Michigan.

Maryland DE Brent Wilkerson committed to Penn State.

Wisconsin RB Vonte Jackson committed to Wisconsin.