Tag: 2013 recruiting

ESPN 300 for 2013 updated

ESPN released its top 300 players for the class of 2013.  Here’s what the top 150 looked like back in April.

Movement for Michigan players:
– Shane Morris jumped from #37 to #32
– Gareon Conley fell from #63 to #64
– Jourdan Lewis jumped from #107 to #92
– Mike McCray fell from #75 to #104
– Chris Fox fell from #105 to #108
– Patrick Kugler jumped from #123 to #112
– Taco Charlton stepped up from #115 to #114
– Kyle Bosch fell from #112 to #120
– Jaron Dukes appears at #216
– Jake Butt appears at #232
– Ben Gedeon appears at #271

5-stars:
3. Laremy Tunsil – OT – Florida

4. Vernon Hargreaves III – CB – Florida

4-stars:
11. Eli Woodard – CB – New Jersey (Ohio State)

13. Montravius Adams – DT – Georgia

14. Su’a Cravens – S – California

19. Cameron Burrows – CB – Ohio (Ohio State)
20. Jaylon Smith – LB – Indiana (Notre Dame)
23. Robert Foster – WR – Pennsylvania

28. Kendall Fuller – CB – Maryland

33. Keith Ford – RB – Texas (Oklahoma)

35. Shaq Wiggins – CB – Georgia (Georgia)
38. LaQuon Treadwell – WR – Illinois
39. Leon McQuay III – S – Florida
40. Maquedius Bain – DT – Florida
42. Adam Breneman – TE – Pennsylvania (Penn State)
44. Joey Bosa – DE – Florida
45. Jordan Cunningham – WR – Florida
50. Alvin Bailey – WR – Florida
54. Darrell Daniels – WR – California

57. Eddie Vanderdoes – DT – California

58. Derrick Green – RB – Virginia
59. Michael Hutchings – LB – California

60. James Quick – WR – Kentucky

61. Priest Willis – S – Arizona

64. Gareon Conley – CB – Ohio (Michigan)
66. Alex Anzalone – LB – Pennsylvania
67. Kevin Olsen – QB – New Jersey (Miami)
70. Ty Isaac – RB – Illinois (USC)
71. Chris Hawkins – CB – California (USC)
72. Jonathan Allen – DE – Virginia (Alabama)
73. Demorea Stringfellow – WR – California
75. Ethan Pocic – OT – Illinois (LSU)
76. Dorian O’Daniel – LB – Maryland (Clemson)
79. Matt Rolin – LB – Virginia (South Carolina)
81. Jake Raulerson – OT – Texas (Texas)
85. Elijah Daniel – DE – Indiana
88. Colin McGovern – OT – Illinois (Notre Dame)
89. David Dawson – OG – Michigan (Michigan)
91. Justin Manning – DT – Texas
92. Jourdan Lewis – CB – Michigan (Michigan)

94. Hunter Bivin – OT – Kentucky (Notre Dame)

97. Logan Tuley-Tillman – OT – Illinois (Michigan)

104. Mike McCray – LB – Ohio (Michigan)
105. Ebenezer Ogundeko – DE – New York

112. Patrick Kugler – C – Pennsylvania (Michigan)

114. Taco Charlton – DE – Ohio (Michigan)
115. Tray Matthews – S – Georgia (Georgia)
119. Tashawn Bower – DE – New Jersey
120. Kyle Bosch – OG – Illinois (Michigan)

122. Greg Webb – DT – New Jersey (Penn State)
127. Josh Augusta – DE – Illinois
129. Marquez North – WR – North Carolina

134. Standish Dobard – TE – Louisiana (Miami)
140. Isaac Rochell – DE – Georgia
145. Evan Lisle – OT – Ohio (Ohio State)

147. Alquadin Muhammad – DE – New Jersey

149. Antwuan Davis – CB – Texas(Texas)
150. Sebastian Larue – WR – California
163. Eldridge Massington – WR – Texas (USC)
174. Shane Jones – LB – Ohio (Michigan State)
177. Justin Davis – RB – California (USC)
179. Devin Butler – CB – Washington, D.C. (Notre Dame)
180. Richard Benjamin – WR – Florida
195. Brendan Mahon – OG – Massachusetts (Penn State)
199. Riley Ferguson – QB – North Carolina
201. Billy Price – DT – Ohio (Ohio State)
202. Jayme Thompson – S – Ohio (Ohio State)
214. Nadir Barnwell – ATH – New Jersey
216. Jaron Dukes – WR – Ohio (Michigan)
217. Jordan Wilkins – RB – Tennessee
222. Kyle Hicks – RB – Texas (Texas)
227. Michael Hill – DT – South Carolina
231. Marcell Ateman – WR – Texas (Oklahoma State)
232. Jake Butt – TE – Ohio (Michigan)
233. Jake Oliver – WR – Texas (Texas)
235. Uriah LeMay – WR – North Carolina (Georgia)
236. Joe Mathis – DE – California
249. Scott Pagano – DT – Hawaii
250. Henry Poggi – DT – Maryland (Michigan)
270. Darius Latham – DT – Indiana
271. Ben Gedeon – LB – Ohio (Michigan)
281. Jason Hatcher – DE – Kentucky
284. E.J. Levenberry – LB – Virginia (Florida State)
286. Larenz Bryant – LB – North Carolina
289. John Montelus – OG – Massachusetts (Notre Dame)
298. Peter Kalambayi – LB – North Carolina

Henry Poggi, Wolverine

Henry Poggi

Baltimore (MD) Gilman defensive lineman Henry Poggi committed to Michigan on Monday.  He picked the Wolverines over Alabama and Tennessee (the main competitors), along with many other schools.

Poggi is a 6’4″, 260 lb. defensive tackle for his high school.  Poggi had 49 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, and 10 sacks as a junior in 2011.  He claims a 4.7 forty.

Ratings:
ESPN: 4-star, 81 grade, #23 DT
Rivals: 4-star, #2 DT, #52 overall
Scout: 4-star, #15 DT, #135 overall
247 Sports: 4-star, 94 grade, #7 DT, #105 overall

Poggi is one of the more quiet recruits on the recruiting circuit, so it was hard to judge by his words where he was leaning.  However, it was clear for a while that Michigan and Alabama were toward the forefront, since those were places he visited.  Poggi was present for Michigan’s victory over Purdue last October, and he visited again this past March.  His most recent visit was to Tuscaloosa, which had some Michigan fans worried when it was revealed that Poggi was ready to announce.  But Poggi’s release on Monday morning was in favor of the Wolverines.

I scouted Poggi back in March, and there’s not much to add to that evaluation.  He’s a good player, but he appears to be somewhat limited athletically.  According to Poggi himself, the coaches want him to learn the 5-tech defensive end position before bulking up and eventually playing 3-tech defensive tackle.  No matter where he begins his career, I think he’ll be a defensive tackle by the time he actually sees playing time on Saturdays.  The basic techniques are similar for both positions, so changing spots shouldn’t hamper his development.

Poggi should have a solid career ahead of him at Michigan.  He is not the type of athlete who is likely to develop into a Ndamukong Suh or Nick Fairley-type college superstar, but he is a high character, hardworking, technical player with good athleticism.  After what is likely to be a redshirt year in 2013 (when Jibreel Black will probably still be starting at 3-tech), Poggi will compete with fellow freshman Maurice Hurst, Jr. and a host of 2012 kids for the 3-tech position.  If things go well, I could see him being a mid-round NFL draft pick in four or five years.

Along with Hurst, this gives Michigan two defensive tackles, three defensive linemen, and 20 total commitments in the 2013 class.  Technically, Michigan only has 20 spots open for the class of 2013, but coaches can typically count on a few guys not returning from year to year, so the class is expected to grow to 23-24 players.  Poggi is the seventh Michigan commit to be scheduled to participate in January’s Under Armour All-American Game.

TTB Rating: 81 (ratings explanation)

Recruiting Update: June 4, 2012

Maurice Hurst, Jr.

COMMITMENT
Westwood (MA) Xaverian Brothers defensive tackle Maurice Hurst, Jr. committed to Michigan.

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2013
Geismar (LA) Dutchtown wide receiver Shelby Christy was offered by Michigan recently.  Christy is a 6’3″, 175 lb. wideout with offers from Cincinnati, Georgia Tech, Minnesota, Mississippi, Mississippi State, and Northwestern.  As a junior in 2011, he had 25 receptions for 400+ yards and 7 touchdowns.  LSU hasn’t come forward with an offer yet, but if they do, expect him to be a Tiger.

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2014
Hendersonville (TN) Beech athlete Jalen Hurd was offered by Michigan on Wednesday.  He also has offers from Alabama, Nebraska, Ohio State, Tennessee, and several others.  As a freshman in 2010, he had 57 carries for 459 yards and 3 touchdowns.  As a sophomore in 2011, he had 1,606 rushing yards and 437 receiving yards to go with 27 total touchdowns.  The 6’2″, 190-pounder could play running back or receiver, but I’m listing him as a running back because he’s built a little bit like 2013 running back target Ty Isaac.  Alabama looks like the early leader for Hurd, however.

Midlothian (IL) Marist tight end Nic Weishar was offered by Michigan.  Weishar is a 6’5″, 200 lb. wideout/tight end with offers from Illinois, Iowa, Notre Dame, Purdue, and Wisconsin, along with a few others.  As a junior in 2011, he had 77 receptions for 1,160 yards and 13 touchdowns.  (Highlights here.)

OFF THE BOARD
Lemont (IL) Lemont offensive tackle Ethan Pocic committed to LSU.  Back when Michigan filled up on offensive linemen, I was a little disappointed that they wouldn’t have room for Pocic, who was strongly considering Michigan up to that point.  Pocic was also considering Illinois (where his brother Graham plays) and Ohio State, so having him play in the SEC means Michigan has just a small chance of facing him at any point.  I think Pocic is going to be a very good player.

Fort Wayne (IN) Bishop Luers linebacker Jaylon Smith committed to Notre Dame.  Smith’s brother Rod is a running back for Ohio State, and it seemed from the beginning that this would be a Notre Dame vs. Ohio State battle; Smith never showed interest in going to Michigan.  On the camp circuit this spring, Smith has been consistently mentioned as one of the top performers, working out as a linebacker, defensive end, and even cornerback.  I’ll be curious to see how Notre Dame uses him, but hopefully he plays poorly against the Wolverines.

PENDING ANNOUNCEMENTS
Murrieta (CA) Vista Murrieta safety Su’a Cravens scheduled a college announcement for Wednesday, June 6th.  He stated several weeks ago that he would still take visits to a few Big Ten schools, including Michigan, but when a kid sets an early announcement date without having visited some of his “finalists,” the writing is probably on the wall.  In Cravens’s case, a lot of people are going to be eating crow if he doesn’t commit to USC.  In any case, here’s the scouting report I put together on Cravens.

Baltimore (MD) Gilman defensive tackle Henry Poggi has scheduled a college announcement for 10:00 this morning.  He will reportedly decide between Alabama and Michigan.  He has visited Michigan multiple times (for the Purdue game last year and in March), but his most recent visit was to Tuscaloosa.  Here’s the scouting report I put together on Poggi back in March.

WEEKEND VISITORS
There were a couple weekend visitors, including Hurst.  Cedar Falls (IA) Cedar Falls offensive tackle Ross Pierschbacher, a 2014 prospect, is going to visit Michigan today.  He’s a 6’5″, 275 lb. kid with offers from Iowa, Nebraska, and Wisconsin, but he doesn’t have a Michigan offer yet.  He was the offensive line MVP of the Illinois NFTC this past weekend.

Maurice Hurst Jr., Wolverine

Maurice Hurst, Jr. (#11) (image via New England Prep Stars)

Westwood (MA) Xaverian Brothers defensive tackle Maurice Hurst, Jr. committed to Michigan today.  He chose the Wolverines over offers from Michigan State, Nebraska, Ohio State, and several others.

Hurst is a 6’2″, 285 lb. defensive tackle who had 61 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, and 9 sacks as a junior in 2011.  As a part-time fullback, he also had 18 carries for 220 yards and 3 touchdowns.  He claims a 4.88 forty-yard dash.

Ratings:
ESPN: 3-star, 77 grade, #34 DT
Rivals: 3-star, #30 DT
Scout: 4-star, #23 DT
247 Sports: 4-star, 90 grade, #19 DT

Hurst is the son of former New England Patriots cornerback Maurice Hurst, whom I probably would have forgotten about or never known except for playing Madden football on Super Nintendo back in the old days.  Drew Bledsoe kicked much ass in that game.  Anyway, he was known to have a strong affinity for Michigan and said several weeks ago that there was a strong chance he would commit upon visiting.  Then he visited East Lansing yesterday and saw what kind of hell hole that place is, so it only makes sense that he would pick Ann Arbor as his college destination.  His father went to Southern University, in case you were wondering.

When I watch a highlight film like Hurst’s, I always think about what former Ole Miss head coach Ed Orgeron said about recruiting: You recruit guys who are athletic, and then you coach them up.  Hurst is athletic, and the best thing about him (other than being big and fast, of course) is that he really seems to be passionate about football.  After making a good play, he shows some excitement without showing up the other team.  I like the attitude he displays.

For being the son of a former NFL football player, I would think Hurst would be a more technically sound player, but that doesn’t appear to be the case.  There are only a handful of plays on the highlight film below where he fires off the ball and creates penetration by beating the blocker.  There are way too many occasions where he waits for the offensive lineman to fire out on him and then just uses superior quickness to swat the offensive guy to the side.  That won’t work in college.  He needs to gain ground with that first step and reset the line of scrimmage.  One clip shows him planting an offensive guard on his butt; however, that should probably happen more frequently with the size/speed advantage he has over his opponents.

Overall, Hurst has a nice set of athletic talents, but he’s a bit of a blank canvas.  Defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery has some work to do to turn Hurst into a good college player.  If he matures and develops, Hurst has the potential to be a very good 3-tech defensive tackle because he has the athleticism to beat a lot of offensive guards when being single blocked.  Hurst lacks the technique, consistency, and strength that allowed undersized Mike Martin to play nose tackle and defeat double teams, so I don’t think he has much position flexibility.

Hurst will probably be headed for a redshirt in 2013 with Willie Henry one class ahead of him and Jibreel Black likely being the returning starter at 3-tech that season.

This gives Michigan 19 commits for the class of 2013.  Technically, Michigan has 20 open spots and can only take one more guy, but attrition always occurs.  The coaches will continue to pursue a nose tackle prospect and a strongside end for the class, which many project to get up to 24 or so.

TTB Rating: 73

Video: Kyle Bosch’s Full Ride profile