Tag: 2014 recruiting

Jabrill Peppers, Wolverine

Paramus (NJ) Catholic cornerback Jabrill Peppers

Paramus (NJ) Catholic cornerback Jabrill Peppers committed to Michigan today. He chose the Wolverines over offers from Alabama, Florida, Notre Dame, Ohio State, USC, and numerous others.

I posted a scouting report on Peppers last Thursday, so you can go there to find a good deal of relevant analysis.  As a junior in 2012, Peppers had 172 carries for 1,552 yards (9.0 yards/carry) and 18 touchdowns; he also caught 20 passes for 337 yards (16.9 yards/catch). And on defense, he had 77 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 1 sack, and 3 interceptions.

You can see from the scouting report that I really like Peppers’s game.  He is one of the top few prospects in the country – if not the absolute best – and looks to me like the top cornerback in the nation.  He plays safety for the Paladins, so transitioning to college cornerback might take a little work.  But the physical talent and coordination are sufficient for bumping to corner.  Lots of high schools will put their best player at safety so he can affect the whole field, rather than putting him on one side and letting the opponent run or throw away from him.

As for his role at Michigan, he will presumably arrive in 2014 when starting corners Raymon Taylor and Blake Countess are a senior and a redshirt junior, respectively; the projected free safety will be junior returning starter Jarrod Wilson. A spot should be open at strong safety, which is where current freshman Dymonte Thomas projects to play once Thomas Gordon graduates after the 2013 season.  So once Thomas bumps from his current spot at nickel corner to strong safety, that could open the door for Peppers to start as a freshman and then move into a starting cornerback position as a sophomore in 2015.

As evidenced by his highlights and those statistics above, Peppers could make an impact in numerous ways. The coaches have told him that they might use him in some packages on offense (presumably at wide receiver), and he could also help the team as a punt/kickoff returner.  When talking about Peppers, comparisons to Charles Woodson – Michigan’s cornerback/receiver/returner who won the 1997 Heisman – abound.

Peppers is the tenth member of the 2014 class, which is expected to be no larger than twenty players strong.  He is also the first defensive back of a projected three; Michigan probably wants one more cornerback and a safety.  Michigan has recruited New Jersey heavily in recent years, but results have been mixed in the Garden State.  Peppers’s teammate Juwann Bushell-Beatty is an offensive tackle who committed to Michigan a few weeks ago, but before that the last few players from that state were linebacker J.B. Fitzgerald, safety/linebacker Brandon Smith, and defensive end Anthony Lalota; Fitzgerald lasted all four years but was never more than a backup, and Smith (Temple) and Lalota (Rutgers) transferred before quitting football altogether.

This is the first time I’ve given a . . .

TTB Rating: 100 (ratings explanation)

Scouting Report: Jabrill Peppers

Paramus (NJ) Catholic cornerback Jabrill Peppers (image via iSportsWeb)

Name: Jabrill Peppers
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 205 lbs.
High school: Paramus (NJ) Catholic
Position: Cornerback
Class: 2014

Notes: Holds offers from Alabama, Auburn, Boston College, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Miami, Michigan, Nebraska, North Carolina, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Penn State, Rutgers, South Carolina, Stanford, Syracuse, UCLA, USC, Virginia, and West Virginia . . . Transferred from Ramsey (NJ) Don Bosco Prep prior to junior season . . . Teammate of 2014 Michigan offensive tackle commit Juwann Bushell-Beatty . . . ESPN 5-star, 95 grade, #1 CB, #2 overall . . . Rivals 5-star, #1 CB, #2 overall . . . Scout 5-star, #4 CB . . . 247 Sports 5-star, 99 grade, #1 ATH, #8 overall

Strengths: Blazing speed . . . Excellent change of direction . . . Aggressive hitter . . . Difficult to block due to quickness, strength, and good leverage . . . Good height and length . . . Solidly built without much bulking up needed . . . Great timing on going up for passes . . . Superb leaping ability . . . Shows strength and coordination to make catches in traffic . . . Tough runner who stays low in and out of cuts

Weaknesses: Does not play cornerback in high school, so technique may need to be learned . . . Showboats a little too much for my tastes (poses for the crowd, jogs into endzone, etc.)

Projection: Cornerback.  Peppers has the speed and change of direction skills to play cornerback at the next level, but if a team needs a safety, running back, wide receiver, or returner, he could do all of those things.  I think he is the best cornerback prospect in the 2014 class.  With some refinement possibly needed in coverage technique, he may struggle a little bit initially; but his kind of coordination and reported dedication to training should correct that quickly.  He could be an All-American by his sophomore year.

Reminds me of: Reggie Bush. I know this is an odd choice because Bush was/is a running back, but Peppers has the same kind of dynamic ability to change direction, outrun people, return kicks/punts, etc. There aren’t many cornerbacks who play with the same kind of physicality that Peppers has, so finding a comparison is difficult.  If you make me choose a cornerback, I’ll go a little ways back and say Aeneas Williams, the borderline Hall of Famer from the Arizona Cardinals.

Likelihood of committing to Michigan: The popular belief is that Peppers, who has scheduled an announcement for this coming Sunday, will commit to Michigan. Others in the running have been Penn State and Stanford, but the Wolverines appear to be the front-runners.

Rivals 250 for 2014 updated

The Rivals 250 for the class of 2014 was released on Tuesday (the Rivals 100 was released yesterday).  Here’s what it looked like back in February.

Movement for Michigan commits:

– Mason Cole dropped from #107 to #118
– Michael Ferns dropped from #84 to #128
– Bryan Mone dropped from #172 to #181

Here are the rest of the Michigan’s targets on the list:

108. Dante Booker – LB – Ohio
109. Saeed Blacknall – WR – New Jersey
114. Jacory Washington – TE – Louisiana (LSU)
118. Mason Cole – OG – Florida (Michigan)
119. Lorenzo Featherston – DE – North Carolina
121. Steven Parker – S – Oklahoma
122. Adarius Pickett – CB – California
123. Sam Mustipher – OG – Maryland (Notre Dame)
124. Tyler Luatua – TE – California
127. Montae Nicholson – S – Pennsylvania
128. Michael Ferns III – LB – Ohio (Michigan)
136. Kalen Ballage – ATH – Colorado
139. Khairi Clark – DT – Florida
142. Dexter Wideman – DT – South Carolina
150. Quincy Wilson – CB – Florida
152. Bentley Spain – OT – North Carolina
154. K.J. Williams – WR – Pennsylvania
164. Devon Thomas – RB – Oklahoma (Oklahoma State)
168. Dravon Henry – S – Pennsylvania
169. Nick Watkins – CB – Texas
175. Daniel Helm – TE – Illinois (Tennessee)
176. Jeb Blazevich – TE – North Carolina (Georgia)
177. Shai McKenzie – RB – Pennsylvania
181. Bryan Mone – DT – Utah (Michigan)
184. Otaro Alaka – LB – Texas (Texas)
198. Erick Smith – S – Ohio
199. Kenny Young – LB – Louisiana
204. Roderick Johnson – OT – Missouri
206. D’Andre Payne – CB – Tennessee
208. Christian McCaffrey – RB – Colorado (Stanford)
216. Kyle Berger – LB – Ohio (Ohio State)
227. T’Kevian Rockwell – LB – Texas
228. Corey Holmes – WR – Florida
229. Parrker Westphal – CB – Illinois
231. Brandon Simmons – S – Texas (Stanford)
235. Garrett Dickerson – TE – New Jersey
250. Kiy Hester – CB – New Jersey

Top 247 for 2014 updated

247 Sports released its updated top 247 yesterday.

Here’s a list of Michigan’s targets:

5-stars:
1. Da’Shawn Hand – DE – Virginia
2. Leonard Fournette – RB – Louisiana
3. Lorenzo Carter – DE – Georgia
4. Andrew Brown – DT – Virginia
6. Cameron Robinson – OT – Louisiana
7. Myles Garrett – DE – Texas
8. Jabrill Peppers – CB – New Jersey
9. Quin Blanding – S – Virginia (Virginia)
11. Jalen Hurd – RB – Tennessee (Tennessee)
15. Damian Prince – OT – Maryland
16. Edward Paris – S – Texas (LSU)
17. Adoree’ Jackson – CB – California
22. Bo Scarbrough – ATH – Alabama (Alabama)
23. John Smith – ATH – California

4-stars:
26. Malik McDowell – DE – Michigan
28. Jalen Tabor – CB – Washington, D.C.
30. Malachi Dupre – WR – Louisiana
31. K.C. McDermott – OT – Florida (Miami)
32. Lorenzo Featherston – DE – North Carolina
33. Marshon Lattimore – CB – Ohio
36. Joe Mixon – RB – California
37. Drake Harris – WR – Michigan (Michigan)
40. Solomon Thomas – DE – Texas
43. Jamarco Jones – OG – Illinois
46. Roderick Johnson – OT – Missouri
49. Bryan Mone – DT – Utah (Michigan)
51. Braden Smith – OG – Kansas
52. Khairi Clark – DT – Florida
55. Nyles Morgan – LB – Illinois
60. Mark Andrews – WR – Arizona
70. Demetrius Knox – OG – Texas
77. Jamal Adams – S – Texas
79. Bentley Spain – OT – North Carolina
81. Andy Bauer – OT – Missouri (Ole Miss)
84. Dante Booker – LB – Ohio
91. Josh Malone – WR – Tennessee
99. Dwight Williams – LB – California
101. Tyler Luatua – TE – California
106. Mason Cole – OG – Florida (Michigan)
113. Saeed Blacknall – WR – New Jersey
114. Devon Thomas – RB – Oklahoma (Oklahoma State)
117. Garrett Dickerson – DE – New Jersey
126. Artavis Scott – WR – Florida
129. Elijah Hood – RB – North Carolina (Notre Dame)
131. Dexter Wideman – DT – South Carolina
136. Nick Watkins – CB – Texas
139. Jalen Brown – WR – Arizona
142. Jay Hayes – DT – New York (Notre Dame)
152. Casey Tucker – OT – Arizona
159. Bryson Allen-Williams – LB – Georgia (South Carolina)
162. K.J. Williams – WR – Pennsylvania
167. Damon Webb – CB – Michigan (Ohio State)
172. Otaro Alaka – LB – Texas (Texas)
173. Parrker Westphal – CB – Illinois
174. Kyle Berger – LB – Ohio (Ohio State)
179. Michael Ferns – LB – Ohio (Michigan)
180. D’Andre Payne – CB – Washington, D.C. (Tennessee)
188. Adarius Pickett – CB – California
189. Demarre Kitt – WR – Georgia
191. Alex Bars – OT – Tennessee (Notre Dame)
192. Montae Nicholson – S – Pennsylvania
200. Andrew Williams – DE – Georgia
210. Steven Parker – S – Oklahoma
217. Lawrence Marshall – DE – Michigan (Michigan)
220. Kenny Young – LB – Louisiana
222. Juwann Bushell-Beatty – OT – New Jersey (Michigan)
223. Sam Hubbard – LB – Ohio (Ohio State)
226. Nic Weishar – TE – Illinois (Notre Dame)
228. T’Kevian Rockwell – LB – Texas
229. Wesley Green – CB – Georgia
236. Juwann Winfree – ATH – New Jersey
245. Dravon Henry – ATH – Pennsylvania
247. Petera Wilson – LB – Tennessee

Rivals 100 for 2014 updated

Grand Rapids (MI) Christian wide receiver Drake Harris

The Rivals 100 for 2014 was updated today. Here’s what the list looked like when it was released in February.

Movement for Michigan commits:

– Drake Harris dropped from #56 to #57
– Michael Ferns III dropped from #84 and is now out of the top 100

Here’s the list of Michigan targets:

5-stars:
1. Da’Shawn Hand – DE – Virginia
2. Jabrill Peppers – CB – New Jersey
3. Leonard Fournette – RB – Louisiana
4. Quin Blanding – S – Virginia (Virginia)
5. Lorenzo Carter – DE – Georgia
7. Andrew Brown – DT – Virginia
8. Cameron Robinson – OT – Louisiana
9. Adoree’ Jackson – CB – California
10. Damian Prince – OT – Maryland
13. Elijah Hood – RB – North Carolina (Notre Dame)
15. Joe Mixon – RB – California

4-stars:
19. Jalen Hurd – RB – Tennessee (Tennessee)
20. Jalen Tabor – CB – Washington, D.C.
21. Bo Scarbrough – ATH – Alabama (Alabama)
22. Braden Smith – OT – Kansas
23. Malik McDowell – DE – Michigan
30. Solomon Thomas – DE – Texas
35. Damon Webb – CB – Michigan (Ohio State)
36. Myles Garrett – DE – Texas
38. Josh Malone – WR – Tennessee
39. Jamal Adams – S – Texas
40. K.C. McDermott – OT – Florida (Miami)
41. Edward Paris – S – Texas (LSU)
45. Marshon Lattimore – ATH – Ohio
49. John Smith – S – California
50. Jalen Brown – WR – Arizona
56. Alex Bars – OT – Tennessee (Notre Dame)
57. Drake Harris – WR – Michigan (Michigan)
58. Malachi Dupre – WR – Louisiana
63. Jackson Barton – OT – Utah (Utah)
68. Demarre Kitt – WR – Georgia
71. Mark Andrews – WR – Arizona
74. Casey Tucker – OT – Arizona
81. Artavis Scott – WR – Florida
83. Nyles Morgan – LB – Illinois
85. Petera Wilson – LB – Tennessee
87. Demetrius Knox – OG – Texas
88. Dwight Williams – LB – California
95. Andy Bauer – OT – Missouri (Mississippi)
97. Jamarco Jones – OT – Illinois