Tag: 2014 recruiting

Visitors: December 14

2014 defensive end Lawrence Marshall (image via 247 Sports)

I was asked for a list of prospects who are planning to visit on the huge recruiting weekend of December 14.  This is when most of the 2013 class is planning to take their official visits.

2013
Marcus Ball – LB – Westerville (OH) South: Ball is a 6’3″, 205 lb. prospect who is committed to Wisconsin.  He also holds offers from Arizona State, Cincinnati, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Penn State, Pitt, and West Virginia, among others.  He has only been committed to Wisconsin since late November, so the bond with the rest of the Wisconsin class likely isn’t extremely strong.  As a junior in 2011, he had 1,300 yards passing, 500 yards rushing, and 7 interceptions on defense.  His brother Ray is an offensive tackle who was offered by Michigan in the 2011 class but now plays at Wisconsin.  Michigan hadn’t offered Marcus prior to the visit, but they could while he’s in town.  They are recruiting him for the SAM linebacker position. UPDATE: Ball claims to have been offered by Michigan. (Highlights.)

Kyle Bosch – OG – Wheaton (IL) St. Francis: Bosch committed to Michigan in February.

Jake Butt – TE – Pickerington (OH) North: Butt committed to Michigan in February.

Taco Charlton – DE – Pickerington (OH) Central: Charlton committed to Michigan in February.


Gareon Conley – CB – Massillon (OH) Washington: Conley decommitted from Michigan shortly after Thanksgiving.

David Dawson – OG – Detroit (MI) Cass Tech: Dawson decommitted from Michigan in mid-October.

Ross Douglas – CB – Avon (OH) Avon: Douglas committed to Michigan in July.


Jaron Dukes – WR – Columbus (OH) Marion-Franklin: Dukes committed to Michigan in February.

Ben Gedeon – LB – Hudson (OH) Hudson: Here’s a look at how Gideon’s senior season progressed.  He appears to be headed for WILL linebacker at Michigan.

Delano Hill – S – Detroit (MI) Cass Tech: Hill was offered this past week and is the teammate of several Michigan players, along with 2013 commit Jourdan Lewis.  He’s a 6’1″, 198 lb. prospect who could play safety or boundary corner.  He is currently committed to Iowa.

Khalid Hill – TE – Detroit (MI) East English Village: Hill committed to Michigan in February.

Cameron Hunt – OG – Corona (CA) Centennial: I wrote up a scouting report on Hunt recently. UPDATE: Hunt will be playing in the state championship game next weekend, so he’ll visit in January instead.

Maurice Hurst, Jr. – DT – Westwood (MA) Xaverian Brothers: Hurst committed to Michigan in June.

Kenny Lacy – OT – Phoenix (AZ) Mountain Pointe: I wrote up a scouting report on Lacy recently.  UPDATE: Lacy has rescheduled his visit for January 18.

Jourdan Lewis – CB – Detroit (MI) Cass Tech: Lewis committed to Michigan in February.

Mike McCray II – LB – Trotwood (OH) Trotwood-Madison: McCray committed to Michigan in March.

Shane Morris – QB – Warren (MI) De La Salle: Morris committed to Michigan all the way back in May 2011.


Henry Poggi – DT – Baltimore (MD) Gilman: Poggi committed to Michigan in June.

Dan Samuelson – OG – Plymouth (IN) Plymouth: Samuelson is a 6’5″, 290 lb. guard who’s committed to Nebraska.  He also has offers from Illinois, Minnesota, and Pitt.

Wyatt Shallman – RB – Novi (MI) Catholic Central: Shallman committed to Michigan in February.

Dan Skipper – OT – Arvada (CO) Ralston Valley: Skipper is a 6’10”, 295 lb. tackle who’s currently committed to Tennessee.  He has been offered by Michigan, along with Arizona State, Colorado, Missouri, Ole Miss, and several others. (Highlights.)

DeVeon Smith – RB – Warren (OH) Howland: Smith committed to Michigan in March.


Dymonte Thomas – S – Alliance (OH) Marlington: Here’s a look at how Thomas’s senior season progressed.


Logan Tuley-Tillman – OT – Peoria (IL) Manual: Here are some highlights of Tuley-Tillman’s senior season.


Csont’e York – WR – Harper Woods (MI) Chandler Park: York committed to Michigan in May.


2014
Lawrence Marshall – DE – Southfield (MI) Southfield: Marshall is a 6’4″, 210 lb. prospect who received a Michigan offer in recent weeks. UPDATE: Marshall did not come. (Highlights.)

Malik McDowell – DE – Detroit (MI) Loyola: McDowell is a 6’6″, 292 lb. prospect with offers from Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oregon, and several others. (Highlights.)

Scouting Report: Jonathan Hilliman

Jersey City (NJ) St. Peters Prep running back Jonathan Hilliman (image via NJ.com)

Name: Jonathan Hilliman
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 210 lbs.
High school: Jersey City (NJ) St. Peters Prep
Position: Running back
Class: 2014

Notes: Has offers from Boston College, Cincinnati, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Maryland, Miami, Michigan, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, UCF, West Virginia, Wisconsin . . . Claims a 4.52 forty . . . As a sophomore in 2011, had 58 carries for 426 yards and 4 touchdowns . . . As a junior in 2012, had 113 carries for 1,400 yards and 21 touchdowns . . . Scout 3-star RB, #27 RB . . . 247 Sports 3-star RB, 87 grade, #30 RB

Strengths: Good straight line speed . . . Strong north-south runner who likes to run downhill . . . Keeps shoulders square to line of scrimmage . . . High effort runner . . . Shows ability to run through arm tackles . . .  Hits hole hard . . . Not afraid of contact

Weaknesses: Always carries ball in right hand, even when going left . . . Not very shifty . . . When forced to cut, takes too long to accelerate . . . A bit of a long strider . . . Not a particularly creative runner . . . Decent but not great vision

Projection: Running back.  I’m a little surprised that Hilliman is ranked as low as he is by 247 Sports and Scout, but I don’t see a dynamic runner at the next level.  He seems like a solid between-the-tackles runner, a guy who could make a real name for himself in the Big East.  He’s a bit of a slasher, but if defenses get in his way to slow him down, I don’t know that he has the acceleration, vision, or agility to still make teams pay.  In a normal year, I would expect to see a player like Hilliman somewhere between the #11 and #20 running back nationally.  The player comparison below is more because of his build and stride than overall athletic ability.

Reminds me of: Chris Perry

Recruiting Update: December 10, 2012

Wide receiver Eldridge Massington

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2013
Port Saint Lucie (FL) West Centennial defensive tackle Jay-nard Bostwick was offered by Michigan.  Bostwick is a 6’4″, 280 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Miami, Notre Dame, and Oregon, among others.  As a junior in 2011, he had 74 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, and 2 sacks.  He has set an official visit for Michigan on January 18, which doesn’t leave much time for Michigan to woo him, but the fact that he’s visiting puts Michigan in solid position.

Trotwood (OH) Trotwood-Madison cornerback Reon Dawson was offered by Michigan.  Dawson is a 6’2″, 175 lb. prospect who is committed to Illinois; he has also been offered by Pitt, Purdue, Virginia, and West Virginia, among others.  Dawson is the teammate of linebacker commit Michael McCray II and visited Michigan with McCray a few weeks ago, and he seemed very open to the idea of interest from Michigan.  However, he also has a defensive end teammate named Jarrod Clements who is committed to the Illini.  Dawson has supposedly taken a leap forward since his junior year, improving his stock enough to make him a legitimate Michigan prospect.  This offer appears to be an insurance policy against Massillon (OH) Washington cornerback Gareon Conley committing elsewhere, particularly to the Buckeyes.

Detroit (MI) Cass Tech offensive tackle Dennis Finley

was offered by Michigan.  Finley is a 6’6″, 285 lb. tackle prospect who is committed to Michigan State; he also holds offers from Ohio State and Wisconsin.  I was a little surprised when Ohio State swooped in with an offer, because I was not impressed with Finley’s junior highlights.  Perhaps he has improved since then, but he was really slow off the ball in 2011 and seemed like a lower echelon prospect.  It is expected that Finley will remain committed to MSU, but it’s a curious development.  Is Brady Hoke truly trying to flip Finley, is he just trying to waste Mark Dantonio’s time, or is he trying to put pressure on fellow Technician offensive lineman David Dawson to commit?

Mesquite (TX) West Mesquite wide receiver Eldridge Massington

decommitted from USC.  Massington is a 6’3″, 205 lb. receiver who tore his ACL early in his senior year.  Michigan was high on his list before committing to the Trojans, but it’s unclear if the Wolverines will re-enter the fray.  It’s looking more and more like they’ll miss out on Crete (IL) Crete-Monee wideout LaQuon Treadwell, so it might not be a bad idea to push for Massington.  However, the Texas product visited Alabama last weekend and plans to enroll somewhere in January to get top-of-the-line rehab for his knee.  If anything develops with Michigan, it will have to happen quickly.  Here’s a scouting report I wrote on Massington over the summer.

Plymouth (IN) Plymouth offensive guard Dan Samuelson was offered by Michigan, despite being committed to Nebraska.  Samuelson is a 6’5″, 275 lb. prospect who also holds offers from Illinois, Pitt, and West Virginia, among others.  Samuelson has indicated that he has no plans to change his commitment.

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2014
Oakley (CA) Freedom running back Joe Mixon was offered by Michigan.  Mixon is a 6’0″, 180 lb. back with offers from Arizona State, Cal, Oregon State, and Washington, among others.  As a junior in 2012, Mixon had 182 carries for 1,354 yards and 20 touchdowns.  His running style reminds me a little bit of Alabama freshman T.J. Yeldon, although Mixon isn’t as physically developed.  He’s a very high-effort, physical runner.

OFF THE BOARD
Massillon (OH) Washington wide receiver/cornerback Gareon Conley committed to Ohio State.  Conley had previously been committed to Michigan, but that was before the Buckeyes came calling.  I do not wish him ill, nor do I wish him luck.  The only thing I regret is that I spent so much time putting together his Recruit Tracker post throughout the season.  Argh!

Arlington (TX) Martin running back Kyle Hicks flipped from Texas to TCU, which is an interesting development because Texas typically dominates in-state recruiting.  He attends the alma mater of redshirt freshman quarterback Russell Bellomy.

Dallas (TX) Kimball defensive tackle Justin Manning committed to Texas A&M.  He is one of 33 (yes, 33) players currently committed to the Aggies.

Ashburn (VA) Briar Woods linebacker Matt Rolin flipped from South Carolina to Florida.  This had been brewing for a couple weeks.  Rolin was selected for the Under Armour All-American Game, but he tore his ACL early in the year and will miss the all-star game.

Los Angeles (CA) Loyola cornerback Cameron Walker committed to Cal.  Walker knew Michigan’s coaching staff from the time when they were at San Diego State, and he was offered fairly early in the process.  But as a field corner type of prospect who’s 5’10” and 180 lbs., he probably doesn’t offer what Michigan wants at this point, which is a bigger player to man the boundary corner position.

MISCELLANEOUS
I put together a list of players who plan to visit this coming weekend.  Cameron Hunt will be playing in the state championship game this coming weekend, so he’s postponing his visit to January.

Recruiting Update: December 3, 2012

David Dawson (#55)

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2013
Massillon (OH) Washington cornerback Gareon Conley decommitted from Michigan.  He visited Ohio State last weekend, but the coaches plan to continue to recruit him.  He will take an official visit to Columbus later this week, and then he plans to take an official to Ann Arbor on December 14.  I never removed Conley from the board, but he’s now a “free agent” again, so to speak.

Detroit (MI) Cass Tech offensive guard David Dawson was re-offered by Michigan.  Dawson was committed to Michigan for about eight months, but a planned visit to Florida forfeited his spot in the recruiting class.  After exploring his options and apparently regretting his decision to explore those options, the coaches have re-offered him and said they will continue to recruit him.  But there’s a chance that one of two new Michigan offerees, Cameron Hunt or Kenny Lacy, could commit before Dawson.  Dawson plans to take an official visit to Michigan on December 14.

Corona (CA) Centennial offensive tackle Cameron Hunt earned a Michigan offer.  Hunt is currently committed to Cal but is looking around.  I wrote up a scouting report on him last week

.  He appears to be a potential replacement for Dawson.

Phoenix (AZ) Mountain Pointe offensive tackle Kenny Lacy was offered by Michigan.  Lacy is currently committed to UCLA but is looking around.  I also wrote up a scouting report on him last week, and he too appears to be a potential replacement for Dawson.

Elizabeth City (NC) Northeastern linebacker Jamieon Moss was offered by Michigan.  Moss is a 6’2″, 210 lb. prospect who is committed to Virginia Tech but also holds offers from Maryland, North Carolina, and North Carolina State.  Moss has mentioned he’s potentially interested in looking around, and he visited NC State this fall, so there’s potential for another team to flip him.

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2014
Oradell (NJ) Bergen Catholic defensive end Garrett Dickerson earned a Michigan offer.  If the school sounds familiar, it’s the alma mater of former Michigan target Tanner McEvoy a quarterback who is now starting at Arizona Western after transferring from South Carolina.  Dickerson’s brother plays at Northwestern.  As a sophomore in 2011, Garrett had 50 tackles and 4 sacks.

Southfield (MI) Southfield defensive end Lawrence Marshall was offered by Michigan.  He’s a 6’3″, 225 lb. end with offers from Indiana, Michigan State, and Pitt, among others.  He looks like a weakside end who won’t wow you with his speed rush, but could be a solid run defender with a decent occasional rush.

Crete (IL) Crete-Monee linebacker Nyles Morgan earned an offer from Michigan.  Morgan is a 6’2″, 220 lb. prospect with offers from Illinois, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, UCLA, and Wisconsin, among others.  Crete-Monee is becoming a familiar name for followers of Michigan recruiting, since it’s also the school of one-time 2012 commit Anthony Standifer and highly touted 2013 target LaQuon Treadwell.

OFF THE BOARD
Forth Worth (TX) All Saints Episcopal offensive guard Demetrius Knox committed to Texas.  Texas was always considered the front-runner for Knox’s services, and he’s likely to be a high 4-star prospect when all is said and done.

Recruiting Update: November 26, 2012

Corona (CA) Centennial offensive lineman Cameron Hunt might be in line for a Michigan offer (image via ESPN)

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2013
Avon (IN) Avon defensive end Elijah Daniel decommitted from Clemson.  He and Robert Nkemdiche had been committed to the Tigers for months, but Nkemdiche decommitted several weeks ago and Daniel had always had a wandering eye.  Michigan still isn’t back in the mix for Daniel, but he’s a free agent once again.

OFF THE BOARD
Indianapolis (IN) North Central defensive tackle Darius Latham committed to Indiana.  Latham had previously been committed to Wisconsin, but he and a few other in-state guys are going to try to stick together with the Hoosiers and get that program to a competitive level.

MISCELLANEOUS
Michigan’s assistant coaches will be having in-home visits with a lot of prospects this week.  Two potential offerees who are receiving visits include Phoenix (AZ) Mountain Pointe offensive guard Kenny Lacy and Corona (CA) Centennial offensive guard Cameron Hunt.  Both are Rivals 4-stars who play left tackle in high school, but they look more like interior players to me.  Hunt is committed to Cal but is open to other schools, especially now that head coach Jeff Tedford has been fired.  These two are potential replacements for offensive guard David Dawson, who decommitted from Michigan due to a desire to visit Florida.

Here’s a list of kids who visited Ohio State’s campus for Saturday’s game

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Check out the Recruit Tracker series to see how Michigan’s commits did this season.