Tag: 2014 recruiting

BBQ at the Big House Visitors: July 29

Derrick Green

Devon Allen – WR – Phoenix (AZ) Brophy Prep: Allen is visiting on Saturday and won’t be around for the BBQ on Sunday, but his visit does indicate somewhat serious interest in Michigan.  However, most analysts seem to believe that LaQuon Treadwell will take the final wide receiver spot in the class and that Allen will head elsewhere, anyway . . . possibly to Ohio State.  I wrote up a scouting report on Allen a couple months ago.

Drew Barker – QB – Burlington (KY) Conner: Barker, a 2014 prospect, is a 6’3″, 204 lb. signal caller with offers from Illinois, Purdue, South Carolina, and a few others.  He originally stated that he would visit for the BBQ, but this visit may will not take place now. (Highlights.)

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

Jimmy Byrne – OG – Cleveland (OH) St. Ignatius: Byrne is a 6’4″, 275 lb. class of 2014 prospect with offers from Illinois, Notre Dame, Ohio State, and West Virginia.  I believe there’s a good chance that he will offered when he visits. (Highlights.)  UPDATE: Byrne will not be visiting this weekend.

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

Mason Cole – OT – Tarpon Springs (FL) East Lake: Cole is a 2014 prospect who holds offers from Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Michigan, Ohio State, South Carolina, Stanford, and USC.  He stands 6’5″ and 267 lbs.

Gareon Conley – CB – Massillon (OH) Washington: Conley committed to Michigan in March.

David Dawson – OG – Detroit (MI) Cass Tech: Dawson committed to Michigan in March.

Nathaniel Devers – OG – Massillon (OH) Washington: Devers, a 2014 prospect, has a single offer from Toledo.  He stands 6’3″ and 265 lbs.  He claims a 385 lb. bench press and a 495 lb. squat, both of which are great numbers for a high school sophomore.  Brady Hoke showed in the 2013 class that he’s willing and able to go after only elite prospects on the offensive line, and I’m not sure Devers fits in that category.  Despite being teammates with 2013 commit Gareon Conley, I would not be surprised if Devers goes without an offer, at least until some other options on the offensive line shake out. (Highlights.)

Tommy Doles – OT – Grand Rapids (MI) Christian: Doles is a 6’5″, 240 lb. prospect whose only offer comes from Michigan so far.  His teammate is 2014 wide receiver Drake Harris, who picked Michigan State over Michigan.  Doles is very athletic, but obviously needs some time to fill out his frame.

Deon Drake – LB – Detroit (MI) Cass Tech: Drake is a 6’1″, 215 lb. weakside linebacker prospect.  He has offers from Notre Dame, Pitt, and some others, but not from Michigan.  If that changes this weekend, he would be one to watch for a commitment, just like most Technicians.  Drake is considered to be the second-best 2014 prospect on the team behind wide receiver/cornerback Damon Webb. (Highlights.)

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

Michael Ferns III – LB – St. Clairsville (OH) St. Clairsville: Ferns is a 6’3″, 230 lb. athlete from the class of 2014.  He looks like a SAM linebacker to me, but he could also play tight end or middle linebacker.  He has already narrowed down his recruitment to a final three of Michigan, Notre Dame, and Penn State.  Several insiders think Michigan is #1 on that list. (Highlights.)

Clifton Garrett – LB – Joliet (IL) Plainfield South: Garrett is a 6’3″, 220 lb. linebacker from the class of 2014.  He already has offers from Illinois, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, and Wisconsin, and I would be surprised if he walks away from Ann Arbor without an offer from the Wolverines unless the coaches have off-the-field concerns.  He has a very impressive highlight film and looks like a future middle linebacker, although he could also be utilized at the SAM position.  UPDATE: Garrett will not be on campus this weekend.



Ben Gedeon – LB – Hudson (OH) Hudson: Gedeon committed to Michigan in April.

Derrick Green – RB – Richmond (VA) Heritage: Green is a 6’0″, 215 lb. tailback with reported 4.37 speed, but he’s more of a two-down running back who struggles to catch the ball.  He has offers from virtually every notable school in the country, including Michigan.  Every other offered running back is off the board, so Green may be Michigan’s last chance to grab an “elite” tailback in the 2013 class.

Jay Hayes – OG – Brooklyn (NY) Poly Prep: Hayes is a 6’5″, 270 lb. lineman from the 2014 class.  He could play either side of the line, but Michigan is recruiting him for offense.  He also has offers from Notre Dame, Oregon, and Penn State, among others.  UPDATE: Hayes is not attending the BBQ.

Khalid Hill – TE – Detroit (MI) Crockett: Hill committed to Michigan in February.

Jonathan Hilliman – RB – Jersey City (NJ) St. Peter’s Prep: Hilliman is a 6’0″, 201 lb. tailback from the class of 2014 who already holds offers from Miami, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State, Rutgers, and Wisconsin.  New Jersey has not been particularly kind to Michigan over the last several years, so I would be surprised if he ends up as part of Michigan’s class, and he might not make it to the BBQ. (Highlights.)  UPDATE: Hilliman will not be visiting this weekend.

Corey Holmes – WR – Fort Lauderdale (FL) St. Thomas Aquinas: Holmes is a 6’1″, 172 lb. prospect from the class of 2014.  He has offers from Florida, Michigan, and Wisconsin, among others.  Despite being somewhat small-ish, Holmes looks more like a possession receiver than a blazing downfield threat.  He grew up as a Michigan fan, and although I would be a little surprised if he commits to Michigan anytime soon, I would not be surprised if that occurs sometime down the road. (Highlights.)  UPDATE: Holmes will not be visiting this weekend.

Jamarco Jones – OG – Chicago (IL) De La Salle: Jones is a 6’5″, 285 lb. guard prospect from the class of 2014.  He already has offers from Illinois, Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame, and Ohio State, among others.  My guess is that he will end up at Ohio State, but Michigan has a chance to impress him at the BBQ. (Highlights.)  UPDATE: Jones is not visiting for the BBQ.

Coleman Key – QB – Broken Arrow (OK) Broken Arrow: Key camped at Michigan in June and came away without an offer, but he still has a chance.  He’s a 6’5″, 210 lb. prospect from the 2014 class.  He won’t be one of the most highly recruited quarterbacks in the class, but with Shane Morris arriving in 2013, Michigan might have to take a second-tier quarterback to groom behind Morris.  Key has zero offers so far. (Freshman highlights.)

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

Montae Nicholson – S – Monroeville (PA) Gateway: Nicholson is a 6’2″, 195 lb. safety with offers from Michigan, Penn State, Pitt, and a few others.  Gateway has sent a lot of kids to FBS schools in recent years, but many have chosen Ohio State or Pitt.  There was some buzz recently that Nicholson might commit to Michigan at the BBQ, but I think that was all it was – buzz. (Highlights.)

D’Andre Payne – CB – Washington (DC) H.D. Woodson: Payne is only 5’9″ and 172 lbs., but he’s a very smooth, dynamic athlete.  Michigan has already offered him as a field corner, but most big schools in the country have offered him, too.  Still, it’s a good sign that he’s planning to return to campus, since he was already in Ann Arbor back in June for summer camp. (Highlights.)

Austin Roberts – WR – Carmel (IN) Carmel: Roberts is a 6’2″, 195 lb. prospect from the class of 2014. He already has offers from Florida, Iowa, Miami, Purdue, and Stanford.  UPDATE: Roberts is not visiting for the BBQ.


Artavis Scott – WR – Tarpon Springs (FL) East Lake: Scott is a 5’11”, 180 lb. receiver from the class of 2014.  He already holds offers from Florida, Florida State, Ohio State, and South Carolina, among others.  Scott has not been offered by Michigan yet, but he will probably receive one on the visit.

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

Conor Sheehy – DE – Milwaukee (WI) Marquette University: Sheehy is a 6’4″, 255 lb. defensive end with a single offer from Wisconsin.  He camped at Michigan in June and left without an offer, but since he’s been invited back for the BBQ, there’s at least a decent chance the coaches extend an offer in person.

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

Bentley Spain – OT – Charlotte (NC) Providence: Spain is a 6’6″, 285 lb. prospect from the class of 2014.  He already has offers from Clemson, Florida, LSU, Miami, North Carolina, Penn State, South Carolina, and Stanford, among others.  I have a feeling that South Carolina will be the team to beat.  Spain indicated that he may or may not make it to the BBQ, and usually that means no, so don’t be surprised if he doesn’t appear.  UPDATE: Spain will not be visiting this weekend.

Channing Stribling – CB – Matthews (NC) Butler: Stribling committed to Michigan in June.

Logan Tuley-Tillman – OT – Peorial (IL) Manual: Tuley-Tillman committed to Michigan in February.

LaQuon Treadwell – WR – Crete (IL) Crete-Monee: The recruitment of Treadwell has been well documented.  He has offers from all over the country but wants to visit Oklahoma and Oklahoma State.  However, Michigan is the front-runner, and there’s a decent chance that he will commit to Michigan at the BBQ.  I wrote up a scouting report on him a few months ago.  UPDATE: Treadwell will not be visiting this weekend.

Damon Webb – CB – Detroit (MI) Cass Tech: Webb is a 5’11”, 170 lb. wide receiver/cornerback from the class of 2014.  The Wolverines are recruiting him for defense.  Aside from Michigan, he holds offers from LSU, Michigan State, Ohio State, and Wisconsin, among others.  Michigan is considered to be the heavy favorite for his services, although his recruitment may last beyond the BBQ.

Parrker Westphal – CB – Bolingbrook (IL) Bolingbrook: Westphal is a 6’1″, 181 lb. defensive back prospect with offers from Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska, Ohio State, and West Virginia, among others.  Michigan seems to be #1 on the 2014 prospect’s mind, and he’s coached by former Michigan cornerback Todd Howard.  The Wolverines are recruiting him mainly to play boundary corner and the slot corner position currently inhabited by Courtney Avery. (Highlights.)

William White – LB – Detroit (MI) Cass Tech: White is a 6’1″, 215 lb. linebacker who currently holds no offers.  He’s the son of former Detroit Lions safety William White.  If an offer comes for White, it will likely be some time down the road. (Highlights.)

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

Recruiting Update: July 23, 2012

Florida defensive tackle Maquedius Bain decommitted from the Seminoles

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2013
Fort Lauderdale (FL) University School defensive tackle Maquedius Bain decommitted from Florida State.  This comes as no surprise, since Bain has been looking around for months.  Michigan is not expected to be in the running for another defensive tackle as long as the current recruiting class remains intact, so this likely has no impact on Michigan.

OFF THE BOARD
Upper Marlboro (MD) Frederick Douglass wide receiver Paul Harris committed to Tennessee.  A reported top two of Tennessee and USC was released shortly before his decision, but he claimed those two schools didn’t have an advantage over the other three schools in his top five.  Then he picked the Volunteers, anyway.

Lakeland (FL) Kathleen wide receiver/defensive back Javon Harrison, a 2014 prospect, committed to Virginia Tech.  Michigan was recruiting him as a wide receiver, but it seems the Hokies plan to use him at safety.

Chandler (AZ) Hamilton offensive tackle Casey Tucker, a 2014 prospect, committed to USC.  Tucker is the teammate of class of 2013 cornerback Cole Luke, who holds a Michigan offer but is unlikely to be a part of the class.

Cordova (TN) St. Benedict running back Jordan Wilkins committed to Auburn.  He almost committed to the Tigers when he visited a couple months ago, but held off long enough to get up the hopes of a couple other teams.  He then visited Michigan at the end of June, but he wasn’t very impressed by Michigan’s lack of $180,000 handshakes.  I wrote up a scouting report on Wilkins a couple months ago.  Unless Michigan offers any more running backs, it looks like all the eggs are in the Derrick Green basket.

Recruiting Update: July 16, 2012

Kyle LaPorte (#2 in black)

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2013
Piscataway (NJ) Piscataway wide receiver Kyle LaPorte has a Michigan offer.  It sounds like the offer came recently, but Michigan seems to be full at cornerback (LaPorte’s other position) and almost full at wide receiver, especially if LaQuon Treadwell commits soon.  It’s unclear where LaPorte would fit, but he has offers from Miami, Penn State, and Rutgers, so that’s not a shabby offer list.

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2014
Baltimore (MD) Gilman cornerback Troy Vincent received an offer from Michigan.  Vincent is a 5’10”, 192 lb. defensive back with offers from Arizona State, Maryland, Michigan State, Penn State, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.  Vincent played for Georgetown Prep last season but transferred to Gilman in the off-season, where he will be teammates with Michigan commit Henry Poggi. Vincent’s father is former NFL cornerback Troy Vincent, who played for Wisconsin before becoming a five-time Pro Bowl player for the Philadelphia Eagles; he was the #7 overall pick by the Miami Dolphins and also played for the Buffalo Bills and Washington Redskins.  The elder Vincent finished his career with 47 interceptions. (Highlights.)

OFF THE BOARD
Tampa Bay (FL) Tech wide receiver Richard Benjamin committed to UCF.  Benjamin is a 6’1″, 195 lb. kid who got an early offer from Michigan, but there was never any buzz about him having significant interest in the Wolverines.

Placer (CA) Placer defensive tackle Eddie Vanderdoes committed to USC.  For a long time, I assumed that his choice would come down to Oregon or USC.  The Trojans are putting together an excellent class, even though it’s a small one.  Eight of USC’s fourteen commitments are guys with Michigan offers.  I wrote up a scouting report on Vanderdoes a couple months ago.

WEEKEND VISITORS
There was only one visitor this past weekend, but it was a pretty good one in the form of Derek Kief.

Weekend Visitors: July 13-15, 2012

Orlando Brown – OT – Suwanee (GA) Peachtree Ridge: A class of 2014 prospect, was supposed to visit Michigan tomorrow, but has canceled the visit.  He plans to reschedule.

Derek Kief – WR – Cincinnati (OH) La Salle: Kief is a 6’5″, 185 lb. wideout with offers from Cincinnati, Illinois, and Toledo.  As a sophomore in 2011, he had 44 receptions for 612 yards and 7 touchdowns.

Recruiting Update: July 9, 2012

LaQuon Treadwell, Shane Morris, and Jourdan Lewis at The Opening

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2014
Wayne (NJ) De Paul wide receiver Kiy Hester was offered by Michigan.  He’s a 6’2″, 200 lb. athlete with offers from Maryland, Miami, Michigan State, Rutgers, and several others.  As a sophomore in 2011, he had 27 receptions for 501 yards and 8 touchdowns.  He also plays a little bit of safety and cornerback, but he looks somewhat disinterested in defense and more of a natural receiver.

OFF THE BOARD: 2013
Wyomissing (PA) Wyomissing Area linebacker Alex Anzalone committed to Notre Dame.  Anzalone was previously committed to Ohio State but decommitted after the blowup with the sexual predator fan.  He was also a guy who planned to visit Michigan until the coaches put all their eggs in the E.J. Levenberry basket.

Indianapolis (IN) North Central defensive tackle Darius Latham committed to Wisconsin.  Michigan never seemed to be recruiting Latham very hard, and they supposedly wanted him more for the offensive line than defense..

Houston (TX) Westfield defensive tackle Hardreck Walker committed to Texas A&M.  Walker expressed interest in Michigan, but he set an announcement date before ever visiting campus.  Michigan is also reported to be done recruiting the defensive line for 2013.

VISITORS
Duluth (GA) Peachtree Ridge offensive tackle Orlando Brown was reported by Wolverine Nation‘s TomVH a couple weeks ago to be visiting on July 14, which would be this coming Saturday.  We’ll see if that visit actually takes place, but Brown is a 6’9″, 376 lb. kid with offers from all over the place.  It’s been pointed out numerous times, but he’s the son of the late Orlando Brown, a former offensive tackle for the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens.

Salt Lake City (UT) Highland defensive tackle Bryan Mone was supposed to visit last week, but the visit didn’t materialize.  He does still plan to visit, but he’s not sure when.  He’s a 6’3″, 280-pounder who was a teammate of incoming freshman fullback Sione Houma.  Mone was the first player to be offered in the class of 2014.

REVIEW OF THE OPENING
The Opening took place in Beaverton, OR, this past week.  Some of it was televised on ESPNU over the past few nights, so here are some thoughts based on SPARQ results and what I saw on TV and videos posted online.

Wheaton (IL) St. Francis offensive guard Kyle Bosch measured in at 6’5″, 311 lbs.  He had a 5.52 forty, a 4.87 shuttle, a 23.2″ vertical, and a 35.5′ Powerball toss.  However, he left the competition early due to what he’s afraid is mononucleosis.

Pickerington (OH) North tight end Jake Butt was featured in some clips online and in a televised Friday night seven-on-seven game with Tyrone Swoopes as his quarterback.  Swoopes was one of the worst passing quarterbacks at the event, which was somewhat expected for a dual-threat guy like him, who is an excellent runner.  Butt played very well in the seven-on-seven game.  He’s not an elite athlete at tight end like Miami-committed Travis Johnson or Alabama-bound O.J. Howard, but he’s tall and stout, and he showed nice hands in traffic.

Pickerington (OH) Central defensive end Taco Charlton measured in at 6’6″, 249 lbs.  He had a 4.89 forty, a 4.50 shuttle, a 31.6″ vertical, and a 40′ Powerball toss.  Michigan and Ohio high school rules prevent players from wearing pads during events like this, but Charlton performed well in the events in which he was allowed to participate.  His speed off the ball was noted as a positive, but those events generally favor the defender, so I take those reports with a grain of salt.

Detroit (MI) Cass Tech offensive guard David Dawson measured in at 6’3.5″, 282 lbs.  He had a 5.54 forty, a 5.16 shuttle, a 22″ vertical, and a 41′ Powerball toss.  Dawson is frequently listed in the neighborhood of 6’5″ and 305 lbs., so these measurements are more indication that he’s headed for offensive guard.  Dawson didn’t make waves with his play, but he did receive positive reviews.  He did makes waves, however, with his stated plans to visit Friday Night Lights at the University of Florida, which is a “camp” in the technical sense, but is more of a recruiting tool.  He stated that he had already bought his plane ticket and that he would talk to Michigan’s coaches about it, but miraculously, over the span of 24 hours, the visit was off and he remains committed to Michigan.  This situation will be one to watch over the coming months, though.

Detroit (MI) Cass Tech cornerback Jourdan Lewis measured in at 5’10”, 159 lbs.  He had a 4.68 forty, a 4.34 shuttle, a 32″ vertical, and a 36′ Powerball toss.  Some people expressed disappointment in his 4.68 forty time, but I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: most forty times you see for high schoolers are exaggeratedly fast.  After three years at Michigan and training for the draft, Donovan Warren ran a 4.68 at the NFL Combine.  Of course, Warren went undrafted, but he was a pretty good college cornerback (All-Big Ten in 2009) and might have raised his stock if he had stayed for his senior year.  In one-on-one drills on Day 1, Lewis went 5-for-5, had a very nice interception that was televised in Saturday night’s seven-on-seven game, and had a diving crunch-time pick in the championship game to keep his team alive (although they lost 14-6).  He has earned positive reviews for his makeup speed and it shows on film, so I’m not worried about that forty time in the slightest.

Trotwood (OH) Trotwood-Madison linebacker Mike McCray II participated in The Opening, but didn’t really leave much of an impression.  I watched his seven-on-seven game on Saturday night and he was hardly noticeable, although linebackers are rarely stars in those types of events, especially inside linebackers.  McCray is seen by many analysts as more of a run-stuffing linebacker (even though I have some questions about his instincts), so I’ll repeat that it’s tough to judge much at these camps.  They’re fun to watch, but not particularly useful for most positions.

Warren (MI) De La Salle quarterback Shane Morris impressed most observers.  He has perhaps the strongest arm of any quarterback in the country, but his accuracy has come into question at times.  The best chance to show his stuff came in the seven-on-seven tournament, in which he played well most of the time.  However, his team (the Land Sharks) had what looked like the worst receiving corps of the six squads.  Devonte Whitfield is a decent receiver and made some plays, but Morris’s best targets were probably tight end O.J. Howard and running back Taquan Mizzell.  I value game film over camp performances, but this is how I would rank the six quarterbacks’ performances over the weekend:

1. Max Brown – Sammamish (WA) Skyline – committed to USC
2. Shane Morris – Warren (MI) De La Salle – committed to Michigan
3. Cooper Bateman – Salt Lake City (UT) Cottonwood – committed to Alabama
4. Christian Hackenberg – Fork Union (VA) Fork Union Military Academy – committed to Penn State
5. Brice Ramsey – Kingsland (GA) Camden – committed to Georgia
6. Tyrone Swoopes – Whitewright (TX) Whitewright – committed to Texas

The all-tournament team for seven-on-seven consisted of:

QB: Max Browne (committed to USC)
RB: Ryan Green (committed to Florida State)
WR: Torii Hunter, Jr.
WR: Ryan Switzer (committed to North Carolina)
TE: Jake Butt (committed to Michigan)
TE: O.J. Howard (committed to Alabama)
LB: Larenz Bryant (committed to South Carolina)
LB: Jaylon Smith (committed to Notre Dame)
LB: Matthew Thomas
CB: Cameron Burrows (committed to Ohio State)
CB: Jourdan Lewis (committed to Michigan)