Tag: 2015 recruiting

Recruit Tracker: Michael Weber

Michael Weber

September 26, 2014: Cass Tech beat Detroit (MI) Denby by a score of 44-6. Weber ran the ball 12 times for 128 yards and 2 touchdowns. Cass Tech is now 5-0.

September 19, 2014: Cass Tech beat Detroit (MI) Douglass by a score of 50-0. Weber did not play in the game. Cass Tech is 4-0.

September 12, 2014: Cass Tech beat Detroit (MI) Southeastern by a score of 48-0. Cass Tech is 3-0.

September 5, 2014: Cass Tech beat Detroit (MI) Pershing by a score of 31-2. Cass Tech is 2-0.


August 29, 2014: Weber ran 23 times for 150 yards and 3 touchdowns, including a 70-yard touchdown, in Detroit (MI) Cass Tech’s 27-26 win over Oak Park (MI) Oak Park. Cass Tech is 1-0.

Visitors: Michigan vs. Minnesota

Reisterstown (MD) Franklin offensive tackle Patrick Allen is a Georgia commit (image via 247Sports.com)

2015
Patrick Allen – OT – Reisterstown (MD) Franklin: Allen is a 6’5″, 286 lb. prospect who committed to Georgia in early August. He also holds offers from Arkansas, Florida, Florida State, LSU, Miami, Ohio State, and USC, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #27 offensive tackle, and #277 overall. This is his official visit to Michigan, the school that supposedly finished #2 to the Bulldogs, despite the fact that he has never been to Ann Arbor before.

Jack Dunaway – DE – Bloomfield Hills (MI) Brother Rice: Dunaway is a 6’3″, 212 lb. prospect who committed to Michigan as a preferred walk-on. His father, Craig, is a former Michigan tight end.

Alex Malzone – QB – Bloomfield Hills (MI) Brother Rice: Malzone committed to Michigan back in May (LINK).

Tyrone Miller – S – Saline (MI) Saline: Miller is a 6’0″, 178 lb. prospect with offers from Buffalo, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, and Western Michigan, among others. He camped at Michigan back in June.


Grant Perry – WR – Bloomfield Hills (MI) Brother Rice: Perry is a 6’0″, 185 lb. prospect with offers from several MAC schools. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #130 wide receiver, and #1054 overall. He would almost certainly commit to Michigan if an offer comes, but the Wolverines have a small projected class and a pretty good stable of receivers at this point. Statistically, he’s currently the state’s top receiver.


Mike Weber – RB – Detroit (MI) Cass Tech: Weber committed to Michigan in August (LINK).

Hit the jump for 2016 and 2017 prospects.

2016
Stefan Claiborne – WR – Clinton Township (MI) Chippewa Valley: Claiborne is a 6’1″, 168 lb. prospect with no offers at this time. Even so, he’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #4 safety, #54 overall, and #1 in the state, mainly due to his ESPN ranking. I have watched his sophomore film and came away impressed, so I think it’s only a matter of times before big schools throw their hats in the ring.

Bailey Edwards – WR – Chelsea (MI) Chelsea: Edwards is a 6’0″, 145 lb. prospect with no offers at this time. He’s the younger brother of Braylon Edwards and Berkley Edwards (Minnesota), and he’s the son of former Michigan RB Stan Edwards.

Daelin Hayes – LB – ???????: Hayes is a 6’3″, 225 lb. prospect who committed to USC in July. He originally went to school at Orchard Lake (MI) St. Mary’s and was primed to commit to Michigan in April, but a fleeting move to California and a nice visit to USC earned his commitment. Now Hayes is returning to an as-yet-undecided school Michigan, though he will probably have to sit out his junior season due to transfer rules. That’s not a good thing for a kid who missed most of his sophomore year due to injury, but big schools will continue to pursue him because of his size and athleticism.

Josh Jackson – QB – Saline (MI) Saline: Jackson is a 6’2″, 180 lb. prospect with no offers right now. He’s the son of running backs coach Fred Jackson and the brother of former Michigan wideout Jeremy Jackson. Jackson sat out a portion of last season after transferring from Ann Arbor (MI) Huron.

Thiyo Lukusa – OT – Traverse City (MI) West: Lukusa is a 6’5″, 300 lb. prospect with offers from Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska, and Wisconsin, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #24 offensive tackle, #272 overall, and #8 in-state. Lukusa plans to commit on December 1, and Michigan has reportedly been his leader for most of the process.

Blake Roe – DT – Haslett (MI) Haslett: Roe is a 6’2″, 290 lb. prospect with no offers at this time.


2017
Corey Malone-Hatcher – DE – St. Joseph (MI) St. Joseph: Malone-Hatcher is a 6’3″, 225 lb. prospect with an offer from Ohio State.

Josh Ross – LB – Orchard Lake (MI) St. Mary’s: Ross is a 6’1″, 210 lb. prospect with offers from Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, and Oklahoma. He’s a 247 Sports 4-star, the #2 inside linebacker, #53 overall, and #2 in-state. He’s the younger brother of Michigan junior linebacker James Ross III.

Recruiting Update: September 24, 2014

Janarius Robinson (image via varsitypreps.com)

STATE OF 2015 RECRUITING CLASS
QB: Michigan is set with Alex Malzone.
RB: Michigan is set with Mike Weber, although he’s one to keep an eye on because of some questionable loyalty comments. The Wolverines also have Ty Isaac redshirt, who will be a redshirt sophomore in 2015.
TE: Michigan is fine with Chris Clark in the mix, but he’s another guy with questionable loyalty issues.
WR: Michigan should be fine with Brian Cole, since the Wolverines have several receivers redshirting from the 2014 class.
OL: I would like to see the Wolverines add one more player to the mix, along with Grant Newsome and Jon Runyan, Jr.
DE: Michigan needs a weakside end in this class, but they should be set with strongside end Darian Roseboro. The most likely option is Keisean Lucier-South, who has several suitors (UCLA, Oklahoma, etc.). If he is no longer an option, Michigan will probably need to expand its offer board.
DT: Michigan does not need a true defensive tackle in this class, and Roseboro might fill that need in the long run, anyway.
LB: Michigan is stacked at linebacker, and Darrin Kirkland, Jr. adds depth at middle linebacker. Only elite options should be considered, and not many seem to have interest in Michigan at this point.
CB: Michigan is solid at cornerback with Garrett Taylor (though he tore his ACL) and the crew already on the roster, but Marcus Lewis remains a somewhat likely option.
S: Michigan has some good young players at safety, and Tyree Kinnel is having a solid senior year. The Wolverines could use a difference maker here, but otherwise, their numbers are solid.
K/P: Michigan’s kicker (Matt Wile) and punter (Will Hagerup) are both graduating, but the punting job will almost surely be taken over by walk-on Kenny Allen. Meanwhile, Andrew David should take Wile’s spot.

Summary: Michigan is set at most positions with a need at weakside end. Offensive line and cornerback are not needs but desires, and the tight end/running back positions are question marks because the two players committed at those spots are somewhat soft in their pledges.

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2015
Cedar Hill (TX) Cedar Hill wide receiver Damarkus Lodge decommitted from Texas A&M. Michigan has no chance here. Interestingly, in the aftermath of the decommitment, Aggies head coach Kevin Sumlin talked about how they rotate receivers and publicly said “If you’re scared, you don’t need to play here.” It doesn’t sound like that fence will be mended anytime soon.

OFF THE BOARD
Panama City (FL) Bay defensive end Janarius Robinson committed to Florida State. You can’t really blame him after they win a national championship and then beat a pretty good Clemson team with their backup quarterback. Of course, it helps that you can go there, allegedly sexually assault women, allegedly shoplift crab legs, and still win a Heisman trophy with a staff that reluctantly suspends you – finally – for a game only because the national media crushes the staff. Not that young Mr. Robinson would ever be interested in doing those things, but . . . you know . . . those protections in place don’t hurt.

MISCELLANEOUS
Over on Recruiting Season – which has taken a bit of a back seat with football season in full swing – I updated the profiles of Wes French, Demetric Vance, and Donnie Corley. Corley, in particular, is one that Michigan fans should watch going forward. He’s a 2016 wide receiver prospect with very good skills, although he’s probably headed to MSU.

Here’s a list of visitors from the game against Utah (LINK).

Visitors: Michigan vs. Utah

Donnie Corley

2015
Deshawn Baker-Williams – DT – Westland (MI) John Glenn: Baker-Williams is a 6’4″, 300 lb. prospect who committed to Central Michigan in June. That was and is his only offer so far.

Brian Cole – WR – Saginaw (MI) Heritage: Cole recently was awarded his Under Armour All-American jersey (LINK), although he was suspended for Heritage’s most recent game after receiving two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties last game. He is committed to Michigan.

Jack Dunaway – DE – Bloomfield Hills (MI) Brother Rice: Dunaway, a teammate of Alex Malzone’s, is a 6’3″, 212 lb. prospect who recently committed to be a walk-on at Michigan. His father was a tight end at Michigan in the mid-1980’s.

Alex Malzone – QB – Bloomfield Hills (MI) Brother Rice: On Friday night, Malzone went 14/20 for 208 yards and 3 touchdowns in a 28-21 win over Shane Morris’s old team, the Warren (MI) De La Salle Pilots. He is committed to Michigan.

Jalen Martin – WR – Harper Woods (MI) Chandler Park Academy: Martin is a 6’1″, 192 lb. prospect with offers from Akron, Eastern Michigan, and Western Michigan. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #65 wide receiver, and #390 overall. He attends the alma mater of former Michigan wide receiver Csont’e York.

Jon Runyan, Jr. – OG – Philadelphia (PA) St. Joseph’s: Runyan, Jr. committed to Michigan in June 2013 (LINK).

Mike Weber – RB – Detroit (MI) Cass Tech: Weber sat out last night’s 50-0 win over Detroit (MI) Douglass. He is committed to Michigan.

Hit the jump for 2016, 2017, and 2018(!) visitors.

2016
Donnie Corley – WR – Detroit (MI) King: Corley is a 247 Composite 4-star who has recently picked up offers from Michigan State and Pitt. He transferred from Wyandotte to King in the off-season, and things have paid off nicely in the first few games.

Matt Falcon – RB – Southfield (MI) Southfield: Falcon is a 6’1″, 215 lb. prospect with offers from Akron, Northern Illinois, Ohio State, Toledo, and Wake Forest. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #25 running back, and #274 overall. He missed last season with a torn ACL but was a teammate of Michigan freshman defensive end Lawrence Marshall.

Brendan Ferns – LB – St. Clairsville (OH) St. Clairsville: Ferns is a 6’3″, 223 lb. prospect with offers from Maryland, Michigan State, Ohio State, Oklahoma, and Penn State, among others. He’s the younger brother of Michigan freshman linebacker Michael Ferns, but the Wolverines have not shown a ton of interest in Brendan yet. The feeling is that if the Wolverines offered now, they would still have a serious uphill battle for Brendan’s services.

Michael Jordan – OT – Plymouth (MI) Plymouth: Jordan is a 6’5″, 278 lb. prospect with offers from Michigan and Ohio State. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #36 offensive tackle, and #478 overall.

Kalebb Perry – WR – Mt. Pleasant (MI) Mt. Pleasant: Perry is a 6’2″, 180 lb. prospect with offers from Central Michigan and Western Michigan. He appears to be a notch below Corley, but he’s still a 247 Composite 3-star and the #87 wide receiver in his class.

Nik Urban – OG – Willoughby (OH) South: Urban is a 6’4″, 280 lb. prospect with offers from Duke and a few MAC schools. He camped at Michigan last summer. He might be a fine player, but his name is “Urban.” Ick.

2017
Johnathan Berghorst – DE – Zeeland (MI) East: Berghorst is a 6’2″, 215 lb. prospect with no offers at this point. He has visited Michigan several times and camped in Ann Arbor this past June.

Andre Jackson – CB – Bridgeport (MI) Bridgeport: Jackson is a 5’10”, 170 lb. prospect with no offers at this time.

Corey Malone-Hatcher – DE – St. Joseph (MI) St. Joseph: Hatcher is a 6’3″, 235 lb. prospect with an offer from Ohio State. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #3 weakside end, and #104 overall.

Bruce Mann – QB – Bay City (MI) Western: Mann is a 6’2″, 180 lb. prospect with no offers at this time. His father recently moved to the outskirts of Chicago to take on a new job, so it may be just a matter of time before the younger Mann becomes an out-of-state prospect.

Willie Rodgers – DE – Saginaw (MI) Arthur Hill: Rodgers is a 6’4″, 205 lb. prospect with no offers at this time.

2018
Jimmy Bell – OT – Saginaw (MI) Arthur Hill: Bell is a 6’7″, 310 lb. ninth grader. He has no offers at this time, but he is very large.

Recruiting Update: September 17, 2014

Cincinnati (OH) Elder offensive tackle Tommy Kraemer

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2016
Cincinnati (OH) Elder offensive tackle Tommy Kraemer was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’5″, 305 lb. prospect with offers from Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State, and Tennessee, among others. He’s an early 247 Composite 5-star, the #4 offensive tackle, and #18 overall. Kraemer has pretty good feet and overall technique, and he looks like a tackle at the next level. He’s not a mauler but he gets the job done and reminds me a little of Erik Magnuson. The relationship between Michigan and Kraemer has reportedly been somewhat strained. He didn’t want to visit Michigan without having an offer, and the coaches don’t like to offer regional prospects (Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, etc.) who don’t show their interest by visiting. It appears that the coaches have ceded their position a little bit for the #18 player in the class, and he is considering a visit for the game against Penn State.

Hyattsville (MD) DeMatha offensive tackle J.P. Urquidez was offered by Michigan. Urquidez is a 6’6″, 299 lb. prospect with offers from Baylor, Florida State, LSU, Maryland, Penn State, Texas, Virginia Tech, and Wisconsin, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #15 offensive tackle, and #164 overall. Urquidez looks like a guard to me, because he doesn’t have the best feet. He does have a good initial punch and could play right tackle, too. He moved to Maryland from Texas, so any regional allegiance to the east coast may be non-existent.

OFF THE BOARD
Memphis (TN) University School offensive tackle Drew Richmond committed to Ole Miss. Richmond tweeted out that Ohio State will always be #1 in his heart, but he chose Ole Miss instead. He’s headed to the same school as LaQuon Treadwell. You may be able to draw your own conclusions.

MISCELLANEOUS
Here’s the list of visitors from the Miami-OH game (LINK).

You can check out the Recruit Tracker posts (LINK), which give updates on Michigan’s current commits in the 2015 and 2016 classes.