Tag: 2015 recruiting

Recruiting Update: June 23, 2014

Fort Wayne (IN) Bishop Luers wide receiver Austin Mack (image via MGoBlog)

Avon (CT) Old Farms tight end Chris Clark committed to Michigan (LINK).

Trotwood (OH) Trotwood-Madison quarterback Messiah DeWeaver was offered at Michigan’s camp and then committed to the Wolverines (LINK).

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2016
La Canada (CA) St. Francis wide receiver Dylan Crawford was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’1″, 175 lb. prospect with offers from Arizona State, Oregon State, Tennessee, UCLA, USC, and Washington, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #5 wide receiver, and #41 overall. Crawford is on a nationwide recruiting swing with touted quarterback K.J. Costello, who also has/had a Michigan offer. Michigan’s extension of an offer to DeWeaver, who subsequently committed, almost certain dooms the Costello recruitment and may also have a negative impact on Michigan’s recruitment of Crawford going forward.

Perry (OH) Perry tight end Luke Farrell was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’6″, 219 lb. prospect with offers from Illinois and Ohio State. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #9 tight end, and #258 overall. Farrell earned his offers from U of M and OSU at their respective camps over the past couple weeks.

Atlanta (GA) Woodward Academy running back Elijah Holyfield was offered by Michigan. He’s a 5’11”, 190 lb. prospect with offers from Kentucky, Mississippi State, Ohio State, Tennessee, and Wisconsin, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #32 running back, and #358 overall. He visited Michigan’s campus this week on a swing through with a couple teammates. Holyfield is a tough, hard-nosed runner who lacks great breakaway speed, somewhat reminiscent of DeVeon Smith.

Plymouth (MI) Plymouth offensive tackle Michael Jordan was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’7″, 275 lb. prospect whose lone offer is from the Wolverines, which he earned at camp last week. The answer to your obvious question is, “No, this is not the same Michael Jordan who starred in Fruitvale Station.” Plymouth is the alma mater of senior defensive end Brennen Beyer.

Fort Wayne (IN) Bishop Luers wide receiver Austin Mack was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’2″, 205 lb. prospect with offers from Cincinnati, Indiana, and Ohio State, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #12 wide receiver, and #78 overall. Mack is a pretty polished route runner with decent speed. I think he will drop in the rankings as more people get evaluated, because he lacks the athleticism one would expect of a top 100 player, but he’s still a quality prospect.

Hit the jump for 2017 prospects, commitments to other schools, and miscellaneous bits.

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2017
Plano (TX) East linebacker Anthony Hines III was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’2″, 218 lb. prospect who committed to Mississippi State in October 2013. He also has offers from Baylor, Clemson, Miami, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, and numerous others; he tweeted out that Michigan was his 42nd offer, despite having finished just his freshman year.

Lawrenceville (GA) Archer cornerback Jamyest Williams was offered by Michigan. He’s a 5’9″, 170 lb. prospect with offers from Clemson, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, and a few others. He claims a 4.59 forty. As a freshman in 2013, he had 32 tackles, 16 pass breakups, and 2 interceptions. Williams camped at Michigan this past week.

OFF THE BOARD
Corona (CA) Santiago quarterback Blake Barnett committed to Alabama. He had previously been committed to Notre Dame, and when he decommitted a couple weeks ago, signs were pointing to Oregon. However, he pulled the trigger for the Crimson Tide, which leaves the Ducks and the Fighting Irish searching for quarterbacks in the class. Elkton (MD) Eastern Christian Academy had been a possible choice for Alabama, but now it seems that the USC commitment will end up at a slightly lower-tier program, perhaps like West Virginia.

Richmond (VA) Benedictine defensive end Clelin Ferrell committed to Clemson. Ferrell was high on the Wolverines and had some connections to Ann Arbor; he’s in the same league as Wilton Speight and Garrett Taylor. Clemson has a good track record with defensive ends, so it’s probably a good choice for him. His 2016 teammate, wide receiver Scott Bracey, also holds an offer from the Wolverines.

Cleveland (OH) St. Ignatius defensive end Dre’Mont Jones committed to Ohio State. His top three consisted of the Buckeyes, Michigan, and Notre Dame, but it seemed like a pretty sure thing that he would end up in Columbus. St. Ignatius is the alma mater of Jake Ryan.

Allen (TX) Allen offensive tackle Gregory Little committed to Texas A&M. Little is the consensus #1 recruit in the country so far for 2016, so this presents a little bit of a challenge to the recruiting sites. It seems that the #1 prospect in the nation usually holds off on committing until fairly late in the recruiting cycle, so with 1 year and 8 months left, will they drop Little to create drama?

Cedar Hill (TX) Cedar Hill wide receiver DaMarkus Lodge committed to Texas A&M. Lodge never seemed to be in danger of leaving the Lone Star State.

Flower Mound (TX) Marcus offensive tackle Keaton Sutherland committed to Texas A&M. Okay, this is ridiculous. Another Michigan target picks the Aggies. Sutherland is the teammate of 2016 tight end Kaden Smith, who also has a Michigan offer.

Bellevue (WA) Newport offensive guard Calvin Throckmorton committed to Texas A&M Oregon. I will not miss having to type that name repeatedly over the next four or five years. Give me lots and lots of Chris Clarks, please.

MISCELLANEOUS
Here’s a list of the kids who visited Michigan this past week/weekend (LINK).

Visitors: June 20-22, 2014

Avon (MI) Old Farms tight end Chris Clark (image via MGoBlog)

The following prospects have been noted by me as visitors to Michigan for the week. It’s not completely clear whether some of them will compete at Michigan’s summer camp this week or not. I would expect most of the ones with Michigan offers to just be visiting, but those without offers (such as Holyfield and Malone-Hatcher) seem to still be trying to make a name for themselves and will probably be participating in the workouts.

2015
Asmar Bilal – LB – Indianapolis (IN) Ben Davis: Bilal is a 6’3″, 205 lb. prospect with offers from Michigan and Notre Dame (and lots of others, but those two are the ones that really matter). He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #7 inside linebacker, and #225 overall. As a junior in 2013, he made 106 tackles, 4.5 sacks, and 1 fumble recovery. Bilal visited Michigan earlier this spring with Darrin Kirkland, Jr. – who has since committed to the Wolverines – but the presumption is that the Fighting Irish lead.


Chris Clark – TE – Avon (CT) Old Farms: Clark is a 6’6″, 247 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Arizona State, Auburn, Florida State, Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, and tons of others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #2 tight end, and #100 overall. As a junior in 2013, he caught 39 passes for 417 yards and 6 touchdowns. Clark recently performed well in the Rivals 100 Five-Star Challenge and impressed people with his receiving skills, although he suffered a minor injury. He plans to announce his final college decision during Nike’s The Opening in early July, but he was previously committed to North Carolina, so any commitment at that time should be taken with a grain of salt. He thoroughly enjoyed a spring visit to Michigan and said the Wolverines led at the time, and the thought is that Michigan still leads. Whether they can hold onto that lead into July (or into National Signing Day) is another issue, but for now, things look good.

Tyree Kinnel – S – Huber Heights (OH) Wayne: Kinnel committed to Michigan last August.

Shane Lemieux – OT – Yakima (WA) West Valley: Lemieux is a 6’6″, 285 lb. prospect with an offer from Michigan but who committed to Oregon in May. He had originally planned to visit Michigan during this time, but that was prior to his verbal commitment. I assume he is not visiting now, but I’ll leave his name on here since I haven’t heard confirmation either way. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star and the #31 offensive guard.

2016
Elijah Holyfield – RB – Atlanta (GA) Woodward Academy: Holyfield is a 5’11”, 190 lb. prospect with offers from Kentucky, Minnesota, Mississippi State, Ohio State, Tennessee, and Wisconsin. As a freshman in 2012, he carried the ball 66 times for 645 yards and 10 touchdowns. He claims a 4.55 forty, but on film, his speed is not particularly impressive. He is the son of former heavyweight boxer Evander Holyfield.

Matt Heuerman – TE – Naples (FL) Barron Collier: Heuerman is a 6’6″, 200 lb. prospect with no FBS offers at this time. He’s the brother of Jeff Heuerman (Ohio State), whom Michigan offered a few years ago, but their father played basketball for the Wolverines. He attends the same high school as incoming freshman defensive tackle Brady Pallante.


Janarius Robinson – DE – Panama City (FL) Bay: Robinson is a 6’5″, 230 lb. prospect with offers from Clemson, Florida State, Michigan, South Carolina, and Tennessee, among others. He’s a 247 Sports 4-star, the #5 weakside end, and #65 overall. Robinson has openly stated that his favorite team is Florida State, and that’s his likely destination, but he did make almost immediate plans to visit Ann Arbor after receiving his offer from the Wolverines, so they will have a chance to sway him.

Miles Sanders – RB – Pittsburgh (PA) Woodland Hills: Sanders is a 5’10”, 195 lb. prospect with offers from Michigan, Nebraska, Penn State, Pitt, Virginia Tech, and others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #16 running back, and #182 overall. He claims a 4.39 forty, a 37″ vertical, a 270 lb. bench, and a 420 lb. squat.

Clark Yarbrough – OT – Woodberry Forest (VA) Woodberry Forest: Yarbrough is a 6’5″, 255 lb. prospect with offers from Florida, Maryland, Tennessee, and Virginia Tech, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #16 offensive tackle, and #158 overall. His sophomore year in 2013 was his first year playing organized football.

2017
Corey Malone-Hatcher – DE – St. Joseph (MI) St. Joseph: Malone-Hatcher is a 6’3″, 205 lb. prospect with no offers currently, but he will likely be one of the top few prospects in the state of Michigan for his class. He came away raving from a spring visit to Alabama, so that may be an obstacle if they extend an offer. It’s still very early for 2017 prospects, though.

ESPN 300 for 2015 updated

Avon (CT) Old Farms tight end Chris Clark is Michigan’s highest rated commit (image via 247 Sports)

ESPN released an updated list of top 300 prospects for 2015. Here’s what it looked like back in April (LINK). Movement for Michigan commits:

– Chris Clark fell from #104 to #108
– Garrett Taylor fell from #106 to #110
– Tyree Kinnel fell from #182 to #188
– Grant Newsome fell from #235 to #240
– Darrin Kirkland, Jr. jumped from #265 to #263

Here are the rest of Michigan’s offerees:

5-stars:
3. Kevin Toliver II – CB – Florida (LSU)
4. Josh Sweat – DE – Virginia
6. Terry Beckner, Jr. – DE – Illinois
7. Mitch Hyatt – OT – Georgia (Clemson)
9. Tim Settle – DT – Virginia
10. Kendall Sheffield – CB – Texas
11. George Campbell – ATH – Florida
13. Justin Hilliard – LB – Ohio
16. Jashon Cornell – DE – Minnesota

4-stars:
17. Rasheem Green – DT – California
18. Keisean Lucier-South – DE – California
19. Josh Rosen – QB – California (UCLA)
20. Iman Marshall – CB – California
22. Shy Tuttle – DT – North Carolina
24. Jeffery Holland – LB – Florida
27. Tyron Johnson – WR – Louisiana
28. Damien Harris – RB – Kentucky
29. Preston Williams – WR – Georgia (Tennessee)
32. Minkah Fitzpatrick – CB – New Jersey (Alabama)
38. Jarrett Stidham – QB – Texas (Texas Tech)
39. Malik Jefferson – LB – Texas
43. Matt Burrell, Jr. – OT – Virginia
47. Christian Kirk – WR – Arizona
49. Deondre Francois – QB – Florida
50. Jacques Patrick – RB – Florida
52. Ronald Jones II – RB – Texas (Oklahoma State)
56. Blake Barnett – QB – California (Alabama)
57. Adonis Thomas – LB – Georgia
58. Hale Hentges – TE – Missouri (Alabama)
59. Drew Richmond – OT – Tennessee
63. Abdul Bello – OT – Florida
65. DaMarkus Lodge – WR – Texas (Texas A&M)
68. Jerome Baker – LB – Ohio
70. Devonaire Clarington – TE – Florida
71. Soso Jamabo – RB – Texas
74. Jaylon Lane – CB – Texas (Oklahoma State)
75. Rashad Roundtree – S – Georgia
77. Anthony Wheeler – LB – Texas
79. Dexter Williams – RB – Florida (Miami)
81. Johnny Frasier – RB – North Carolina
86. Jake Fruhmorgen – OT – Florida (Clemson)
90. Jalen Dalton – DE – North Carolina
94. Keenan Walker – OT – Arizona (Arizona)
97. Sterling Jenkins – OT – Pennsylvania (Penn State)
98. Christian Pellage – OT – Florida
99. Hjalte Froholdt – DT – Ohio (Arkansas)
104. Ryan Bates – OT – Pennsylvania (Penn State)
105. Clelin Ferrell – DE – Virginia (Clemson)
107. Tyler Jordan – OG – Florida (Florida)
108. Chris Clark – TE – Connecticut (Michigan)
110. Garrett Taylor – CB – Virginia (Michigan)
122. Osa Masina – LB – Utah
135. Ty’Son Williams – RB – South Carolina
136. Jordan Whitehead – CB – Pennsylvania
137. Brian Cole – ATH – Michigan
139. Devante Peete – WR – Florida
150. Marcus Lewis – S – Washington, D.C. (Florida)
153. Mike Weber – RB – Michigan
155. Ray-Ray McCloud III – RB – Florida
157. Shaun Crawford – CB – Ohio (Notre Dame)
159. Joshua McMillon – LB – Tennessee
161. Darian Roseboro – DT – North Carolina
164. John Reid – CB – Pennsylvania
187. Juwan Johnson – WR – New Jersey (Penn State)
188. Tyree Kinnel – S – Ohio (Michigan)
223. Rashard Causey, Jr. – CB – Florida (Florida Atlantic)
233. Isaiah Prince – OT – Maryland
235. Pat Allen – OT – Maryland
240. Grant Newsome – OT – New Jersey (Michigan)
255. Cameron Townsend – LB – Texas
258. Cameron Ordway – CB – Tennessee
263. Darrin Kirkland, Jr. – LB – Indiana (Michigan)

Chris Clark, Wolverine

Chris Clark (image via MGoBlog)

Avon (CT) Old Farms tight end Chris Clark committed to Michigan on Thursday. He chose the Wolverines over offers from Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Notre Dame, Ohio State, and numerous others.

Clark is a 6’6″, 247 lb. prospect. He claims a 4.72 forty and a 30″ vertical. As a junior in 2013, he caught 39 balls for 417 yards and 6 touchdowns.

RATINGS
ESPN: 4-star, 83 grade, #3 tight end, #108 overall, #2 in-state
Rivals: 4-star, #4 tight end, #146 overall, #2 in-state
Scout: 5-star, #1 tight end, #26 overall
247 Sports: 4-star, 93 grade, #6 tight end, #191 overall, #2 in-state
247 Composite: 4-star, #2 tight end, #101 overall, #2 in-state

Clark was offered by Michigan this winter and set up visit plans, but he abruptly committed to North Carolina in mid-March. Almost immediately afterward, however, he stated that he still wanted to check out his other options. He visited Ann Arbor a month later and proclaimed that the Wolverines were his leader. He set a final announcement date for July 10, where he would have a national stage at Nike’s The Opening. Instead, he jumped at the chance to commit to the Wolverines during an unofficial visit back to campus.

Clark is a big body with a nice frame who could probably play at whatever weight the coaching staff wants him. If they want him as a sleek downfield threat, he can do that; if they want him to bulk up and be a combo tight end, he could probably get up to 270 lbs. and do that, too. Right now Clark has good speed for the position, and he does a nice job of lowering his center of gravity to cut upfield after he catches the ball on crossing routes. He also shows an ability to high-point the football, and he makes a snazzy one-handed grab in his highlights. He does not fight the football and catches it well with his hands away from his body. Clark also shows a willingness to block and does a good job at times of moving his feet to drive block, as well as moving laterally to stay on his blocks.

One thing to keep in mind when watching Clark’s highlights is that he does not play good competition in Connecticut. He looks like a man among boys. While he shows a nice stiff-arm at one point, there are other times where he runs too high and goes down easier than he should. Along the same lines, he gets away with some so-so blocking technique because he’s bigger and more powerful than almost anyone else on the field. He needs to speed up his first step off the line when blocking, and he needs to be more consistent about moving his feet, both forward and side-to-side. It seems that he sometimes expects defenders to fall like bowling pins when he hits them, and it takes him a split second to realize they won’t always do that.

Overall, Clark is a very nice pickup for the Wolverines. I am surprised at how high Scout ranks him, because I do not see Clark as a devastatingly effective tight end at the next level. However, I can see some Jason Witten-like skills, so if he realizes his potential, the ceiling is very high. Not many players reach their maximum potential, though. When Clark arrives on campus, he will be competing with senior A.J. Williams, redshirt senior Keith Heitzman, junior Jake Butt, and redshirt sophomore Khalid Hill, and sophomore/redshirt freshman Ian Bunting. Even with a college-ready frame, it may be a slight uphill battle for immediate playing time just because of the experience ahead of him. By his second year, though, Clark should be squarely in the mix for significant playing time.

Clark is the eighth commitment for Michigan in the 2015 class and the first tight end. The class is currently scheduled to be in the low teens, but some attrition will likely make that number grow into the mid or high teens. Michigan will also likely try to add another tight end, with Tyrone Wheatley, Jr. being the prime target there. The only other Michigan player from Old Farms was running back Michael Cox from the 2008 class.

TTB Rating: 85 (ratings explanation)

Recruiting Update: June 16, 2014

Elkton (MD) Eastern Christian Academy LB Dele’ Harding (image via Twitter)

COMMITMENT
Lawrenceville (NJ) Lawrenceville School offensive tackle Grant Newsome committed to Michigan (LINK).

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2015
Nacogdoches (TX) Nacogdoches cornerback Jaylon Lane was offered by Michigan. The 6’1″, 177-pounder committed to Oklahoma State in early May and has offers from Florida, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Miami, Notre Dame, Ohio State, and Oklahoma, among numerous others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #22 cornerback, and #195 overall. He claims a 4.44 forty and a 36″ vertical. As a junior in 2013, he made 46 tackles, 5 interceptions (2 returned for touchdowns), and 1 kickoff return touchdown.

Greensboro (NC) Northern Guilford cornerback Mook Reynolds was offered by Michigan. The 5’11”, 170-pounder committed to Virginia Tech in early February and has offers from North Carolina, Notre Dame, and Tennessee, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #25 cornerback, and #272 overall. Reynolds would like to visit Ann Arbor this summer and wants to make a “final decision” in August, so the Wolverines (and other schools) have a chance to move in. Both of these new cornerback offers seem to be related to the recent decommitment of Lakewood (OH) St. Edward cornerback Shaun Crawford.

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2016
Elkton (MD) Eastern Christian Academy linebacker Dele’ Harding was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’1″, 230 lb. prospect with offers from Massachusetts, Tennessee, and USC. He’s a Scout 3-star, the #26 outside linebacker, and #280 overall. Harding was a teammate of Freddy Canteen and Brandon Watson and has visited Michigan a couple times before, including last summer’s camp. Steve Lorenz from 247 Sports immediately put in a Crystal Ball pick for Michigan.

Philadelphia (PA) Imhotep tight end Naseir Upshur was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’3″, 232 lb. prospect with offers from Arizona, Arizona State, Maryland, Pitt, Rutgers, South Carolina, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, and Wisconsin, among others. He’s a 247 Sports 4-star, the #5 tight end, and #166 overall. Upshur is a capable receiver, but his most impressive skill is his run blocking. Despite not being the largest tight end around, he’s tenacious and uses excellent technique. Michigan also pursued 2013 running back David Williams (South Carolina) from Imhotep.

OFF THE BOARD
Lakewood (OH) St. Edward cornerback Shaun Crawford committed to Notre Dame. Crawford was previously committed to Michigan, just like I was previously committed to that one girl before that other, prettier girl came along. It turned out she was crazy, though.

MISCELLANEOUS
The list of lists:

• Michigan’s weekend visitors (LINK)
• Michigan’s summer camp visitors (LINK)
• Sound Mind Sound Body participants (LINK)

Last week on Recruiting Season, I profiled Dearborn Fordson WR Jamil Sabbagh, Macomb Dakota DE Antonio Balabani, Warren De La Salle DE Mike Danna, Lansing Sexton LB Rayshawn Wilborn, and Pontiac CB Ja’Mar Antwine.