Tag: 2015 recruiting

Rivals 100 updated for 2015

Garrett Taylor is Rivals’ #48 player in the country

Rivals updated its top 100 prospects for 2015 on Monday. Here’s what it looked like back in February. Michigan has one commit on this list, that being Virginia cornerback Garrett Taylor at #48. Former Michigan commits Damien Harris and George Campbell check in at #4 and #42, respectively.

5-stars:
2. Josh Rosen – QB – California (UCLA)
4. Damien Harris – RB – Kentucky
5. Iman Marshall – CB – California
6. Tyron Johnson – WR – Louisiana
8. Kevin Toliver II – CB – Florida (LSU)
9. Minkah Fitzpatrick – CB – New Jersey (Alabama)
11. Josh Sweat – DE – Virginia
13. Rasheem Green – DT – California
18. Jacques Patrick – RB – Florida
19. Malik Jefferson – LB – Texas
20. Rashad Roundtree – S – Georgia
22. Mitch Hyatt – OT – Georgia (Clemson)

4-stars:
26. Ray-Ray McCloud II – RB – Florida
30. Christian Kirk – WR – Arizona
32. Terry Beckner, Jr. – DT – Illinois
33. Kendall Sheffield – CB – Texas
35. Keisean Lucier-South – DE – California
36. Jerome Baker – ATH – Ohio
39. DaMarkus Lodge – WR – Texas
40. Drew Richmond – OT – Tennessee
41. Isaiah Prince – OT – Maryland
42. George Campbell – WR – Florida
43. Ronald Jones II – RB – Texas (Oklahoma State)
45. Soso Jamabo – RB – Texas
47. Jalen Dalton – DE – North Carolina
48. Garrett Taylor – CB – Virginia (Michigan)
49. Justin Hilliard – LB – Ohio
50. Jarrett Stidham – QB – Texas (Texas Tech)
55. Blake Barnett – QB – California (Notre Dame)
58. Osa Masina – LB – Utah
60. Shy Tuttle – DT – North Carolina
62. Tim Settle – DT – Virginia
63. Preston Williams – WR – Georgia (Tennessee)
64. Jeffrey Holland – LB – Florida
69. Sterling Jenkins – OT – Pennsylvania (Penn State)
76. Jashon Cornell – DE – Minnesota
77. Clelin Ferrell – DE – Virginia
79. Darian Roseboro – DE – North Carolina
84. Marcus Lewis – CB – Washington, DC (Florida)
87. Jake Fruhmorgen – OT – Florida (Clemson)
95. Pat Allen – OT – Maryland

Recruiting Update: May 19, 2014

Evans (GA) Eastlake safety Rashad Roundtree (the one catching the ball) (image via Columbia County News-Times)

COMMITMENTS
Indianapolis (IN) Lawrence Central linebacker Darrin Kirkland, Jr. committed to Michigan (LINK).

Bloomfield Hills (MI) Brother Rice quarterback Alex Malzone committed to Michigan. Later last week, Rivals released an article that placed Malzone as the #6 quarterback they saw on the Rivals Camp Series.

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2013
Huh? Why does this say 2013? Well, it’s because former Michigan target Ty Isaac, a running back who spent last year at USC, is transferring closer to his hometown in Illinois. I wrote a full piece on him on Friday (LINK).

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2015
Jacksonville (FL) Ed White cornerback Javaris Davis was offered by Michigan. You may also see him listed as “Javarius” but his Hudl profile says “Javaris,” so I’m inclined to trust that, since it’s posted by his own school. He’s a 5’9″, 175 lb. prospect with offers from Louisville, Michigan State, North Carolina, Pitt, South Florida, and Wisconsin, along with several others. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #46 running back, and #588 overall. Davis could play running back at the next level, but he does not appear to fit what Michigan wants from that position; Davis is more of a small, speed guy, whereas Michigan has preferred bigger backs in recent years. The coaches weren’t specific about position and said they wanted him as an “athlete.” Because the offer went out around the same time that news broke about Shaun Crawford visiting other schools, I’m inclined to believe they see him as a potential replacement for Crawford at corner in the class.

Lithonia (GA) Hapeville defensive end Arden Key was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’5″, 221 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Miami, Ole Miss, Oregon, South Carolina, and USC, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #10 weakside end, and #125 overall. He has a top five consisting of southern schools and Oregon, and I think it would be very difficult for Michigan to sway him.

Evans (GA) Eastlake safety Rashad Roundtree was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’1″, 195 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Ohio State, and several others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #6 safety, and #63 overall for 2015. Roundtree (no relation to former Michigan receiver Roy Roundtree, as far as I know) claims a 4.65 forty and is a big hitter with good ball skills. Georgia is far and away the leader, so I expect to see him become a Bulldog sooner or later.

Coppell (TX) Coppell offensive lineman Connor Williams was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’5″, 275 lb. prospect with offers from Arkansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oregon, and UCLA, along with several others. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #8 center, and #609 overall. Williams is a very interesting prospect because, based on his junior film, I think he could play any position on the line, including tight end. I don’t know that I’ve been able to say that about any other prospects. He plays tight end in high school and has the quickness to play the position, albeit as a blocking sort. He also has the feet to play tackle, the quickness to play center, and the pad level to be effective at center or guard. Of course, that doesn’t mean he will be great at any or all of those positions, but the versatility is impressive. Williams immediately placed Michigan his top five but has not made plans to visit. If his high school sounds familiar, he was the teammate of 2014 defensive end Solomon Thomas (Stanford), whom Michigan also recruited.

This is a long update, so hit the jump for 2016 and 2017 prospects, along with miscellaneous tidbits.

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2016
Cincinnati (OH) Moeller tight end Jake Hausmann was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’5″, 230 lb. prospect with offers from Cincinnati, Florida State, Kentucky, Louisville, Ohio State, Penn State, and Tennessee, along with several others. He’s a 247 Sports 4-star, the #6 tight end, and #183 overall. Hausmann’s parents went to Ohio State, his sister is a sophomore Buckeye, and former teammate Sam Hubbard – who also held a Michigan offer – is headed to Columbus. Odds are that he ends up wearing scarlet and gray.

Suwanee (GA) North Gwinnett wide receiver Josh Imatorbhebhe was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’2″, 202 lb. prospect with offers from Kentucky, Missouri, Nebraska, and Vanderbilt, along with a couple others. He’s a 247 Sports 4-star, the #36 wide receiver, and #211 overall. Imatorbhebhe has a 4.1 grade point average and is attracted to the Wolverines in part because of the academic reputation, which is the same reason Vanderbilt is on his radar.

San Jose (CA) Valley Christian wide receiver Collin Johnson was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’4″, 180 lb. prospect who committed to Texas approximately a month ago; he also has offers from Oregon State, TCU, and USC, among others. He’s a 247 Sports 4-star, the #16 wide receiver, and #85 overall.  Johnson isn’t particularly fast, but he has good leaping ability, body control, and hands.

Killeen (TX) Shoemaker defensive tackle Kendell Jones was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’4″, 295 lb. prospect with offers from Arkansas, Baylor, Oklahoma, Texas, and Texas A&M. He’s a 247 Sports 5-star, the #5 defensive tackle, and #21 overall. As a sophomore in 2013, he had 22 tackles, 9 tackles for loss, and 3 sacks. I expected to see more quickness out of Jones, but he mainly looks like a space eating nose tackle.

Cleveland (OH) Benedictine wide receiver Justin Layne was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’3″, 173 lb. prospect with offers from Miami, Michigan State, Pitt, and West Virginia. He’s a 247 Sports 4-star, the #18 wide receiver, and #88 overall. (Is it stupid to anyone else that there are 18 wide receivers among the top 88 players in the country? That’s roughly the same number of scholarships on a football team, so imagine having 17 or 18 wideouts on one team.) Layne is a teammate of 2015 linebacker Jerome Baker, whom Michigan is recruiting but will likely end up elsewhere, probably at Ohio State. While Baker has had several visits fall through, Layne is planning to visit Michigan for a basketball camp in early June.

Fort Worth (TX) All Saints Episcopal defensive tackle Michael Williams was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’2″, 290 lb. prospect with offers from Kansas State, Oklahoma State, and UCLA, among others. As a sophomore in 2013, he made 60 tackles, 8 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 2 pass breakups, and 1 forced fumble. Williams is a little quicker than Jones but not as powerful.

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2017
Orlando (FL) Dr. Phillips offensive tackle Calvin Ashley was offered by Michigan. He was offered in April but it only came out recently. He’s a 6’7″, 260 lb. prospect with offers from Clemson, Florida State, Louisville, Miami, Ole Miss, and South Carolina, among others. In case you don’t remember, Michigan recruited Dr. Phillips heavily in the Rodriguez years when they pursued Ha Ha Clinton-Dix (Alabama), Demetrius Hart (Alabama), LaQuentin Smith (Pitt), and Kenny Shaw (Florida State), plus Ricardo Miller, who transferred to Ann Arbor (MI) Pioneer for his senior year, attended Michigan, and then transferred to UMass.

OFF THE BOARD
Augusta (GA) Christian offensive guard Zach Giella committed to Clemson. Giella is the third Michigan-offered offensive lineman to commit to Clemson, joining fellow Georgian Mitch Hyatt and then Floridian Jake Fruhmorgen.

MISCELLANEOUS
Last week on Recruiting Season, I profiled Traverse City St. Francis TE Matt Seybert, St. Clair Shores South Lake RB Martell Pettaway, Livonia Churchill QB Brian Alsobrooks, West Bloomfield WR Obbie Jackson, and Muskegon Mona Shores QB Tyree Jackson.

Here’s a list of players Michigan has been visiting this month (LINK).

Here’s a bit on Darrin Kirkland, Jr., who visited Michigan this weekend (LINK).

Darrin Kirkland Jr., Wolverine

Darrin Kirkland, Jr. (right) with fellow Indiana linebacker Asmar Bilal

Indianapolis (IN) Lawrence Central linebacker Darrin Kirkland, Jr. committed to Michigan on Sunday. He chose the Wolverines over offers from Indiana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oregon, Penn State, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia Tech, and Wisconsin, among others.

Kirkland is a 6’2″, 228 lb. prospect. As a junior in 2013, he made 108 tackles, 7.5 sacks, 1 interception, 2 fumble recoveries, and 2 forced fumbles.

RATINGS
ESPN: 4-star, 81 grade, #7 ILB, #256 overall, #1 in Indiana
Rivals: 4-star, #6 ILB, #183 overall, #1 in Indiana
Scout: 4-star, #135 overall
247 Sports: 4-star, 90 grade, #7 ILB, #3 in Indiana

Kirkland visited Michigan numerous times throughout the recruiting process, including several times before he was offered. He was clearly hoping for an offer from the Wolverines, but the coaches took their time in evaluating him. At one point Kirkland’s father mentioned that if an offer didn’t come soon, Darrin the younger would have to look elsewhere, which was an indication that Michigan was at least one of his top couple schools, if not #1. In the meantime, offers rolled in from Penn State, Wisconsin, Tennessee, and Ole Miss. Then on April 4th, the offer from the Wolverines was extended. Shortly thereafter, Kirkland set a commitment day for May 30th, which was soon canceled after he picked up tenders from Oklahoma and Texas. He then said that he wanted to commit in August before his senior season began. On an unofficial visit to Ann Arbor this weekend, he unexpectedly committed, pulling head coach Brady Hoke out of church to do so.

Kirkland has the thickness of a prototypical middle linebacker. He’s a very stout player who won’t get pushed out of position and won’t get run over. He shows some good tackling ability and could be a menacing force as a thumping middle linebacker. While he doesn’t have great speed, he does show some solid short-area quickness and agility, which helps him avoid blockers and make some plays in confined spaces. He plays with good intensity and emotion, which is a plus for a defender.

I am not a fan of some of Kirkland’s habits, which may have more to do with his coaching. First of all, his stance is not consistent; he is not balanced and tips his blitzes. Also, I would like to see him taking a read step toward the line of scrimmage at the snap, but he mostly sits and waits until he reads the play. This concerns me because it may indicate some problems with play recognition. Kirkland does a poor job of engaging blockers, taking them on with his shoulder instead of his hands; at times he almost looks surprised when he gets blocked. As for athleticism, he lacks great speed and his feet are somewhat heavy, so he looks like a run-stopping specialist.

Overall, I think Kirkland has some positive qualities but does not look like a superstar in the making. He looks like an old-fashioned middle linebacker who can be effective against run-oriented Big Ten teams like Michigan State and Wisconsin. But he looks like a two-down linebacker who might find his lack of athleticism exposed against passing-oriented or spread teams. Ohio State ran all over Michigan last year with Carlos Hyde, so I see a need for players like Kirkland. The question is: how versatile can he be? I see him as a 3-4 inside linebacker, but he probably fits at MIKE for the Wolverines. The nearest approximation I can come up with from recent years is J.B. Fitzgerald, who made 58 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, and 1 sack from 2008-2011.

The Wolverines lose two senior inside linebackers after the 2014 season in the forms of Desmond Morgan and Jake Ryan. When Kirkland arrives in 2015, he will be competing with senior Joe Bolden, junior Ben Gedeon, redshirt sophomore Mike McCray, and potentially sophomores Michael Ferns and Noah Furbush, although we have seen that positions are fluid with Michigan moving from the 4-3 Under to the 4-3 Over this off-season. A redshirt seems like a 50/50 proposition.

Kirkland is Michigan’s seventh commitment in the class of 2015, a class that is currently scheduled to be roughly 13-strong. He’s the first commitment from Warren Central since mid-1990’s running back Ray Jackson. Before the commitment of Dan Samuelson in the 2013 class, it had been since 2008 (Kurt Wermers) that Michigan had gone without successfully recruited someone from the Hoosier State. With such a small class, this may spell the end of inside linebacker recruiting. The staff still wants a running back or two, a couple offensive linemen, at least one tight end, and at least one defensive end. However, the class’s numbers will inevitably grow by next February.

Highlights can be found on Hudl (LINK).

TTB Rating: 69 (ratings explanation)

Visitor: May 16-18, 2014

Darrin Kirkland, Jr. (right) visited with fellow Indiana linebacker Asmar Bilal this spring

Darrin Kirkland, Jr. – LB – Indianapolis (IN) Lawrence Central: Kirkland is a 6’2″, 228 lb. linebacker with offers from Michigan, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oregon, Penn State, Texas, and Tennessee, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #5 inside linebacker, and #194 overall. He had 110 tackles and 8 sacks as a junior in 2013. Kirkland visited Michigan several times and finally picked up a Michigan offer this spring; he was set to announce later this month, but then offers from Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, etc. caused him to take a step back. He now plans to make a decision in August. Michigan was thought to be one of his top couple schools, but things got foggier when he postponed the decision.

Alex Malzone, Wolverine

Bloomfield Hills (MI) Brother Rice quarterback Alex Malzone committed to Michigan on Monday.

Bloomfield Hills (MI) Brother Rice quarterback Alex Malzone committed to Michigan on Monday. He chose the Wolverines over offers from Pitt, Wake Forest, and a number of MAC schools.

Malzone’s 247 Sports profile indicates that he has grown to 6’3″ and 200 lbs. after being listed previously at 6’2″, 185 lbs. He claims a 5.13 forty. As a junior in 2013, he completed 190/281 passes (67.6%) for 2,785 yards and 25 touchdowns, along with 3 rushing touchdowns. His team went undefeated in 2013 on their way to a second consecutive state championship.

RATINGS
ESPN: 3-star pocket passer
Rivals: 3-star, #16 pro-style QB
Scout: 4-star, #15 QB, #236 overall
247 Sports: 3-star, #21 pro-style QB, #7 in-state

Malzone has been heavily interested in Michigan for a long time and has visited numerous times. I practically memorized his stats, physical attributes, and offer list from typing up visitor lists over the last year. Michigan’s coaching staff kept holding off on offering him while they pursued more highly valued targets. Shunned by the likes of Jarrett Stidham and Josh Rosen, offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier decided to do some spring evaluations and watch various players throw. After returning to Ann Arbor, Nussmeier met with the other coaches and they settled on Malzone, who was likely to commit whenever the coaches extended an offer. He was supposed to visit Ann Arbor early last week but had a scheduling conflict, so today’s visit to campus, offer, and commitment likely would have occurred a week ago if not for that conflict.

I wrote a scouting report on Malzone back in January when trying to rank the quarterbacks on Michigan’s radar (LINK). Excerpts on Malzone:

Malzone runs a somewhat multiple offense and has experience dropping back, from shotgun, or from the pistol formation. He has a slight build and is a little short at a listed 6’2″. He runs his offense very well, is a good ball handler, and seems to be in command. He’s a good athlete who can get on the edge a little bit and make some things happen with his feet, but he’s not a blazer. Malzone gets the ball out on time and shows good accuracy and touch. His throws on skinny posts appear to be right on the money, but I question whether he has the arm strength to squeeze those in there against faster and longer defenders. He has a little bit of a hitch in his throwing motion where he brings the ball down to throw it, not totally unlike a right-handed version of Tim Tebow. Michigan’s coaching staff has been somewhat erratic with the quarterbacks they’ve recruited (the 6’3″ sorta dual-threat Russell Bellomy, the 6’3″ Shane Morris with a rocket arm, the 6’6″ Wilton Speight), but I look at Malzone and see him being too short and lacking the arm strength that Michigan likely wants.

As you can see, he was #6 on my list in January. After new names surfaced in the wake of Doug Nussmeier’s hiring, he fell to #11 by March (LINK).

I have seen a lot of comparisons to A.J. McCarron, likely due to his relationship with Nussmeier. McCarron put up some good numbers at Alabama and became a 5th round pick of the Cincinnati Bengals, so most people in Ann Arbor would probably be happy with that kind of production.

Physically, Malzone does not have an impressive array of skills. He is a decent runner in high school but won’t be a running threat in college. He will be able to move in the pocket and do some bootlegs, but designed runs are likely out the window. Arm strength is also an issue. I mentioned the hitch in his delivery, which might get cleaned up a little bit once he starts concentrating on football full-time. (Malzone is also a standout baseball player but will give it up in college.) Furthermore, he has to work on using his lower body to power through his throws.

Overall, Malzone looks like a game manager. His best asset seems to be his understanding of timing, coverages, and game situations, and he looks like a cerebral player. That can go a long way but it requires a running game, an offensive line, and a good defense if you want to be a championship-level team.

Malzone will arrive in 2015 when the presumed starter will be junior Shane Morris backed up by redshirt senior Russell Bellomy (if he sticks around that long) and sophomore Wilton Speight. A redshirt for Malzone will probably be in order so he can compete for the starting job in the post-Morris era, likely as a redshirt sophomore in 2017.

This is Michigan’s sixth commitment in the 2015 class and the first from within the state. The Wolverines are probably done at quarterback in this recruiting cycle unless something unforeseen occurs. Currently, the class is scheduled to be roughly 13 members (LINK), but that number will certainly grow by February.

Michigan has not targeted many Brother Rice players in recent years, but several notable Wolverines have come from there, including long snapper Jareth Glanda, former punter Ross Ryan, and early 1990’s linebacker Steve Morrison. Morris has coached at Western Michigan and Syracuse in recent years, although he left Syracuse prior to the 2013 season. The Brother Rice Warriors also have a couple other FBS prospects in the form of wide receiver Grant Perry and defensive tackle Marc Miller.

TTB Rating: 73 (ratings explanation)