Tag: 2015 recruiting

2015 Recruiting Update: February 2, 2015

Brentwood (TN) Ravenwood wide receiver Van Jefferson

COMMITMENT?
Gardena (CA) Junipero Serra wide receiver Deontay Burnett may or may not have committed to Michigan (LINK). It sounds like he wanted to (or wants to) but either his coach or Rivals reporter Adam Gorney fouled something up.

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2015
Grayslake (IL) North running back Titus Booker, a Wisconsin commit, was offered by Michigan. Booker is a 5’11”, 172 lb. kid with a reported 4.41 forty time who committed to Wisconsin as a cornerback. He’s ranked as a 247 Composite 3-star, the #50 running back, and #673 overall. Booker immediately scheduled an official visit to Ann Arbor, but he pulled back on that almost as immediately and said he was solid to the Badgers. Michigan wanted him as a running back.

Shreveport (LA) Calvary Baptist running back Orlando Bradford, an Arizona commit, was offered by Michigan. Bradford is a 5’9″, 195 lb. back who’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #73 running back, and #997 overall. He immediately tweeted out that he appreciated the offer from Michigan, but that he was fully committed to the Wildcats.

Hit the jump for several more offers and tidbits.

Port Arthur (TX) Memorial running back Corey Dauphine, a Texas Tech commit, was offered by Michigan. Dauphine is a 6’0″, 185 lb. prospect with a 4.5 forty who’s ranked as a 247 Composite 4-star, the #18 running back, and #211 overall. Much like Bradford, Dauphine expressed thanks for the offer but said he was solid to the Red Raiders.

Sarasota (FL) Riverview running back Karan Higdon, an Iowa commit, was offered by Michigan. Higdon is a 5’10”, 190 lb. prospect who’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #40 running back, and #477 overall. He got the offer on Saturday morning, said he was solid to Iowa, and then scheduled a flight to Michigan for Saturday afternoon. Higdon runs hard and has good vision, but he’s not a breakaway back. However, the Wolverines need a backup plan for Michael Weber – if not a second back, period – so the coaching staff needs to look at a lot of options.

Brentwood (TN) Ravenwood wide receiver Van Jefferson, an Ole Miss commit, was offered by Michigan. Jefferson is a 6’2″, 183 lb. prospect who claims a 4.56 forty. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #11 wide receiver, #108 overall, and a U.S. Army All-American. Jefferson is the son of former NFL receiver Shawn Jefferson, who then became a coach for the Detroit Lions. Because of that, Van attended Orchard Lake (MI) St. Mary’s for his first couple years of high school before moving to Tennessee, where his dad is now the Tennessee Titans wide receivers coach. Immediately upon receiving the offer, an official visit was scheduled for this past weekend. Van was previously committed to Georgia before flipping to Ole Miss, so a pledge to Michigan would be the third during his recruiting process.

Boutte (LA) Hahnville wide receiver Brandon Singleton, a Cal commit, was offered by Michigan. Singleton is a 6’0″, 170 lb. prospect who’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #107 wide receiver, and #860 overall. He also has offers from Arkansas, Georgia Tech, and Minnesota. He just committed to Cal on January 26th, so it would be a quick flip and Singleton has not visited Ann Arbor.

OFF THE BOARD
Millburn (NJ) Millburn defensive end Jake Pickard flipped from Wisconsin to Syracuse. This was a very strange development, because he was committed to a powerhouse school, took an official visit to a big-time program in Michigan, canceled on official visit to powerhouse Oregon, and then . . . committed to Syracuse. I don’t understand this one at all.

MISCELLANEOUS
I posted my predictions for all of Michigan’s uncommitted offerees (LINK).

Here’s a list of this past weekend’s official visitors (LINK).

I updated several profiles of 2015 recruits within the state of Michigan (LINK).

Deontay Burnett, Wolverine

Gardena (CA) Junipero Serra wide receiver Deontay Burnett (image via DetroitNews.com)

Gardena (CA) Junipero Serra wide receiver Deontay Burnett committed to Michigan on Sunday. He had been committed to Washington State until that point, and he also had offers from Arizona State, Miami, and Utah, among others. UPDATE: Burnett denies that he committed to Michigan, and it’s unclear whether he’s denying it because someone jumped the gun or because he truly has not committed.

Burnett is a 6’0″, 166 lb. prospect who claims a 4.69 forty. As a senior this past season, he caught 27 passes for 545 yards and 5 touchdowns.

RATINGS
ESPN: 3-star, 76 grade, #139 WR
Rivals: 3-star, #59 WR
Scout: 3-star, #82 WR
247 Sports: 3-star, 86 grade, #97 WR

Burnett was a Washington State commit since July of 2014, but an offer last week came from the Wolverines, and he set the official visit to Michigan. Once on campus, he realized that it was an opportunity he couldn’t pass up. Despite possibly playing for a pass-happy offense at Washington State, the visibility of playing at Michigan is difficult to match.

Immediately when I saw Burnett’s film last week, I thought he could be a solid pickup at this juncture. Burnett has decent speed, but his most impressive quality is the ability to go get the ball, whether it’s high or low. He consistently outjumps defensive backs and has a knack for using his hands to come down with the ball. He runs pretty good – not great – routes and seems to understand coverages, locations of defenders, etc. Burnett has a little bit of wiggle to him, although probably not enough burst to be a consistent gamebreaker.

Obviously, he is very light and needs to add weight. He’ll have to be able to block well to get onto the field, so that may be a year or two away. I also think Burnett could run crisper routes, and some added muscle might help him with his acceleration and speed. As for his lack of outstanding production, he actually led the team in receiving – despite the presence of Stanley, who also plays defense – and Junipero Serra runs the ball pretty well. Their dual-threat quarterback (2016 four-star Khalil Tate) rushed for almost 1,300 yards, three other players rushed for more than 400 yards, and eight players had more than 100 yards receiving on the season, which means they spread the ball out quite a bit.

Overall, Burnett has a little bit of a Drew Dileo vibe to me. He’s not a true burner who can take the top off a defense regularly, but he has enough quickness to surprise someone once in a while. He’s also the type of guy who can catch the ball underneath and wriggle his way into a first down. With Michigan’s current recruiting situation, they might not be able to find a true gamebreaker, but this is a solid choice so late in the game.

Burnett’s high school produces a lot of high-quality talent. In the 2015 class alone, they have two Rivals 5-stars in linebacker John Houston and defensive end Rasheem Green. They also have a 4-star, Stanley Norman, who was an Army All-American and is headed to Arizona State. Last year Serra produced two guys Michigan was recruiting hard, wide receiver/cornerback Adoree Jackson (USC) and Dwight Williams (UCLA). And for the 2016 class, they already have three 4-stars and two 3-stars ranked by Rivals. If Michigan can get and keep their foot in the door, this could turn into a productive relationship with the school.

TTB Rating: 69 (ratings explanation)

Official Visitors: January 30 – February 1, 2015

Manlius (NY) Canisius tight end/defensive end Tyrone Wheatley, Jr. (image via MaxPreps)

Jarius Adams – CB – Palm Beach Gardens (FL) Dwyer: Adams is a 5’11”, 180 lb. prospect who has been committed to Rutgers since July. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #127 cornerback, and #1405 overall. Along with Michigan, Florida Atlantic and Wisconsin have also come in with offers in recent weeks. He took an official to FAU but won’t visit Madison, so his decision probably comes down to sticking with Rutgers or flipping to the Wolverines.

Titus Booker – RB – Grayslake (IL) North: Booker is a 5’11”, 172 lb. prospect who has been committed to Wisconsin since mid-November, and he was previously committed to Indiana. The Badgers want him as a cornerback, whereas Michigan is looking at him to run the ball. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #60 running back, and #767 overall. As a senior this past season, he rushed 184 times for 1,931 yards (10.1 yards/carry) and 26 touchdowns based on his 4.4 speed. He appears to be canceling an official visit to Iowa in order to visit Michigan. UPDATE: Booker no longer plans to visit Michigan and says he’s solid to Wisconsin.

Deontay Burnett – WR – Gardena (CA) Junipero Serra: Burnett is a 6’0″, 166 lb. prospect who has been committed to Washington State since last July; he also has offers from Arizona State, Miami, and Utah, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #85 wide receiver, and #686 overall. Burnett just got his offer from Michigan this week, so this is a quickly planned official visit. Junipero Serra produces a lot of high-quality talent, so getting a commitment from Burnett might help to get a foothold in the program.

Karan Higdon – RB – Sarasota (FL) Riverview: Higdon is a 5’10”, 190 lb. prospect who has been committed to Iowa since October; he also has offers from Arizona, Arkansas, South Florida, and Tennessee, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #40 running back, and #478 overall. Higdon is reportedly a high-character kid who originally said he is “all Iowa” after receiving the offer on Saturday morning, but he quickly planned a flight to Michigan for Saturday afternoon.

Van Jefferson – WR – Brentwood (TN) Ravenwood: Jefferson is a 6’2″, 183 lb. prospect who has been committed to Ole Miss for just a few days now; he has also taken visits to Georgia and Oklahoma. He’s a U.S. Army All-American, a 247 Composite 4-star, the #11 wide receiver, and #108 overall. As a senior this past season, he caught 47 passes for 1,224 yards and 13 touchdowns. For those worried about the rumored shady recruiting practices at Ole Miss (and elsewhere in the SEC), I’ll throw this out there: Jefferson’s father is former NFL wide receiver and current wide receivers coach Shawn Jefferson, so the draw of a $500 handshake may not be as enticing to the son of an NFL player and coach. Even so, Michigan is late to the party, but growing up in Michigan (Van used to attend Orchard Lake St. Mary’s while his dad coached for the Lions) may be a draw.

Tyrone Wheatley, Jr. – TE – Manlius (NY) Canisius: Wheatley is a 6’6″, 260 lb. prospect who has listed a top four that includes Alabama, Oregon, UCLA, and USC. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #12 strongside defensive end, and #310 overall. He recently played in the Semper Fi All-American Bowl. Wheatley could also play tight end or offensive tackle at the next level, although most coaches have been saying his highest upside is on defense. He is, of course, the son of former Michigan great Tyrone Wheatley, who went on to a solid NFL career with the Giants and Raiders. There’s also a younger brother, Terius, who is a 2016 prospect with no offers at this point. Tyrone, Jr. maintained for a while that Michigan had not talked to him in a while, the new staff was slot to contact him, and he was not sure if he would visit. Flying under the radar, however, he is taking a mid-week official visit to Ann Arbor, beginning on Tuesday.

2015 Recruiting Update: January 27, 2015

Left to right: Reuben Jones, Greg Mattison, and Jake Pickard

COMMITMENTS
Albuqerque (NM) Eldorado quarterback Zach Gentry committed to Michigan (LINK).

Lakeland (FL) Lake Gibson defensive end Reuben Jones committed to Michigan (LINK).

West Chester (OH) Lakota West offensive tackle Nolan Ulizio committed to Michigan (LINK).

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2015
Fort Lauderdale (FL) St. Thomas Aquinas cornerback Rashard Causey decommitted from Florida Atlantic. Michigan offered almost exactly a year ago, but then he surprisingly committed to FAU in April over some decent offers. The 6’0″, 185 lb. prospect took officials to Wisconsin and Louisville in the meantime, and he decommitted following the Louisville visit. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #50 cornerback, and #517 overall. He’s also a teammate of cornerback Damon Arnette, who visited Michigan two weekends ago but remains committed to South Carolina at this time. Causey transferred to St. Thomas Aquinas – a powerhouse program in Florida – prior to his senior season. Georgia and Tennessee have entered the fray and may be difficult to beat, but Michigan could also throw its hat into the ring once again, as Causey says he is “open to everyone.”

Houston (TX) Cypress Falls cornerback Nate Dalton was offered by Michigan. The 6’2″, 185 lb. prospect scheduled an official visit to Michigan for this past weekend, but he then promptly announced that he would not be taking the visit and committed to Arkansas instead. Dalton is a 247 Composite 3-star, the #90 cornerback, and #1011 overall, but the book appears to be closed on him. File him under “Off the Board.”

Manvel (TX) Manvel cornerback William Lockett was offered by Michigan. Lockett is a 6’0″, 182 lb. prospect who has been committed to UCLA since last August. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #79 cornerback, and #849 overall. Lockett took an official visit to Michigan this past weekend, but he has since said that he’ll stick with his commitment to UCLA. So maybe he should be in the “Off the Board” category.

Hit the jump for a couple more new offers, some commits elsewhere, and some other tidbits.

Omaha (NE) Central defensive end Daishon Neal was offered by Michigan. Neal is a 6’7″, 250 lb. prospect who has been committed to Nebraska since April 2014; he also has offers from Arkansas, Iowa, Oklahoma, and Oregon, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #36 strongside end, and #674 overall. Neal has said that he has narrowed his choices down to the Cornhuskers or potentially Michigan, and that was before the offer came through on Monday. It’s quite possible that he will visit Ann Arbor officially this coming weekend. As far as talent goes, Neal has some untapped potential. He’s a good athlete with some speed and length, but he plays a little high and doesn’t get off blocks as quickly as he should. I see him more as a 3-4 defensive end than a speed rusher or one-gap guy, so it will be interesting to see how Michigan runs their defense if he comes on board.

Millburn (NJ) Millburn defensive end Jake Pickard was offered by Michigan. Pickard is a 6’6″, 231 lb. prospect who has been committed to Wisconsin since last July; he also has offers from Nebraska, Oregon, Rutgers, and Syracuse, among others. Pickard canceled a potential official visit to Oregon for an official to Michigan this past weekend, and he will be having coaches from Syracuse, Wisconsin, and Michigan in to visit him this week. It was reported that Pickard was told he was the only defensive end Michigan is offering, but that deal seemed to expire on Monday when the coaches officially went after Neal. Pickard is another long, thick guy who is being recruited for the end position, but he could also play tight end, defensive tackle, or even offensive tackle, depending on how his body fills out. He seems to be a high-effort player whose film is full of him getting penetration and batting down passes, which can be be useful assets.

Prattville (AL) Prattville cornerback Keith Washington was offered by Michigan. Washington is a 6’2″, 170 lb. prospect who just committed to Cal on Sunday. He has also taken officials to North Carolina, Indiana, and Louisville – with two remaining – and holds offers from Duke (where he was committed last summer), Kentucky, Miami, Missouri, and TCU, among others. He is a 247 Composite 3-star, the #75 dual-threat quarterback, and #952 overall, but several teams are recruiting him as a defensive back. As a senior this past year, he was 93/162 for 1,718 yards, 17 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions; he also ran for 1,201 yards and 20 scores. He moved from Texas to Alabama prior to his senior year, which is why you might see some highlights wearing two different uniforms.

OFF THE BOARD
Princeton (NC) Princeton running back Johnny Frasier flipped from Florida State to North Carolina State. Frasier immediately becomes the Wolfpack’s top recruit (#76 overall), ranked even higher than former Michigan commit Darian Roseboro. They’re quietly putting together a solid class with #27 overall ranking for 2015.

Oak Park (MI) Oak Park running back John Kelly committed to Tennessee. Kelly was recruited hard by Jim Harbaugh, but Michigan got in on him late and he was friendly with Mike Weber. If the Wolverines had been able to hold onto Weber’s commitment, they might have had a chance. Instead, Weber is committed to Ohio State, and Kelly – who was not offered by the Buckeyes – chose the Volunteers.

Salt Lake City (UT) Brighton linebacker Osa Masina committed to USC. Masina is a 247 Composite 5-star and Michigan got in on him relatively early, but the Wolverines’ poor season seemed to turn him off. Michigan had been consistently in his top four or five schools, but they dropped out of it recently and it was understood they had no chance. Masina spurned the chance to play at Utah with his older brother.

Greenbelt (MD) Eleanor Roosevelt offensive tackle Isaiah Prince committed to Alabama. The Crimson Tide pulled off a minor upset by stealing him away from Maryland.

MISCELLANEOUS
Here’s a list of last weekend’s official visitors (LINK).

It’s obvious that Michigan wants at least one more cornerback in this class, but options are getting slim now that Dalton committed to Arkansas, Lockett reconfirmed to UCLA, and Long Beach (CA) Poly’s Colin Samuel canceled a hastily planned official visit. Late in the recruiting process, you start to look at lower-rated guys from Michigan or Ohio, places where a childhood affinity for – or awareness of – Michigan’s tradition can play a factor. I’ll throw out a few names to keep an eye on if Michigan continues to be rebuffed:

• Southfield (MI) Southfield wide receiver/defensive back Ja’Mar Antwine is a 6’0″, 181 lb. prospect who committed to Central Michigan last June. He’s a 247 Composite 2-star, the #236 cornerback, and #2682 overall. Antwine looks more like a safety at the next level and is probably an inch or two shorter than 6’0″.
• Grand Rapids (MI) Ottawa Hills wide receiver/cornerback Sam Beal is a 6’2″, 177 lb. prospect who’s committed to Western Michigan. He probably projects best as a wide receiver, but he has good speed and a long frame to work with. He’s a 247 Composite 2-star, the #165 athlete, and #2089 overall.
• Southfield (MI) Southfield wide receiver/cornerback Ray Buford, Jr. is 6’1″, 195 lbs. and committed to Minnesota last July over a bunch of MAC offers. He was a teammate of current Michigan defensive end Lawrence Marshall and Southfield has some decent prospects in the pipeline, too, including 2016 running back Matt Falcon. Buford doesn’t offer a ton of speed, but he has decent size and a solid frame. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #77 athlete, and #978 overall.
• Saline (MI) Saline defensive back Tyrone Miller started off his high school career at Ann Arbor (MI) Pioneer and has visited Michigan a few times. He’s 6’1″, 171 lbs. and claims a 4.61 forty. He’s not the quickest kid around, but he is fairly physical and could be a boundary corner, play in the slot, or play safety. Miller held out on committing to MAC schools for a while but committed to Central Michigan in December; however, he recently picked up offers from Kansas and more could be on the way. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #112 cornerback, and #1262 overall.

Over on Recruiting Season, I added/updated profiles on:

• Saline DB Tyrone Miller
• Farmington Hills Harrison LB Michael Ojemudia
• West Bloomfield DT Eddy Wilson II
• Bright TE Alexx Zielinski

Nolan Ulizio, Wolverine

West Chester (OH) Lakota West offensive tackle Nolan Ulizio with Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh

West Chester (OH) Lakota West offensive tackle Nolan Ulizio committed to Michigan on Sunday. He had previously been committed to UConn, and he also held offers from Cincinnati, Kentucky, and Pitt.