Berea (KY) Madison Southern running back Damien Harris
The U.S. Army All-Combine Team was selected by Rivals, and numerous Michigan targets are on the list. These are underclassmen who visit San Antonio and work out without pads, but it gives us a look at recruiting for 2014, 2015, and beyond. Players of note:
FIRST TEAM David Cornwell – QB – Jones (OK) Jones: No offer yet, but will perhaps be Michigan’s first QB offer for 2014. Damien Harris – RB – Berea (KY) Madison Southern: Offered, class of 2015, Michigan currently leads. Joe Mixon – RB – Oakley (CA) Freedom: Offered, class of 2014. L.J. Scott – RB – Marion (OH) Harding: Offered, class of 2014. Josh Malone – WR – Gallatin (TN) Station Camp: Offered, class of 2014. Jackson Barton – OT – Salt Lake City (UT) Brighton: Offered, class of 2014, committed to Utah.
SECOND TEAM Kaden Smith – TE – Flower Mound (TX) Marcus: Class of 2016, alma mater of Stephen Hopkins. Austin Hall – OG – Phoenix (AZ) Brophy Prep: Class of 2014, teammate of 2013 WR target Devon Allen.
HONORABLE MENTION Trace McSorley – QB – Ashburn (VA) Briar Woods: Teammate of 2013 target Matt Rolin (Florida). Matthew Domer – RB – Chicago (IL) Mt. Carmel: Attends alma mater of 2012 DT target Vontrell Williams (Illinois). Cordell Broadus – WR – Diamond Bar (CA) Diamond Bar: Class of 2015, son of Snoop Dogg/Lion. Kaelin Deboskie – WR – Colleyville (TX) Heritage: Class of 2014, brother of former Michigan RB target Covaughn Deboskie (Arizona/Cal). Jalen Embry – WR – Detroit (MI) King: Class of 2014, attends alma mater of RB/CB Dennis Norfleet. Chigozie Onyekwere – WR – Washington (DC) Friendship: Attends alma mater of former Michigan targets Yannick Ngakoue, Eddie Goldman (Florida State), and Malcolm Crockett (Pitt). Keon Paye – WR – Olney (MD) Good Counsel: Class of 2015, attends alma mater of Blake Countess and former Michigan targets Kendall Fuller (Virginia Tech), Dorian O’Daniel (Clemson), and Stefon Diggs (Maryland). Ryan Crozier – OC – Fort Lauderdale (FL) St. Thomas Aquinas: Class 0f 2014, teammate of 2014 WR offeree Corey Holmes, as well as 2013 DE target Joey Bosa (Ohio State).
Tarpon Springs (FL) East Lake wide receiver George Campbell, Jr. (image via 247 Sports)
ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2013
Philadelphia (PA) West Catholic offensive tackle Jaryd Jones-Smith was offered by Michigan. Jones-Smith is a 6’7″, 300 lb. tackle with offers from North Carolina State, Pitt, Virginia, and Wisconsin. Michigan just offered him in the last few weeks, around the same time they started pursuing Cameron Hunt, Kenny Lacy, and Dan Samuelson. Since that time Michigan won a re-commitment from offensive guard David Dawson, but the Wolverines are looking to add another lineman, so it makes sense that they would be pursuing guys who can play tackle at this point. Also, his nickname is “Hamburger.”
ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2014
Olney (MD) Good Counsel offensive guard Sam Mustipher was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’4″, 286 lb. prospect with offers from Maryland, Ohio State, Penn State, Rutgers, and others. Good Counsel is the alma mater of sophomore cornerback Blake Countess and also the home of former Michigan targets Wes Brown (Maryland), Stefon Diggs (Maryland), Kendall Fuller (committed to Virginia Tech), Jelani Jenkins (Florida), and Dorian O’Daniel (committed to Clemson). (Highlights.)
Pickerington (OH) Central outside linebacker/defensive end Jae’Sean Tate was offered by Michigan. Tate is a 6’6″, 200 lb. prospect who is committed to Ohio State to play basketball. The Wolverines are also pursuing him for basketball, so perhaps the coaches are hoping that the opportunity to play both sports could entice him to come north.
ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2015
East Lake (FL) Tarpon Springs wide receiver George Campbell, Jr. was offered by Michigan. Campbell is the younger teammate of a couple class of 2014 offerees, offensive tackle Mason Cole and wide receiver Artavis Scott. He’s a 6’5″, 198 lb. receiver who had 30 catches for 766 yards (25.5 yards/catch) and 5 touchdowns as a sophomore in 2012. Campbell also has offers from North Carolina State, South Florida, UCF, and Vanderbilt. I really like this kid’s film, and I think he’ll be one of the top wide receiver prospects in the 2015 class. (Highlights.)
OFF THE BOARD
Monaca (PA) Central Valley wide receiver Robert Foster committed to Alabama. Foster is widely considered to be an elite talent, but it sounds like he’ll have to spend a year at prep school before qualifying to play for the Crimson Tide.
Mesquite (TX) West Mesquite wide receiver Eldridge Massington committed to UCLA. Massington had previously been committed to USC, but they sort of pulled the rug out from under him because of his early-season ACL tear. He must have really wanted to be in Los Angeles, though, because he committed to their cross-town rival.
OFF THE BOARD
Tuscaloosa (AL) Northridge running back Bo Scarbrough, a 2014 prospect, committed to Alabama. It was presumed that the Crimson Tide would be his eventual destination, and he pulled the trigger at the end of last week. Here are some highlights so you can see what Michigan is missing:
VISITORS
This wasn’t a big weekend for visits, and headliner LaQuon Treadwell was unable to make the trip from Illinois. However, there were several Cass Tech prospects on hand, including 2014 cornerback Damon Webb. Here’s the list.
Detroit (MI) Cass Tech defensive end Joshua Alabi. Alabi is a 6’4″, 245 lb. defensive end from the class of 2015.
Nashville (TN) Montgomery Bell offensive tackle Alex Bars. Bars is a 6’6″, 255 lb. kid who doubles as a defensive end, but Michigan has offered the 2014 prospect as an offensive tackle. His brother is Michigan true freshman Blake Bars, but he also has a brother at Penn State.
Detroit (MI) Cass Tech quarterback Jayru Campbell. The 6’3″, 175 lb. Campbell led Cass Tech to a state championship last year despite being just a freshman. He has offers from Alabama and Notre Dame already. (Highlights.)
Detroit (MI) Cass Tech offensive tackle/guard David Dawson. Dawson is already committed to Michigan.
Grand Rapids (MI) Christian offensive tackle Tommy Doles. Doles is a class of 2014 kid who has visited Michigan multiple times and lists them among his leaders. Iowa State is the only other team to offer so far.
Detroit (MI) Cass Tech running back/linebacker Deon Drake. Drake is a 6’1″, 215-pounder with offers from Iowa, Michigan State, Nebraska, and Notre Dame, among others. (Highlights.)
Muskergon (MI) Muskegon offensive guard Kenny Finley. Finley is a 6’4″, 270 lb. guard from the 2014 class with zero offers. Muskegon is typically a good program, but no Wolverine has come out of there since Terrance Taylor.
Detroit (MI) Cass Tech running back/linebacker Gary Hosey. Hosey is a 6’0″, 230 lb. back from the class of 2014. He has zero offers at this point, but Michigan has discussed recruiting him at running back; I don’t think he has the speed to be an elite prospect. (Highlights.)
Trotwood (OH) Trotwood-Madison linebacker Mike McCray II. McCray is already committed to Michigan.
Macomb (MI) Lutheran North kicker J.J. McGrath. McGrath has zero offers at this point, but offers usually come later for kickers than other positions.
Warren (OH) Howland running back DeVeon Smith. Smith is already committed to Michigan.
Middletown (OH) Middletown tight end Chance Sorrell. Sorrell is a 6’6″, 225-pounder from the class of 2014 without any offers so far. Michigan has offered three other tight ends in the class, but Nic Weisher seems to be the only viable option of those three.
Crete (IL) Crete-Monee wide receiver LaQuon Treadwell. Treadwell is Michigan’s top target at wide receiver for the class of 2013; likewise, Michigan has reportedly been at the top of his list for most or all of his recruitment. He has visited Ann Arbor several times before, but he also has serious interest in other schools, including pass-happy Oklahoma State. EDIT: Treadwell is no longer visiting Michigan this weekend. (Highlights.)
Detroit (MI) Cass Tech wide receiver/cornerback Damon Webb, a 2014 prospect, will be visiting. Webb has been offered by Michigan and his leaders are the Wolverines, LSU, Michigan State, and Ohio State. Webb transferred to Cass Tech prior to this season, so his bond with other Michigan-bound players from that school (David Dawson, Jourdan Lewis, Royce Jenkins-Stone, Terry Richardson, etc.) may not be as strong. (Highlights.)
Detroit (MI) Cass Tech linebacker William White. White is a 6’1″, 220 lb. linebacker from the class of 2014. He has zero offers at this point, but some will likely be coming down the road. (Highlights.)
Harper Woods (MI) Chandler Park wide receiver Csont’e York. York is already committed to Michigan.
Grand Rapids (MI) Christian offensive tackle Tommy Doles was offered by Michigan. Doles is a 6’5″, 260 lb. lineman whose only offer comes from Michigan. He attends the same high school as a fellow 2014 offeree, wide receiver Drake Harris. So far Michigan’s coaches are recruiting Doles as an athlete and are looking at him for offensive line, defensive line, or perhaps even as a tight end. (Highlights.)
New Orleans (LA) St. Augustine running back Leonard Fournette was offered by Michigan. Fournette is a 6’0″, 210 lb. tailback with offers from Alabama, Florida, Florida State, LSU, Notre Dame, and many others. As a freshman in 2010, he had 174 carries for 1,735 yards and 22 touchdowns.
Shaker Heights (OH) Shaker Heights defensive end Joe Henderson was offered by Michigan. Henderson is a 6’4″, 215 lb. high school defensive end who looks like he would play weakside end if he chooses Michigan, the only team to have offered so far. (Highlights.)
Fort Lauderdale (FL) St. Thomas Aquinas wide receiver Corey Holmes camped at Michigan and earned an offer. Holmes is a 6’1″, 175 lb. receiver with offers from Florida, South Florida, and Wisconsin. He stated that Michigan sits atop his list, but it’s early in the process. Holmes is the teammate of defensive end Joey Bosa, whom Michigan offered for the 2013 class before he committed to Ohio State. (Highlights.)
Monroeville (PA) Gateway safety Montae Nicholson was offered during camp. He’s a 6’2″, 195 lb. safety who could play either strong or free, and he has already been offered by Penn State and Pitt. Gateway consistently puts out FBS talent, including guys like Shayne Hale (Pitt), Cam Saddler (Pitt), Corey Brown (Ohio State), and Dorian Bell (Ohio State). (Highlights.)
La Porte (TX) La Porte linebacker Hoza Scott was offered by Michigan. At 6’2″ and 205 lbs., he already holds offers from Alabama, Florida, LSU, Texas, and USC, among others. Last month he named his top five; four of them are in the SEC, and the other one is Cal. He appears to be a long shot to come to Michigan, but you can see in the highlights that the kid is a playmaker, pulling off outside linebacker plays that I normally see only in NCAA Football ’12.
Mansfield (TX) Timberview safety Brandon Simmons was offered by Michigan. Simmons is a 6’0″, 170 lb. free safety or cornerback prospect with offers from LSU, Notre Dame, Ohio State, and several others. His teammate is fellow safety prospect Edward Paris, who has also been offered by the Wolverines. As a sophomore in 2011, Simmons had 100 tackles, 15 pass breakups, 3 interceptions, 2 sacks, and 1 forced fumble. (Highlights.) ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2015
Sherman (TX) Sherman offensive tackle Aaron Garza was offered by Michigan. Garza is a 6’4″, 300 lb. lineman.
Berea (KY) Madison Southern running back Damien Harris was offered by Michigan. And yes, I’ve started a 2015 offer board, and Harris was the first name on that list. That means 2011 was Harris’s freshman season, but he ran the ball 62 times for 742 yards (11.4 yards per carry) and 11 touchdowns while playing in just six games on varsity. He’s already 6’0″ and 200 lbs. (Highlights.)
OFF THE BOARD
San Diego (CA) Horizon wide receiver Darren Carrington committed to Oregon. He was just recently offered by Michigan and mentioned plans to attend camp but never made it to Ann Arbor.
Hilliard (OH) Darby athlete Caleb Day committed to Illinois. Day didn’t have a Michigan offer but camped at Michigan last week in an effort to earn one. He could play several positions in college, including running back, wide receiver, cornerback, or safety.
Wide receiver Sebastian LaRue committed to USC. Michigan had a shot to win over LaRue until the Trojans offered. Then it was game over.
VISITORS
Seffner (FL) Armwood wide receiver Alvin Bailey will be visiting Michigan this week. Bailey has already been offered by Michigan and is the teammate of highly touted defensive back Leon McQuay III, who has Michigan in his top three after visiting last month.
Cordova (TN) St. Benedict running back Jordan Wilkins is visiting Michigan today. He already visited Auburn and almost committed there, and he mentioned that he wants to play early. That may be difficult with all the other running backs on Michigan’s roster. I have doubts about whether a visit will sway Wilkins, but at least he’s coming to campus. I wrote up a scouting report on him a month ago.
