Tag: 2015 recruiting

Chris Clark, Ex-Wolverine

Avon (CT) Old Farms tight end Chris Clark

Avon (CT) Old Farms tight end Chris Clark decommitted from Michigan on Tuesday evening after head coach Brady Hoke was fired. Clark originally committed to the Wolverines in June (LINK).

Clark has had an up-and-down recruitment. He originally committed to North Carolina, then took a bunch of visits, then committed to Michigan, then expressed interest in visiting elsewhere. I always viewed his commitment as being lukewarm because of how often he changed his mind, so this was not a surprise at all, especially because he had stated that his commitment was mostly contingent on Hoke and tight ends coach Dan Ferrigno remaining on staff.

Clark quickly tweeted out that he would only be considering five schools going forward – Michigan, North Carolina, Texas, UCLA, and USC. If Michigan brings in someone known for using the tight end, like . . . say . . . Jim Harbaugh, I think there’s at least a decent chance that Clark re-enters the fold. On the other hand, if Michigan brings in a spread guru like Rich Rodriguez – who barely recruited the tight end position – then Clark is bound to land elsewhere.

The only other offered prospects at the tight end position are Floridian Devonaire Clarington (no chance) and Tyrone Wheatley, Jr. Wheatley did not react well to the firing of Hoke, so some fences may need to be mended there. He could also play offensive tackle or defensive end at the next level. For what it’s worth, Josh Helmholdt from Rivals believes that Tyrone Wheatley, Sr. might be willing to coach at Michigan if presented with an offer; he’s currently the running backs coach for the Buffalo Bills. It’s unlikely, but a hiring of Wheatley, Sr. would virtually cement a commitment from Wheatley, Jr.

Rivals 250 updated for 2015

Huber Heights (OH) Wayne safety Tyree Kinnel (image via 247Sports.com)

Rivals released its updated top 250 prospects for 2015 (LINK). The top 100 was updated yesterday (LINK). Here’s what the Rivals 250 looked like back in August (LINK).

Movement for Michigan commits:

– Tyree Kinnel dropped from #195 to #211
– Grant Newsome dropped from #199 to #215

Here are the rest of the Michigan offerees on the list:

111. Jashon Cornell – DE – Minnesota (Ohio State)
112. Clelin Ferrell – DE – Virginia (Clemson)
114. Dexter Williams – RB – Florida (Miami)
128. Keenan Walker – OT – Arizona (Arizona)
134. Juwan Johnson – WR – New Jersey (Penn State)
149. Matt Burrell, Jr. – OT – Virginia
151. Miles Boykin – WR – Illinois (Notre Dame)
152. Jaason Lewis – RB – Virginia (Tennessee)
158. John Reid – CB – Pennsylvania (Penn State)
163. Johnny Frasier – RB – North Carolina (Florida State)
168. Tim Settle – DT – Virginia
170. Auden Tate – WR – Florida (Florida State)
174. Darrin Kirkland, Jr. – LB – Indiana
178. Pat Allen – OT – Maryland (Georgia)
180. Ryan Bates – OT – Pennsylvania (Penn State)
182. Keaton Sutherland – OT – Texas (Texas A&M)
203. Josh Robertson – OG – California
206. Hjalte Froholdt – DT – Ohio (Arkansas)
208. Connor Williams – OT – Texas (Texas)
209. Sterling Jenkins – OT – Pennsylvania (Penn State)
211. Tyree Kinnel – S – Ohio (Michigan)
215. Grant Newsome – OT – New Jersey (Michigan)
228. Josh Barajas – LB – Indiana (Notre Dame)
238. Anthony Wheeler – LB – Texas
240. Henry Robertson – OT – Washington (Washington)
242. Devante Peete – WR – Florida
243. Joshua McMillon – LB – Tennessee (Alabama)
244. Kirk Merritt – WR – Louisiana

Rivals 100 for 2015 updated

Avon (CT) Old Farms tight end Chris Clark (image via DetroitNews.com)

Rivals released their updated top 100 prospects for the class of 2015 (LINK). Here’s what it looked like back in August (LINK).

Movement for Michigan commits:

– Chris Clark fell from #54 to #67
– Brian Cole fell from #89 to #91

5-stars:
1. Josh Rosen – QB – California (UCLA)
4. Iman Marshall – CB – California
10. Blake Barnett – QB – California (Alabama)
11. Damien Harris – RB – Kentucky
12. Jacques Patrick – RB – Florida (Florida State)
13. Cece Jefferson – DE – Florida
14. Tyron Johnson – WR – Louisiana
15. Minkah Fitzpatrick – CB – New Jersey (Alabama)
16. Mitch Hyatt – OT – Georgia (Clemson)
17. Soso Jamabo – RB – Texas
18. Ray-Ray McCloud III – ATH – Florida (Clemson)
22. Malik Jefferson – LB – Texas
25. Rasheem Green – DT – California
28. Drew Richmond – OT – Tennessee (Ole Miss)
29. Christian Kirk – WR – Arizona
30. Kevin Toliver II – CB – Florida (LSU)
31. Josh Sweat – DE – Virginia
32. Keisean Lucier-South – DE – California (UCLA)
33. Rashad Roundtree – S – Georgia (Georgia)

4-stars:
35. George Campbell – WR – Florida (Florida State)
39. Darian Roseboro – DE – North Carolina (North Carolina State)
40. Terry Beckner, Jr. – DT – Illinois
41. Jerome Baker – LB – Ohio (Ohio State)
44. Isaiah Prince – OT – Maryland
45. Justin Hilliard – LB – Ohio (Ohio State)
46. Kendall Sheffield – CB – Texas
49. DaMarkus Lodge – WR – Texas
50. Osa Masina – LB – Utah
55. Shy Tuttle – DT – North Carolina (Tennessee)
57. Jarrett Stidham – QB – Texas (Texas Tech)
63. Shaun Crawford – CB – Ohio (Notre Dame)
67. Chris Clark – TE – Connecticut (Michigan)
69. Jalen Dalton – DE – North Carolina (North Carolina)
71. Michael Weber – RB – Michigan
75. Deondre Francois – QB – Florida (Florida State)
78. Preston Williams – WR – Georgia (Tennessee)
79. Ronald Jones II – RB – Texas (Oklahoma State)
86. Garrett Taylor – CB – Virginia (Penn State)
89. Jake Fruhmorgen – OT – Florida (Alabama)
90. Jordan Whitehead – CB – Pennsylvania (Pitt)
91. Brian Cole – ATH – Michigan (Michigan)
93. Marcus Lewis – CB – Washington, D.C.

Recruiting Update: November 25, 2014

Keisean Lucier-South is heading to UCLA

DECOMMITMENT
Detroit (MI) Cass Tech running back Michael Weber decommitted from Michigan (LINK).

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2015
Nacogdoches (TX) Nacogdoches cornerback Jaylon Lane decommitted from Oklahoma State. Lane is a 6’1″, 177 lb. prospect with offers from Florida State, Georgia, Oklahoma, UCLA, and several others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #22 cornerback, and #203 overall. Oklahoma State has lost five games in a row, and head coach Mike Gundy has been rumored as a front-runner for the Florida job (although it’s tough to get fans excited about a coach who will probably lose his final six games of the year). Additionally, Lane was arrested for a felony and a couple misdemeanors. I do not expect Michigan to get involved.

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2017
Plano (TX) East linebacker Anthony Hines III decommitted from Mississippi State. Hines is a 6’2″, 218 lb. prospect with offers from Clemson, LSU, Miami, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Texas, Tecas A&M, and UCLA, among others. He’s a 247 Sports 4-star, the #6 outside linebacker, and #113 overall. Hines basically wants to check out other options without being tied down so early, and he also was turned off by head coach Dan Mullen yanking the scholarship of a committed 2015 quarterback last week. Again, Michigan is unlikely to have much of a shot here.

OFF THE BOARD
Orange (CA) Lutheran defensive end Keisean Lucier-South committed to UCLA. Lucier-South once called Michigan his dream offer, and there was some confidence among Michigan folk that they could land the 247 Composite 5-star, #2 weakside end, and #23 player overall. Unfortunately, Michigan’s poor season combined with a solid one from UCLA was too much to overcome. He will probably play outside linebacker in the Bruins’ 3-4 scheme, whereas he would be a defensive end in a 4-3 front.

MISCELLANEOUS
Here’s a list of visitors who saw Michigan lose to Maryland (LINK).

Over on Recruiting Season, I updated the profiles of Farmington Hills Harrison DE Khalid Kareem, Brother Rice WR Grant Perry, and Auburn Hills Avondale RB Joshuwa Holloman, among others.

Michael Weber, Ex-Wolverine

Michael Weber

Detroit (MI) Cass Tech running back Michael Weber decommitted from Michigan on Saturday afternoon. Or at least he made it public, via his Twitter account. Weber is a 247 Composite 4-star, the #13 running back, and #113 overall in the 2015 class. As a senior this season, he ran for over 2,000 yards during Cass Tech’s run to the state semifinals.

Weber had committed to the Wolverines back in August over offers from Michigan State, Ohio State, USC, and Wisconsin, among others. Almost immediately he mentioned that he still wanted to visit other schools, and I have been saying all along that I did not trust his commitment. Of course, Michigan fans shouldn’t hold it against a kid when he sees the coach who recruited him sitting on the hottest of hot seats. It’s practically a foregone conclusion that head coach Brady Hoke will be replaced sometime in the coming weeks, so it’s understandable that he would want to explore his options.

Hit the jump for thoughts on the position going forward.

This leaves Michigan in a somewhat precarious position. Destined to be a small class, anyway (Hoke said the biggest he thought it would get is 16, but that seemed high), the Wolverines are down to seven commitments for 2015. Weber is also the seventh  2015 recruit to renounce his commitment to Michigan, which is an absurdly high number. Furthermore, he is the second consecutive running back recruit to decommit, following Kentucky’s Damien Harris. Michigan does have decent numbers at running back with five guys there (Justice Hayes, Drake Johnson, De’Veon Smith, Derrick Green, and Ty Isaac) and a few others (Ross Douglas, Dennis Norfleet, Wyatt Shallman) who could fill a role. Michigan doesn’t absolutely need a running back in the class, but Hoke has said previously that he wants to take “a couple” backs in every class; you generally want those types of players because they can sometimes play receiver, safety, linebacker, cornerback, and special teams. If they do not take one in 2015, then that makes the running back position a priority in 2016.

Late in the class, the easiest guys to pull in are lower rated guys from within the state, or at least within the region. We have seen Michigan do that in recent years when they nabbed Thomas Rawls in 2011 and Dennis Norfleet in 2012. Unfortunately, there are few options in the 2015 class. Oak Park (MI) Oak Park’s John Kelly played running back in high school and has been offered by Michigan as a defensive back, but he was leaning toward Michigan State or Minnesota, and he is good friends with Weber. Auburn Hills (MI) Avondale’s Joshuwa Holloman is a genuine speedster committed to Cincinnati, but he lacks great running instincts. Other options include 247 Composite 2-stars Romello Ross (committed to CMU), Alex Grace (WMU), and Bobby Banks (CMU).