Tag: 2016 recruiting

Scouting Report: Terrance Davis

Hyattsville (MD) DeMatha offensive guard Terrance Davis

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Name: Terrance Davis
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 305 lbs.
High school: Hyattsville (MD) DeMatha
Position: Offensive guard
Class: 2016

Notes: Holds offers from Alabama, Arkansas, Duke, Florida State, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State, Rutgers, South Carolina, Tennessee, UCLA, and Virginia Tech . . . ESPN unranked OG . . . Rivals 4-star, #5 OG, #124 overall . . . Scout 4-star, #10 OT, #71 overall . . . 247 Sports 4-star, #3 OG, #148 overall . . . Teammate of 2017 RB offeree Anthony McFarland, Jr.

Strengths: Huge body . . . Size is college-ready . . . Understands angles . . . Has good feel for sealing off defenders . . . Decent pass protector . . . Understands stunts and maintains pocket integrity . . . Too big and sturdy to bull rush . . . Moves feet consistently in pass pro

Weaknesses: Poor footwork . . . Too many false steps . . . Plays too upright . . . Stands straight up at the snap . . . Mediocre athlete . . . Lacks straight-line speed . . . Also lacks lateral agility when working up to second level . . . Reaches too much . . . Needs to work on hand placement . . . Gets out-leveraged by smaller opponents . . . Does not finish blocks consistently

Projection: Offensive guard. Davis has a great body for the college level, but his athleticism doesn’t match up. He has some bad weight on him, and a college strength and conditioning program will obviously help. But he needs a lot of technique work in the run game, and he plays too high to be very successful, which can be a difficult problem to fix. Davis needs to be in a pro-style system where his size and strength in confined spaces can be an asset. Frankly, I believe the three sites to have ranked him so far have placed him too high on their lists. He is certainly an FBS prospect but has somewhat limited utility until he refines his technique and gets in better shape.

Reminds me of: Brett Gallimore. Perhaps this is an odd comparison, but Gallimore was a 6’5″, 290 lb. offensive tackle in high school who was a Rivals 4-star, the #10 tackle, and #96 overall. He was large and pushed people around, but a couple years ago when I was reviewing the class of 2004, I looked back on his film. And boy, oh boy, he was a big kid who just didn’t understand leverage, moving his feet, etc. I think Davis is a bit more refined, but Gallimore is who I was reminded of initially. (For those who don’t remember, Gallimore spent four years on the team, barely played, and left the team when Lloyd Carr did, forgoing a fifth year.)

Likelihood of committing to Michigan: Strong. Davis has been tweeting about Michigan a lot, loved his visit this spring, has 56% of his Crystal Balls in favor of the Wolverines, and wore Michigan gear to camp last weekend (with his mom wearing a matching “M” cap). If National Signing Day were today, there’s a very good chance he would be signing with Michigan.

Highlights:

2016 Recruiting Update: April 20, 2015

Paramus (NJ) Catholic wide receiver Donald Stewart (image via NorthJersey.com)

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COMMITMENT
Houston transfer quarterback John O’Korn finally got a writeup (LINK).

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2016
Moultried (GA) Colquitt linebacker Ja’Quain Blakely was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’2″, 205 lb. prospect with offers from Arkansas, Florida, Iowa, Mississippi State, Nebraska, and Tennessee, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #34 outside linebacker, and #476 overall. Blakely has some good coverage ability and changes direction well in space. He named Florida his early leader after they offered, although other schools have continued to come in with offers in recent weeks.

Lake Forest (IL) Academy defensive end Daniel Joseph was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’3″, 240 lb. prospect with offers from Illinois, Iowa, Michigan State, Nebraska, and Stanford, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #16 strongside end, and #267 overall. Joseph looks a little passive at times, especially when taking on blockers, but he’s an aggressive tackler. He also shows some impressive athleticism in the linked highlight when he leaps for a one-handed touchdown reception, although he does not consistently show that kind of effort. His two leaders at this time appear to be Iowa and Michigan State.

Hit the jump for a couple guys added to the board, several guys who committed elsewhere, and some random bits.

Savannah (GA) Christian wide receiver Demetris Robertson decommitted from Alabama. Robertson is a 6’1″, 165 lb. prospect who is now considering Georgia, LSU, Stanford, and possibly others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #1 athlete, and #35 overall. He’s blazing fast and claims a 4.38 forty. Robertson was originally recruited by Michigan as a wideout, although he could play several different skill positions in college. The linked highlights say that he touched the ball 25 times in his first four games and scored 10 touchdowns.

Paramus (NJ) Catholic wide receiver Donald Stewart was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’4″, 180 lb. prospect with offers from Iowa, Maryland, Northwestern, and Rutgers, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #148 wide receiver, and #1030 overall. Stewart has good size and just so-so speed, but where he makes hay is with his precise attention to route running. He attends the alma mater of Jabrill Peppers and Juwann Bushell-Beatty, which is also the former team of recruiting coordinator Chris Partridge. Steve Lorenz of 247 Sports recently put in a Crystal Ball pick for Stewart to Michigan.

OFF THE BOARD
Cleveland (OH) St. Ignatius offensive tackle Liam Eichenberg committed to Notre Dame. His affection for Notre Dame was the worst kept secret in the midwest.

Oradell (NJ) Bergen Catholic quarterback Jarrett Guarantano committed to Tennessee. I had pegged Guarantano for Ohio State initially, but Texas quarterback Tristen Wallace committed to the Buckeyes first. As soon as Guarantano heard, he said he would be announcing that afternoon, and he chose the Volunteers. Michigan was not actively recruiting Guarantano since the Harbaugh hire.

Santa Ana (CA) Mater Dei offensive tackle Frank Martin II committed to USC. The Trojans also picked up another big-time tackle this weekend in Nathan Smith, whom Michigan was feeling out but had not yet offered.

Charlotte (NC) Ardrey Kell defensive end Julian Okwara committed to Notre Dame. He had named Michigan to his top five prior to the announcement, but he had never visited Ann Arbor. Okwara’s brother, Romeo, also plays for Notre Dame.

Santa Ana (CA) Mater Dei linebacker Curtis Robinson committed to Stanford. A teammate of Martin’s, Robinson was one of the new staff’s first volley of offers in the Golden State. On the bright side, Michigan is going so hard after California kids that not all of them can commit to Stanford, UCLA, and USC. So there’s that.

Flower Mound (TX) Marcus tight end Kaden Smith committed to Stanford. Michigan had made some inroads with Smith since Harbaugh was hired, but it was always going to be a long shot. He had basically written off Michigan altogether when Hoke was still in town.

Copperas Cove (TX) Copperas Cove offensive tackle J.P. Urquidez committed to Baylor. A military son, Urquidez transferred from the Big Ten imprint – at Hyattsville (MD) DeMatha – to Copperas Cove after his junior season was finished. That move paid off for the Golden Bears.

Stow (OH) Walsh Jesuit center Jack Wohlabaugh committed to Ohio State. Wohlabaugh’s offer from Michigan was his best offer up until this past weekend, when he visited Columbus for the Buckeyes’ spring game and was offered. He committed on the spot. Wohlabaugh is the son of former NFL center Dave Wohlabaugh, a Super Bowl champion with the New England Patriots.

MISCELLANEOUS
Scout updated their top 300 prospects (LINK).

I posted a scouting report on Philadelphia (PA) Imhotep tight end Naseir Upshur (LINK).

Over on Recruiting Season, I added/updated profiles for Plymouth offensive tackle Michael Jordan and Warren Mott wide receiver Tylen Redding.

Scout 300 updated for 2016

Downers Grove (IL) South offensive tackle Erik Swenson is the #102 player

Scout updated their top 300 players for the class of 2016 (LINK) a couple days ago. Here are a list of Michigan commits:

– Erik Swenson is #102
– Matt Falcon is #147
– Brandon Peters is #283

Hit the jump for all of Michigan’s targets on the list.

5-stars:
1. Rashan Gary – DT – New Jersey
5. Greg Little – OT – Texas (Texas A&M)
6. Shea Patterson – QB – Lousiana (Ole Miss)
8. Caleb Kelly – LB – California
10. Nate Craig – WR – Florida (Auburn)
11. Jacob Eason – QB – Washington (Georgia)
12. Kareem Walker – RB – New Jersey (Ohio State)
13. Ed Oliver – DT – Texas
16. Levonta Taylor – CB – Virginia (Florida State)

4-stars:
21. Ben Bredeson – OT – Wisconsin
22. Justin Madubuike – DE – Texas
25. Dexter Lawrence – DT – North Carolina
26. Devin Duvernay – WR – Texas
31. Michael Menet – OT – Pennsylvania
32. Binjimen Victor – WR – Florida
33. Tommy Kraemer – OT – Ohio (Notre Dame)
36. Boss Tagaloa – DT – California
37. Willie Allen – OT – Louisiana
38. Ben Davis – LB – Alabama
39. Brandon Jones – S – Texas
42. Mique Juarez – LB – California (USC)
44. Charlie Woerner – TE – Georgia
46. Kaden Smith – TE – Texas (Stanford)
47. Jack Jones – ATH – California
48. E.J. Price – OT – Georgia (Georgia)
49. Ahmir Mitchell – ATH – New Jersey
50. Marlon Davidson – DE – Alabama
51. Curtis Robinson – LB – California (Stanford)
52. Jeffrey McCulloch – LB – Texas
53. Demetris Robertson – ATH – Alabama (Alabama)
54. Jaquan Yulee – LB – Virginia
55. K.J. Costello – QB – California (Stanford)
56. Jared Mayden – CB – Texas
57. Janarius Robinson – DE – Florida (Florida State)
59. Clark Yarbrough – OT – Virginia
64. Collin Johnson – WR – Texas (Texas)
66. Liam Eichenberg – OT – Ohio
67. Dylan Crawford – WR – California
68. Dee Anderson – WR – Texas
71. Terrance Davis – OT – Maryland
76. Ben Cleveland – OG – Georgia (Georgia)
80. Isaiah Chambers – DE – Texas
81. Isaac Nauta – TE – Georgia (Florida State)
82. Jordan Elliott – DT – Texas
83. Lokeni Toiailoa – LB – California (UCLA)
84. Austin Mack – WR – Indiana
85. Trayvon Mullen – CB – Florida
87. Dontavious Jackson – LB – Texas
88. Auston Robertson – DE – Indiana
89. Devin Asiasi – TE – California
91. Devin White – LB – Louisiana
92. Jake Hausmann – TE – Ohio (Ohio State)
96. Theo Howard – WR – California (Oregon)
98. Miles Sanders – RB – Pennsylvania (Penn State)
99. Chris Daniels – DT – Texas
102. Erik Swenson – OT – Illinois (Michigan)
103. Josh King – DE – Illinois
104. Erick Fowler – DE – Texas
107. Malik Henry – QB – California (Florida State)
108. Sam Bruce – WR – Florida (Miami)
110. Mike Williams – DT – Texas
111. Jaylon Jones – CB – Texas
112. Nigel Knott – CB – Mississippi
113. Scott Bracey – WR – Virginia (Duke)
114. Donnie Corley – WR – Michigan
116. Jonah Williams – OT – California (Alabama)
122. Jordan Fuller – CB – New Jersey
126. Jarrett Guarantano – QB – New Jersey (Tennessee)
134. Steven Smothers – WR – Maryland
135. Julian Okwara – DE – North Carolina (Notre Dame)
144. Brad Hawkins – WR – New Jersey
145. Michael Jordan – OT – Michigan
146. Devery Hamilton – OT – Maryland
147. Matt Falcon – RB – Michigan (Michigan)
149. Amani Bledsoe – DE – Kansas
152. Rahshaun Smith – DE – Florida (Clemson)
154. Luke Farrell – TE – Ohio
157. Camilo Eifler – LB – California
159. Mecole Hardman – ATH – Georgia
160. Trevon Sideny – ATH – California
163. Eli Stove – WR – Florida
167. Michael Onwenu – DT – Michigan
170. Lavert Hill – CB – Michigan (Penn State)
171. Shaquille Quarterman – LB – Florida (Miami)
172. Antonio Williams – RB – North Carolina (Wisconsin)
174. C.J. Pollard – S – California
179. Justin Layne – WR – Ohio
184. John Broussard – CB – Alabama
187. Cole Van Lanen – OT – Wisconsin
201. Daelin Hayes – LB – Michigan (USC)
203. Xavier Kelly – DE – Kansas
208. Frank Martin II – OT – California (USC)
212. Naseir Upshur – TE – Pennsylvania
213. Jacob Mathis – TE – Florida
214. Darrian Franklin – LB – California
219. Patrick Bethel – DE – Florida
225. David Long – CB – California
228. Levi Onwuzurike – DE – Texas
235. Wayne Davis – CB – Virginia
236. Steffon McKnight – WR – California
237. Marquel Dismuke – S – California (Cal)
238. Dwayne Haskins – QB – Maryland
239. Khalid Kareem – DE – Michigan
243. Calvin Bundage – S – Oklahoma
250. Eric Cuffee – CB – Texas
251. Cameron Lewis – S – Louisiana (LSU)
256. Thiyo Lukusa – OG – Michigan
259. Cary Angeline – TE – Pennsylvania
260. Desmond Fitzpatrick – WR – Michigan (Louisville)
264. Damar Hamlin – CB – Pennsylvania
266. Terrell Hall – DE – Washington, D.C. (Ohio State)
268. LaMar Winston – LB – Oregon
271. Connor Murphy – DE – Arizona
277. Demetric Vance – S – Michigan
279. Naquan Jones – DT – Illinois
280. Bryson Young – DE – California
283. Brandon Peters – QB – Indiana (Michigan)
285. Simi Fehoko – WR – Utah
291. Jauan Williams – OT – Washington, D.C.
292. Tavares Chase – WR – Florida
293. Jordan Woods – DE – Florida

Scouting Report: Naseir Upshur

Philadelphia (PA) Imhotep tight end Naseir Upshur with former Michigan tight ends coach Dan Ferrigno in June 2014 (image via GBMWolverine)

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Name: Naseir Upshur
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 233 lbs.
High school: Philadelphia (PA) Imhotep
Position: Tight end
Class: 2016

Notes: Holds offers from Alabama, Arizona, Arizona State, Auburn, Boston College, Cincinnati, Connecticut, Florida, Florida State, Illinois, Iowa, LSU, Maryland, Massachusetts, Miami, Michigan, Michigan State, Mississippi State, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Ohio State, Penn State, Pitt, Purdue, Rutgers, South Carolina, Syracuse, Temple, Tennessee, UCF, UCLA, USC, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, West Virginia, Western Michigan, Wisconsin. . . 22 catches, 640 yards, 11 touchdowns; 20 tackles, 6 sacks as a junior in 2014 . . . Claims 4.7 forty . . . 4.47 shuttle . . . 26.7″ vertical . . .  Rivals 4-star, #3 TE, #61 overall . . . Scout 4-star, #10 TE, #212 overall . . . 247 Sports 4-star, #7 TE, #208 overall

Strengths: Thick, powerful lower body . . . Adept and potent blocker . . . Drives feet after contact . . . Blocks through the whistle . . . Impressive straight line speed . . . Tough to bring down for defensive backs . . . Good agility . . . Solid route runner . . . Understands how to threaten and beat coverages

Weaknesses: Rather short for tight end . . . Does not possess ideal length . . . Limited catching radius . . . Body catcher . . . Does not extend hands well

Projection: Tight end/H-back. Upshur has the tenacity to become an inline tight end and blocker, but he lacks ideal size for the position and might top out around 240 lbs. He probably projects best as a complementary tight end or an H-back type who can go in motion, line up as a wing, work out of the slot, etc. He is not a mismatch in the passing game because he lacks the explosiveness and catching radius to beat well trained pass defenders. However, he could be effective on seam routes, an occasional bubble screen, bootlegs, etc. He will also be a strong point in the running game, where he can latch onto and overpower second-level defenders. If offense doesn’t work out, Upshur could also play defensive end, where he has some explosiveness and a nose for the ball.

Reminds me of: Khalid Hill. Upshur’s size is similar to that of Vernon Davis, but he lacks the same kind of speed. Hill is a similar type of player in regard to pass catching and overall physical profile, but Upshur is more explosive and a stronger blocker.

Likelihood of committing to Michigan: Steve Lorenz recently predicted that Upshur would end up committing to Michigan. Jay Harbaugh is his recruiter and has been coming after him hard. He essentially has his choice of schools, and there has been some talk about him playing with Maryland quarterback Dwayne Haskins, who is bound for somewhere other than Ann Arbor. Overall, Michigan is one of his top few schools right now and at least has a strong chance to secure his commitment.

Highlights:

Hudl highlights.

Recruiting Update: April 13, 2015

Oak Park (MI) Oak Park offensive tackle JaRaymond Hall

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COMMITMENTS
Southfield (MI) Southfield running back Matt Falcon committed to Michigan (LINK).

Weber State punter Blake O’Neill is transferring to Michigan (LINK).

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2016
Houston (TX) Westside defensive tackle Jordan Elliott decommitted from Baylor. He’s a 6’4″, 305 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Florida State, Oklahoma, Texas, Texas A&M, and USC, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #12 defensive tackle, and #93 overall. As a junior in 2014, he made 78 tackles, 31 tackles for loss, and 12 sacks. The decommitment took place shortly after he took an unofficial visit to Texas, and the Longhorns are thought to be the favorite to land Elliott.

Jacksonville (FL) First Coast wide receiver Kevin Stepherson was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’0″, 180 lb. prospect with offers from LSU, Notre Dame, and others. He’s a Rivals 3-star wideout and seems relatively unknown at this time, but he shows some good long speed and an ability to run after the catch. The Tigers and Fighting Irish make up his top two, so Michigan has some catching up to do.

Hit the jump for several more new offers and some miscellaneous bits.

Rialto (CA) Carter linebacker Lokeni Toaioloa, a UCLA commit, was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’1, 212 lb. prospect who committed in late March; he also has offers from Miami, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Oregon, and USC, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #1 inside linebacker, and #58 overall. Toaioloa is a solidly built, hard-hitting linebacker and probably won’t give Michigan much of a look.

Green Bay (WI) Bay Port offensive tackle Cole Van Lanen was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’5″, 270 lb. prospect with offers from Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #27 offensive tackle, and #279 overall. Wisconsin is the odds-on favorite.

Springhill (LA) North Webster linebacker Devin White was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’1″, 260 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Ohio State, Ole Miss, and Texas A&M, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #10 athlete, and #148 overall. The reason he’s labeled as an “athlete” is because in addition to making 90+ tackles in each of the past two seasons, he ran for 2,287 yards and 30 touchdowns as a junior running back in 2014. He could play linebacker, defensive end, or some sort of H-back at the next level, but his highlights are impressive, one of the best highlight packages I’ve seen in the 2016 recruiting cycle. As are most highly touted Louisianans, he’s expected to go to LSU.

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2017
Waxhaw (NC) Cuthbertson wide receiver J.T. Cauthen was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’1″, 200 lb. prospect with offers from Clemson, North Carolina, North Carolina State, South Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia, among others. He’s a 247 Sports 4-star, the #13 wide receiver, and #68 overall. As a sophomore in 2014, he caught 104 passes for 1,464 yards and 15 touchdowns. He makes some very athletic catches and has a solid build for being just a sophomore.

Oak Park (MI) Oak Park offensive tackle JaRaymond Hall was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’5″, 255 lb. prospect with two other offers coming from Bowling Green and Miami-OH. Hall might be too short to be a tackle right now, although he’s just a sophomore and should grow a little bit. He does a great job of firing low off the ball, keeping a wide base, and driving his feet through the whistle. Linemen typically develop a little bit later, but Hall is the best in-state lineman I’ve seen in the 2017 cycle so far. He attends Oak Park, which sent running back John Kelly to Tennessee in the 2015 class; several of his teammates have gone to MAC schools in recent years, too.

Waco (TX) La Vega tight end Kedrick James was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’4″, 245 lb. prospect with an offer from Baylor. James is a big body who moves pretty well in a straight line, but he lacks refinement as a blocker and pass catcher. He’s a good developmental prospect.

Hyattsville (MD) DeMatha running back Anthony McFarland, Jr. was offered by Michigan. He’s a 5’9″, 181 lb. prospect with offers from Clemson, Florida State, Georgia, Ohio State, Penn State, and Wisconsin, among others. He’s a 247 Sports 5-star, the #2 running back, and #28 overall. McFarland has scorching speed and looks a little like Chris Johnson running the ball. The Seminoles lead the Crystal Ball predictions, but McFarland was openly campaigning for a Michigan offer, so maybe there’s a shot.

Anaheim (CA) Servite wide receiver Osiris St. Brown was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’1″, 178 lb. prospect with offers from Illinois, Kentucky, Notre Dame, Texas Tech, and Utah, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #15 wide receiver, and #74 overall. He is the brother of Equanimeous St. Brown, a Notre Dame incoming freshman wideout.

Philadelphia (PA) St. Joseph’s running back D’Andre Swift was offered by Michigan. He’s a 5’9″, 195 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Iowa, Penn State, Pitt, and Rutgers, among others. He’s a 247 Sports 4-star, the #1 all-purpose back, and #8 overall. Swift is a kid who can do a little bit of everything – run, catch, return kicks, play corner, etc. He doesn’t have truly elite speed, but he accelerates quickly and is very tough to bring down in space. He attends the same school as 2015 signee Jon Runyan, Jr.

OFF THE BOARD
Kathleen (GA) Veterans quarterback Logan Byrd committed to North Carolina. Byrd did not have a Michigan offer, but he visited Ann Arbor several weeks ago and lots of people assumed he would leave town with a chance to play for Michigan. The offer never came, Brandon Peters committed to Michigan, and now Byrd is a Tarheel.

MISCELLANEOUS
Charlotte (NC) Ardrey Kell defensive end Julian Okwara named a top five that includes Michigan. The other schools on his list are Clemson, Georgia, Notre Dame, and Ole Miss. However, he has already set an announcement date of April 30th and has not visited Michigan, so that’s a big hint not to get excited.

Santa Ana (CA) Mater Dei linebacker Curtis Robinson named a top seven that does not include Michigan. It does include Duke, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Stanford, UCLA, USC, and Washington.

Over on Recruiting Season, I added a profile for:

• Greenville TE Keegan Cossou