Tag: 2016 recruiting

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).

Recruiting Update: May 5, 2014

Douglasville (GA) Alexander running back Mikell Lands-Davis

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2015
Douglasville (GA) Alexander running back Mikell Lands-Davis was offered by Michigan. He’s a 5’11”, 205 lb. prospect with offers from Clemson, Miami, Wisconsin, and a few lesser programs. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #42 running back, and #525 overall. As a junior in 2013, he ran 317 times for 2,374 yards and 27 touchdowns, and he caught 22 passes for 358 yards and 1 score. Lands-Davis has very good balance but lacks great speed and acceleration. He expressed serious interest in visiting Michigan, but it’s always a battle to get kids out of the deep south.

Houston (TX) Cypress Falls defensive tackle Du’Vonta Lampkin decommitted from Oklahoma. He says the Sooners are still the team to beat, but he wants to take other visits, so he can’t say he’s “committed.” He’s a 6’3″, 306-pounder who’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #21 defensive tackle, and #304 overall. He entered high school as a starting wide receiver but was so tough and physical that he started playing defensive end, after which he bulked up by eating a lot and taking a bunch of protein.

Yakima (WA) West Valley offensive guard Shane Lemieux was offered by Michigan. He’s a 247 Sports 3-star, the #53 offensive guard, and #770 overall. More on him in a moment . . .

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2016
Washington (DC) Archbishop Carroll offensive guard Richard Merritt was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’5″, 320 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Miami, and Virginia Tech, among others. He played at Friendship Collegiate Academy the past couple seasons, but he transferred to Archbishop Carroll, where he’s teammates with 2016 Michigan offeree Jauan Williams. Merritt has very good size and could play tackle or guard at the next level. His father is 6’11”, so he may still have some growing to do.

Ocala (FL) Trinity Catholic defensive end Jordan Woods was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’3″, 235 lb. prospect with offers from Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Miami, and South Carolina, among others. He’s a 247 Sports 4-star, the #10 strongside end, and #214 overall for his class. His three Crystal Ball predictions right now are for Florida.

OFF THE BOARD
See that Shane Lemieux guy up there that Michigan offered last week? He committed to Oregon.

MISCELLANEOUS
Last week on Recruiting Season, I profiled Chippewa Valley’s Stefan Claiborne, Wyandotte Roosevelt’s Donnie Corley, Muskegon’s Juanye Johnson, East English Village’s Emani Mason, and Westland John Glenn’s DeShawn Baker-Williams. Claiborne, Corley, and Johnson are some of the best the state has to offer in 2016, while Mason is likely one of the top few prospects for 2017. Baker-Williams is a rising senior starting to gain some steam.

No offer has been reported yet, but Bloomfield Hills (MI) Brother Rice quarterback Alex Malzone was supposed to visit Michigan this weekend after throwing for offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier last week. Perhaps an offer is on its way.

Meanwhile, Newhall (CA) Hart quarterback Brady White committed to Arizona State. Nussmeier also watched him throw, so he appears to be off the table. Phoenix (AZ) Pinnacle quarterback Brian Lewerke

, another potential target, committed to Michigan State last week, so the Wolverines are starting to see the dominoes fall.

Here’s a list of whom the coaches visited in April (LINK) and now a working list of the coaching visits for May (LINK).

April 2014 Coach Visits

Newhall (CA) Hart quarterback Brady White was visited by Michigan on Tuesday, April 22 (image via signalscvsports.com)

The spring evaluation period has begun, so it’s open season on high school recruits once again. We should see some more offers going out soon, including to 2015 quarterbacks as Michigan tries to fill the most important position on the field for the upcoming class.

Players will be listed in order of being the most recent addition, so new additions will be placed at the top of each cycle’s list. Offered players are noted with an asterisk.

2015
Jerome Baker – LB – Cleveland (OH) Benedictine*
Terry Beckner, Jr. – DE – East St. Louis (IL) East St. Louis*
Avonte Bell – LB – Lansing (MI) Sexton
Austen Wood – LB – Berkley (MI) Berkley
Alexx Zielinski – TE – Brighton (MI) Brighton
Jake Bills – DE – Berkley (MI) Berkley
Lazon Hicks – CB – Ypsilanti (MI) Lincoln
Austin Ervin – TE – St. Johns (MI) St. Johns
Jake Johnson – QB – DeWitt (MI) DeWitt
Damon Terry – WR – Lansing (MI) Everett
Riley Neal – QB – Yorktown (IN) Yorktown
Tyrone Wheatley, Jr. – TE – Manlius (NY) Canisius*
Trent Irwin – WR – Newhall (CA) Hart
Alec Murphy – RB – Nixa (MO) Nixa
Darrin Kirkland, Jr. – LB – Indianapolis (IN) Warren Central*
Brady White – QB – Newhall (CA) Hart
Elijah Alford – DE – Virginia Beach (VA) Bayside
Deondre Francois – QB – Bradenton (FL) IMG Academy*
Abdul Bello – OT – Montverde (FL) Academy*
Auden Tate – WR – Tampa (FL) Wharton*
Matthew Burrell – OT – Woodbridge (VA) C.D. Hylton*
Josh Sweat – DE – Chesapeake (VA) Oscar Smith*
Alex Malzone – QB – Bloomfield Hills (MI) Brother Rice
Brian Lewerke – QB – Phoenix (AZ) Pinnacle
Zach Gentry – QB – Albuquerque (NM) Eldorado
Brian Cole – WR – Saginaw (MI) Heritage*
Michael Weber – RB – Detroit (MI) Cass Tech*
David Moorman – OT – Northville (MI) Northville
Miles Boykin – WR – New Lenox (IL) Providence Catholic*

Hit the jump for 2016 and 2017 recruits.

2016
Messiah DeWeaver – QB – Trotwood (OH) Trotwood-Madison
Liam Eichenberg – OT – Cleveland (OH) St. Ignatius*
Kentrail Moran – RB – O’Fallon (IL) O’Fallon
Donnie Corley – WR – Wyandotte (MI) Roosevelt
Lane Porter – QB – Lansing (MI) Everett
Kalebb Perry – WR – Mt. Pleasant (MI) Mt. Pleasant
Malik Henry – QB – Thousand Oaks (CA) Westlake
Robert Washington – RB – Huntersville (NC) Southlake Christian
Naseir Upshur – TE – Philadelphia (PA) Imhotep
Isaac Nauta – DE – Buford (GA) Buford*
Lorenzo Harrison – RB – Hyattsville (MD) DeMatha
Terrance Davis – OG – Hyattsville (MD) DeMatha
Shane Simmons – DE – Hyattsville (MD) DeMatha
Tino Ellis – S – Hyattsville (MD) DeMatha
Garrett Rand – DT – Chandler (AZ) Hamilton
Josh King – DE – Hinsdale (IL) South*
Jamari Logan – DT – Norfolk (VA) Booker T. Washington
Brad Hawkins – WR – Camden (NJ) Camden
David Reese – LB – Farmington (MI) Farmington
Desmond Fitzpatrick – WR – Farmington (MI) Farmington
Daelin Hayes – LB – Orchard Lake (MI) St. Mary’s*
Mikale Washington – QB – Detroit (MI) King

2017
Todd Sibley, Jr. – RB – Akron (OH) Archbishop Hoban
Jeff Thomas – WR – East St. Louis (IL) East St. Louis*
A.J. Epenesa – DE – Edwardsville (IL) Edwardsville
Joshua Ross – LB – Orchard Lake (MI) St. Mary’s*

Recruiting Update: April 28, 2014

New Lenox (IL) Providence Catholic wide receiver Miles Boykin (image via High School Cube)

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2015
Reisterstown (MD) Franklin offensive guard Patrick Allen was offered by Michigan. Allen is a 6’5″, 270 lb. prospect with offers from Arkansas, Florida, Florida State, LSU, Ohio State, and Wisconsin, among many others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #27 offensive tackle, and #236 overall. Allen is a long, athletic kid who I think could play tackle or guard at the next level. He looks like a very good prospect, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he moves up in the rankings.

Montverde (FL) Montverde Academy offensive tackle Abdul Bello was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’6″, 295 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, LSU, and Miami, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #19 offensive tackle, and #204 overall. Bello plays a little high, but he moves extremely well for his size. Florida is the supposed leader here.

New Lenox (IL) Providence Catholic wide receiver Miles Boykin was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’4″, 212 lb. prospect with offers from Florida, Illinois, Michigan State, Notre Dame, and Ohio State, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #23 wide receiver, and #185 overall. Boykin visited Michigan for the spring game on April 5th and picked up an offer this past week. Michigan’s coaching staff has told him that they want to use him like Devin Funchess, but it might depend on how his body fills out. Boykin is a good athlete for his size, but he is not particularly explosive so he will need to be a possession receiver who gets his yards after the catch by overpowering tacklers. The Funchess comparison is apt.

Woodbridge (VA) C.D. Hylton offensive guard Matt Burrell was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’5″, 290 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Penn State, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia Tech, and Wisconsin, among others. Burrell visited Michigan in September 2013 for the game against Notre Dame and came away raving about his visit, but the Wolverines held off on offering. He and Manassas (VA) Stonewall Jackson defensive tackle Tim Settle, who also holds a Michigan offer, have been talked about as a package deal, but Burrell seems more attainable than Settle. Burrell is a nasty blocker, but while some sites list him as a tackle, he looks more like a guard to me.

Bradenton (FL) IMG Academy quarterback Deondre Francois was offered by Michigan. There’s actually been some debate about whether an offer was extended or not, but some recruiting sites are still reporting an offer, so I’m leaving him on the board. Offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Doug Nussmeier did watch him throw at his school last week, and there’s at least some level of interest there. Francois is a 6’1″, 190 lb. prospect with offers from Central Florida, Florida, Florida State, Miami, Ohio State, Oregon, and South Florida, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #9 dual-threat quarterback, and #249 overall. Francois attended Olympia High School in Orlando last year but has transferred to IMG Academy to get him ready for college. Francois reportedly has some accuracy issues, but he has a cannon for an arm, he looks pretty polished as a thrower, and he’s a good runner with a 4.6 forty. As a junior in 2013, Francois completed 104/213 passes (48.9%) for 1,373 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions.

Augusta (GA) Christian offensive tackle Zach Giella was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’6″, 300 lb. prospect with offers from Clemson, Duke, Kentucky, Miami, and Wisconsin, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #74 offensive tackle, and the #666 (yikes!) player overall. Giella has the thick lower body and relative stiffness of an offensive guard, so that’s where I would project him at the next level. It’s tough to pull kids out of the south, and Giella appears destined to stay below the Mason-Dixon Line.

Jacksonville (FL) Bishop Kenny offensive guard Tyler Jordan

 was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’4″, 280 lb. prospect who committed to Florida in February; he also has offers from Georgia, Miami, Nebraska, Ohio State, Penn State, South Carolina, and Stanford, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #3 center, and #381 overall. Jordan plays left tackle in high school, but the Gators plan to use him as a center; he looks like an interior guy to me.

Tampa (FL) Sickles running back Ray-Ray McCloud III was offered by Michigan. He’s a 5’9″, 175 lb. prospect with offers from Arizona, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Miami, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oregon, UCLA, and Wisconsin, among others. As a junior in 2013, he had 300 carries for 2,316 yards and 26 touchdowns, plus 11 catches for 173 yards and 1 score. McCloud is a speedy, shifty back who would probably have a fair number of his scores called back for taunting if he were playing college football. Florida looks like the leader right now.

Greenbelt (MD) Eleanor Roosevelt offensive tackle Isaiah Prince was offered by Michigan. Prince is a 6’6″, 275 lb. prospect with offers from Auburn, Florida, Maryland, Ohio State, and Penn State, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #11 offensive tackle, and #114 overall. (In case you’re wondering, I can find no evidence of relation to 2014 offensive tackle Damian Prince, who is also from Maryland and signed with the Terrapins.) Prince broke his leg and missed much of the 2013 season, but the potential is obviously there if he can remain healthy.

Flower Mound (TX) Marcus offensive tackle Keaton Sutherland was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’5″, 280 lb. prospect with offers from Arkansas, Baylor, Clemson, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Texas, and Texas A&M, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #30 offensive tackle, and #256 overall. Unger could play guard or tackle at the next level. Both of his parents are Michigan natives, so he has connections to the area, but he has mentioned reservations about playing so far away from home. Sutherland attends the alma mater of former Michigan running back Stephen Hopkins, and the Wolverines have also offered teammate Kaden Smith, a 2016 tight end. Sutherland is expected to commit to Arkansas.

Jacksonville (FL) First Coast offensive tackle William Sweet was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’5″, 270 lb. prospect who committed to North Carolina earlier this month; he also has offers from Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, and Miami, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #66 offensive tackle, and #583 overall. Sweet stated that he committed to UNC for their academics, which sort of implies that Michigan would be an acceptable school as well. He appears open to the idea of being recruited by other schools.

Tampa (FL) Wharton wide receiver Auden Tate was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’4″, 195 lb. prospect with offers from Clemson, Kentucky, Miami, Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, and South Carolina, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #47 wide receiver, and #394 overall. As a junior in 2013, he had 49 catches for 815 yards and 5 touchdowns. Tate does not have great speed, but he catches with his hands away from the body and makes some ridiculously acrobatic snags. He’s also a good blocker. Tate immediately named Michigan his top school because the Wolverines were his childhood favorite, although Florida State might factor in if they offer.

Hopewell (VA) Hopewell defensive end Darrell Taylor was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’4″, 220 lb. prospect with offers from Florida, Iowa, Miami, Notre Dame, Virginia, and Virginia Tech, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #21 weakside end, and #481 overall. As a junior in 2013, he had 54 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, 1 interception, 4 forced fumbles, and 3 fumble recoveries. Taylor is a lanky kid who plays some outside linebacker – and made a nice touchdown return on that interception – but he does look like a weakside end at the next level. So far it looks like Virginia Tech will be tough to beat.

Orlando (FL) West Orange running back Dexter Williams was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’0″, 192 lb. prospect who committed to Miami earlier this month; he also has offers from Florida, Georgia, Notre Dame, Ohio State, South Carolina, Tennessee, USC, and Wisconsin, among others. Williams is a 247 Composite 4-star, the #4 running back, and #64 overall. He claims a 4.54 forty and had 1,072 rushing yards as a junior in 2013. Williams looks like he has good speed and is a slasher. Despite being committed to the Hurricanes, he is open to visiting other schools.

Hampton (GA) Lovejoy wide receiver Preston Williams was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’4″, 190 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Ohio State, and Texas A&M, among others; he committed to Tennessee back in September of 2013. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #6 wideout, and the #44 player overall. As a junior in 2013, he had 59 receptions for 1,388 yards and 14 touchdowns. As you might expect from someone averaging about 23 yards/catch, Williams has excellent speed, coordination, and change of direction.

Hit the jump for additions to the 2016 Offer Board, commitments to other schools, and miscellaneous news bits.


ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2016
Plant City (FL) Plant City wide receiver Tavares “T.J.” Chase was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’2″, 170 lb. prospect with offers from Central Florida, Clemson, Miami, and Virginia Tech, among others. He’s a 247 Sports 4-star, the #37 athlete, and #217 overall for his class. As a sophomore in 2013, he caught 28 passes for 562 yards and 4 touchdowns, and he had 43 tackles and 3 interceptions on defense.

Toccoa (GA) Stephens County offensive tackle Ben Cleveland was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’7″, 322 lb. prospect with offers from Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and Texas. Cleveland is a mammoth kid who probably projects to right tackle at the next level. He has stated a definite plan to see Michigan before he commits anywhere, although that commitment is not imminent. On a side note, he has hit 10 home runs for his high school baseball team this season.

Darien (IL) Hinsdale South defensive end Josh King was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’6″, 250 lb. prospect with offers from Illinois, Iowa, Notre Dame, Ohio State, and Wisconsin, among others. As a sophomore in 2013, he had 25 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, and 5 sacks. 247 Sports ranks him as a 4-star, the #2 strongside end, and the #45 player overall. King looks more like an offensive tackle than a defensive end to me, but he obviously still has some filling out to do either way.

Washington (DC) Archbishop Carroll offensive tackle Jauan Williams was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’7″, 275 lb. prospect with offers from Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Maryland, Ohio State, UCLA, Virginia, and Virginia Tech, among others. 247 Sports ranks him as a 4-star, the #5 offensive tackle, and #11 overall. (I have a hard time believing there are five offensive tackles among the top eleven players in the nation, but whatever.) Williams’s highlights show a big, athletic guy who needs to work on his balance; they also show a player who could be called for holding on just about every play. I’m not particularly impressed with his technique or attitude, but he’s just a sophomore in high school.

OFF THE BOARD
Alabama transfer Chad Lindsay will play his grad transfer year at Ohio State. Despite having played – and started at times – for new Michigan offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier in Tuscaloosa, Lindsay went with the Buckeyes. He probably would start at either school, and Ohio State lost four seniors after the 2013 season. There has been a rumor that Michigan’s admissions office would not accept Lindsay as a transfer student, which might explain away the expected advantage Michigan had with Nussmeier.

Scottsdale (AZ) Chaparral offensive tackle Keenan Walker committed to Arizona. That’s the same high school that produced Michigan players Craig Roh and Taylor Lewan.

MISCELLANEOUS
Here’s a list of this past weekend’s visitor. Yes, it’s singular, because I’m not sure that anyone else visited. Michigan State’s spring game was on Saturday, and there were a number of prospects flocking to East Lansing. That included St. Paul (MN) Cretin-Derham defensive end Jashon Cornell, who named Michigan State his #1 school, and a contingent of Detroit (MI) Cass Tech players.

Here’s a working list of the players Michigan coaches have visited in the month of April.

Over on Recruiting Season  this past week, I profiled Northville TE Ryan Roberts, East Kentwood OG John Keenoy, Lansing Everett WR Leondre Damon Terry, Grand Rapids South Christian QB Jon Wassink, and Livonia Churchill OT Matt Skibinski.

Recruiting Update: April 21, 2014

Sicklerville (NJ) Timber Creek wide receiver Cameron Chambers (image via MaxPreps)

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2015
Kaplan (LA) Kaplan defensive end Jalen Bates

 was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’5″, 240 lb. prospect with offers from Louisiana Tech, Louisiana-Lafayette, Ole Miss, TCU, and Texas Tech. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #12 weakside end, and #340 overall. He’s very raw and needs to work on his stance, footwork, hand use, just about everything – but he does have some physical talent. Bates is the cousin of former Michigan linebacker Jonas Mouton.

Bellevue (WA) Bellevue offensive tackle Henry Roberts was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’6″, 263 lb. prospect with offers from Oklahoma, Oregon, Stanford, USC, Washington, and Wisconsin, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #29 offensive tackle, and #236 overall. Roberts is a lanky kid who obviously needs to put on weight, but there’s not a lot of film on him. Bellevue is one of the top programs in the state of Washington and produces quite a bit of talent for the Pacific Northwest, and former Michigan offensive lineman Stephen Schilling came from there.

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2016
Sicklerville (NJ) Timber Creek wide receiver Cameron Chambers was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’3″, 195 lb. prospect with offers from Arkansas, Ohio State, Pitt, Rutgers, Wisconsin, and West Virginia, among others. 247 Sports, which released its 2016 rankings last week, placed him as a 4-star, the #14 wide receiver, and the #83 player overall for his class. He does not quite look 6’3″ in his highlights, although he may have hit a growth spurt this offseason; however, he shows some good straight line speed and claims a 4.59 forty.

Tampa (FL) Catholic wide receiver Nate Craig was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’2″, 195 lb. prospect with offers from Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Miami, Ohio State, and Tennessee, among others. He’s a 247 Sports 4-star, the #18 wide receiver, and #92 overall. Personally, I would rate Craig ahead of Chambers because he looks superior in almost every category.

OFF THE BOARD
Fort Lauderdale (FL) St. Thomas Aquinas cornerback Rashard Causey committed to Florida Atlantic. Causey has offers from Florida, Miami, Notre Dame, South Carolina, and UCLA, along with lots of others, so I don’t quite understand this one. I know little about Causey because he didn’t show much interest in his Michigan offer, but this is a commitment I would watch down the road for a change of heart.

Jersey City (NJ) St. Peter’s Prep cornerback Minkah Fitzpatrick committed to Alabama. I wrote a scouting report on him back in February. I mentioned three teams with the best chance to get him, and the Crimson Tide was one of them (with Michigan and Ohio State the others, although South Carolina was also lurking). Michigan held off on offering for a while, which may have hurt their chances, but it’s tough to believe they could have pulled ahead of the Tide.

Bradenton (FL) IMG Academy cornerback Marcus Lewis committed to Florida. Lewis recently transferred from Washington (DC) Gonzaga Prep, which signaled to me a desire to play down south. Not long after that was announced, he committed to the Gators. Lewis could play corner or safety at the next level.

MISCELLANEOUS
Here’s a list of this past weekend’s visitors.

Over at Recruiting Season last week, I profiled Clarkston’s Cole Chewins, Mount Pleasant’s Kalebb Perry, Detroit Country Day’s Justin Hunter, St. Joseph’s Wes French, and Chandler Park Academy’s Jalen Martin.