Tag: 2016 recruiting

If I Had My Druthers . . . 2016 Wide Receivers

Mecole Hardman

This is the order in which I would rank the uncommitted wide receivers Michigan has offered. Star rankings don’t matter, the likelihood of a commit doesn’t matter, etc. These rankings are purely based on my ideal team:

1. Mecole Hardman – ATH – Elberton (GA) Elbert County:
Hardman isn’t a pure receiver. He might end up at cornerback at the next level, and he’s not very big at 5’10”, 171 lbs. If he were to get polished up as a receiver, though, he could be a big-time player. He also has value as a kickoff and punt returner.

2. Nate Craig-Myers – WR – Tampa (FL) Catholic:
There’s no question that Craig-Myers is big, strong, and fast at 6’2″, 210 lbs. and with a 4.4 forty. He could probably even play running back with his build. There have been some reported issues with drops and a lack of concentration at times, so he may not be a guy who can star right away in college. But with a year or two of development, he could round into a college standout.

3. Demetris Robertson – ATH – Savannah (GA) Christian: 
Another player who could end up at a few different positions, Robertson is 6’0″, 172 lbs. He’s maybe not as shifty or agile as Hardman, but both are similar prospects with very good speed.

Hit the jump for the rest of the list.

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Antwaine Richardson, Ex-Wolverine

Antwaine Richardson

Delray Beach (FL) Atlantic cornerback Antwaine Richardson decommitted from Michigan on Thursday. He had committed to the Wolverines back in June after participating in one of Michigan’s satellite camps (LINK).

Richardson was working on a torn ACL when he camped, which made it even more impressive that he earned a Michigan offer. The Wolverines coaching staff initially thought he could enroll early, take advantage of the rehab facilities/strength and conditioning program, and be ready to play by the fall. That plan changed a month or two ago when Richardson tweeted out that he would no longer be enrolling early, and that he would come to campus in June. That presumably happened because Michigan was filling up with the other seven early enrollees, but now it appears he won’t even be coming in June.

From Michigan’s standpoint, this is not a huge loss. I gave Richardson a 72 rating, and he didn’t even get to play and hone his skills as a high school senior. Without enrolling early, he would have missed out on yet another opportunity to develop. Even if Michigan strikes out on other cornerback targets, such as Lavert Hill, and athlete Jordan Fuller, it’s not too difficult to replace someone of Richardson’s talent level. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #85 cornerback, and #901 overall, and much like Erik Swenson, that ranking may have been propped up a bit by his status as a Michigan commit. Now that the rankings are done or almost done for the cycle, he probably won’t drop much; the rest of his offer list is decent but nothing special, including Florida Atlantic, Iowa State, Miami, South Florida, and Wisconsin, among others.

Stephen Spanellis, Wolverine

Baltimore (MD) Gilman offensive guard Stephen Spanellis

Baltimore (MD) Gilman offensive lineman Stephen Spanellis flipped from Virginia to Michigan on Thursday evening. He chose the Wolverines over offers from Arkansas, Maryland, Miami, Michigan State, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and Virginia Tech, among others.

Spanellis is listed at 6’6″, 315 lbs. He claims a 5.83 forty, a 385 lb. bench press, and a 395 lb. squat.

RATINGS
ESPN: 3-star, 75 grade, #60 OG
Rivals: 3-star, #36 OT
Scout: 3-star, #100 OT
247 Sports: 3-star, 85 grade, #92 OT, #985 overall

Hit the jump for more on Spanellis’s commitment.

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David Long Jr., Wolverine

Los Angeles (CA) Loyola cornerback David Long, Jr.

Los Angeles (CA) Loyola cornerback David Long, Jr. committed to Michigan on Thursday evening on ESPNU. The one-time Stanford commit chose the Wolverines over offers from Arizona, Arizona State, Miami, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Oregon, UCLA, USC, Washington, and Wisconsin, among others.

Long is a 6’0″, 175 lb. prospect. As a senior in 2015, he caught 25 passes for 525 yards (21 yards/catch) and 7 touchdowns; on defense, he made 19 tackles, 1 interception, and 5 pass breakups. He claims a 4.4 forty and a 10.8 time in the 100 meters. He also has a 36″ vertical, a 245 lb. bench press, and a 375 lb. squat.

RATINGS
ESPN: 4-star, 83 grade, #5 ATH, #104 overall
Rivals: 4-star, #9 CB, #81 overall
Scout: 4-star, #5 CB, #64 overall
247 Sports: 4-star, 95 grade, #8 CB, #96 overall

Hit the jump for much more on Long’s commitment.

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Kiante Enis, Ex-Wolverine

Kiante Enis

Winchester (IN) Winchester running back Kiante Enis decommitted from Michigan on Thursday. He is a 6’1″, 200 lb. back who’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #35 running back, and #561 overall.

Enis committed to Michigan in early June after Michigan offered him during their satellite camp tour around the country (LINK). The nephew of former Penn State and Chicago Bears running back Curtis Enis, he was expected to play running back, wide receiver, or safety at the next level. The younger Enis was a record-setting back in high school, rushing for almost 3,200 yards as a junior and scoring 49 touchdowns. His senior year saw him run 278 times for 2,393 yards and 35 scores. But Enis mentioned a couple months ago that he had not been hearing much from Michigan’s coaching staff recently, and he took an official visit to Indiana back in December. Another official is scheduled for Miami-OH this coming weekend.

Hit the jump for more.

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