Visitors: February 20-22, 2015

Tag: 2017 recruiting


22Feb 2015
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Visitors: February 20-22, 2015

Orchard Lake (MI) St. Mary’s linebacker Joshua Ross

The other night, several 2016 prospects – and one 2017 player – were in town for Michigan’s basketball game against Michigan State. On Sunday for the Ohio State game, there will be more prospects on campus, including a couple of the top in-state prospects for 2017.

Bryce Brand – DT – Walled Lake (MI) Western: Brand, a 2017 prospect, is a 6’2″, 267 lb. prospect with offers from Air Force and Louisville. His older brother, Ryan, was a quarterback at U of D Jesuit and signed with Air Force in the 2015 class.

Rodney Hall – QB – Detroit (MI) Cass Tech: Hall, another 2017 prospect, is a 6’3″, 192 lb. prospect with no offers at this time. When senior quarterback Jayru Campbell – a one-time Michigan State commit – was suspended for the 2014 season, Hall stepped in as a sophomore. The lefty led Cass Tech to the state championship game.

Corey Malone-Hatcher – DE – St. Joseph (MI) St. Joseph: Malone-Hatcher is a 6’3″, 235 lb. prospect with offers from Iowa, Louisville, Michigan, Michigan State, and Ohio State. He’s a 247 Sports 4-star, the #4 weakside end, and #111 overall. Michigan’s staff under Brady Hoke offered him, so Jim Harbaugh and company may reaffirm the offer while he’s on campus.

John O’Korn – QB – University of Houston: O’Korn has been reported by some as being a done deal to transfer to Michigan, although nothing official has been announced. He started as a freshman at Houston (2,889 yards, 26 touchdowns, 8 interceptions) in 2013 and then took a step back last season. Now he’s looking to transfer somewhere, and Michigan seems a likely destination. If the transfer does become official, he will have to sit out the 2015 season and will have two remaining seasons of eligibility (2016-2017).

Joshua Ross – LB – Orchard Lake (MI) St. Mary’s: Ross is a 6’1″, 210 lb. prospect with offers from Michigan, Michigan State, and Oklahoma. He’s a 247 Sports 4-star, the #2 inside linebacker, and #56 overall. He’s the younger brother of Michigan senior linebacker James Ross III, who will be long gone by the time Joshua enters college.

Taeshon Trotter – OT – Detroit (MI) Cass Tech: Trotter is a 6’6″, 275 lb. prospect with no offers at this time.

Tim Walton – LB – Detroit (MI) Cass Tech: Walton is a 6’1″, 225 lb. prospect with offers from Cincinnati and a handful of MAC schools. He’s currently unranked in the 247 Composite, and I ranked him the #25 player in the state (LINK) last week.

19Feb 2015
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247 Sports: Top 116 for 2017 updated

Detroit (MI) Cass Tech wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones is within the range of being an eventual 5-star to 247 Sports

247 Sports updated their top prospect list for 2017 back in November (LINK), although I missed it at the time. Here’s what it looked like back in August of 2014 (LINK). At that time I included players who might have Michigan interest or vice versa. This time I’ll include only the players Michigan has actually offered.

5-stars:
3. Josh Myers – OT – Ohio (Ohio State)

4-stars:
6. Calvin Ashley – OT – Florida
7. Devon Hunter – S – Virginia
12. Donovan Peoples-Jones – WR – Michigan
14. Shaun Wade – CB – Florida (Ohio State)
21. Jeff Thomas – ATH – Illinois
31. Darnay Holmes – ATH – California
42. Najee Harris – RB – California
56. Josh Ross – LB – Michigan
70. Isaiah Pryor – S – Georgia
84. Jamyest Williams – ATH – Georgia
111. Corey Malone-Hatcher – DE – Michigan
114. Anthony Hines – LB – Texas

18Feb 2015
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Recruiting Update: February 18, 2015

Exton (PA) Downington East tight end Cary Angeline

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2016
Exton (PA) Downington East tight end Cary Angeline was offered by Michigan. Angeline is a 6’7″, 230 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Miami, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State, and Pitt, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #10 tight end, and #222 overall. Angeline obviously has impressive size, but he also possesses good speed and soft hands. He splits out wide sometimes for his high school team and looks pretty comfortable in space against smaller players. Angeline is expected to play college ball for the Nittany Lions. His older brother, Ryley, went to Delaware as a running back, and the last time Michigan recruited Downington East was Drew Harris (Virginia Tech) in 2012.

Euless (TX) Trinity defensive tackle Chris Daniels was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’4″, 269 lb. prospect with offers from Baylor, Oklahoma, and TCU, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #13 defensive tackle, and #110 overall. I am not particularly high on Daniels because he often stands straight up and does not use his hands well. He’s a decent athlete, but I think he’s rated too high. He attended Muskegon (MI) Mona Shores as a freshman in high school and attended Michigan’s summer camp that year, so he was excited about Michigan’s offer and familiar with the program.

Southfield (MI) Southfield running back Matt Falcon was offered by Michigan. As I suggested in yesterday’s visitor list, I thought Falcon might get offered because I think he’s the third-best player in the state of Michigan. He’s a 6’1″, 215 lb. running back who has offers from Ohio State and Tennessee, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #15 running back, and #219 overall in the class. Falcon runs downhill and runs hard, and he has some speed in the open field, which I think would fit Michigan’s offense well. He has, however, had an ACL tear in the past, so that might be something to watch going forward. Southfield has become quite a hotspot of football talent over the past few years, as they have sent players to Michigan (Lawrence Marshall), Michigan State (Malik McDowell), Minnesota (Ray Buford, Dior Johnson), and a host of MAC schools in the past few years, including a defensive end named – and I’m not kidding – Lion King to Eastern Michigan.

Farmington (MI) Farmington wide receiver Desmond Fitzpatrick was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’1″, 185 lb. prospect who committed to Louisville last fall, and he also has offers from Cincinnati, Illinois, Indiana, and Purdue, plus several MAC programs. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #57 wide receiver, and #334 overall. Fitzpatrick is a good route runner and does a nice job of snatching the ball out of the air, but he is not the most explosive or dynamic athlete with the ball in his hands. I have him ranked as the #10 player in the state (LINK).

Allen (TX) Allen cornerback Jaylon Jones was offered by Michigan. He’s a 5’11”, 175 lb. prospect with offers from Arizona State, Auburn, Baylor, Miami, Ohio State, and Ole Miss, among others. He claims a 4.4 forty and is a 247 Composite 4-star, the #23 cornerback, and #232 overall. As a junior in 2014, he made 117 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 1 interception, and 5 pass breakups, to go along with 1 kickoff return touchdown. Jones plays safety for his high school team and is a solid tackler who will come up quickly to make plays in the run game. He is also teammates with offensive tackle Greg Little (Texas A&M) and defensive end Levi Onwuzurike, both of whom have been offered by Michigan.

Hit the jump for several more 2016 prospects, some 2017 prospects, a couple commitments elsewhere, and a few random tidbits and links.

Evanston (IL) Evanston defensive tackle Naquan Jones was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’4″, 283 lb. prospect with offers from Illinois, Iowa, Penn State, and South Carolina, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #28 defensive tackle, and #422 overall. Though he’s a little taller, he reminds me of former Michigan defensive tackle Terrance Taylor.

McKinney (TX) North defensive end Justin Madubuike was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’3″, 245 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Baylor, Ohio State, Oklahoma, TCU, Texas, and Texas A&M, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #11 strongside end, and #140 overall. As a junior in 2014, he made 75 tackles, 35 tackles for loss, 16.5 sacks, and 4 forced fumbles. Despite being listed as a strongside end, he shows some good quickness and could play on the weakside in some schemes.

Tampa (FL) Berkeley tight end Jacob Mathis was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’5″, 220 lb. prospect with offers from Florida, Miami, and Ohio State, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #14 tight end, and #340 overall. As a junior in 2014, he caught 55 passes for 874 yards and 12 touchdowns. Mathis shows good speed and plays wide receiver for his high school team, although he’s too big to remain there in college. He is expected to end up at Florida.

San Diego (CA) Mira Mesa wide receiver Steffon McKnight was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’1″, 160 lb. prospect with offers from Arizona State, Cal, UCLA, and Washington, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #13 wide receiver, and #82 overall. McKnight is an extremely smooth athlete with good speed and ball skills, a potential gamebreaking receiver. He is expected to stay on the west coast.

Manvel (TX) Manvel offensive tackle Austin Myers was offered by Michigan. Myers is a 6’4″, 300 lb. prospect with offers from Clemson, Oklahoma, and TCU, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #44 offensive tackle, and #507 overall. Myers has a solid build, decent feet, and good leg drive when he latches on to a defender. His teammates include 2015 cornerback Will Lockett (UCLA) and 2016 safety Deontay Anderson, both of whom received offers from Michigan.

Charlotte (NC) Ardrey Kell linebacker Julian Okwara was offered by Michigan. Okwara is a 6’4″, 210 lb. prospect with offers from Cal, Duke, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Ole Miss, and Virginia Tech, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #18 outside linebacker, and #235 overall. His older brother, Romeo, was recruited by Michigan in the 2013 class and currently plays for Notre Dame.

Calhoun (GA) Calhoun tight end Landon Rice, an Auburn commit, was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’5″, 245 lb. prospect who committed to the Tigers in November 2013, and he also has offers from Alabama and Georgia, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #15 tight end, and #461 overall. It’s very unlikely that a Georgia kid who committed to Auburn a year and a half ago will give Michigan a serious look, although he did have positive things to say about Michigan.

Niceville (FL) Niceville wide receiver Eli Stove was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’1″, 178 lb. prospect with offers from Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Notre Dame, and Oklahoma, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #10 wide receiver, and #72 overall. As a junior in 2014, he caught 54 passes for 719 yards and 10 touchdowns, and he also ran 30 times for 325 yards and 2 scores. The last time Michigan recruited Niceville was for running back Roy Finch (Oklahoma) in 2010, and Stove also has a safety teammate named Romeo Finley who may be in line for an offer.

Detroit (MI) Cass Tech safety Demetric Vance, Jr. was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’1″, 193 lb. prospect with offers from Iowa, Michigan State, North Carolina State, Pitt, Purdue, and Tennessee, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #26 safety, and #406 overall. I ranked him as the #9 player in the state, as I think he could be a good safety with a little bit less upside at wide receiver. As a junior in 2014, he had 61 tackles and 1 interception, plus 3 receiving touchdowns.

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2017
Tampa (FL) Blake wide receiver Juwan Burgess was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’1″, 175 lb. prospect with offers from Clemson, Florida, Georgia, Miami, and Ohio State, among others. Burgess is a ballhawking safety and a dynamic wideout, and he could play several positions in college.


Newbury Park (CA) Newbury Park cornerback Darnay Holmes was offered by Michigan. He’s a 5’11”, 180 lb. prospect with offers from Clemson, Miami, Notre Dame, and Ohio State, among others. He’s a 247 Sports 4-star, the #5 athlete, and #31 overall. Holmes is another kid who could play multiple positions, including cornerback, safety, or wide receiver, but I think he looks best at the corner position.

Chesapeake (VA) Indian River safety Devon Hunter was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’3″, 210 lb. prospect with offers from Clemson, Florida State, Penn State, Tennessee, and Virginia Tech, among others. He’s a 247 Sports 4-star, the #1 athlete, and #7 overall. He claims a 4.48 forty, a 285 lb. bench, and a 415 lb. squat.

Detroit (MI) Cass Tech wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones was offered by Michigan. Peoples-Jones is a 6’1″, 170 lb. prospect with offers from LSU, Miami, Michigan State, and Ohio State, among others. He’s a 247 Sports 4-star, the #2 wide receiver, and #12 overall. He is an excellent athlete who could play receiver, corner, or safety in college. Peoples-Jones is also the son of former Michigan safety Shonte Peoples, who played safety at Michigan in the early 1990’s and recorded 7 interceptions during his career.


OFF THE BOARD

Miami (FL) Gulliver Prep defensive end Joseph Jackson committed to Miami near the end of January, but I missed it in all the hoopla surrounding National Signing Day. He expressed some passing interest in visiting Michigan when he was offered, but he was expected to stay in the state.

Shreveport (LA) Calvary Baptist quarterback Shea Patterson committed to Ole Miss. Patterson is one of the top quarterbacks in the country, and you may remember that I ranked him #2 in my 2016 quarterback scouting reports (LINK), even though I did not expect him to choose Michigan.

MISCELLANEOUS
Here’s a list of players who visited campus for Michigan’s Tuesday night basketball game against Michigan State (LINK).

Here’s a 38-player preview of Michigan’s in-state outlook for 2016 (LINK).

Rivals updated their top 100 (LINK) and top 250 (LINK) for 2016.

Over on Recruiting Season, I posted/updated profiles of:

17Feb 2015
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Visitors: February 17, 2015

Detroit (MI) Cass Tech wide receiver
Donovan Peoples-Jones

A cadre of high-level in-state visitors will be on campus Tuesday.

Donnie Corley – WR – Detroit (MI) King: Corley is a 6’2″, 180 lb. prospect. He transferred from Wyandotte (MI) Roosevelt to King prior to his junior year, and it paid off with 47 receptions for 1,087 yards, 18 receiving touchdowns, and 9 picks on defense. All that came on a bigger stage and against better competition than he would have faced at Roosevelt. Corley has parlayed his performance into offers from LSU, Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame, and Ohio State, among others. The Wolverines were left out of his top four recently, so this may be a chance to give the program a fighting chance. Corley is a 247 Composite 4-star, the #24 wide receiver, and #111 overall.

Matt Falcon – RB – Southfield (MI) Southfield: Falcon is a 6’1″, 215 lb. prospect with offers from Cincinnati, Ohio State, Tennessee, and several others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #15 running back, and #219 overall. Michigan has recruited some of his former teammates, such as redshirt freshman defensive end Lawrence Marshall (Michigan) and defensive tackle Malik McDowell (Michigan State). He also had several teammates sign with FBS teams this past Signing Day, although most of them were of the low 4-star or 3-star variety. I believe Falcon could be offered on his visit, because I see him as the #3 player in the state (LINK).

Desmond Fitzpatrick – WR – Farmington (MI) Farmington: Fitzpatrick is a 6’1″, 185 lb. prospect who has been committed to Louisville since last October; he also has offers from Cincinnati, Illinois, and Indiana, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #57 wide receiver, and #334 overall. Fitzpatrick attended Farmington Hills Harrison early in high school, which is generally thought to be a Michigan State-leaning school, even though Michigan got Devin Funchess and Mario Ojemudia a few years ago. Farmington High School is not a football powerhouse, but they do have a couple FBS prospects this year in Fitzpatrick and David Reese (see below).

Michael Jordan – OT – Canton (MI) Plymouth: Jordan is a 6’6″, 285 lb. prospect with offers from Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, and Penn State, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #18 offensive tackle, and #195 overall. Jordan’s 247 Sports Crystal Ball reads 100% for Michigan right now.

Khalid Kareem – DE – Farmington Hills (MI) Harrison: Kareem is a 6’4″, 252 lb. prospect who was committed to Michigan State for about 48 hours at the beginning of February. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #19 strongside end, and #291 overall. Kareem holds offers from Michigan, Notre Dame, and Ohio State, among others.

Michael Onwenu – DT – Detroit (MI) Cass Tech: Onwenu is a 6’2″, 340 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Miami, Michigan, and Ohio State, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #6 offensive guard, and #192 overall. He seems to be favoring Ohio State early, where he could join former teammates Josh Alabi, Damon Webb, and Michael Weber.

Donovan Peoples-Jones – WR – Detroit (MI) Cass Tech: Peoples-Jones, the lone 2017 prospect on this list, is 6’2″ and 183 lbs. and claims a 4.4 forty. He is an early 247 Sports 4-star, the #2 wide receiver, and #12 overall with offers from LSU, Miami, Michigan State, and Ohio State, among others. He is also the son of former Michigan defensive back Shonte Peoples.

David Reese – LB – Farmington (MI) Farmington: Reese is a 6’1″, 235 lb. prospect with offers from a bunch of MAC schools and Indiana. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #22 inside linebacker, and #649 overall. He is a big fan of Michigan and is likely hoping and waiting for bigger offers before committing somewhere.

Demetric Vance, Jr. – S – Detroit (MI) Cass Tech: Vance is a 6’1″, 193 lb. prospect with offers from Michigan State and North Carolina State. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #26 safety, and #421 overall. He claims a 4.5 forty.

10Feb 2015
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Recruiting Update: February 10, 2015

Avon (IN) Avon quarterback Brandon Peters (image via IndyStar.com)

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2015
Lee’s Summit (MO) Lee’s Summit quarterback Drew Lock was offered by Michigan late in the 2015 recruiting cycle. A Missouri commit who signed with the Tigers, it appears Jim Harbaugh really tried to pull him away from Missouri, but Lock turned him down. He was the 247 Composite #7 pro-style quarterback and #96 overall in the class.

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2016
Wayne (NJ) DePaul defensive end Quayshon Alexander was offered by Michigan. Alexander is a 6’3″, 222 lb. prospect with offers from Miami, Pitt, and Rutgers, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #18 weakside end, and #350 overall. Alexander is a pretty versatile athlete who could end up being a rush linebacker, a weakside end, or a tight end at the next level. Right now he’s a lithe athlete who shows good speed and some smooth route running. Alexander is the teammate of the #1 running back in the class, Kareem Walker, whom Michigan has offered but is committed to Ohio State.

Phenix City (AL) Central cornerback John Broussard was offered by Michigan. Broussard is a 6’0″, 164 lb. prospect with offers from Auburn, Florida State, LSU, Mississippi State, and Penn State, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #5 cornerback, and #55 overall. Broussard is a speedy guy who shows an ability to break on the ball, but players in the deep south are notoriously difficult to pull out of the south when those big-time schools down there come calling.

Houston (TX) Alief Elsik safety Chris Brown was offered by Michigan, his first and only one so far. Brown is a 6’0″, 183 lb. prospect who’s unranked by the recruiting services. As a junior in 2014, he made 43 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 5 interceptions, 2 forced fumbles, and 5 pass breakups. Brown is a hard-hitting, ball-hawking safety who is a teammate of linebacker Dontavious Jackson, another Michigan offeree in the class.

Hit the jump for a ton more 2016 prospects, a new 2017 offer, and some miscellaneous bits.

Edmond (TX) Santa Fe linebacker Calvin Bundage was offered by Michigan. I had to do a double-take at first after immediately thinking of former Michigan basketball player Carlton Brundidge. Bundage the football player is a 6’3″, 190 lb. prospect with offers from Arizona, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, TCU, and Texas Tech, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #37 safety, and #557 overall. I don’t see any way he stays at safety in college, so he should probably be rated as a linebacker. Do yourself a favor and watch his highlights, because you won’t see many more violent hitters.

Pembroke Pines (FL) Flanagan linebacker Devin Bush, Jr. was offered by Michigan. Bush is a 6’0″, 220 lb. prospect with offers from Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Miami, and Virginia Tech, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #23 outside linebacker, and #293 overall. As a junior in 2014, he made 67 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, and 4.5 sacks. He’s a shortish guy with good instincts and he’s a very good tackler. His father, Devin Bush Sr., was a first round pick as a safety out of Florida State in 1995, getting drafted by the Atlanta Falcons. Bush Sr. also played for the Rams and Browns before his career ended in 2002. He is now the head football coach at Flanagan.

Waco (TX) Waco cornerback Eric Cuffee was offered by Michigan. He’s a 5’11”, 187 lb. prospect with offers from Baylor, Missouri, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Stanford, and Tennesee, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #33 cornerback, and #316 overall. He claims a 4.47 forty, a 38″ vertical, and a 4.1 shuttle. Cuffee is a physical corner who excels at press coverage. Cuffee is the cousin of 49ers cornerback Perrish Cox, who played for Harbaugh and defensive backs coach Greg Jackson in San Francisco.

Prattville (AL) Prattville running back Kingston Davis was offered by Michigan. Davis is a 6’1″, 225 lb. prospect with offers from Louisville and Mississippi State, among others. He’s unranked as a fullback by 247 Sports, but I believe he has the necessary athleticism to be a jumbo tailback. As a junior in 2014, he rushed for 1,407 yards and 17 touchdowns in a backfield with 2015 Michigan signee Keith Washington, who was the quarterback for the team. The teammates led Prattville to a state championship. He claims a 4.5 forty, a 300 lb. bench, and a 615 lb. squat.

Norfolk (VA) Lake Taylor cornerback Wayne Davis was offered by Michigan. Davis is a 5’11”, 177 lb. prospect with offers from Clemson, Duke, Louisville, North Carolina, Ohio State, Tennesee, Virginia Tech, and Wisconsin, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #40 cornerback, and #430 overall. Davis is a solid tackler with good speed and ball skills.

Compton (CA) Dominguez safety Marquel Dismuke was offered by Michigan. Dismuke is a 6’1″, 180 lb. prospect with offers from Arizona State, Cal, and Mississippi State, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #6 safety, and #149 overall. Dismuke is a heavy-hitting center fielder with good ball skills and nice speed.

Temecula (CA) Great Oak wide receiver Demetric Felton was offered by Michigan. He’s a 5’10”, 170 lb. speedster whose lone other offer came from Utah. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #33 athlete, and #513 overall. Felton could play several positions in college, including wide receiver, running back, cornerback, or kick returner. He has very good speed and some impressive strength for such a small kid. In my opinion, this is a very underrated player.

Manor (TX) Manor outside linebacker Erick Fowler was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’3″, 210 lb. prospect with offers from Baylor, Oklahoma, TCU, Texas, and UCLA, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #6 weakside end, and #95 overall. As a junior in 2014, he made 75 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, 12.5 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, and 1 fumble recovery. Fowler looks like the type of player who would be a rush linebacker in D.J. Durkin’s defense with a good combination of size and athleticism.

Westwood (NJ) Old Tappan wide receiver Jordan Fuller was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’2″, 190 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Florida State, Miami, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State, Rutgers, and UCLA, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #7 athlete, and #136 overall. This Fuller is a quarterback/wide receiver who could follow in the footsteps of his older brother, Devin, who is a similar athlete and plays wide receiver at UCLA.

Washington (DC) St. John’s defensive end Terrell Hall was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’5″, 218 lb. prospect with offers from LSU, Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State, Tennessee, and UCLA, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #16 weakside end, and #343 overall. Hall is a big kid who looks like he’ll grow into a strongside end by the time all is said and done.

Orlando (FL) Oak Ridge linebacker Jonathan Jones was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’1″, 220 lb. prospect with offers from Duke, Miami, South Florida, and UCF, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #44 outside linebacker, and #591 overall. Despite being ranked as an outside linebacker, he looks like an inside guy through and through, a heavy hitter who makes quick reads and can take on lead blockers.

Monroe (LA) Wossmann safety Cameron Lewis was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’2″, 195 lb. prospect with offers from LSU and others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #11 safety, and #248 overall. In addition to being a ballhawking safety, Lewis is also a pretty dynamic quarterback with excellent running skills. He’ll play safety or maybe even linebacker in college, but he’ll be dangerous if he gets the ball in his hands. He is very likely to commit to LSU soon.

Allen (TX) Allen defensive end Levi Onwuzurike was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’3″, 243 lb. prospect with offers from Baylor, TCU, and Texas Tech, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #18 weakside end, and #297 overall. As a junior in 2014, he made 67 tackles, 5.5 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles. He’s teammates with #1 overall prospect Gregory Little, an offensive tackle who’s committed to Texas A&M.

Avon (IN) Avon quarterback Brandon Peters was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’5″, 205 lb. prospect with offers from Indiana, Iowa, and Virginia Tech, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #10 pro-style quarterback, and #306 overall. As a junior in 2014, he went 148/263 for 1,876 yards, 21 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions. He also ran for 244 yards and 6 scores. Peters has a cannon for an arm when he can step into his throws, and he has some surprisingly nifty feet when he’s on the move, although he does not have great speed. It sounds like Peters was very intrigued by the Michigan offer and could be one to watch for a commitment at some point.

Gardena (CA) Junipero Serra safety C.J. Pollard was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’1″, 180 lb. prospect with offers from Arizona State, USC, Utah, and Wisconsin, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #12 safety, and #271 overall. He claims a 4.5 forty and looks like a true safety prospect with good fundamentals and athleticism. Junipero Serra is the same school that has produced DT Rasheem Green (USC), WR Deontay Burnett (USC), CB Adoree’ Jackson (USC), and LB Dwight Williams (UCLA) in the past couple classes, all of whom were Michigan targets. It’s very tough to pull these kids away from southern California, although Pollard already said he would take an official visit to Michigan. Those early promises don’t always stick, but that’s a positive sign.

Santa Ana (CA) Mater Dei linebacker Curtis Robinson was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’3″, 205 lb. prospect with offers from Nebraska, Notre Dame, USC, and Washington, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #19 outside linebacker, and #255 overall. As a junior in 2014, he made 40 tackles, 4 sacks, and 1 interception. Robinson is a long, athletic kid who looks like a 3-4 outside linebacker.

Killeen (TX) Shoemaker defensive end Rahssan Thornton was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’4″, 220 lb. prospect with an offer from Cal. He’s not ranked right now by the major recruiting services, so not a whole lot of information is available. Thornton is skinny and raw according to his junior film, but he has some impressive athletic skills that should earn him a lot more offers.

Orangeburg (SC) Orangeburg-Wilkinson cornerback James Valdez, a North Carolina State commit, was offered by Michigan. Valdez is a 5’10”, 175 lb. prospect who also holds offers from North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #34 cornerback, and #337 overall. He committed to the Wolfpack in late January after being offered in April of 2014, but he does seem interested in some of the other offers he’s receiving.

St. Petersburg (FL) Gibbs safety Craig Watts was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’0″, 180 lb. prospect with offers from Florida, Miami, Mississippi State, Missouri, Notre Dame, and Ohio State, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #13 safety, and #274 overall. He claims a 4.4 forty. Watts named a top nine back in the fall that obviously did not include Michigan, but he has received lots of new interest since then. He also said that distance will not be a factor in his college decision, although Florida appears to be the early leader.

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2017
Lawrenceville (GA) Archer safety Isaiah Pryor was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’2″, 190 lb. prospect with offers from Miami, Ohio State, Oklahoma, and Tennessee. He’s a 247 Sports 4-star, the #5 safety, and #70 overall. He claims a 4.5 forty. He’s a big kid who may even grow into an outside linebacker by the time he hits college. Pryor is the teammate of 2017 cornerback offeree Jamyest Williams as well as 2016 offensive tackle E.J. Price, who reportedly has Michigan in his top two with Auburn.

OFF THE BOARD
Brandenton (FL) IMG Academy wide receiver Tavares “T.J.” Chase committed to Clemson. The #28 wide receiver and #121 overall player holds offers from lots of powerhouse schools, but it’s hard to argue with the job Clemson has done producing players at the position.

Detroit (MI) King cornerback Lavert Hill committed to Penn State on an unofficial visit. The younger brother of Michigan safety Delano Hill, Lavert is a 247 Composite 4-star, the #21 cornerback, and #214 overall. He recently transferred from Cass Tech to King, and Michigan will likely stay on his trail, but this is a fairly significant early recruiting loss for Michigan, which needs corners badly in the 2016 class.

MISCELLANEOUS
I gave an update on the 247 Sports Top 247 for 2016 (LINK).

I posted recruiting awards for Michigan’s 2015 class (LINK) and recruiting grades for the offense (LINK). My grades for the defense will be coming tomorrow morning.

Over on Recruiting Season, I updated profiles for: