Tag: 2017 recruiting

2017 Recruiting Update: January 26, 2015

Antioch (CA) Antioch RB Najee Harris (image via San Jose Mercury News)

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2017
Antioch (CA) Antioch running back Najee Harris was offered by Michigan. Harris is a 6’1″, 210 lb. prospect with offers from Cal, UCLA, and Utah, among others. He’s a 247 Sports 4-star, the #5 running back, and #42 overall in his class. Harris represents Jim Harbaugh’s first offer in the 2017 class, and we have seen that kind of early attention pay off in past classes, such as with Bryan Mone in the 2014 class. The running back is a sturdy north-south runner who lacks great speed but is only coming out of his sophomore year. As a sophomore this past season, he carried the ball 271 times for 2,263 yards (8.4 yards/carry) and 23 touchdowns.

OFF THE BOARD
Miamisburg (OH) Miamisburg offensive tackle Josh Myers committed to Ohio State over the weekend. Myers is one of two linemen in his class to have earned offers from Michigan (both from the Hoke regime), along with Florida’s Calvin Ashley. Early on Myers is 247 Sports’ #1 offensive tackle and #3 overall player, so this is a big commitment for the Buckeyes.

MISCELLANEOUS
Ann Arbor (MI) Pioneer running back Antjuan Simmons visited Michigan this past weekend. Simmons is a 6’1″, 205 lb. prospect with no offers at this time, but he boasts a 4.55 forty and could play several positions at the next level. It’s early yet, but he looks like one of the top few prospects in the state for 2017.

Over on Recruiting Season, I added/updated profiles for Warren De La Salle RB Allen Stritzinger, Detroit King CB Ambry Thomas, and Detroit Cass Tech WR Donovan Peoples-Jones.

Recruiting Update: January 13, 2015

Montezuma (GA) Macon linebacker Roquan Smith

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2015
Fort Lauderdale (FL) St. Thomas Aquinas cornerback Damon Arnette, a South Carolina commit, was offered by Michigan and plans an official visit to Ann Arbor for this upcoming weekend. He’s a 6’2″, 185 lb. prospect who’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #60 cornerback, and #649 overall. He was being recruited by defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin at Florida. Other schools to offer include Florida State, Louisville, Ohio State, Ole Miss, and Wisconsin, among others. Michigan has attempted to dip into St. Thomas Aquinas several times in recent years, but players like Lamarcus Joyner (Florida State), Joey Bosa (Ohio State), and Corey Holmes (Notre Dame) have spurned the Wolverines’ efforts. Arnette is a big, physical corner.

Lithonia (GA) Hapeville Academy defensive end Arden Key decommitted from South Carolina. Key is a 6’5″, 230 lb. prospect who’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #5 weakside end, and #103 overall. Most analysts believe Auburn will be the recipient of his commitment sometime in the next few weeks.

Rowlett (TX) Rowlett defensive end Charles Omenihu, a Texas commit, was offered by Michigan. Like Arnette, he had been pursued by Durkin at Florida. Omenihu is a 6’5″, 232 lb. 3-star, #21 weakside end, and #469 player overall. Unfortunately, he has decided not to stir things up and stated that he would not take an official visit to Michigan despite some early excitement about the offer.

Montezuma (GA) Macon linebacker Roquan Smith was offered by Michigan. Smith is a 6’2″, 205 lb. prospect and another Durkin connection. Smith is also a 247 Composite 4-star, the #5 outside linebacker, and #49 overall. He also has offers from Alabama and USC, but he’s considered to be a Georgia lean with Ole Miss and UCLA visits scheduled for the final two weeks of January. He will be visiting Michigan this coming weekend, but the Wolverines are playing from behind. As a senior in 2014, he made 173 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, and 2 interceptions, plus he scored 12 touchdowns. Smith could probably play running back for a lot of teams in college football, but he’s a speedy guy who could play outside in a 3-4 or as a weakside guy in a 4-3. At this point he’s the best prospect considering Michigan, in my opinion, so a celebration would be in order if the Wolverines were able to pull him away from Georgia and his other suitors.

Monrovia (CA) Monrovia cornerback Octavius Spencer, a UCLA commit, picked up an offer from Michigan. Spencer is a 6’2″, 175 lb. prospect who’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #64 cornerback, and #684 overall. He could be poachable if UCLA head coach Jim Mora, Jr. takes an NFL job somewhere, but otherwise, he probably sticks with the Bruins.

Hit the jump for players who went off the board and some miscellaneous bits and pieces.

OFF THE BOARD
Berea (KY) Madison Southern running back Damien Harris committed to Alabama. Harris was, of course, committed to Michigan at one time. Michigan dodged a bullet when the 5-star Under Armour All-American did not choose the Ohio State Buckeyes, and he was also heavily weighing the option of staying in the state with the Kentucky Wildcats. Instead, he’s the second running back to flip from Michigan to Alabama in the last four years (Demetrius Hart, 2011).

Jacksonville (FL) Trinity cornerback Shaun Wade committed to Ohio State on the morning of Ohio State’s national championship game against Oregon. It’s too early to see how the 2017 recruiting class will shake out, but Wade had a litany of offers (Clemson, Georgia, UCLA, etc.) and a couple years remaining to allow Alabama, Florida State, Oregon, USC, and the like to get involved.

Wayne (NJ) De Paul running back Kareem Walker committed to Ohio State during the national championship game. He called Urban Meyer in the afternoon prior to the game, and then he made it public during their win over Oregon. Walker, a 2016 prospect, is considered to be the best or one of the top few running backs in his class.

MISCELLANEOUS
Gilmer (TX) Gilmer quarterback McLane Carter is being visited by Jim Harbaugh this week, presumably to add to the class as a preferred walk-on or late addition to the class. Carter is completely under the radar and unranked by the recruiting services. He’s a soft-tossing lefty who completed 74% of his passes for 3,969 yards, 37 touchdowns, and 1 interception on the way to a state title. Carter’s film is impressive in his ability to run a passing spread, but his ability to fit into a pro-style system and play from under center is not on display.

Atlanta (GA) Woodward Academy safety Arrington Farrar recently decommitted from Stanford, and Michigan may make a run at him. He’s a 6’2″, 195 lb. prospect who’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #20 safety, and #262 overall. He also has offers from Clemson, Kentucky, South Carolina, and Wisconsin, among others. Farrar is a teammate of 2016 running back Elijah Holyfield, who has an offer from the Wolverines.

Over on Recruiting Season, I posted profiles for Chippewa Valley WR Sean Bunting and Southfield DE Charles Harris. I also updated profiles for Cass Tech WR Demetric Vance, Muskegon Mona Shores WR Hunter Broersma, Southfield S Dior Johnson, and Traverse City West OG Jacob Cerny.

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.

Visitors: Michigan vs. Maryland

Tampa (FL) Wharton wide receiver Auden Tate

Here’s a list of players who will be visiting Michigan for their game against Maryland this weekend, the final home game of the season.

2015
Jack Dunaway – DE – Bloomfield Hills (MI) Brother Rice: Dunaway is committed to Michigan as a preferred walk-on defensive end. He’s the son of former Michigan tight end Craig Dunaway.

John Kelly – S – Oak Park (MI) Oak Park: Kelly is a 5’10”, 194 lb. prospect with offers from Michigan, Michigan State, and Minnesota, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #62 athlete, and #656 overall. Michigan offered him after cornerback Garrett Taylor decommitted, but the Wolverines are looking at Kelly as a safety. Kelly averaged 10.7 yards/carry as a senior this year, ending up with 1,321 yards and 21 touchdowns.

Alex Malzone – QB – Bloomfield Hills (MI) Brother Rice: Michigan’s quarterback commit for the 2015 class (LINK), Malzone was 211/325 (65%) for 2,998 yards, 38 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions.

Grant Newsome – OT – Lawrenceville (NJ) Lawrenceville School: Newsome committed to Michigan in June (LINK). He’s now rated as a 247 Composite 4-star, the #21 offensive tackle, and #209 overall. This will be his official visit.

Grant Perry – WR – Bloomfield Hills (MI) Brother Rice: Perry is a 6’0″, 185 lb. prospect with offers from a bunch of MAC schools and is angling for a Michigan offer to follow his quarterback teammate, Malzone. Perry is a 247 Composite 3-star, the #130 wide receiver, and #1047 overall.

Auden Tate – WR – Tampa (FL) Wharton: Tate is a 6’4″, 215 lb. prospect who committed to Florida State in August; he also has offers from Florida, Georgia, and Michigan, among others. It always looked like a Michigan vs. Florida State battle with the Seminoles leading. An official visit, this will be Tate’s first time in Ann Arbor.

Hit the jump for 2016, 2017, and 2018 prospects.

2016
John Fitzgerald – WR – Baltimore (MD) Gilman: Fitzgerald is a 6’3″, 210 lb. prospect with no offers at this time.

Devery Hamilton – OT – Baltimore (MD) Gilman: I wrote a fairly comprehensive blurb on Hamilton the other day (LINK) after he was offered by Michigan.

Ellison Jordan – DT – Balitmore (MD) Gilman: Jordan is a 6’0″, 255 lb. prospect with offers from Maryland, Penn State, and Virginia Tech, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #13 defensive tackle, and #167 overall.

Jeremy Larkin – RB – Cincinnati (OH) LaSalle:

Dorian Maddox – RB – Baltimore (MD) Gilman: Maddox is a 5’11”, 205 lb. prospect with no offers at this point. He could also be a strong safety at the next level.

Brian Manuel – DT – Washington (DC) St. John’s Collegiate: Manuel is a 6’5″, 320 lb. prospect with no offers at this time. He is a massive human being who could probably afford to shed a little bit of weight, but he will definitely earn some FBS offers soon.

Shamar Shanks – LB – Baltimore (MD) Gilman: Shanks is a 6’1″, 205 lb. prospect with no offers at this time.

Stephen Spanellis – OG – Baltimore (MD) Gilman: You can read more about Spanellis in the Hamilton link above.

Korey Stevens – CB – Baltimore (MD) Gilman:

Abdullah Yaseen – CB – Oak Park (MI) Oak Park: Yaseen is a 5’9″, 166 lb. prospect with no offers at this time.

2017
Troy Brown – WR – Flint (MI) Beecher: Brown is a 6’1″, 200 lb. prospect with no offers at this point. He plays wide receiver, but he also looks like a pretty physical safety for being just a sophomore. He claims a 4.56 forty, a 215 lb. bench, and a 315 lb. squat.

Carter Dunaway – TE – Bloomfield Hills (MI) Brother Rice: Dunaway is the younger brother of Carter Dunaway and a teammate of Malzone and Perry.

Kasim Hill – QB – Baltimore (MD) Gilman: Hill is a 6’2″, 195 lb. prospect with offers from Michigan State and Syracuse.

Corey Malone-Hatcher – DE – Baltimore (MD) Gilman: Malone-Hatcher is a 6’3″, 225 lb. prospect with offers from Michigan, Ohio State, and Penn State. He has visited Alabama several times and has family connections down there, so an Alabama offer may be difficult to ward off.

Camaron Spence – DT – Baltimore (MD) Gilman: Spence is a 6’2″, 275 lb. prospect with an offer from Maryland.

2018
Dan Bolden – LB – Cincinnati (OH) Colerain:

Taron Vincent – DT – Baltimore (MD) Gilman: Vincent is the son of former Wisconsin (and Miami Dolphins and Philadelphia Eagles) cornerback Troy Vincent, as well as the brother of Troy, Jr. (North Carolina State), whom Michigan recruited in the class of 2014.

Recruiting Update: November 18, 2014

Long Beach (CA) Poly cornerback Colin Samuel

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2015
Long Beach (CA) Poly cornerback Colin Samuel was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’2″, 186 lb. prospect with offers from Boston College, Illinois, Purdue, and UCLA, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star but unranked in the position rankings. He has been hit with a flurry of offers the past few days, which indicates that he sent out some impressive senior film. Indeed, Samuel is big, fast, and aggressive with good hips; unfortunately, he is pretty raw and does not have great instincts. Samuel is a teammate of 2015 corner Iman Marshall, who has tentative plans to visit Michigan but seems likely to end up at USC. Michigan has had some success in the past at Poly, which sent Donovan Warren to Ann Arbor.

Hit the jump for a slew of 2016 offers, a 2017 offer, and some miscellaneous tidbits.

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2016
Charlotte (NC) Mallard Creek defensive end Josh Brown was offered by Michigan. He’s a a 6’3″, 220 lb. prospect who committed to Florida State in September, along with another Michigan offeree, Janarius Robinson; Brown also has offers from North Carolina and UCLA. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #12 weakside end, and #194 overall for his class. Brown plays some linebacker and could stay there in a 3-4 scheme, but he looks more like a weakside end. I really like his athleticism, change of direction skills, and aggression. He has said that he will visit Michigan, and his primary recruiter is ace sweet-talker Roy Manning. Michigan has recruited kids out of Mallard Creek before (Marquez North, D.J. Humphries, Marquise Williams) but unsuccessfully so far.

Hyattsville (MD) DeMatha offensive guard Terrance Davis was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’4″, 305 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Florida State, Georgia, Maryland, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia Tech, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #4 offensive guard, and #164 overall. Davis is a big body with a good frame, but he has numerous technical issues that need to be sorted out, including a need to play lower. DeMatha is a huge talent producer out of Maryland, but Michigan has largely avoided recruiting from the school for some reason.

Downey (CA) Downey linebacker Darrian Franklin was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’0″, 202 lb. prospect with offers from Arizona State, Miami, UCLA, and USC. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #10 outside linebacker, and #147 overall. Franklin is also a wide receiver and has some upside there, but he looks like a more natural defensive player. Some growth would be necessary, but he has the look of an exciting outside linebacker.

Baltimore (MD) Gilman offensive tackle Devery Hamilton was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’6″, 270 lb. prospect with offers from Clemson, LSU, Maryland, Michigan State, and South Carolina, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #18 offensive tackle, and #215 overall. Hamilton also plays defensive end, but he looks as if he’ll outgrow that position, and he plays more like an offensive tackle, anyway. He plays for head coach Biff Poggi, whose son, Henry, is a redshirt freshman defensive end for Michigan. Even so, it appears that it would be an uphill battle for Michigan to secure his commitment.

Pittsburgh (PA) Central Catholic cornerback Damar Hamlin was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’0″, 175 lb. prospect with offers from Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State, and Pitt, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #11 cornerback, and #127 overall. Hamlin claims a 4.5 forty, and he shows some nice speed on film. I don’t know that he has the change-of-direction chops to play corner at the next level, but he is a decent tackler that could play safety.

Jacksonville (FL) Trinity Christian linebacker Dominique Ross was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’3″, 210 lb. prospect with offers from Miami, North Carolina, Pitt, and Wisconsin, among others. Ross looks like a speedy SAM linebacker in an Under defense, or perhaps a weakside end type of player if he gains some weight. Either way, he’s fast and aggressive with good athleticism. He’s a teammate of Jeffery Holland (undecided) and Kevin Toliver II (LSU), two 2015 Michigan offerees.

Baltimore (MD) Gilman offensive guard Stephen Spanellis was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’5″, 295 lb. prospect with offers from Georgia Tech, Maryland, Michigan State, South Carolina, and West Virginia, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #40 offensive tackle, and #494 overall. He claims a 385 lb. bench press and a 395 lb. squat. A little less athletic than teammate Hamilton, Spanellis plays tackle in high school but probably projects to guard in the long-term, with the possibility of playing the frontside tackle spot.

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2017
Jacksonville (FL) Trinity Christian cornerback Shaun Wade was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’2″, 175 lb. prospect with offers from Clemson, Georgia, Ohio State, and UCLA, among others. He’s a 247 Sports 4-star, the #2 cornerback, and #14 overall in his class. A teammate of Ross (and Holland and Toliver), I have yet to find any football film on him.

OFF THE BOARD
Clemmons (NC) West Forsyth defensive end Jalen Dalton committed to North Carolina. Things had been trending toward Virginia Tech for a while, so I can only assume that UNC’s insistence that their athletes do very little classwork led to a change of heart.

Thousand Oaks (CA) Westlake quarterback Malik Henry committed to Florida State. Henry was one of the few quarterbacks Michigan offered in the 2016 class, but that pursuit ended when Messiah DeWeaver committed to the Wolverines. Interestingly, Henry joins a list of verbal commits that includes three (3!) quarterbacks for the 2015 class. With four quarterbacks spread across two class, it would not be surprising to see at least one of them decommit or transfer early on. Henry is the #1 pro-style quarterback and #4 overall player in his class, according to the 247 Composite rankings.

MISCELLANEOUS
Over on Recruiting Season, I updated the profile of Detroit Cass Tech wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones, plus I added profiles of Walled Lake Northern WR Chris Cliff and West Bloomfield QB Trishton Jackson.