Tag: 2018 recruiting

Antwuan Johnson, Ex-Wolverine

Antwuan Johnson (#2) and Leonard Taylor (#88) have both decommitted from Michigan. No word on #26 yet. (image via 247 Sports)

Dayton (OH) Dunbar linebacker Antwuan Johnson, a 2018 prospect, decommitted from Michigan on Friday morning. Here’s his commitment post from this spring (LINK).

Johnson is a 247 Composite 4-star, the #6 inside linebacker, and #294 overall. He has offers from a few MAC schools, a few middle-of-the-pack Big Ten programs, and Kentucky. Johnson was a teammate of Springfield (OH) Springfield defensive end Leonard Taylor last year but transferred this off-season. Both players were Michigan commits at one point and have now decommitted, and Johnson mentioned that his relationship with linebackers coach Chris Partridge had fallen off recently. One has to wonder if Michigan cooled on Johnson since his higher rated former teammate jumped off the bandwagon.

This decommitment doesn’t bother me much. Johnson has some talent, but he doesn’t appear to be a huge difference-maker and a player ranked at #294 overall can probably be replaced between now and February of 2018. Michigan is now down to one commitment in the 2018 class, though, after losing Johnson, Taylor, and Georgia offensive guard Jalil Irvin in recent weeks. The one remaining 2018 commit is Georgia linebacker/safety Otis Reese.

Visitors: Michigan vs. Hawaii

Tarik Black (image via Eleven Warriors)

2017

Tarik Black – WR – Cheshire (CT) Cheshire Academy: Black is a 6’3″, 204 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Michigan, Notre Dame, Stanford, and UCLA, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #17 wide receiver, and #131 overall. The U.S. Army All-American will be taking his official visit this weekend. Michigan held a camp at Cheshire Academy this summer, and Black is one of a few targets Michigan is heavily in the mix for right now. As of Wednesday night, the Crystal Ball is 62% in favor of the Wolverines for Black.

Corey Bolds – DT – Paramus (NJ) Catholic: Bolds is a 6’3″, 276 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Clemson, Michigan, and Rutgers, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #38 defensive tackle, and #462 overall. He’s a teammate of 2017 linebacker Drew Singleton (see below).

Carter Dunaway – TE – Bloomfield Hills (MI) Brother Rice: Dunaway is committed to Michigan (LINK).

Ja’Raymond Hall – OT – Oak Park (MI) Oak Park: Hall is committed to Michigan (LINK).

Brad Hawkins, Jr. – WR – Suffield (CT) Suffield Academy: Hawkins is a 6’1″, 202 lb. prospect who signed with Michigan in the 2016 class. He was an NCAA non-qualifier and is now headed to Suffield Academy for a prep year. He graduated from Camden (NJ) Camden, where he was a teammate with freshman defensive end Ron Johnson, Jr. Here’s Hawkins’s commitment profile from the summer of 2015 (LINK).

Hit the jump for more visitors.

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Jalil Irvin, Ex-Wolverine

Stone Mountain (GA) Stephenson OG Jalil Irvin

Stone Mountain (GA) Stephenson offensive guard Jalil Irvin decommitted from Michigan on Tuesday. He committed to Michigan in June (LINK).

Irvin still has Michigan in his top five and will consider the Wolverines going forward. I originally compared him to former Michigan offensive guard Patrick Omameh, since he’s an athletic guard who can grow into being a lineman at the next level. As a 2018 prospect, it’s too early to regret his departure from the class too much, but it’s reason not to get too invested in these early commitments. Michigan has already offered several other offensive guard prospects, including Indiana’s Emil Ekiyor, Michigan’s own Marquan McCall, and Georgian Jamaree Salyer, among others.

This is the third decommitment for Michigan in two days, as 2017 defensive tackle Aubrey Solomon (LINK) and 2018 defensive end Leonard Taylor (post yet to come) both backed off their commitments on Monday.

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2016 BBQ at the Big House visitors

Antioch (CA) Antioch RB Najee Harris

The BBQ at the Big House, founded by Rich Rodriguez, has continued through Brady Hoke and now Jim Harbaugh. It has always been a big recruiting weekend with a lot of visitors, although Harbaugh has switched it up a little bit. Instead of having it near the end of July when players are still able to take visits freely, putting it in early August makes it a bit tougher for players to make lengthy travel plans, since a lot of states start practice at the beginning of August. This year’s BBQ at the Big House will supposedly be split up into two events, one on August 6 and one on August 8.

2017

Jordan Anthony – LB – Bradenton (FL) IMG Academy: Anthony is a 6’0″, 220 lb. prospect with offers from Auburn, Clemson, Georgia, LSU, Maryland, Michigan, Ohio State, Oklahoma, and Penn State, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #8 outside linebacker, and #113 overall. A Maryland native, he transferred to IMG prior to his junior year. UPDATE: Anthony is no longer planning to visit.

Henry Bainivalu – OT – Sammamish (WA) Skyline: Bainivalu is a 6’6″, 290 lb. prospect with offers from Michigan, Oregon, UCLA, USC, Washington, and Washington State, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #23 offensive tackle, and #182 overall.

Aaron Banks – OT – El Cerrito (CA) El Cerrito: Banks is a 6’7″, 344 lb. prospect with offers from Cal, Michigan, Notre Dame, Oregon, and USC, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #21 offensive tackle, and #167 overall.

Hit the jump for a ton more players who are attending the BBQ.

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Visitors: July 22-24, 2016

Lindenhurst (NY) Lindenhurst TE Jeremy Ruckert

2017

Nolan McDonald – QB – Long Beach (CA) Poly: McDonald is a 6’2″, 185 lb. prospect with no offers at this time.

2018

Camren McDonald – WR – Long Beach (CA) Poly: McDonald is a 6’4″, 205 lb. prospect with offers from Arizona, Florida, UCLA, and USC, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #20 wide receiver, and #143 overall. He attends the alma mater of former Michigan cornerback Donovan Warren.

Jeremy Ruckert – TE – Lindenhurst (NY) Lindenhurst: Ruckert is a 6’5″, 220 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Michigan, and Ohio State, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #7 tight end, and #111 overall.