Recruiting Update: June 9, 2014

Tag: Blake Barnett


9Jun 2014
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Recruiting Update: June 9, 2014

Warren (OH) Harding center James Daniels (image via 247 Sports)

COMMITMENT
USC transfer Ty Isaac committed to Michigan (LINK). MGoVideo put together a reel of all of Isaac’s touches at USC last year (LINK), and it’s tough not to be impressed with what Isaac brings to the table. He had a better offensive line at USC last year than what Michigan’s backs had in 2013, but he still has a knack for breaking tackles and falling forward.

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2015
Corona (CA) Santiago quarterback Blake Barnett decommitted from Notre Dame. The 247 Composite #65 player in the nation is likely to choose Oregon sooner or later.

Warren (OH) Harding center James Daniels was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’2″, 282 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Auburn, Iowa, Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State, and UCLA, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #9 center, and #584 overall. Daniels is that rare center prospect who actually plays center in high school, and he looks like a good one for Michigan’s style of offense. His brother, Leshun Daniels II, is a running back for the Hawkeyes, and James’s father played for Iowa, too. Despite Michigan having a good amount of success at Harding (Mario Manningham, Prescott Burgess, Carl Diggs), it looks like James will pick the Buckeyes or Hawkeyes.

Sacramento (CA) Grant Union offensive guard Darrin Paulo was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’5″, 344 lb. prospect with offers from Arizona, Arizona State, Cal, Oregon, UCLA, USC, and Wisconsin, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #41 offensive guard, and #593 overall. Paulo plays tackle in high school, but several schools see him as a guard, which is where I also think he fits best. He has stated that he wants to stay close to home, so Michigan’s chances are slim.

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2016
Shreveport (LA) Calvary Baptist quarterback Shea Patterson was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’1″, 180 lb. prospect who committed to Arizona in December 2012; he now has offers from Alabama, Auburn, Baylor, Clemson, Notre Dame, Tennessee, and Virginia Tech, among others. He’s a 247 Sports 4-star, the #2 pro-style quarterback, and #57 overall in his class. As a sophomore in 2013, he completed 138/223 passes for 2,655 yards, 34 touchdowns, and 4 interceptions while running 74 times for 241 yards and 3 touchdowns. Patterson plays in a spread offense that emphasizes his passing skills, which include good arm strength and very good accuracy. He’s not a great runner, but he’s athletic enough to move the chains when necessary. Patterson plans to visit Michigan this summer and seems excited about the offer. Where he ends up is anybody’s guess, but I do not believe he will remain committed to Arizona.

Virginia Beach (VA) Ocean Lakes cornerback Levonta Taylor was offered by Michigan. He’s a 5’10”, 170 lb. prospect with offers from Clemson, LSU, Miami, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Tennessee, Virginia, and Virginia Tech, among others. He’s a 247 Sports 4-star, the #3 cornerback, and #46 overall. He claims a 4.32 forty, a 40″ vertical, a 4.09 shuttle, a 275 lb. bench, a 520 lb. deadlift, a 405 lb. squat, and a 10’6″ broad jump, all of which add up to make him quite an impressive athlete if those numbers are close to being true. As a sophomore in 2013, he made 48 tackles, 7 interceptions (1 touchdown), 10 pass breakups, 3 tackles for loss, and 1 forced fumble. On film Taylor is a blazer with good ball skills and hitting ability.

Suffolk (VA) Lakeland linebacker Jaquan Yulee was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’2″, 258 lb. prospect with offers from Clemson, North Carolina, Virginia, and Virginia Tech. He’s a 247 Sports 4-star, the #9 outside linebacker, and #142 overall. He claims a 4.92 forty, a 275 lb. bench, and a 500 lb. squat. Yulee played inside linebacker for his high school team last year, but he looks to me like a LaMarr Woodley or Brandon Graham type of player who will transition to defensive end in college.

OFF THE BOARD
Richmond (VA) Benedictine defensive end Clelin Ferrell committed to Clemson. This is a bit of a blow to Michigan’s recruit efforts as they have developed a foothold in Virginia over the past couple years, including guys like Derrick Green, Wilton Speight, and Garrett Taylor. The Wolverines are also in need of weakside end types unless they plan to put Noah Furbush there, because Frank Clark graduates after the upcoming season, leaving just Mario Ojemudia (a senior in 2015) and Lawrence Marshall (sophomore or redshirt freshman) at the position. Ferrell is also a teammate of 2016 wide receiver Scott Bracey, who holds a Michigan offer.

MISCELLANEOUS
Here’s a list of visitors from this past week (LINK).

The Rivals 100 Five-Star Challenge took place in Baltimore this past weekend (LINK).

Orlando (FL) Timber Creek running back Jacques Patrick is in town for the week leading up to the Sound Mind Sound Body camp next week. Patrick’s cousin is a coach at Detroit (MI) King and perhaps the biggest reason that Michigan might have a shot at Jacques, who is a 247 Composite 4-star, the #2 running back, and #44 overall in the 2015 class. As a junior in 2013, he carried the ball 231 times for 2,153 yards and 30 touchdowns.

7Mar 2014
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Scouting Report: New 2015 Quarterbacks

Stephenville (TX) Stephenville quarterback Jarrett Stidham

Here’s another batch of quarterback scouting reports for the 2015 class. I spent a lot of time on these (too much time?), so hopefully they’re useful and enjoyable. You might remember that I did this for another group of quarterbacks at the beginning of January, but Michigan’s quarterback recruiting has stalled somewhat and some new names have popped up on the radar. Since that time, Blake Barnett and Jarrett Stidham have been offered, Doug Nussmeier was hired to replace Al Borges, and Ricky Town flipped from Alabama to USC, among other things. I’ll place this batch in order, and at the end of the post, I’ll give my own ranking of all the quarterback prospects.

1. Jarrett Stidham – QB – Stephenville (TX) Stephenville: Stidham is a 6’3″, 190 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Miami, Michigan, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, and Texas Tech, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 5-star, the #2 dual-threat quarterback, and #34 overall. He claims a 4.57 forty time. As a junior in 2013, he was 156/254 for 2,613 yards, 30 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions; he also ran 138 times for 821 yards and 14 touchdowns. Stidham is a polished spread quarterback, and he does a good job of making pre-snap reads and knowing where he wants to go with the ball. He has a little bit of a hitch in his delivery at times, but that doesn’t bother me much. He shows nice pocket awareness and stands tall while staying on his toes, so he’s always in a throwing position. He does not have a rocket for an arm, but he has above average arm strength. Perhaps the best thing about him is that he knows where to go with the ball and gets in there in a place where his receivers can run after the catch. One thing I noticed is that he does not have the most skilled receivers and running backs around him, yet he still puts up pretty big numbers. While Stidham is ranked as a dual-threat quarterback, he’s not an elusive or speedy runner; he makes hay on the ground by making good, quick reads in the option game. I see him more as a pro-style quarterback.

2. Ricky Town – QB – Ventura (CA) St. Bonaventure: Town is a 6’4″, 205 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Florida State, Georgia, Miami, Stanford, Texas, and UCLA, along with several others; he committed to USC in late January after being committed to Alabama. Michigan offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier recruited him to Alabama initially, and there is some scuttlebutt that Nussmeier extended a Michigan offer, too, but that has not been confirmed. Anyway, Town is a 247 Composite 5-star, the #2 pro-style quarterback, and #6 overall. As a junior in 2013, he completed 67% of his passes for 2,300 yards and 25 touchdowns. There’s a lot to like about Town, but not as much as Stidham, in my opinion. Town has superior arm strength, and he has quick feet taking his drop. He is not the most athletic guy and lacks creativity outside of the pocket, which will cause him to take some big and potentially dangerous hits. Town has a quick release at times, but sometimes he gets sloppy with his mechanics and holds the ball a little too low, causing a longer windup. The biggest issue I see with Town is that he tends to force the ball into tight windows, and he doesn’t always put it in the most catchable spot or lead his receivers to yards after the catch. Too many times he passes up wide open receivers to hit receivers who are in double-coverage or about to get lambasted. He has the ability to make every throw, which is tantalizing, but I’m not sure that he’s the best decision maker.

3Blake Barnett – QB – Corona (CA) Santiago: Barnett is a 6’3″, 195 lb. prospect with offers from Arizona, Cal, Ole Miss, UCLA, and West Virginia; he committed to Notre Dame in November 2013. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #3 pro-style quarterback, and the #83 player overall. His Hudl profile suggests a 4.7 forty, a 4.4 pro agility shuttle, a 30″ vertical, a 240 lb. bench max, and a 375 lb. squat max. As a junior in 2013, he had 2,332 passing yards and 22 touchdowns, along with 695 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground. I’m a little bit at odds with his ranking as a pro-style quarterback, because Barnett does a lot of work with his legs. He’s not a dynamic runner who will break open the game by running the ball, but he can keep a play alive, move the chains, and occasionally bust a long one; his running style reminds me of former Wolverine Tate Forcier. As a passer, Barnett has solid mechanics. He works mostly out of a shotgun spread look, so his footwork and progressions from under center might be question marks. He has adequate arm strength but shows nice touch on the ball, throwing some very nice corner routes and seam routes. Barnett also shows that he goes through progressions, is able to look off defenders, and check the ball down to his second and third options, at least. He looks like a Brian Kelly type of quarterback to me.

4. Brian Lewerke – QB – Phoenix (AZ) Pinnacle: Lewerke is a 6’3″, 180 lb. prospect with offers from Arizona, Arizona State, Louisville, Ole Miss, UCLA, and West Virginia. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #21 pro-style quarterback, and #483 overall. He claims a 4.67 forty, a 4.26 shuttle, a 32″ vertical, a 195 lb. bench max, and a 280 lb. squat. As a junior in 2013, he was 167/316 for 2,780 yards, 33 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions; he also had 464 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns. Lewerke is a kid with a good frame who looks like he’ll continue to grow and fill out to be well over 200 lbs. Listed as a pro-style quarterback, he can run a little bit and is difficult to take down on the move; he won’t run away from many people, but he should be able to move the chains if you forget about him. When he scrambles, he keeps his eyes downfield looking for receivers and can throw on the move. Lewerke has a quick release and can deliver the ball on a line, in tight spaces, or with touch over the top. I was not extremely impressed with his sophomore film, but I think he took a big step forward as a junior.

5. Brandon Wimbush – QB – Jersey City (NJ) St. Peter’s Prep: Wimbush is a 6’2″, 205 lb. prospect with offers from Miami, Nebraska, Ohio State, Penn State, Rutgers, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia Tech, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #5 dual-threat quarterback, and #163 overall. As a junior in 2013, he was 52/80 for 822 yards, 8 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions; he also ran 25 times for 237 yards and 2 touchdowns and claims a 4.65 forty. Wimbush is a thick and powerful kid who reminds me a little bit of former Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith. He has good speed without being blazingly fast, and he has enough power to run through a tackle here or there, too; if he’s running downhill at a cornerback or safety with 2 yards to go for a first down, my Monopoly money’s on Wimbush. He has a powerful arm with a little bit of a long release, though it’s high enough to prevent some batted balls. Wimbush has the speed, strength, and creativity to make things happen outside the pocket. I would like to see him get rid of the ball a little quicker and have a better command of the offense and reading defenses, because some of his throws take too long to develop, which won’t be as much of an option at the next level. The physical skills are there for Wimbush, and I wouldn’t even call him a developmental prospect, because he’s not a project; he’s just a guy who appears to need a little seasoning.

6. Travis Waller – QB – Anaheim (CA) Servite: Waller is a 6’3″, 185 lb. prospect with offers from Arizona and Washington. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #7 dual-threat quarterback, and #213 overall. Waller is a tantalizing prospect, but he’s a project. It’s not a surprise at all that Arizona is on his offer list – at first glance, his playing style reminds me of former Michigan commit Shavodrick Beaver. Waller has very good speed, and he’s a gangly but effective runner who shows determination and toughness in powering through tackles. His ball handling needs a lot of work, his footwork is inconsistent, and his team’s offense looks a little simple; that last point is perhaps more about his coaching than him, but nonetheless, it speaks to the level at which he’s expected to understand and perform. There are a lot of mirrored routes and simple route combinations, unlike those of a few other prospects on the list. He also plays in a somewhat gimmicky Texas Tech-style offense that has four or five receivers, extra wide splits by the linemen, etc. It’s a wide open offense that serves its purpose by opening up some lanes for him to run and throw, but it doesn’t lend itself to a lot of college systems. Waller has a somewhat long delivery, but he has a strong arm and can push the ball downfield. I mentioned Beaver up above, but his game is also somewhat reminiscent of former Baylor Bear and current Washington Redskin Robert Griffin III.

7. Kelly Bryant – QB – Piedmont (SC) Wren: Bryant is a 6’4″, 205 lb. prospect with offers from Clemson, Duke, Florida, North Carolina, Ole Miss, South Carolina, and Virginia Tech, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #19 dual-threat quarterback, and #549 overall. Bryant is a true dual-threat quarterback who can hurt teams with his arm and his legs. He lacks the speed and elusiveness of the great dual-threats, but he has good speed and is more of a slashing runner than a stop/start guy. In that aspect, he reminds me a little bit of Clemson’s Tajh Boyd. As a thrower, Bryant has decent footwork out of the shotgun, but his arm mechanics are questionable; he tends to push the ball, and because of that, he lacks great arm strength. He throws the ball well when going to his right, but he could work on squaring his shoulders when rolling to the left. Ole Miss and Clemson appear to be the leaders.

Here’s how I would rank the 20 quarterback prospects I’ve reviewed so far, and you may notice that some of them have been re-ranked. (This is mostly because I think Nussmeier wants a more mobile quarterback who can create with his feet, and it’s slightly because I’ve let things simmer for a bit longer.)

1. Josh Rosen
2. Jarrett Stidham
3. Kyle Kearns
4. Zach Gentry
5. Blake Barnett
6. Ricky Town
7. Brian Lewerke
8. Brady White
9. Kevin Dillman
10. Brandon Wimbush
11. Alex Malzone
12. Travis Waller
13. Kelly Bryant
14. Sheriron Jones
15. Nick Johns
16. Jack Beneventi
17. Jimmy Fitzgerald
18. David Sills
19. Riley Neal
20. David Edwards

Blue = Go ahead and offer these guys
Green = Offer if the first eight don’t bite
Red = I do not see this being a match

1Feb 2014
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January Coach Visits

Southfield (MI) Southfield defensive end Malik McDowell (#67) is Michigan’s top target remaining in the 2014 class

Since January is such a popular month for college coaches to hit the road and recruit, here’s a list of players who are expecting or have received visits this month.

2014
Ian Bunting – TE – Hinsdale (IL) Central*
Noah Furbush – LB – Kenton (OH) Kenton*
Jeff Jones – RB – Minneapolis (MN) Washburn*
Marlon Mack – RB – Sarasota (FL) Booker*
Malik McDowell – DE – Southfield (MI) Southfield*
Jared Wangler – LB – Warren (MI) De La Salle*
Chase Winovich – LB – Clairton (PA) Thomas Jefferson*

2015
Blake Barnett – QB – Corona (CA) Santiago*
Jake Browning – QB – Folsom (CA) Folsom
Nick Johns – QB – Washington (DC) Gonzaga
Kyle Kearns – QB – Pleasanton (CA) Foothill
Brian Lewerke – QB – Phoenix (AZ) Pinnacle
Alex Malzone – QB – Bloomfield Hills (MI) Brother Rice
Josh Rosen – QB – Bellflower (CA) St. John Bosco*
David Sills – QB – Elkton (MD) Eastern Christian Academy*
Jarrett Stidham – QB – Stephenville (TX) Stephenville*
Ricky Town – QB – Ventura (CA) St. Bonaventure
Ryan Willis – QB – Mission (KS) Bishop Miege
Brandon Wimbush – QB – Jersey City (NJ) St. Peter’s Prep
Andrew Dowell – RB – Lakewood (OH) St. Edward
Johnny Frasier – RB – Princeton (NC) Princeton*
Damien Harris – RB – Berea (KY) Madison Southern*
Soso Jamabo – RB – Plano (TX) West*
Ronald Jones II – RB – McKinney (TX) North
Kentrail Moran – RB – O’Fallon (KY) O’Fallon
Jacques Patrick – RB – Orlando (FL) Timber Ridge*
Mike Weber – RB – Detroit (MI) Cass Tech*
George Campbell – WR – Tarpon Springs (FL) East Lake*
Irvin Charles – WR – Haddonfield (NJ) Paul VI
Brian Cole – WR – Saginaw (MI) Heritage*
David Dowell – WR – Lakewood (OH) St. Edward
Tyron Johnson – WR – New Orleans (LA) Warren Easton*
Christian Kirk – WR – Scottsdale (AZ) Saguaro*
Kai Locksley – WR – Baltimore (MD) Gilman
Damarkus Lodge – WR – Cedar Hill (TX) Cedar Hill*
Juval Mollette – WR – Randleman (NC) Randleman*
Stanley Norman – WR – Gardena (CA) Junipero Serra
Kemah Siverand – WR – Houston (TX) Cypress Ridge
Bowman Archibald – TE – Dade City (FL) Pasco
Chris Clark – TE – Avon (CT) Old Farms
Austin Ervin – TE – St. Johns (MI) St. Johns
Jackson Harrison – TE – Columbia (TN) Central
Tyler Petite – TE – Moraga (CA) Campolindo
Anthony Rush – TE – Cary (NC) Cary
Jalen Wilkerson – TE – Douglas (GA) Coffee
Matthew Burrell, Jr. – OT – Woodbridge (VA) Hylton
Trevor Elbert – OT – Rockwall (TX) Heath
Jake Fruhmorgen – OT – Tampa (FL) Plant*
Mitch Hyatt – OT – Suwanee (GA) North Gwinnett*
Sterling Jenkins – OT – Pittsburgh (PA) Baldwin*
Harrison Moon – OT – Chattanooga (TN) Signal Mountain
Chuma Edoga – OG – Powder Springs (GA) McEachern
Richie Petitbon – OG – Washington (DC) Gonzaga
Jon Runyan, Jr. – OG – Philadelphia (PA) St. Joseph’s Prep*
Jashon Cornell – DE – St. Paul (MN) Cretin-Derham*
Jalen Dalton – DE – Clemmons (NC) West Forsyth
Landis Durham – DE – Plano (TX) East
Clelin Ferrell – DE – Richmond (VA) Benedictine
Keisean Lucier-South – DE – Orange (CA) Lutheran*
Charles Omenihu – DE – Rowlett (TX) Rowlett
Cassius Peat – DE – Tempe (AZ) Corona Del Sol
Darian Roseboro – DE – Lincolnton (NC) Lincolnton*
Darrion Daniels – DT – Dallas (TX) Bishop Dunne
Rasheem Greene – DT – Junipero (CA) Gardena Serra
Daylon Mack – DT – Gladewater (TX) Gladewater
Tim Settle – DT – Manassas (VA) Stonewall Jackson*
Elijah Taylor – DT – Cincinnati (OH) Moeller
Shy Tuttle – DT – Lexington (NC) North Davidson*
Christian Wilkins – DT – Suffield (CT) Suffield Academy
Jerome Baker – LB – Cleveland (OH) Benedictine*
Josh Barajas – LB – Merrillville (IN) Andrean
Asmar Bilal – LB – Indianapolis (IN) Ben Davis
Wyatt Cook – LB – Owings Mills (MD) McDonogh
Jordan Fox – LB – Jersey City (NJ) St. Peter’s Prep
Justin Hilliard – LB – Cincinnati (OH) St. Xavier*
Malik Jefferson – LB – Mesquite (TX) Poteet*
John Houston – LB – Junipero (CA) Gardena Serra
Darrin Kirkland, Jr. – LB – Indianapolis (IN) Warren Central
Arthur McGinnis – LB – New Orleans (LA) Warren Easton
Anthony McKee – LB – Columbus (OH) Walnut Ridge
Joshua McMillon – LB – Memphis (TN) Whitehaven*
Cameron Smith – LB – Granite Bay (CA) Granite Bay
Adonis Thomas – LB – Lawrenceville (GA) Central Gwinnett*
Tyriq Thompson – LB – Detroit (MI) King*
Anthony Wheeler – LB – Dallas (TX) Skyline*
Kareem Ali – CB – Sicklerville (NJ) Timber Creek
Kris Boyd – CB – Gilmer (TX) Gilmer
Shaun Crawford – CB – Lakewood (OH) St. Edward*
Minkah Fitzpatrick – CB – Jersey City (NJ) St. Peter’s Prep*
Iman Marshall – CB – Long Beach (CA) Poly*
Darrell Miller – CB – Cedar Hill (TX) Cedar Hill
John Reid – CB – Philadelphia (PA) St. Joseph’s Prep*
Tyree Kinnel – S – Huber Heights (OH) Wayne*
Marcus Lewis – S – Washington (DC) Gonzaga
Tyler Woodley – S – Powder Springs (GA) McEachern

This post is getting long, so hit the jump for 2016 and 2017 prospects:

2016
Messiah DeWeaver – QB – Trotwood (OH) Trotwood-Madison
Kentrail Moran – RB – O’Fallon (IL) O’Fallon
Miles Sanders – RB – Woodland Hills (PA) Woodland Hills*
Kareem Walker – RB – Wayne (NJ) DePaul Catholic*
Scott Bracey – WR – Richmond (VA) Benedictine*
Brandon Burton – WR – Gardena (CA) Junipero Serra
Cameron Chambers – WR – Sicklerville (NJ) Timber Creek
D.J. Morgan – WR – Bellflowers (CA) St. John Bosco
David Edwards – TE – Downers Grove (IL) North
Marquise Guinn – TE – Carthage (TX) Carthage
Jake Hausmann – TE – Cincinnati (OH) Moeller
Isaac Nauta – TE – Buford (GA) Buford*
Kaden Smith – TE – Flower Mound (TX) Marcus*
Naseir Upshur – TE – Philadelphia (PA) Imhotep
Sean Foster – OT – Mundelein (IL) Carmel Catholic
Thiyo Lukusa – OT – Traverse City (MI) West*
Erik Swenson – OT – Downers Grove (IL) South*
E.J. Price – OG – Lawrenceville (GA) Central Gwinnett*
Tommy Roush – OG – Traverse City (MI) West
Lawrence Gordon – DE – Saginaw (MI) Saginaw
Jarrod McLin – DE – Carthage (TX) Carthage
Prince Sammons – DE – Cincinnati (OH) Hills Christian
Dexter Lawrence – DT – Wake Forest (NC) Rolesville*
Ed Oliver – DT – Houston (TX) Westfield
Daelin Hayes – LB – Orchard Lake (MI) St. Mary’s
Keion Joyner – LB – Havelock (NC) Havelock
Robbie Robinson – CB – Hampton (VA) Phoebus
Aaron Matthews – ATH – Clairton (PA) Thomas Jefferson

2017
Bailey Hockman – QB – Powder Springs (GA) McEachern
Kahlee Hamler – WR – Orchard Lake (MI) St. Mary’s
Joshua Ross – LB – Orchard Lake (MI) St. Mary’s

*Prospect holds a Michigan offer

27Jan 2014
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Recruiting Update: January 27, 2014

Stephenville (TX) Stephenville quarterback Jarrett Stidham

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2014
Fort Lauderdale (FL) University School defensive end Richard Yeargin III decommitted from Notre Dame. He probably would have been an outside linebacker for the Fighting Irish, but he’s expected to end up at Clemson now, where I believe he will be a defensive end.

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2015
Corona (CA) Santiago quarterback Blake Barnett was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’3″, 195 lb. prospect with offers from Arizona, Cal, and UCLA, among others, and he has been committed to Notre Dame since last November. According to 247’s Composite rankings, he’s a 4-star, the #6 pro-style QB, and the #135 player overall. As a junior in 2013, he passed for 2,332 yards and 22 touchdowns, and he ran for 695 yards and 13 touchdowns. He runs a spread offense in high school and has a good combination of throwing and running abilities. Following Michigan’s offer, he stated that he was solid with Notre Dame but would check into what the policy is on taking other visits, so the offer appears to have stirred at least a little bit of interest.


Princeton (NJ) Princeton running back Johnny Frasier was offered by Michigan. He’s a 5’11”, 200 lb. prospect with offers from Georgia, North Carolina, and Penn State, among others. According to the 247 Composite, he’s a 3-star, the #57 running back, and #651 overall in the class. As a sophomore in 2012, he had 229 carries for 1,792 yards and 21 touchdowns, plus 13 catches for 194 yards and 2 more scores. Frasier has decent speed and vision, but his biggest asset might be his balance; he doesn’t run over tacklers, but he bounces off and keeps moving forward.

Berea (KY) Madison Southern running back Damien Harris decommitted from Michigan. Harris had been committed to the Wolverines since summer 2013, but the poor season combined with the departure of offensive coordinator Al Borges has made him rethink some things. His mother went on the record saying that the Wolverines are still #1 on Harris’s priority list, but it’s rare that kids decommit from a school and then end up signing with that school, the stories of David Dawson and Will Campbell be damned. One school that may benefit is Ohio State, which was high on Harris’s list before he chose the Wolverines; however, Michigan was his childhood favorite, so hopefully the 247 Composite #2 running back stays true to his youth.

Cedar Hill (TX) Cedar Hill wide receiver DaMarkus Lodge was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’2″, 190 lb. prospect with offers from Auburn, Baylor, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, Texas A&M, and Texas Tech, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #3 WR, and the #52 player overall. As a junior in 2013, he had 72 receptions for 1,255 yards and 22 touchdowns. He has very good speed and runs nice routes, but he is also very likely to stay in the state of Texas.

Orange (CA) Lutheran defensive end Keisean Lucier-South was offered by Michigan. I wrote up a scouting report on him last Friday.

Stephenville (TX) Stephenville quarterback Jarrett Stidham was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’3″, 190 lb. prospect with offers from Baylor, Clemson, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Oregon, TCU, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, and Texas Tech, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #2 dual-threat QB, and #46 overall. As a junior in 2013, he completed 160/268 (60%) of his passes for 2,687 yards, 30 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions; he also ran 143 times for 975 yards (6.8 yards/attempt) and 16 touchdowns. Baylor appears to be the leader for Stidham, which would make some sense because head coach Art Briles was Stephenville’s coach before moving on to the college ranks.


Lawrenceville (GA) Central Gwinnett outside linebacker Adonis Thomas was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’4″, 215 lb. prospect with offers from Florida, Florida State, Miami, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Texas A&M, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #40 athlete, and the #376 player overall. Thomas is listed as an athlete partly because he plays receiver, but he’s too stiff to be an offensive player at the next level. He looks like a SAM linebacker who may be able to grow into a weakside end at some point. Florida and Ohio State are two teams out front right now, and Michigan struggles to pull kids out of Georgia.

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2016
Lawrenceville (GA) Central Gwinnett offensive tackle E.J. Price was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’5″, 273 lb. prospect with offers from Auburn, Florida State, Miami, Ohio State, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin, among others. Price moves very well for a kid his size and should be a left tackle prospect going forward. Price is just the third lineman to have been offered for the 2016 class, following Erik Swenson (who is committed to Michigan already) and Thiyo Lukusa.

Flower Mound (TX) Marcus tight end Kaden Smith was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’5″, 235 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Clemson, Oklahoma, and Texas Tech. As a sophomore in 2013, he had 40 receptions for 640 yards (16 yards/catch) and 8 touchdowns. It’s early, but Smith is expected to be one of the top couple prospects at his position in the 2016 class. He visited Ann Arbor last summer and appears to have more than passing interest, but the general expectation is that he will stay down south. His school is the alma mater of former Michigan running back Stephen Hopkins.


OFF THE BOARD
Houston (TX) Cypress Falls outside linebacker Otaro Alaka flipped from Texas to Texas A&M.

Manalapan (NJ) Manalapan wide receiver Saeed Blacknall flipped from Rutgers to Penn State. Blacknall was the prize recruit remaining in the Rutgers class that has seen a great deal of attrition in the last couple months, including Michigan running back offeree Jonathan Hilliman (Boston College) and Detroit Country Day quarterback Tyler Wiegers (Iowa).

Goodyear (AZ) Desert Edge outside linebacker Ismael Murphy-Richardson committed to Arizona State. He never exhibited interest in his Michigan offer.

Ventura (CA) St. Bonaventure quarterback Ricky Town decommitted from Alabama and then committed to USC shortly afterward. Town is considered to be one of the top few quarterbacks in the 2015 class, and while he does not hold a Michigan offer, he was recruited to the Crimson Tide by offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier, who now holds the same position for the Wolverines. Michigan has thrown out a few offers for 2015 quarterbacks but is yet to really ignite a ton of interest, so it’s worth watching Town and others. I would not expect Town to have serious interest in the Wolverines even if offered, but this is interesting because Elkton (MD) Eastern Christian Academy quarterback David Sills – who holds a Michigan offer – has been committed to USC for several years.

Chandler (AZ) Hamilton offensive tackle Casey Tucker committed to Stanford. Tucker was committed to USC at one time and briefly flirted with interest in playing at Michigan, but he never visited Ann Arbor.