Tag: Clelin Ferrell

Recruiting Update: June 23, 2014

Fort Wayne (IN) Bishop Luers wide receiver Austin Mack (image via MGoBlog)

Avon (CT) Old Farms tight end Chris Clark committed to Michigan (LINK).

Trotwood (OH) Trotwood-Madison quarterback Messiah DeWeaver was offered at Michigan’s camp and then committed to the Wolverines (LINK).

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2016
La Canada (CA) St. Francis wide receiver Dylan Crawford was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’1″, 175 lb. prospect with offers from Arizona State, Oregon State, Tennessee, UCLA, USC, and Washington, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #5 wide receiver, and #41 overall. Crawford is on a nationwide recruiting swing with touted quarterback K.J. Costello, who also has/had a Michigan offer. Michigan’s extension of an offer to DeWeaver, who subsequently committed, almost certain dooms the Costello recruitment and may also have a negative impact on Michigan’s recruitment of Crawford going forward.

Perry (OH) Perry tight end Luke Farrell was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’6″, 219 lb. prospect with offers from Illinois and Ohio State. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #9 tight end, and #258 overall. Farrell earned his offers from U of M and OSU at their respective camps over the past couple weeks.

Atlanta (GA) Woodward Academy running back Elijah Holyfield was offered by Michigan. He’s a 5’11”, 190 lb. prospect with offers from Kentucky, Mississippi State, Ohio State, Tennessee, and Wisconsin, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #32 running back, and #358 overall. He visited Michigan’s campus this week on a swing through with a couple teammates. Holyfield is a tough, hard-nosed runner who lacks great breakaway speed, somewhat reminiscent of DeVeon Smith.

Plymouth (MI) Plymouth offensive tackle Michael Jordan was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’7″, 275 lb. prospect whose lone offer is from the Wolverines, which he earned at camp last week. The answer to your obvious question is, “No, this is not the same Michael Jordan who starred in Fruitvale Station.” Plymouth is the alma mater of senior defensive end Brennen Beyer.

Fort Wayne (IN) Bishop Luers wide receiver Austin Mack was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’2″, 205 lb. prospect with offers from Cincinnati, Indiana, and Ohio State, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #12 wide receiver, and #78 overall. Mack is a pretty polished route runner with decent speed. I think he will drop in the rankings as more people get evaluated, because he lacks the athleticism one would expect of a top 100 player, but he’s still a quality prospect.

Hit the jump for 2017 prospects, commitments to other schools, and miscellaneous bits.

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2017
Plano (TX) East linebacker Anthony Hines III was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’2″, 218 lb. prospect who committed to Mississippi State in October 2013. He also has offers from Baylor, Clemson, Miami, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, and numerous others; he tweeted out that Michigan was his 42nd offer, despite having finished just his freshman year.

Lawrenceville (GA) Archer cornerback Jamyest Williams was offered by Michigan. He’s a 5’9″, 170 lb. prospect with offers from Clemson, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, and a few others. He claims a 4.59 forty. As a freshman in 2013, he had 32 tackles, 16 pass breakups, and 2 interceptions. Williams camped at Michigan this past week.

OFF THE BOARD
Corona (CA) Santiago quarterback Blake Barnett committed to Alabama. He had previously been committed to Notre Dame, and when he decommitted a couple weeks ago, signs were pointing to Oregon. However, he pulled the trigger for the Crimson Tide, which leaves the Ducks and the Fighting Irish searching for quarterbacks in the class. Elkton (MD) Eastern Christian Academy had been a possible choice for Alabama, but now it seems that the USC commitment will end up at a slightly lower-tier program, perhaps like West Virginia.

Richmond (VA) Benedictine defensive end Clelin Ferrell committed to Clemson. Ferrell was high on the Wolverines and had some connections to Ann Arbor; he’s in the same league as Wilton Speight and Garrett Taylor. Clemson has a good track record with defensive ends, so it’s probably a good choice for him. His 2016 teammate, wide receiver Scott Bracey, also holds an offer from the Wolverines.

Cleveland (OH) St. Ignatius defensive end Dre’Mont Jones committed to Ohio State. His top three consisted of the Buckeyes, Michigan, and Notre Dame, but it seemed like a pretty sure thing that he would end up in Columbus. St. Ignatius is the alma mater of Jake Ryan.

Allen (TX) Allen offensive tackle Gregory Little committed to Texas A&M. Little is the consensus #1 recruit in the country so far for 2016, so this presents a little bit of a challenge to the recruiting sites. It seems that the #1 prospect in the nation usually holds off on committing until fairly late in the recruiting cycle, so with 1 year and 8 months left, will they drop Little to create drama?

Cedar Hill (TX) Cedar Hill wide receiver DaMarkus Lodge committed to Texas A&M. Lodge never seemed to be in danger of leaving the Lone Star State.

Flower Mound (TX) Marcus offensive tackle Keaton Sutherland committed to Texas A&M. Okay, this is ridiculous. Another Michigan target picks the Aggies. Sutherland is the teammate of 2016 tight end Kaden Smith, who also has a Michigan offer.

Bellevue (WA) Newport offensive guard Calvin Throckmorton committed to Texas A&M Oregon. I will not miss having to type that name repeatedly over the next four or five years. Give me lots and lots of Chris Clarks, please.

MISCELLANEOUS
Here’s a list of the kids who visited Michigan this past week/weekend (LINK).

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.

Visitors: April 18-20, 2014

Avon (CT) Old Farms tight end Chris Clark

2015
Chris Clark – TE – Avon (CT) Old Farms: Clark is a 6’6″, 247 lb. prospect who recently decommitted from North Carolina; he also has offers from Michigan, Notre Dame, and Ohio State, along with many others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #3 tight end, and #130 overall. As a junior in 2013, he caught 39 passes for 417 yards and 6 touchdowns. Recruiting gurus are picking Notre Dame, where he visited a couple weekends ago, but he has yet to visit Columbus or Ann Arbor.

Clelin Ferrell – DE – Richmond (VA) Benedictine: Ferrell is a 6’5″, 225 lb. prospect who recently named a top eleven of Clemson, LSU, Miami, Michigan, Michigan State, North Carolina, Ohio State, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia Tech. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #8 weakside end, and #84 overall for the class. He plays in the same league as freshman QB Wilton Speight and 2014 cornerback commit Garrett Taylor, and his teammate is 2016 wide receiver offeree Scott Bracey.

Grant Newsome – OT – Lawrenceville (NJ) Lawrenceville School: I typed up a scouting report on Newsome at the end of March. He recently picked up an Arkansas offer and visited Penn State.

2016
Ben Bredeson – OT – Hartland (WI) Arrowhead: Bredeson is a 6’5″, 275 lb. prospect with offers from Iowa State, Michigan, Tennessee, and Wisconsin. He visited Michigan for the spring game a couple weekends ago and also took a swing through Columbus and Knoxville. The Badgers are considered to be the leader.

Recruiting Update: February 17, 2014

Richmond (VA) Benedictine defensive end Clelin Ferrell

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2015
Richmond (VA) Benedictine defensive end Clelin Ferrell was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’5″, 225 lb. prospect with offers from Clemson, Miami, Ohio State, Penn State, Virginia, and Virginia Tech, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #6 weakside end, and #76 overall. As a sophomore in 2012, he had 60 tackles, 26 tackles for loss, and 11.5 sacks. He plays some linebacker, but he looks like a future weakside end and shows nice burst off the edge. Ferrell is teammates with 2016 wide receiver offeree Scott Bracey and plays in the same league as Michigan freshman quarterback Wilton Speight.

Gardena (CA) Junipero Serra defensive tackle Rasheem Green was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’5″, 280 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Miami, Notre Dame, UCLA, and USC, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 5-star, the #6 defensive tackle, and #17 overall. Michigan went after two of Green’s teammates in the 2014 class, but came away empty on cornerback Adoree’ Jackson (USC) and linebacker Dwight Williams (UCLA). The favorite for Green appears to be USC, too.

Dallas (TX) South Oak Cliff safety Prentice McKinney, Jr. was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’2″, 180 lb. prospect with offers from Arkansas, Boise State, Maryland, Nebraska, Notre Dame, and Oklahoma, among others. He claims a 4.48 forty, a 240 lb. bench, and a 275 lb. squat. As a junior in 2013, he had 5 interceptions. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #37 safety, and the #589 player overall.

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2016
Cleveland (OH) St. Ignatius offensive guard Liam Eichenberg was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’5″, 275 lb. prospect whose only other offer is from Ohio State. Eichenberg has stated that he is very likely to stay in the Big Ten. Fifth year senior linebacker Jake Ryan is also from St. Ignatius.

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2017
Miamisburg (OH) Miamisburg offensive tackle Josh Myers was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’5″, 255 lb. prospect with offers from Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky. Myers represents the Wolverines’ first offer in the 2017 class. He has a brother who’s a redshirt sophomore center at Kentucky and a father who played for the Wildcats, so they’re a major player in his recruitment. Of course, as a member of the 2017 recruiting class, his brother will be graduated from UK before Josh arrives.

OFF THE BOARD
Warminster (PA) Archbihop Wood offensive tackle Ryan Bates committed to Penn State. He was just offered by the Wolverine a couple weeks ago and is the #166 player in the class, according to the 247 Composite.

Gaithersburg (MD) Gaithersburg athlete Kamonte Carter committed to Penn State, too. Along with Bates and a defensive back named Jarvis Miller, they became the first three commitments in the 2015 class for the Nittany Lions. Before this past weekend’s Junior Day in Happy Valley, Carter previously visited PSU for their overtime win against Michigan, so that had to be a positive game day experience. Carter is a do-it-all high school player, the rare quarterback/defensive end combo. Michigan originally offered him as a SAM linebacker, but at 6’4″ and 235 lbs. already, he will likely be a defensive end at the next level.

Washington (DC) H.D. Woodson cornerback DuWayne Johnson committed to Virginia Tech. Johnson had 75 tackles, 4 interceptions, and 18 pass breakups last season.

Virginia Beach (VA) Ocean Lakes athlete Jaason Lewis committed to UCLA. Lewis plays a little bit of everything for his high school team, but at 6’3″ and 235 lbs., I have doubts about whether he can stick at wide receiver, which is where some people project him. He looks more like an H-back to me, or perhaps a linebacker. It will be interesting to see how UCLA uses him, and they’re not averse to playing players at multiple positions, as they showed with Myles Jack.


MISCELLANEOUS
Here’s a list of the 2015, 2016, and 2017 visitors who were on campus Saturday to watch Michigan play Wisconsin.

Lakewood (OH) St. Edward cornerback and current prize of Michigan’s 2015 recruiting class Shaun Crawford went to the Nike camp this past weekend, ran a laser-time 4.5 forty, ran a 4.03 shuttle, jumped 36.3″ vertically, and earned an invite to The Opening.