Tag: Da’Mario Jones

Final TTB Ratings for 2013

Maurice Hurst, Jr. made the biggest leap in the final TTB Ratings

Here are the finalized TTB Ratings for the class of 2013.  Discuss!

Derrick Green – RB – Richmond (VA) Hermitage: 92 95
The more I think about the offensive line Michigan is building, the more I think Green is going to have a very good career in a winged helmet.  He could very well be the starter by his sophomore year, if not as a freshman.

Dymonte Thomas – S – Alliance (OH) Marlington: 92 89
I’m downgrading Thomas because I don’t know that he’s an All-American candidate, which is what a 90+ grade entails.  I think he will still be a very good player and turn into an all-conference player as a strong safety.

Kyle Bosch – OG – Wheaton (IL) St. Francis: 88
I’m going to leave Bosch right where he is.  He looks like an excellent guard prospect, and I like his nastiness.

Shane Morris – QB – Warren (MI) De La Salle: 89 87
Morris still has all the physical schools he has ever had – strong arm, decent athleticism – and has shown with his recruiting that he has some leadership skills.  It just seems like he has some limitations on seeing the whole field and making good decisions.

Patrick Kugler – C – Wexford (PA) North Allegheny: 83 86
With a couple years between Jack Miller and Kugler, the latter should have at least a couple seasons as a starter.  I liked what I saw of him at the Under Armour All-American Game.

Chris Fox – OT – Parker (CO) Ponderosa: 90 85
Fox’s ACL tear concerns me some. He’s still a big body who’s pretty athletic, but I fear that this injury might put him behind some of the other linemen to begin..

Jourdan Lewis – CB – Detroit (MI) Cass Tech: 86 84
Lewis isn’t the biggest, strongest, or fastest recruit out there, but he shows good change of direction and ball skills.  I like him as a college cornerback, but he might be limited beyond that.

Jake Butt – TE – Pickerington (OH) North: 82
I’m leaving Butt right where he is. He’s not a “next generation” tight end who can run really fast and jump really high, but he’s a very solid prospect.  He should have no problem turning into a good blocker at the very least.

Ben Gedeon – LB – Hudson (OH) Hudson: 82 81
I still like Gedeon, but I have slightly more confidence in Butt as a prospect.  I like turning running backs into linebackers, and he has experience at both positions.

Da’Mario Jones – WR – Westland (MI) John Glenn: 79 81
As Michigan’s passing offense improves and they can find more ways to get the ball to receivers, I like Jones’s skill set more.  He’s not an absolute blazer, but he offers a dimension of speed that some other recent receiver recruits lack.

Henry Poggi – DT – Baltimore (MI) Gilman: 81 79
Watching Poggi in the Under Armour All-American Game, I still think Poggi looks like a good prospect for the college level – he played very well – but I’m not sure he’ll have the size or explosion to be a serious NFL prospect down the road.

Maurice Hurst, Jr. – DT – Westwood (MA) Xaverian Brothers: 73 78
I always liked Hurst’s athleticism, but I like his energy, too.  After seeing his senior highlights and his performance in the Semper Fi All-American Bowl, I think he has some potential to be a pretty good player down the road.

Csont’e York – WR – Harper Woods (MI) Chandler Park Academy: 79 77
York’s rating doesn’t change much, but I have less confidence in him than Poggi.  He still has considerable upside because he can go up and get the ball, but he’s not a dynamic athlete.

Taco Charlton – DE – Pickerington (OH) Central: 75 76
Charlton has the speed to stick at weakside end, but he keeps growing and growing. I wonder if at some point he might be too heavy to play WDE and end up as a strongside end. Considering some lacking technique, that could be troublesome.

Logan Tuley-Tillman – OT – Peoria (IL) Manual: 79 75
I’m downgrading Tuley-Tillman a little bit because he’s so raw.  He’s helped by the fact that he’s the only left tackle prospect in this class, but it’s tough to get a feel for him.  Pass protection is still a huge issue for him as he learns.

Mike McCray II – LB – Trotwood (OH) Trotwood-Madison: 74
This seems to be a pretty good spot for McCray. It’s unclear whether he’ll finally end up at SAM or MIKE. He’s a good athlete, but I have questions about his ability to read plays quickly.  I might be in favor of putting him at SAM, where he would be in a position to attack more often than having to read and react.

Channing Stribling – CB – Matthews (NC) Butler: 73
I thought about bumping up Stribling, but I just don’t think I can do it.  He showed his ability to make plays in high school, but I just don’t think he has the speed to be a dynamic player in college.  Most of Michigan’s good corners over the past 15 years or so have been fast or at least quick, but I don’t see that in Stribling.

David Dawson – OG – Detroit (MI) Cass Tech: 67 71
I’m bumping Dawson up a little bit, because I think he could be a starter later in his career.  Anyone who becomes a starter with the way Michigan is recruiting has to be pretty good player, but I don’t see a particularly high ceiling for him.

Delano Hill – CB – Detroit (MI) Cass Tech: 71 69
Hill has lots of physical talent, but if he were a great playmaker, he would have been rated higher by the recruiting services.  He seems to be a guy who could be a very good special teamer and earn spot duty in college, but he’s a man without a position – is he a corner or a safety? – and there’s talent at those spots already.

Wyatt Shallman – RB – Novi (MI) Catholic Central: 65
I think this is a pretty good spot for Shallman.  I don’t think he will ever be a starter at running back, although he could be a factor at fullback or U-back in the future.  He also has the ability to contribute on defense, but Shallman and the coaches have been insistent that he’ll play offense.

Ross Douglas – CB – Avon (OH) Avon: 63
Douglas was recruited to play slot corner, and when you combine that with his lack of great size, I think he’s somewhat limited when projecting him beyond college.  I think he could be a solid slot corner in the same vein as Brandon Harrison.

DeVeon Smith – RB – Warren (OH) Howland: 63
I thought about bumping Smith up because I truly believe that Michigan will be putting together some good rushing seasons in the coming years because of the offensive line, and not totally because of the talent of the running backs.  I do not believe Smith has the speed to be a dynamic running back himself, but he might put up good numbers as a backup and perhaps eventual successor to Green.

Reon Dawson – CB – Trotwood (OH) Trotwood-Madison: 62
Dawson does have some potential to outperform this ranking, but he’s behind some of the other guys in technical prowess.  The speed and size are there.  It just depends on how it all comes together.

Khalid Hill – TE – Detroit (MI) East English Village: 68 60
Hill can fill a role on this team, but he has talent ahead of him and his lack of speed or size sort of limits his upside.

Dan Samuelson – OG – Plymouth (IN) Plymouth: 65 59
I think Samuelson will be a quality backup down the road, who could make a spot start and be fine.  However, I think he’s someone who might get lost in the shuffle with the rest of the linemen Michigan is getting.

Jaron Dukes – WR – Columbus (OH) Marion Franklin: 70 58
Dukes didn’t have a great senior season, and I already had questions about him going into the 2012 season.  He doesn’t have great speed, and he doesn’t look like a lithe athlete who can make up for that speed deficiency with acrobatics.

Scott Sypniewski – LS – Ottawa (IL) : Incomplete
I don’t know enough about long snappers around the country to offer an opinion here.

2013 Recruiting Awards

Derrick Green is dressed properly for the occasion

You can go ahead and glance back at my 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012 recruiting award posts.

Best Overall Recruit: RB Derrick Green
Green is widely considered to be the top recruit in Michigan’s class, and running backs are often fairly easy to scout.  Based on the way Michigan is recruiting the offensive line, I think there’s a good chance that Green becomes an All-Big Ten player and perhaps an All-American.  That kind of performance at a place like Michigan would likely set him up for a high NFL Draft pick.

Best Offensive Recruit: RB Derrick Green
Considering the above paragraph, this is obvious.

Best Defensive Recruit: S Dymonte Thomas
Thomas is listed at 6’2″, 192 lbs.  He has good speed and shows excellent hitting ability.  I was particularly impressed with him as a hitter/tackler during the U.S. Army All-American Bowl.  I think his long-term potential might be somewhat limited because he hasn’t spent much time in coverage, and NFL teams love those ball hawks.  But as for playing strong safety in college, Thomas looks like an excellent prospect.  I’m excited about his future.

Recruit Most Likely to Make an Early Impact: RB Derrick Green
Until Green committed a couple weeks ago, I would have chosen tight end Jake Butt.  However, Green enters the program when Michigan is looking for a viable #2 tailback, if not a starter while Fitzgerald Toussaint recovers from his broken leg.  I don’t think it’s out of the question for Green to be the leading rusher in 2013.

Fastest Recruit: CB Delano Hill
Hill is a workout warrior who puts up good numbers, and while his speed doesn’t always show up on the field, he did have a laser-timed 4.44 time in the forty.  There really aren’t a whole lot of blazing-fast players in this class.  A couple of the cornerbacks – including Hill – might end up at safety, and a couple of the wide receivers are bigger, slower guys.  None of these guys has speed that jumps out at you, but there are a few guys who can scoot a little bit – Green, Hill, Thomas, Ross Douglas, Reon Dawson, and Da’Mario Jones.

Strongest Recruit: OG Kyle Bosch
Bosch is a big, thick kid who probably doesn’t need to add much size before seeing the field.  He enrolled early at Michigan, and insiders are already saying that he might be in line for a little bit of playing time as a true freshman.  While I’m not sure that will be necessary (unless there are injuries), it’s still a positive tidbit about his future.

Best Under-the-Radar Recruit: WR Da’Mario Jones
Jones is a 6’2″, 185 lb. receiver with good speed.  He needs some polishing, but his speed should allow him to be a deep threat a little more than several other guys on the roster.  When he committed to Michigan, he was sitting on several MAC offers and one from New Mexico.

Most Overrated Recruit: CB Delano Hill
Hill is a 4-star to three of the major recruiting sites (ESPN ranks him as a 3-star), but I think he’s closer to a 3-star prospect.  He is a very good athlete, but I’m not sure he has the football instincts and playmaking ability to justify those 4-star rankings.

Most Likely to Redshirt: OT Chris Fox
Fox, who tore his ACL toward the end of his senior season, will miss some developmental time while he recovers.  Additionally, Michigan returns both starting tackles (Taylor Lewan, Michael Schofield) and has a couple decent redshirt freshmen (Ben Braden, Erik Magnuson), so there’s not much need for Fox to play this year.

Personal Favorite Recruit: S Dymonte Thomas
Thomas was a two-way star in high school who put up excellent numbers on both sides of the ball.  He also seems to be a heady kid who reportedly improved quickly during the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, so I think he’ll be fun to watch.  Jordan Kovacs was fun to watch over the past couple seasons, and Thomas should eventually take that strong safety position and play at an even higher level.

Scout: Class of 2013 Michigan Final State Rankings

Warren (MI) De La Salle quarterback Shane Morris is the top player in the state

Scout finalized its 2013 in-state rankings.  Here are some notes on a few players of Michigan interest:

1. Shane Morris – QB – Warren (MI) De La Salle: Offered, committed to Michigan.
2. Steven Elmer – OT – Midland (MI) Midland: Offered, committed to Notre Dame.
3. Jourdan Lewis – CB – Detroit (MI) Cass Tech: Offered, committed to Michigan.
4. Jon Reschke – LB – Bloomfield (MI) Brother Rice: Offered, committed to Michigan State.
5. David Dawson – OG – Detroit (MI) Cass Tech: Offered, committed to Michigan.
6. Dennis Finley – OT – Detroit (MI) Cass Tech: Offered, committed to Michigan State.
7. Delano Hill – S – Detroit (MI) Cass Tech: Offered, committed to Michigan.
8. Wyatt Shallman – FB – Novi (MI) Catholic Central: Offered, committed to Michigan.
9. Khalid Hill – TE – Detroit (MI) East English Village: Offered, committed to Michigan.
13. Da’Mario Jones – WR – Westland (MI) John Glenn: Offered, committed to Michigan.
23. Berkley Edwards – RB – Chelsea (MI) Chelsea: Brother of former Michigan WR Braylon Edwards, committed to Minnesota.
26. Andre Turner – DE – Harper Woods (MI) Chandler Park: Teammate of WR commit Csont’e York, committed to Western Michigan.
28. DeJuan Rogers – CB – Detroit (MI) Cass Tech: Teammate of commits Lewis, Dawson, and D. Hill; committed to Toledo.
37. Josh Cox – S – Warren (MI) De La Salle: Teammate of QB commit Shane Morris; committed to Central Michigan.
64. Matt Linehan – QB – Orchard Lake (MI) St. Mary’s: Son of Detroit Lions OC Scott Linehan, committed to Idaho.

Detroit News Blue Chip list for 2013

Shane Morris is the top player in Michigan, according to the Detroit News

The Detroit News released its “blue chip” list for 2013, and unsurprisingly, there’s a handful of future Wolverines on the list.  A quick rundown:

1. Shane Morris – QB – Warren (MI) De La Salle: Committed to Michigan.
2. David Dawson – OG – Detroit (MI) Cass Tech: Committed to Michigan.
3. Steve Elmer – OT – Midland (MI) Midland: Committed to Notre Dame.
4. Jourdan Lewis – CB – Detroit (MI) Cass Tech: Committed to Michigan.
5. Jon Reschke – LB – Birmingham (MI) Brother Rice: Committed to Michigan State.
6. Wyatt Shallman – RB – Novi (MI) Catholic Central: Committed to Michigan.
7. Cameron Dillard – OG – Plymouth (MI) Canton: Committed to Florida.
8. Gerald Holmes – RB – Flint (MI) Carman-Ainsworth: Committed to Michigan State.
9. Delano Hill – CB – Detroit (MI) Cass Tech: Committed to Michigan.
10. Khalid Hill – TE – Detroit (MI) East English Village: Committed to Michigan.
11. Da’Mario Jones – WR – Westland (MI) John Glenn: Committed to Michigan.
12. Dennis Finley – OT – Detroit (MI) Cass Tech: Committed to Michigan State.
13. Csont’e York – WR – Harper Woods (MI) Chandler Park: Committed to Michigan.
14. Kenton Gibbs – DT – Detroit (MI) Cass Tech: Uncommitted.
15. Luke Maclean – LB – Grand Blanc (MI) Grand Blanc: Committed to Pitt.

So Michigan has 8 of the top 15 players in the state for the class of 2013, in addition to 8 of the 15 from last year.

Visitors: Michigan vs. Iowa

Dymonte Thomas

2013
Reon Dawson – CB – Trotwood (OH) Trotwood-Madison: Dawson is a 6’2″, 175 lb. prospect who is committed to Illinois.  The teammate of Michigan commit Mike McCray, Dawson also holds offers from Arizona, Cincinnati, Kentucky, Pitt, Purdue, Virginia, and West Virginia.  (Highlights.)

Da’Mario Jones – WR – Westland (MI) John Glenn: Jones committed to Michigan at the end of October.

Mike McCray II – LB – Trotwood (OH) Trotwood-Madison: McCray committed to Michigan in March.  Here’s how his senior season is going.

Shane Morris – QB – Warren (MI) De La Salle: Morris is Michigan’s premier recruit for the 2013 class.  Here’s a look at how his senior season went.

Channing Stribling – CB – Matthews (NC) Butler: This is his official visit.  Here’s a look at how Stribling’s senior season is unfolding.

Scott Sypniewski – LS – Ottawa (IL) Marquette: Sypniewski is a long snapper, which is really neat.

Dymonte Thomas – S – Alliance (OH) Marlington: Thomas committed to Michigan.  Here’s a look at how his senior season went.

Logan Tuley-Tillman – OT – Peoria (IL) Manual: Tuley-Tillman committed to Michigan in February.  Here’s a look at his senior highlights.

Csont’e York – WR – Highland Park (MI) Chandler Park: York committed to Michigan back in May.

2014
Brian Allen – C – Hinsdale (IL) Central: Allen is a 6’2″, 275 lb. center prospect.  He has offers from Illinois, Iowa, Michigan State, Purdue, and Wisconsin.  (Highlights.)

Alex Bookser – OT – Pittsburgh (PA) Mt. Lebanon Shores: Bookser is a 6’5″, 295 lb. prospect with no offers at this time.

Avery Edwards – TE – Raleigh (NC) Ravenscroft: Edwards is a 6’5″, 220 lb. prospect with offers from North Carolina, North Carolina State, and Wake Forest. As a sophomore in 2011, he had 45 receptions for 659 yards (14.6 yards/catch) and 10 touchdowns; his junior produced 40 receptions for 490 yards (10.3 yards/catch) and 4 touchdowns.  He’s not the most athletic tight end out there, and I think Michigan might have some better options, but he could be a guy they pursue down the road. (Highlights.)

Matt Hammerstein – OT – Uniontown (OH) Lake: I don’t know much about Hammerstein, but my assumption is that he’s the son of former Michigan defensive tackle Mike Hammerstein.

Joe Henderson – DE – Cleveland (OH) Shaker Heights: Henderson is a 6’4″, 220 lb. prospect with offers from Cincinnati, Illinois, Minnesota, and Pitt.  Some people think he could play outside linebacker, but he looks like a weakside end to me.  He uses his hands well and has pretty good athleticism.  He had previously been listed with a Michigan offer, although recent information suggests he was not verbally offered by the Wolverines; however, I would not be surprised if he is offered soon. (Highlights.)

Darryl Long – TE – Westerville (OH) South: Long is a 6’4″, 220 lb. prospect with offers from Illinois, Ohio, and Pitt. (Highlights.)

Evan Mallory – OG – Brownsburg (IN) Brownsburg: Mallory is a 6’4″, 285 lb. prospect with no offers at this time.

Kyle Rachwal – TE – Lapeer (MI) East: Rachwal is a 6’3″, 225-pounder with no offers at this point.  This is his fifth or sixth visit to Michigan this season, so I would bet that he would jump on a Michigan offer if he were lucky enough to get one.

Gelen Robinson – DE – St. John (IN) Lake Central: Robinson is a 6’1″, 230 lb. defensive end with no offers at this point.  As a junior this season, he had 95 tackles, 47 tackles for loss, 13 sacks, and 2 fumble recoveries.  Robinson is the younger brother of Michigan freshman basketball player Glenn Robinson III and, therefore, the son of former Purdue and NBA star Glenn Robinson. (Highlights.)

Vic Roe – DT – Carmel (IN) Carmel: Roe is a 6’3″, 255-pounder without any offers at this point.  I do not think Roe is a Michigan-caliber player. (Highlights.)

Shelby Spence – QB – Chicago (IL) De La Salle: Spence is a 6’1″, 193 lb. dual-threat quarterback with no offers at this time.  He’s the teammate of 2014 offensive guard offeree Jamarco Jones.  Spence does not appear to be a high level FBS prospect. (Highlights.)

Darius West – CB – Lima (OH) Central Catholic: West is a 5’11”, 189 lb. cornerback with offers from Cincinnati, Illinois, and Purdue, along with some MAC schools.  As a sophomore in 2011, he had 69 tackles, 1 interception, and 1 forced fumble.  If Michigan were to offer him, I think it would be as a slot corner prospect; however, he does not appear to be a player who will be offered by Michigan anytime soon, despite recently being named to the Rivals 250.

2015
John Kelly – S – Oak Park (MI) Oak Park: Kelly is a 5’11”, 180-pounder without any offers at this time, but the buzz suggests that he’ll be a decent recruit in the not-too-distant future.