I was wrong. I predicted a 35-24 Ohio State victory, and it went almost exactly the opposite way. I didn’t expect Michigan’s offense to be able to keep up with Ohio State’s, especially if Blake Corum was unable to play. Oops.
Pound the rock. Ohio State held up very well against the run for much of the game. In the first half, Michigan rushed for just 20 total yards, including just 6 yards on 2 carries for Blake Corum. They also used C.J. Stokes on 2 carries for just 5 yards. The second half turned into a completely different story. An injured Donovan Edwards, wearing a cast on his right hand, took over the game, carrying the ball in his non-dominant hand. He finished with 22 carries for 216 yards and 2 touchdowns. One was a 75-yarder where he outraced safety Lathan Ransom, and the other was a patient attempt where he waited for a crease and then gashed the Buckeyes for 85 yards. Even though Michigan wasn’t successful in the first half, they seemed to wear down Ohio State’s front.
Andrew Paul – RB – Dallas (TX) Parish Episcopal: Paul is a 5’11”, 220 lb. prospect with offers from Auburn, Colorado, Michigan State, and TCU, among others. He’s a 3-star, the #89 running back, and #1210 overall. As a senior in 2021, he exploded for 2,612 rushing yards on 271 attempts for 41 touchdowns on the ground. He also caught 14 passes for 208 yards and 3 touchdowns. This production included over 1,000 yards rushing in three playoff games.
With the early signing day approaching tomorrow, December 15, it certainly seems like things have gone wacky. Gone are the days when teams lost and hired new coaches around the New Year, giving those staffs five or six weeks to come together and sign players in early February. Welcome to the days of coaches being fired or jumping ship so the school can have someone in place to try to salvage recruiting classes for mid-December. I won’t say it’s an unforeseen problem – plenty of us talked about it – but it has put fans, players, coaches, and schools in positions we’ve never seen.
Olu Oluwatimi – C – Virginia: Virginia center Olu Oluwatimi is visiting Michigan this weekend as a grad transfer. He’s a 6’3″, 310 lb. player who is a three-year starter for the Cavaliers. After redshirting at Air Force in 2017 and sitting out 2018 to transfer, Oluwatimi turned into one of the top three centers in the country, according to Rimington Award voters and Pro Football Focus. Michigan loses sixth year senior Andrew Vastardis at the position, so there’s an opening with only unproven players (Greg Crippen, Raheem Anderson, Reece Atteberry) in the pipeline at the position.
DeaMonte Trayanum – RB – Arizona State: Trayanum is a 5’11”, 235 lb. back who played his high school ball at Akron (OH) Hoban, where he was offered by Michigan and was a teammate of former Michigan offensive lineman Nolan Rumler (who is in the transfer portal). Trayanum had 78 carries for 401 yards (5.1 yards/carry) and 6 touchdowns this season. He’s a power back without much top-end speed.
2022
Darrius Clemons – WR – Portland (OR) Westview: Clemons is a 6’3″, 205 lb. prospect who took an official visit to Michigan in June. He has been all over the place and seemed to be headed to Michigan, Penn State, Auburn, and Oregon at various times. He’s a 4-star, the #30 wide receiver, and #171 overall. This is going to be an unofficial visit, so that seems to be noteworthy if the visit actually happens.
Derrick Moore – DE – Baltimore (MD) St. Frances: Moore is a 6’4″, 250-pounder with offers from Alabama, Florida, Michigan, and Oklahoma, among others. He was committed to Oklahoma until Lincoln Riley took the head coaching job at USC. He’s a 4-star, the #16 defensive lineman, and #106 overall. I was under the impression that Michigan would not be able to recruit Moore because his former head coach at St. Frances, Biff Poggi, now has an off-the-field position at Michigan; I guess I must be mistaken, but I will try to get more information on that situation.
Alex Orji – QB – Sachse (TX) Sachse: Orji is a 6’2″, 226 lb. prospect who is committed to Virginia Tech; he also has offers from Baylor, Houston, and Michigan, among others. He’s a 3-star, the #28 quarterback, and #417 overall. Orji accounted for 3,200 yards (2,000 passing and 1,200 rushing) and 52 touchdowns (28 passing, 24 rushing) as a senior. Orji is more strong and tough to bring down than quick, but he has a nice, strong arm and throws a pretty good deep ball. Virginia Tech just fired Justin Fuente and hired Brent Pry
Deone Walker – DT – Detroit (MI) Cass Tech: Walker is a 6’6″, 350-pounder with offers from Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, and Michigan, among others. He’s a 4-star, the #30 defensive lineman, and #243 overall. A guy who seemed like an early Michigan lean, Walker lately seems to have more buzz surrounding Kentucky. Almost 92% of his crystal ball picks are in favor of the Wolverines, but I don’t think those pickers are very confident. This is a mid-week official visit, as he will be officially visiting Kentucky this coming weekend.
2023
Jayden Limar – RB – Lake Stevens (WA) Lake Stevens: Limar is a 5’11”, 190 lb. back with offers from Arizona State, Notre Dame, Oregon, and Washington, among others. He’s a 4-star, the #14 running back, and #230 overall.
