Recruiting Update: February 1, 2016

Tag: Donald Stewart


1Feb 2016
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Recruiting Update: February 1, 2016

H:EDITORIALPhotos11NOVEMBER2015RG-11-12-15 RG 236 RICHARD GILLARFD/Acorn Newspapers Newbury Park’s quarterback Cameron Rising runs the ball on Friday, November 6 during their game against Thousand Oaks. Thousand Oaks won the Conejo Valley Trophy with a field goal in the final minutes of the game, 36-35.

Newbury Park (CA) Newbury Park QB Cameron Rising

DECOMMITMENT
Baltimore (MD) Gilman offensive tackle Devery Hamilton decommitted from Michigan and committed to Stanford (LINK).

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2018
Pickerington (OH) Central tight end Trenton Gillison was offered by Michigan. Gillison is a 6’5″, 220 lb. prospect with offers from Cincinnati, Indiana, and Kentucky, among others. He’s a 247 Sports 4-star, the #6 tight end, and #116 overall. Gillison is a long athlete with a good frame and decent speed.

Newbury Park (CA) Newbury Park quarterback Cameron Rising was offered by Michigan. Rising is a 6’3″, 180 lb. prospect with offers from Arizona, Cal, and Houston, among others. He’s a 247 Sports 4-star, the #7 pro-style quarterback, and #95 overall. He’s a little thin still and needs to add some weight, but he’s an athletic pro-style QB who does a nice job of throwing on the run. As a sophomore in 2015, he completed 191/319 passes (59.9%) for 3,213 yards, 40 touchdowns, and just 1 interception; he also ran 79 times for 756 yards (9.6 yards/carry) and 11 touchdowns.

Hit the jump for more.

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24Jan 2016
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If I Had My Druthers . . . 2016 Wide Receivers

Mecole Hardman

This is the order in which I would rank the uncommitted wide receivers Michigan has offered. Star rankings don’t matter, the likelihood of a commit doesn’t matter, etc. These rankings are purely based on my ideal team:

1. Mecole Hardman – ATH – Elberton (GA) Elbert County:
Hardman isn’t a pure receiver. He might end up at cornerback at the next level, and he’s not very big at 5’10”, 171 lbs. If he were to get polished up as a receiver, though, he could be a big-time player. He also has value as a kickoff and punt returner.

2. Nate Craig-Myers – WR – Tampa (FL) Catholic:
There’s no question that Craig-Myers is big, strong, and fast at 6’2″, 210 lbs. and with a 4.4 forty. He could probably even play running back with his build. There have been some reported issues with drops and a lack of concentration at times, so he may not be a guy who can star right away in college. But with a year or two of development, he could round into a college standout.

3. Demetris Robertson – ATH – Savannah (GA) Christian: 
Another player who could end up at a few different positions, Robertson is 6’0″, 172 lbs. He’s maybe not as shifty or agile as Hardman, but both are similar prospects with very good speed.

Hit the jump for the rest of the list.

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22Jan 2016
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Visitors: January 22-24, 2016

Rashan Gary

2016
Devin Asiasi – TE – Concord (CA) De La Salle:
 Asiasi is a 6’3″, 270 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Michigan, UCLA, USC, and Washington, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #2 athlete, and #50 overall. He had a touchdown catch in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl a couple Sundays ago. Michigan has been recruiting him as a tight end since shortly after Jim Harbaugh arrived in Ann Arbor, but he could also play on the defensive line. This is his official visit to Ann Arbor.

Joel Dublanko – LB – Bradenton (FL) IMG Academy: Dublanko is a 6’3″, 227 lb. prospect with offers from Akron, Mississippi State, and Tennessee, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #12 inside linebacker, and #359 overall. He does not have an offer from Michigan at this time, but since the Wolverines are in a questionable situation when it comes to linebacker depth, he could be in line for one. Originally from the state of Washington, Dublanko is now a teammate of 2016 tight end Isaac Nauta (Georgia).

Conner Edmonds – TE – Germantown (WI) Germantown: Edmonds is a 6’5″, 240 lb. prospect with no FBS offers at this point. As a sophomore in 2015, he caught 10 passes for 178 yards and 3 touchdowns.

Jordan Fuller – S – Old Tappan (NJ) Old Tappan: Fuller is a 6’1″, 196 lb. prospect with offers from Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State, and Rutgers, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #6 athlete, and #130 overall. Also a U.S. Army Bowl participant, Fuller played corner in that game and could play a number of positions in college – safety, corner, or receiver. His older brother Devin just finished his senior year as a receiver at UCLA. This is Jordan’s official visit.

Hit the jump for several more official and unofficial visitors.

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31May 2015
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Visitors: May 29-31, 2015

Hartland (WI) Arrowhead offensive tackle Ben Bredeson

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2016
Ben Bredeson – OT – Hartland (WI) Arrowhead: Bredeson is a 6’5″, 293 lb. prospect who has offers from Michigan, Notre Dame, and Wisconsin – the group that appears to be his top three – as well as numerous others. He’s a 247 Composite 5-star, the #4 offensive tackle, and #26 overall. Bredeson’s brother, Jack, is committed to Michigan to play baseball, and Ben has visited Ann Arbor multiple times. Wisconsin leads the Crystal Ball picks with 79%, and Michigan is second with 17%. A decision is expected in the next several weeks.


Kiante Enis – S – Winchester (IN) Community: Enis is a 6’1″, 200 lb. prospect with offers from Cincinnati, Indiana, Michigan, and Michigan State, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #52 running back, and #710 overall. Enis carried the ball 299 times for 3,189 yards and 49 touchdowns as a junior in 2014. Michigan is recruiting him as an athlete, and he could play running back, wide receiver, or safety at the next level. This will be his first visit to Michigan.

Chris Evans – RB – Indianapolis (IN) Ben Davis: Evans is a 5’11”, 186 lb. prospect with offers from Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, and Purdue, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #6 all-purpose back, and #293 overall. As a junior in 2014, he had 185 carries for 1,249 yards and 18 touchdowns, plus 51 catches for 676 yards and 10 touchdowns. With no offer from the Wolverines, it’s unclear whether the coaching staff wants another running backs, wants to keep tabs on Evans as a backup plan, or might want him to play another position. Somewhat like Enis, Evans could play wideout or safety at the next level.

Hit the jump for a couple more 2016 visitors and a 2017 prospect.

Matt Falcon – RB – Southfield (MI) Southfield: Falcon committed to Michigan in April (LINK).

Khalid Kareem – DE – Farmington Hills (MI) Harrison: Kareem is a 6’4″, 240 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Michigan, Michigan State, and Notre Dame, along with numerous others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #13 strongside end, and #187 overall. Harrison was committed to MSU for a short time but backed off that pledge. There have been reports that his family has not been fond of the way Michigan has recruited him up to this point, but the retooled recruiting staff is making an effort to bridge the gap.

Austin Mack – WR – Fort Wayne (IN) Bishop Luers: Mack is a 6’2″, 205 lb. prospect with offers from Michigan, Notre Dame, and Ohio State – again, a group that makes up his top list – along with others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #20 wide receiver, and #131 overall. As a junior in 2014, he caught 69 passes for 1,062 yards and 15 touchdowns. Mack had Michigan as his leader early, but the Buckeyes have since taken over. He plans to announce his college decision on June 7, which will likely be Ohio State (90% of the Crystal Balls so far)..

Brandon Peters – QB – Avon (IN) Avon: Peters committed to Michigan in April (LINK).

Auston Robertson – DE – Fort Wayne (IN) Wayne: Robertson is a 6’5″, 230 lb. prospect whose top three consists of Michigan State, Notre Dame, and Michigan, the latter of which replaced Ohio State after a recent visit. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #6 weakside end, and #100 overall. Robertson is expected to choose Michigan State on June 7, when he announces at the same camp as Mack. A late move up into a top list usually means that that team will not be the choice. Still, Michigan has a fighting chance if they can make it a good experience.

J.D. Spielman – WR – Eden Prairie (MN) Eden Prairie: Spielman is a 5’9″, 175 lb. prospect with offers from Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, and Nebraska. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #57 athlete, and #836 overall. Spielman is the son of Minnesota Vikings general manager Rick Spielman and the nephew of former Detroit Lion (and Ohio State Buckeye) Chris Spielman. Also an accomplished lacrosse player, he is expected to choose college football instead.


Donald Stewart – WR – Paramus (NJ) Catholic: The 6’4″, 180 lb. prospect has offers from Iowa, Michigan, Northwestern, Pitt, and Rutgers, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #130 wide receiver, and #883 overall. Stewart has not visited Michigan before, but two former Paladins are on the roster (Jabrill Peppers, Juwann Bushell-Beatty), his former head coach is the recruiting coordinator (Chris Partridge), and teammate Rashan Gary – the nation’s #1 player – has Michigan in his top group after a spring visit. Stewart has stated that Michigan is his leader, and 88% of the Crystal Balls are in the Wolverines’ favor.

2017
Corey Malone-Hatcher – DE – St. Joseph’s (MI) St. Joseph’s:
 Malone-Hatcher is a 6’3″, 246 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Michigan, and Notre Dame, among others. He’s a 247 Sports 4-star, the #8 weakside end, and #193 overall. Malone-Hatcher seems at least somewhat enamored with Alabama, which seems to be the most likely landing spot. He was supposed to visit for Michigan’s [rising] junior day on Tuesday, but he can’t make it and will visit this weekend instead

Dylan McCaffrey – QB – Littleton (CO) Valor Christian: McCaffrey is a 6’5″, 200 lb. prospect who has offers from Colorado, Duke, Michigan, Penn State, and UCLA. He’s a 247 Sports 4-star, the #3 pro-style quarterback, and #47 overall. McCaffrey is the son of former NFL wide receiver Ed McCaffrey (who went to Stanford) and the brother of Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey, so Stanford is thought to be an offer Dylan wants.

2018
Will Mallory – WR – Jacksonville (FL) Providence:
 Mallory is a 6’3″ prospect whose lone offer comes from the Wolverines. He is the son of Mike Mallory, a former Michigan player who is now the special teams coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

20Apr 2015
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2016 Recruiting Update: April 20, 2015

Paramus (NJ) Catholic wide receiver Donald Stewart (image via NorthJersey.com)

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COMMITMENT
Houston transfer quarterback John O’Korn finally got a writeup (LINK).

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2016
Moultried (GA) Colquitt linebacker Ja’Quain Blakely was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’2″, 205 lb. prospect with offers from Arkansas, Florida, Iowa, Mississippi State, Nebraska, and Tennessee, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #34 outside linebacker, and #476 overall. Blakely has some good coverage ability and changes direction well in space. He named Florida his early leader after they offered, although other schools have continued to come in with offers in recent weeks.

Lake Forest (IL) Academy defensive end Daniel Joseph was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’3″, 240 lb. prospect with offers from Illinois, Iowa, Michigan State, Nebraska, and Stanford, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #16 strongside end, and #267 overall. Joseph looks a little passive at times, especially when taking on blockers, but he’s an aggressive tackler. He also shows some impressive athleticism in the linked highlight when he leaps for a one-handed touchdown reception, although he does not consistently show that kind of effort. His two leaders at this time appear to be Iowa and Michigan State.

Hit the jump for a couple guys added to the board, several guys who committed elsewhere, and some random bits.

Savannah (GA) Christian wide receiver Demetris Robertson decommitted from Alabama. Robertson is a 6’1″, 165 lb. prospect who is now considering Georgia, LSU, Stanford, and possibly others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #1 athlete, and #35 overall. He’s blazing fast and claims a 4.38 forty. Robertson was originally recruited by Michigan as a wideout, although he could play several different skill positions in college. The linked highlights say that he touched the ball 25 times in his first four games and scored 10 touchdowns.

Paramus (NJ) Catholic wide receiver Donald Stewart was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’4″, 180 lb. prospect with offers from Iowa, Maryland, Northwestern, and Rutgers, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #148 wide receiver, and #1030 overall. Stewart has good size and just so-so speed, but where he makes hay is with his precise attention to route running. He attends the alma mater of Jabrill Peppers and Juwann Bushell-Beatty, which is also the former team of recruiting coordinator Chris Partridge. Steve Lorenz of 247 Sports recently put in a Crystal Ball pick for Stewart to Michigan.

OFF THE BOARD
Cleveland (OH) St. Ignatius offensive tackle Liam Eichenberg committed to Notre Dame. His affection for Notre Dame was the worst kept secret in the midwest.

Oradell (NJ) Bergen Catholic quarterback Jarrett Guarantano committed to Tennessee. I had pegged Guarantano for Ohio State initially, but Texas quarterback Tristen Wallace committed to the Buckeyes first. As soon as Guarantano heard, he said he would be announcing that afternoon, and he chose the Volunteers. Michigan was not actively recruiting Guarantano since the Harbaugh hire.

Santa Ana (CA) Mater Dei offensive tackle Frank Martin II committed to USC. The Trojans also picked up another big-time tackle this weekend in Nathan Smith, whom Michigan was feeling out but had not yet offered.

Charlotte (NC) Ardrey Kell defensive end Julian Okwara committed to Notre Dame. He had named Michigan to his top five prior to the announcement, but he had never visited Ann Arbor. Okwara’s brother, Romeo, also plays for Notre Dame.

Santa Ana (CA) Mater Dei linebacker Curtis Robinson committed to Stanford. A teammate of Martin’s, Robinson was one of the new staff’s first volley of offers in the Golden State. On the bright side, Michigan is going so hard after California kids that not all of them can commit to Stanford, UCLA, and USC. So there’s that.

Flower Mound (TX) Marcus tight end Kaden Smith committed to Stanford. Michigan had made some inroads with Smith since Harbaugh was hired, but it was always going to be a long shot. He had basically written off Michigan altogether when Hoke was still in town.

Copperas Cove (TX) Copperas Cove offensive tackle J.P. Urquidez committed to Baylor. A military son, Urquidez transferred from the Big Ten imprint – at Hyattsville (MD) DeMatha – to Copperas Cove after his junior season was finished. That move paid off for the Golden Bears.

Stow (OH) Walsh Jesuit center Jack Wohlabaugh committed to Ohio State. Wohlabaugh’s offer from Michigan was his best offer up until this past weekend, when he visited Columbus for the Buckeyes’ spring game and was offered. He committed on the spot. Wohlabaugh is the son of former NFL center Dave Wohlabaugh, a Super Bowl champion with the New England Patriots.

MISCELLANEOUS
Scout updated their top 300 prospects (LINK).

I posted a scouting report on Philadelphia (PA) Imhotep tight end Naseir Upshur (LINK).

Over on Recruiting Season, I added/updated profiles for Plymouth offensive tackle Michael Jordan and Warren Mott wide receiver Tylen Redding.