Tag: Donovan Peoples-Jones

2017 Recruiting Down the Stretch: Wide Receiver

Pinson (AL) Clay-Chalkville WR Nico Collins

COMMITMENTS

Michigan’s wide receiver recruiting situation has been slow to develop, even though it’s been clear for two years now that the team would be losing two senior starters after the 2016 season in Jehu Chesson and Amara Darboh. The first player worth mentioning committed last Thursday, and that’s Detroit (MI) Cass Tech’s Donovan Peoples-Jones, a 5-star, the #1 receiver, and the #11 overall player in the class, according to the 247 Composite. He’s 6’2″, 192 lbs. and checks all the boxes you would want in a wideout. The next highest rated guy is Cheshire (CT) Cheshire Academy’s Tarik Black, who committed just one day earlier. He’s 6’4″, 208 lbs. and a 4-star, the #17 wide receiver, and #124 overall. Last – and sneakiest – is Suffield (CT) Suffield Academy’s Brad Hawkins, Jr., who pledged to the Wolverines as a part of the 2016 class. He had to attend a year of prep school, and nobody really knew whether he would qualify or if Michigan would still want him.

Hit the jump for a deeper look at Michigan’s wide receiver recruiting in 2017.

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Donovan Peoples-Jones, Wolverine

Detroit (MI) Cass Tech WR Donovan Peoples-Jones (image via MLive)

Detroit (MI) Cass Tech wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones committed to Michigan on Thursday night on ESPN. He chose the Wolverines over offers from Alabama, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, LSU, Ohio State, Stanford, and USC, among others.

Peoples-Jones is 6’2″, 193 lbs. He claims a 4.4 forty and a 36″ vertical. As a junior in 2015, he caught 69 passes for 1,168 yards and 18 touchdowns. He has been selected for the U.S. Army All-American Bowl to be played on January 7, 2017.

RATINGS
ESPN: 4-star, 87 grade, #4 WR, #27 overall
Rivals: 5-star, #2 WR, #13 overall
Scout: 5-star, #4 WR, #32 overall
247 Sports: 5-star, 98 grade, #1 WR, #8 overall

Hit the jump for more on his commitment.

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2017 Recruiting: Who finishes out the class? – Version 1

Bradenton (FL) IMG Academy center Cesar Ruiz (image via Bleacher Report)

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It’s that time of year when concentration turns from bowl games to recruiting while we wait for the games to begin again. With early enrollees making permanent choices in the second half of this month, and then National Signing Day coming in early February, it’s about to get crazy around here. Here’s my look at whom I think will finish out the class. A couple notes beforehand:

• I don’t like to project decommitments, because I don’t like to give the impression that Michigan fans want players gone. However, I will point out players who are shaky in their commitments, along with some potential replacements down below.
• Fully committed players are in regular type. Projected commitments are in bold. Shaky commitments are in italics.
• Just because I list them here does not mean I am comfortable putting in a Crystal Ball for each of these players to Michigan. Naturally, I am more confident in some picks than others.

Hit the jump for my projected class:

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2017 Recruiting: Upcoming announcement dates

Cheshire (CT) Cheshire Academy WR Tarik Black (image via Eleven Warriors)

With a flurry of recruiting activity coming in the weeks leading up to the early enrollment period, the All-American games, and National Signing Day, I’ll keep a running list here of announcement dates for prospects of interest:

Tarik Black – WR – Cheshire (CT) Cheshire Academy: December 14, 2016 (picked Michigan)

Donovan Peoples-Jones – WR – Detroit (MI) Cass Tech: December 15, 2016 (picked Michigan)

Isaiah Wilson – OT – Brooklyn (NY) Poly: December 16, 2016 (picked (Georgia)

Cesar Ruiz – C – Bradenton (FL) IMG Academy: December 19, 2016 (picked Michigan)

Jordan Anthony – LB – Bradenton (FL) IMG Academy: December 22, 2016 (picked Michigan)

Markquese Bell – S – Bridgeton (NJ) Bridgeton: January 1, 2017 (picked Maryland)

Eno Benjamin – RB – Wylie (TX) East: January 7, 2017

Chuck Filiaga – OT – Aledo (TX) Aledo: January 7, 2017

Deron Irving-Bey – DE – Flint (MI) Southwestern: January 7, 2017 (picked Michigan)

Nico Collins – WR – Pinson (AL) Clay-Chalkville: February 1, 2017

Aubrey Solomon – DT – Leesburg (GA) Lee County: February 1, 2017 or later

Visitors: December 9-11, 2016

Najee Harris (image via Sports Illustrated)

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2017

Tarik Black – WR – Cheshire (CT) Cheshire Academy: Black is a 6’3″, 208 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Auburn, Michigan, and Stanford, among others. He’s a 4-star, the #17 wide receiver, and #122 overall. He’ll be announcing his college decision on Wednesday, December 14, and he’s expected to pick the Wolverines.

Nico Collins – WR – Pinson (AL) Clay-Chalkville: Collins is a 6’5″, 195 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, LSU, and Michigan, among others. He’s a 4-star, the #13 wide receiver, and #90 overall. He took an official to Michigan on November 5, so this will be an unofficial visit. His Crystal Ball is 64% in favor of the Wolverines. UPDATE: Collins was unable to make the trip.

*A.J. Dillon – RB – Lawrence (CT) Groton Academy: Dillon is a Michigan commit (LINK).

*Paris Ford – S – Pittsburgh (PA) Steel Valley: Ford is a 6’1″, 180 lb. prospect who committed to Pitt in October; he also has offers from Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Michigan, Ohio State, and Penn State, among others. He’s a 4-star, the #12 safety, and #89 overall. UPDATE: Ford did not make the trip.

Ja’Raymond Hall – OT – Oak Park (MI) Oak Park: Hall is a Michigan commit (LINK).

*Najee Harris – RB – Antioch (CA) Antioch: Harris is a 6’3″, 226 lb. prospect who’s been committed to Alabama since April. However, he also has an offer from Michigan – along with lots of others – and 33% of the Crystal Ball picks are in favor of Michigan, who is generally thought to have the best chance to flip him. He’s an early enrollee, so he will have to make a decision this month about whether to stick with the Crimson Tide or become a Wolverine. He’s the #1 overall recruit in the country, and getting him would mean a second year in a row where Michigan would get the #1 player (after Rashan Gary in 2016).

Hit the jump for several more visitors.

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