Tag: Dwight Williams

Recruiting Update: January 6, 2013

Minneapolis (MN) Washburn running back Jeff Jones

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2014
Minneapolis (MN) Washburn running back Jeff Jones was offered by Michigan. Jones is a 6’0″, 196 lb. prospect who “committed” to Minnesota in March 2013, but he has been looking around almost the entire time and took an official visit to Iowa State a few weeks ago. He also holds offers from Florida, Michigan State, Missouri, and Wisconsin. Jones has set an official visit to Florida, and he’s also tentatively planning to visit Ann Arbor and East Lansing. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #9 running back, and the #111 player overall. In the Under Armour All-American Game on Friday, he led Team Nitro with 43 yards rushing, adding 4 catches for 35 yards and 1 touchdown. Against admittedly weak competition in Minneapolis as a senior, he had 167 carries for 1,525 yards and 34 touchdowns, plus 17 catches for 493 yards and 8 touchdowns. He isn’t the biggest or the fastest back around, but he has a good combination of quick feet, surprising power, and good vision. I’ve been thinking Michigan should offer Jones for a while, and although it’s late in the process, the Wolverines have a chance. I don’t think Jones will end up signing with Minnesota, but I don’t have a solid guess on what his final choice will be, either.

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2015
Scottsdale (AZ) Saguaro wide receiver Christian Kirk was offered by Michigan. He also has offers from Arizona, Arizona State, Florida State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, USC, and numerous others. Kirk is a 5’10”, 180 lb. prospect who is a pretty polished player, along with being very fast and athletic. I have yet to see a better wide receiver in the 2015 class, and that includes former Michigan commit George Campbell. As a sophomore in 2012, he had 43 receptions for 1,003 yards and 12 touchdowns. According to 247’s Composite ranking, he’s a 5-star, the #1 wide receiver, and the #32 player overall.

OFF THE BOARD
Lewisville (TX) Hebron safety Jamal Adams committed to LSU at the Under Armour All-America Game. Actually, he committed to “the University of LSU,” which caused a big uproar on Twitter and message boards. Personally, I think it’s silly when people flip out about the language high school football players use when announcing where they’re going to play football.

New Orleans (LA) St. Augustine running back Leonard Fournette committed to LSU during the Under Armour All-America Game. Fournette is generally considered to be the top running back in the 2014 class, if not the best overall player. He flirted with Michigan a little bit and even scheduled a visit at one time, but he and his family famously never got on the plane, which caused Michigan’s portion of the internet to break.

Cleveland (OH) Glenville defensive backs Marshon Lattimore and Erick Smith committed to Ohio State during the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. Some smoke came out on Friday that they might be committing to Michigan, far-fetched as that was. Both have long been considered to be OSU locks, but it was thought that the Buckeyes might not have room for both of them. Smith in particular looked good in the all-star game when he led the East team with 6 tackles. However, he announced first and let the cat out of the bag that Lattimore would be joining him in Columbus, which took some of the wind out Lattimore’s commitment sails.

Oakley (CA) Freedom running back Joe Mixon committed to Oklahoma as the climactic announcement of the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. Mixon was also considering Wisconsin, which could have been bad news for the rest of the Big Ten.

Crete (IL) Crete-Monee linebacker Nyles Morgan committed to Notre Dame. After Crete-Monee products Anthony Standifer and Laquon Treadwell stiffed Michigan in the past couple classes, I barely paid attention to Morgan throughout the process. I do think it would have been oddly interesting to have Michigan’s current middle linebacker take a breather only to be replaced by this guy.

Olathe (KS) North outside linebacker Jimmie Swain IV committed to Oregon. Swain had been committed to TCU at one point, but he opened up his recruitment only to become a silent commit to the Ducks several weeks ago.

Washington (DC) Friendship cornerback Jalen Tabor committed to Arizona during the Under Armour All-America Game. In a surprise move, Tabor picked the Wildcats over Alabama and Maryland. He’s a 247 Composite 5-star, the #4 cornerback, and the #24 player overall. Arizona head coach Rich Rodriguez has had problems with 5-star defensive backs in the past (Demar Dorsey, Justin Turner), so for his sake, hopefully Tabor at least plays a down or two of football.

Gardena (CA) Junipero Serra linebacker Dwight Williams committed to UCLA during the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. Serra is a powerhouse school, and Williams was considering a visit to Michigan at one point, but it never came through. He was #1 on my wish list for a weakside linebacker in the 2014 class, and I think he’ll have a good career for the Bruins. His teammate, highly touted cornerback Adoree’ Jackson, tweeted out a top six the other day that did not include Michigan, just in case you were still holding out hope that the Wolverines could pull off a miracle.

MISCELLANEOUS
Here are my thoughts on the play of Michigan’s commits in the Under Armour game.

With only Tarpon Springs (FL) East Lake’s Mason Cole playing in the Army game, I didn’t write up a separate post. Cole started at left guard and played some right tackle in the game, although I read in several places that he looks like a guard through and through for the next level. Cole looked somewhat undersized out there, and I imagine he’s somewhere around 275-280 lbs. right now. I did see him have trouble with the huge defensive tackles on the West roster, such as Bijhon Jackson, who’s listed at 6’2″, 327. But overall, he showed nice footwork, good knee bend, and decent strength, and Rivals named him the #6 overall performer on the East team.

In case you’re wondering, here’s a link to the relevant roster players for each of the weekend’s notable All-America games:

Under Armour
U.S. Army
Semper Fidelis
Offense-Defense

2013 High School Butkus Award Watch List

Michael Ferns

The 2013 High School Butkus Award Semi-Finalists were released, and there are a number of familiar names on the list. All of the following players have been offered by Michigan:

Kyle Berger – LB – Cleveland (OH) St. Ignatius: Committed to Ohio State
Dante Booker – LB – Akron (OH) St. Vincent-St. Mary: Committed to Ohio State
Michael Ferns – LB – St. Clairsville (OH) St. Clairsville: Committed to Michigan
Nyles Morgan – LB – Crete (IL) Monee: Undecided
Dwight Williams – LB – Junipero (CA) Gardena Serra: Undecided

Recruiting Update: February 11, 2013

Gardena (CA) Junipero Serra cornerback Adoree’ Jackson (image via Maxpreps)

COMMITMENT
Richmond (VA) Collegiate quarterback Wilton Speight committed to Michigan.

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2014
Houston (TX) Cypress Falls linebacker Otaro Alaka was offered by Michigan.  Alaka is a 6’3″, 205 lb. linebacker with offers from Arkansas, Nebraska, and Oklahoma, among others.  He claims a 4.65 forty and is an early 4-star to Rivals.

Manalapan (NJ) Manalapan wide receiver Saeed Blacknall was offered by Michigan.  Blacknall is a 6’2″, 190 lb. wideout with offers from Georgia Tech, Pitt, and Rutgers, and he claims a 4.5 forty.  As a junior in 2012, he had 40 catches for 473 yards and 11 touchdowns.  He’s a speedster with good size, and I’m a little surprised he doesn’t have a better offer list.  His numbers aren’t extremely impressive, but his highlights are full of big plays.

Aliquippa (PA) Aliquippa safety Dravon Henry was offered by Michigan.  Henry is a 5’11”, 185 lb. running back/safety with offers from Ohio State, Penn State, Pitt, Rutgers, and West Virginia.  As a junior in 2012, he had 116 carries for 1,919 yards and 23 touchdowns, but Michigan wants him as a safety.  Pitt appears to be his leader for now.

Gardena (CA) Junipero Serra cornerback Adoree’ Jackson was offered by Michigan.  Jackson is a 5’10”, 170 lb. corner with offers from LSU, Miami, Nebraska, UCLA, and USC, among others.  As a junior in 2012, he had 56 tackles and 5 interceptions.  Jackson is electric with the ball in his hands and could by a dynamic corner and return man.  In my opinion, he’s a 5-star talent.

Olney (MD) Good Counsel linebacker Melvin Keihn was offered by Michigan.  Keihn is a 6’3″, 225 lb. outside linebacker with offers from Maryland, Miami, Rutgers, and West Virginia, among others.  As a junior in 2012, he had 14 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, and 1 fumble returned for a touchdown.  He could also end up at weakside defensive end.

Highlands Ranch (CO) Valor Christian running back Christian McCaffrey was offered by Michigan.  McCaffrey is a 6’0″, 195 lb. back with offers from Colorado, Colorado State, Oregon, Stanford, Vanderbilt, and Washington, among others.  As a junior in 2012, he had 30 rushing touchdowns and 6 receiving touchdowns.  He’s the son of former NFL wide receiver Ed McCaffrey, and he attends the same high school as 2012 offensive line target Alex Kozan (Auburn).  Michigan is recruiting the younger McCaffrey as a slot receiver.

Washington (PA) Washington running back Shai McKenzie was offered by Michigan.  Mckenzie is a 5’11”, 210 lb. running back with offers from Arkansas, Penn State, Pitt, Rutgers, and West Virginia, among others.  As a junior in 2012, he had 2,689 rushing yards and 42 rushing touchdowns.  He’s a compact, powerful, downhill runner who claims a 4.42 forty.  He’s from the same hometown as redshirt junior defensive tackle Ken Wilkins, but a different school.

El Cerrito (CA) El Cerrito cornerback Adarius Pickett was offered by Michigan.  Pickett is a 5’10”, 175 lb. corner with offers from Arizona State, Cal, UCLA, and Utah, among others.  247 Sports ranks him as the #13 cornerback in the class and the #160 overall player in the nation.

Long Beach (CA) Poly wide receiver John “Juju” Smith was offered by Michigan.  Smith is a 6’1″, 185 lb. wideout with offers from Arizona, UCLA, USC, and Washington, among others.  He attends the alma mater of former Michigan cornerback Donovan Warren.

McDonough (GA) Eagle’s Landing Christian defensive end Andrew Williams was offered by Michigan.  Williams is a 6’4″, 231 lb. weakside end with offers from Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, and USC, among others.  Eagle’s Landing Christian is the alma mater of a couple other Michigan targets in recent years, including Isaac Rochell (Notre Dame) and Avery Walls (Cal).

Gardena (CA) Junipero Serra linebacker Dwight Williams was offered by Michigan.  Williams is a 6’0″, 190 lb. weakside linebacker prospect with offers from Cal, Nebraska, Tennessee, UCLA, and Washington, among others.  As a junior in 2012, he had 158 tackles, 1 sack, 3 interceptions, and 4 forced fumbles.  He attends the same high school as elite corner Adoree’ Jackson, who also holds a Michigan offer.

Memphis (TN) White Station defensive end Petera Wilson was offered by Michigan.  Wilson is a 6’3″, 220 lb. end with offers from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Tennessee, and USC, among others.  He’s an early 4-star to Rivals.

Englewood (NJ) Dwight Morrow wide receiver Juwann Winfree was offered by Michigan.  Winfree is a 6’2″, 180 lb. receiver with offers from Maryland, Pitt, and Rutgers, among others.  He has good size with pretty good speed and an ability to run after the catch.

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2015
Salt Lake City (UT) Brighton linebacker Osa Masina was offered by Michigan.  Masina is a 6’4″, 190 lb. prospect with offers from BYU, Utah, and Wisconsin.  His older brother plays for the Utes, but Masina isn’t tied into playing for Utah.  He’s an aggressive, athletic linebacker who would likely play SAM in Michigan’s defense

Orlando (FL) Timber Creek running back Jacques Patrick was offered by Michigan.  Patrick is a 6’1″, 200 lb. tailback with offers from Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Miami, Ohio State, and USC, among others.  As a sophomore in 2012, he had 231 carries for 2,032 yards and 29 touchdowns, along with 2 catches for 107 yards and 2 touchdowns.  He’s a downhill runner who runs with good body lean, has a little bit of shiftiness to him, and has very good speed.  He looks like a future 5-star or at least a high 4-star prospect.

OFF THE BOARD
Vienna (GA) Dooly County defensive tackle Montravius Adams committed to Auburn.  Clemson was considered to be his leader up until a few days before National Signing Day.  He’s an explosive defensive tackle who should set up shop in opposing SEC backfields soon.

Westerville (OH) South linebacker Marcus Ball flipped from Wisconsin to Arizona State.  His older brother Ray is an offensive lineman at Wisconsin.  Michigan impressed Marcus on an official visit in December, and rumors suggested he almost  flipped to the Wolverines.

Port Saint Lucie (FL) Saint Lucie West Centennial defensive tackle Jay-nard Bostwick committed to Florida.  Bostwick was originally scheduled to visit Michigan the weekend of January 18th, but he canceled that trip, so Michigan never really had a chance to woo him.

Somerville (NJ) Immaculata defensive end Tashawn Bower flipped from Auburn to LSU.  Bower was a long-time Auburn commitment, so this was a bit hit to their class.

Dadeville (AL) Dadeville defensive tackle Rod Crayton committed to Southern Mississippi.

Fort Lauderdale (FL) University School wide receiver Jordan Cunningham committed to Vanderbilt.  The Commodores almost came out of nowhere, because most experts thought he would end up at either Miami or Stanford.

Louisville (KY) Trinity defensive end Jason Hatcher committed to Kentucky at the last minute.  His recruitment was a wild one that involved two de-commitments from USC in recent weeks.

Corona (CA) Centennial offensive guard Cameron Hunt flipped from Cal to Oregon.  For a long time, Hunt was looking for a way out of Cal’s class.  If Dan Samuelson had not committed to Michigan, I think there’s a very good chance that Hunt would have taken that final offensive line spot in the Wolverines’ class.  Here’s the scouting report I had written up on Hunt.

Southfield (MI) Southfield defensive end Lawrence Marshall committed to Ohio State.  This came as a little bit if a surprise to me because I had heard that Michigan was slightly ahead in the recruiting process, but he and several other prospects visited Columbus this weekend, and I guess he was impressed.

Washington (DC) Friendship Collegiate Academy linebacker Yannick Ngakoue committed to Maryland.  He had previously been committed to the Terps, but he de-committed to consider Florida State, among others.

Charlotte (NC) Mallard Creek wide receiver Marquez North committed to Tennessee.  It was a North Carolina vs. Tennessee battle up until the end, but the Volunteers won out.

Lake City (FL) Columbia offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil committed to Ole Miss.  Tunsil had long been considered a Georgia lean, so this commitment – along with a few others – has raised some eyebrows for people who are wondering how a mediocre SEC team is pulling in such good talent.

Placer (CA) Placer defensive tackle Eddie Vanderdoes committed to Notre Dame.  Vanderdoes is one of the top few defensive tackles in the nation, in my opinion, so he will be a force to deal with for Michigan over the next couple seasons.  Here’s the scouting report I wrote up on Vanderdoes.

Cordova (TN) St. Benedict running back Jordan Wilkins committed to Ole Miss.  Wilkins had been committed to Auburn for several months, but the coaching changes for the Tigers caused a bit of an issue with some of the recruits.  Here’s the scouting report I had written up on Wilkins.