We know the answer to the above question now, but when Woodbridge (VA) C.D. Hylton linebacker E.J. Levenberry set his announcement date for last Tuesday, things weren’t so clear. Obviously, Michigan fans visit this site more than any other team’s fans, so it’s somewhat expected that the results would be as follows:
Michigan: 57%
Florida State: 41%
Oklahoma: 1%
As we all know by now, Levenberry committed to the Seminoles.
Notes: Holds offers from Alabama, Auburn, East Carolina, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Louisville, LSU, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Penn State, Rutgers, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Villanova, Virginia, and Virginia Tech . . . As a junior in 2011, had 151 tackles, 4 sacks, and 3 interceptions . . . As a sophomore in 2010, had 125 tackles, 5 sacks, 3 interceptions, and 2 interception returns for touchdowns . . . ESPN 4-star OLB . . . Rivals 4-star OLB, #3 OLB, #15 overall . . . Scout 4-star OLB, #7 OLB, #80 overall . . . 247 Sports 4-star ILB, 91 grade, #11 ILB, #232 overall
Strengths: Large frame . . . Could easily grow into a 245-250 lb. linebacker . . . Very good blitzer . . . Times up blitzes well, quick and aggressive through the line . . . Heavy hitter . . . Good awareness in pass coverage . . . Length and athleticism help him cover a large swath of ground
Weaknesses: Not very technically sound . . . Needs to develop more consistent stance . . . Not the most instinctive linebacker . . . Needs to attack downhill quicker . . . Sometimes waits for ball carrier to come to him . . . Needs to improve shedding blocks, initial punch, and hand placement
Projection: MIKE linebacker. Levenberry has the ability to play either MIKE or SAM linebacker, but with Mike McCray in the fold for Michigan in 2013, I think McCray would be more likely to play SAM. Levenberry has a lot of physical tools, but he’s a somewhat raw prospect. When it comes to technique, he seems well behind players like Joe Bolden and James Ross. He would probably benefit from a chance to redshirt, bulk up, and refine that technique. All of his physical talents suggest that he could be an all-conference player and develop into an NFL linebacker, but he needs some good coaching to get there.
Fort Wayne (IN) Bishop Luers linebacker Jaylon Smith
ADDED TO THE BOARD (2012, 2013, 2014)
Fort Wayne (IN) Bushop Luers outside linebacker Jaylon Smith, a 2013 prospect, received a Michigan offer on Friday. The 6’3″, 202 lb. Smith is the brother of Rod Smith, a running back at Ohio State. Jaylon also holds offers from Indiana, Michigan State, Mississippi State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Purdue, and Tennessee.
OFF THE BOARD
Vandalia (OH) Butler offensive tackle Taylor Decker changed his commitment from Notre Dame to Ohio State. Decker is a 6’8″, 288 lb. lineman and a 4-star recruit across the board.
Hamilton (GA) Harris defensive end Jordan Jenkins committed to Georgia on Monday. The 6’3″, 245-pounder also visited Alabama, Auburn, Florida, and Tennessee. He played defensive tackle in the Under Armour All-America Game despite being undersized, but he still finished the game with 8 tackles and 2 sacks. However, Georgia plans to use him as an outside linebacker in their 3-4 system.
WEEKEND VISITORS
Madisonville (KY) North Hopkins safety Jeremy Clark was in town this past weekend. He’s 6’4″, 205 lbs. and could potentially develop into an outside linebacker at the college level. Clark was originally a “greyshirt” commit and wasn’t planning to join the program until 2013, but the departure of Carvin Johnson opened a slot for him.
Chicago (IL) Simeon offensive tackle Jordan Diamond visited Ann Arbor this past weekend. The 6’6″, 289-pounder is exploring his options with Arkansas, Auburn, Ohio State, and Wisconsin, and the Buckeyes are reportedly feeling quite confident about their chances with him.
Joliet (IL) Joliet Catholic running back Ty Isaac, a 2013 prospect, visited this past weekend. The 6’3″, 215 lb. runner had 2,114 yards rushing and 45 touchdowns as a junior last season, and Michigan appears to be tied with Notre Dame at the top of Isaac’s list. I have heard unflattering things about Isaac and I’m not a huge fan of his running style, but he is big and fast . . . so there’s that.
Woodbridge (VA) C.D. Hylton linebacker E.J. Levenberry, Jr., a 2013 prospect, also visited. The 6’3″, 226 lb. linebacker has already been offered by Michigan, along with several other schools.
Warren (MI) De La Salle quarterback Shane Morris, a 2013 commit, visited Ann Arbor. Morris seems to be turning into Michigan’s biggest athlete/recruiter, in the same vein as Ricardo Miller and Erik Magnuson in recent classes.
West Roxbury (MA) Catholic Memorial cornerback Armani Reeves visited Ann Arbor again this past weekend. He’s committed to Penn State but unsure of new head coach Bill O’Brien. The 5’9″, 185 lb. Reeves could play cornerback or receiver at the next level (Michigan wants him for defense), but both Penn State’s wide receivers coach and secondary coach have been let go. Reeves’s best friend Camren Williams is committed to Penn State, which could weigh heavily into a decision here.
Washington (D.C.) Friendship Collegiate cornerback Jalen Tabor, a 2014 prospect, visited Michigan this past weekend. He’s a 6’1″, 168 lb. sophomore who hasn’t been offered by Michigan yet. However, he does have offers from Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Miami, Ohio State, Tennessee, Virginia Tech, and several others . . . so a Michigan offer will probably be on the way at some point. He attends the same school as 2011 running back Malcolm Crockett, who was recruited by Rich Rodriguez, and 2012 defensive tackle Eddie Goldman.
Alliance (OH) Marlington safety Dymonte Thomas, a 2013 commit, visited Michigan along with Morris. The 6’1″, 180-pounder could play either safety position for Michigan and is also a standout running back for Marlington.
RECRUITING NEWS
There wasn’t a whole lot of news this past week after last week’s monster recruiting update. Most class of 2012 kids who haven’t committed yet are going to wait until National Signing Day or thereabouts. So here’s a bit of a wrap-up of some developments in the recruiting world last week:
Scout released its final Scout 300 of the recruiting cycle. Posting this recruiting update at the beginning of January prevents people from questioning their integrity if they waited until after National Signing Day. After all, there’s virtually no more “scouting” info to come for the class of 2012 now that the all-American games have been played, and posting updates after NSD might make people question if they change their ratings depending on where kids commit.
