Tag: Jack DeFoor

Recruiting Update: May 18, 2015

Chris Singletary (image via MLive.com)

RECRUITING STAFF NEWS
Over the last couple weeks, news has come out about Michigan’s recruiting staff. Most significantly, director of player personnel Chris Singletary is out. The former Michigan linebacker reportedly created a bit of a rift in recruiting circles around the state of Michigan. The story goes that he only had strong relationships with a few schools – the ones that would have perennial FBS prospects – and largely ignored a lot of the other coaching staffs in the state, except when they would have a blue-chip prospect. Now that he’s gone, some of those traditionally talent-laden schools are miffed. There are rumors floating about that Singletary burned some bridges to Michigan on the way out, too. Contrary to that rumor, Scout’s Sam Webb says that Singletary is being considered for an administrative job within the athletic department, which would be an odd move for a guy who allegedly bad-mouthed the program toward the end. Webb is typically a trusted source, but he is also friendly with Singletary, so the truth might lie somewhere in the middle.

Meanwhile, former Paramus (NJ) Catholic head coach Chris Partridge, who was hired a few months ago, is now the lead man in the recruiting office. He and Matt Doherty are handling the majority of recruiting info, but Jim Harbaugh has also pulled out the ace he had up his sleeve: Erik Campbell. Campbell, who played and coached at Michigan, spent time with Iowa and the Montreal Alouettes in recent years. He was hired to work in the football program this offseason, and now it looks like he will have the task of maintaining and/or mending relationships in the state. Campbell, who grew up in Indiana, was an associate head coach under Lloyd Carr and has a very good reputation. I expect Campbell to return to coaching before too long (whether on Michigan’s staff or elsewhere), but in the meantime, I think it’s an excellent move by Harbaugh to put him on the recruiting trail.

Now hit the jump for some new 2016 and 2018 offers, plus some guys who committed elsewhere and some random bits.

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2016
Philadelphia (PA) Imhotep offensive guard Johncarlo Valentin was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’5″, 346 lb. prospect with offers from Arizona State, Pitt, Purdue, Rutgers, and Virginia Techa, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #14 offensive guard, and #355 overall. He is a huge lineman with some bad weight on him, but he shows surprisingly nimble feet in the open field. He reminds me a little bit of former Michigan lineman Chris Bryant, although I think Valentin is probably more agile. Valentin is not without faults, as he tends to try to use his upper body more than his legs. He is a teammate of 2016 tight end Naseir Upshur, who also holds a Michigan offer.

Hudson (NC) South Caldwell offensive guard Landon Robertson was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’5″, 306 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia Tech, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #22 offensive tackle, and #221 overall. Robertson has quite a nasty streak and clearly loves physically dominating people, but while 247 Sports lists him as a tackle, I don’t think he has the feet to stay on the edge in college.

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2018
Manvel (TX) Manvel safety Jalen Preston was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’2″, 210 lb. prospect with offers from Baylor, LSU, and Wisconsin, among others. He’s currently unranked because he’s just a freshman in high school. The linked highlights are of him as an eighth grader, but he doesn’t look like a kid who’s going to be a safety for his entire career. He runs like a guy who will be a linebacker, H-back, etc. in college. Michigan has tried to work their way into Manvel recently with offers to 2015 cornerback Will Lockett (UCLA), 2016 offensive tackle Austin Myers (committed to TCU), and 2016 safety Deontay Anderson (uncommitted), but those efforts have largely been fruitless other than an official visit out of Lockett back in January.

OFF THE BOARD
Calhoun (GA) Calhoun offensive guard Jack DeFoor committed to Ole Miss. This was a bit of a surprise since he was expected to pick Clemson, but Michigan was never heavily involved. DeFoor is a 3-star and #868 overall to the 247 Composite.

Potomac (MD) Bullis quarterback Dwayne Haskins, Jr. committed to Maryland. This is a good pull for the Terps, because Alabama, Clemson, Florida State, Ohio State, and others were also recruiting Haskins, the #61 player in the country, according to the 247 Composite. I had Haskins #4 on my wish list of quarterbacks (LINK).

Traverse City (MI) West offensive guard Thiyo Lukusa committed to Michigan State. Lukusa was pretty highly ranked early on, though I thought he was overrated. At one time he was close to committing to Brady Hoke’s Wolverines, but Hoke told him to wait and explore the process. Jim Harbaugh’s staff was not recruiting Lukusa very heavily.

Detroit (MI) Cass Tech safety Demetric Vance committed to Michigan State. I had Vance rated as the #9 player in the state of Michigan back in February (LINK). He could also play wide receiver.

MISCELLANEOUS
Hyattsville (MD) DeMatha offensive guard Terrance Davis put Michigan in his top ten. Michigan is also recruiting his teammate, 2017 running back Anthony McFarland, Jr., the best running back I’ve seen in his class so far.

Darien (IL) Hinsdale South defensive end Josh King is announcing his decision on June 6, and he has reportedly eliminated Michigan. Michigan State appears to be the front-runner. Fort Wayne (IN) Wayne defensive end Auston Robertson is announcing on June 7 and might also end up in East Lansing.

Concord (CA) De La Salle center Boss Tagaloa put Michigan in his top ten. The Wolverines are also recruiting his teammate, tight end Devin Asiasi.

Recruiting Update: February 23, 2015

Viera (FL) Viera wide receiver Tre Nixon (image via 247Sports.com)

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2016
Houston (TX) Aldine MacArthur defensive end Isaiah Chambers was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’4″, 245 lb. prospect with offers from Baylor, Florida State, Missouri, Oklahoma, Oregon, and Texas A&M, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #10 strongside end, and #133 overall. Chambers is a big, thick player who uses his hands really well. As a junior in 2014, he made 32 tackles for loss, 14 sacks, and 4 forced fumbles. His current Crystal Ball currently reads 80% in favor of the Aggies. I am generally not a fan of any recruit who emblazons the title “YOU ARE NOW A WITNESS!” or anything similar on his highlights, kind of like 2015 tight end Jalen Wilkerson (Florida State) titled his highlights “The Chosen One.”

Calhoun (GA) Calhoun offensive tackle Jack DeFoor was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’5″, 260 lb. prospect with offers from Clemson, Louisville, and Ole Miss, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #72 offensive tackle, #902 overall. DeFoor is a decent athlete who has a slightly odd habit of taking a small hop just before he gets to second-level defenders. The way he moves and blocks, he looks more like a center to me. One of his teammates is 2016 tight end Landon Rice, an Auburn commit who was offered by Michigan a couple weeks ago.

Sachse (TX) Sachse wide receiver Devin Duvernay was offered by Michigan. He’s a 5’11”, 185 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Auburn, Baylor, LSU, and Oregon, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #3 wide receiver, and #36 overall. As a junior in 2014, he caught 62 passes for 990 yards and 9 touchdowns, plus he carried the ball 33 times for 290 yards and 3 scores. He also claims a 4.46 forty. Duvernay is one of those solidly built slot guys who can be a combo running back/receiver, and he can also return kicks.

Hit the jump for a bunch more offers and some miscellaneous bits.

Mechanicsville (VA) Atlee safety Jaqui “J.J.” Givens was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’2″, 170 lb. prospect with offers from Virginia Tech and Wake Forest, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #47 safety, and #678 overall. He claims a 4.46 forty. As a junior in 2014, he made 32 solo tackles, 1 sack, 4 interceptions, and 11 pass breakups. Givens plays corner for his high school team but has the body of a future safety, and he’s not the smoothest athlete around but a guy who can be physical and support the run.

Madison (MS) Germantown cornerback Nigel Knott was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’0″, 175 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Florida State, Miami, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, and Texas A&M, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #11 cornerback, and #129 overall. As a junior in 2014, he made 112 tackles, 4 interceptions, 16 pass breakups, 1 forced fumble, and 1 fumble recovery. He claims a 4.33 forty. Knott is an extremely aggressive corner who has the physicality to be a safety at the next level, too. Unfortunately, he lives in Mississippi, which is a notoriously difficult state to invade from the north.

Santa Ana (CA) Mater Dei offensive tackle Frank Martin II was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’5″, 301 lb. prospect with offers from LSU, Miami, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, and UCLA, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #13 offensive tackle, and #111 overall. Martin is a mauling right tackle prospect who could also end up as a guard, and he is a teammate of linebacker offeree Curtis Robinson. Martin has expressed significant interest in visiting Michigan.

Sachse (TX) Sachse cornerback Jared Mayden was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’1″, 190 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Texas, and Texas A&M, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #8 cornerback, and #96 overall. He claims a 4.58 forty. Mayden is another boundary corner type who could also play safety at the next level. Having announced a top group shortly before receiving some big-time offers, he now says he’s wide open in his selection process.

Viera (FL) Viera wide receiver Tre Nixon was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’1″, 180 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, and Miami, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #52 wide receiver, and #300 overall. Nixon also claims a 4.38 forty. As a junior in 2014, he caught 43 passes for 1,065 yards and 13 touchdowns. That 4.38 time might be stretching it a bit, but Nixon has legitimate deep speed and I imagine he’ll climb in the rankings before all is said and done.

Arlington (TX) Lamar offensive guard Chris Owens was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’3″, 290 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Auburn, and Oklahoma, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the the #31 offensive guard, and #594 overall. Owens plays right tackle but may not have the length to do so in college, where he will likely have to move inside. However, he is very mobile and could be an excellent pulling guard.

Auburn (AL) Auburn safety Spencer Perry was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’2″, 195 lb. prospect with offers from Auburn, Florida State, and Mississippi State, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #29 safety, and #424 overall. Perry is well built right now, and I think there’s a very good chance that he grows into a linebacker before his college career is over. Much like any prospect Michigan tries to pull out of the deep south, anyone coming from Alabama is a serious long shot unless they’re not coveted by the regional schools.

Hermitage (PA) Hickory safety Andrew Pryts was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’2″, 195 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Ohio State, Penn State, and Wisconsin, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #47 safety, and #678 overall. Pryts has pretty decent athleticism, but the most impressive thing about his film is the way he hits. Pryts could be an enforcer in the middle of the field, and he can come up to support the run really well. He is likely to stay home and play for the Nittany Lions.

West Hartford (CT) Kingswood-Oxford linebacker Koby Quansah was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’1″, 212 lb. prospect with offers from Connecticut, Pitt, and Wisconsin, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #9 inside linebacker, and #322 overall. He claims a 4.58 forty. As a junior in 2014, he made 122 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks. He also averaged over 10 yards/carry as a running back with 120 carries for 1,245 yards. Quansah looks like an inside linebacker through and through, and while he’s the #1 player in the state, you may notice that the competition level is not particularly impressive.

Folsom (CA) Folsom offensive tackle Jonah Williams was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’5″, 272 lb. prospect with offers from Auburn, Cal, Florida, Georgia, Texas A&M, and UCLA, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #11 offensive tackle, and #91 overall. He also claims a 4.96 forty, which makes him slightly faster than potential #1 draft pick Jameis Winston! Williams has a nice frame and looks like a college lineman already. He also has a nasty disposition when blocking, although I’d like to see him play through the whistle a little more often.

Tiger (GA) Rabun tight end Charlie Woerner was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’5″, 220 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Clemson, Florida, Georgia, and Oregon, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #19 wide receiver, and #98 overall with a 4.76 forty. Woerner has a pretty impressive all-around highlight film where he lines up at running back, slot receiver, and wide receiver on offense. His team gets him the ball any way they can, and that’s probably a good choice. He’s probably not quick enough to line up as a wide receiver in college, but he could be a very versatile tight end or H-back type of player.

Clovis (CA) Buchanan defensive end Bryson Young was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’5″, 220 lb. prospect with offers from Fresno State and USC, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #27 weakside end, and #456 overall. Young plays outside linebacker for his high school team and shows some nice speed, especially a couple times when he chases down running backs on the opposite sideline. He will probably play with his hand in the dirt in college, or at least as a 3-4 rush linebacker.

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2017
Littleton (CO) Valor Christian quarterback Dylan McCaffrey was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’5″, 200 lb. prospect whose only other offer has come from Colorado. McCaffrey the son of former NFL wide receiver Ed McCaffrey and the younger brother of Stanford rising sophomore Christian McCaffrey, a running back Michigan pursued in the 2014 class. Dylan looks like a prototypical pocket quarterback with a little bit of athleticism to escape the rush. His offer list should expand significantly in the near future.

MISCELLANEOUS
I put together a list of players who visited Michigan for the basketball game against Ohio State on Sunday (LINK).

Several recruiting top lists were updated:

• Top 247 for 2016 (LINK)
• Top 116 for 2017 (LINK)
• Rivals 100 for 2016 (LINK)
• Rivals 250 for 2016 (LINK)

Over on Recruiting Season, I posted/update profiles on:

• Cass Tech wide receiver Dwight Blakey
• Chippewa Valley safety Stefan Claiborne, who committed to Western Michigan
• Renaissance offensive tackle Alaric Jackson
• Mt. Pleasant wide receiver Kalebb Perry
• Ann Arbor Pioneer linebacker Antjuan Simmons