Tag: Jamarco Jones

Visitors: First week of April 2013

#73 Juwann Bushell-Beatty and #5 Jabrill Peppers (image via Northjersey.com)

Due to Easter and spring break, lots of kids will be off this week, too, and have a chance to stop by Michigan’s campus throughout the week.

Trey Barksdale – LB – Clinton (MI) Clintondale: Barksdale is a 6’0″, 190 lb. linebacker prospect with no offers at this time.  As a junior in 2012, he had 30 solo tackles, 1 interception, and 1 fumble recovery returned for a touchdown.  He looks like a player who would be a ways down in the pecking order for a scholarship offer, and Michigan is reportedly looking for just one more linebacker (in addition to Michael Ferns III) in the 2014 class. UPDATE: Barksdale did not make it to campus on Tuesday but may visit later in the week.

David Beedle – DT – Clarkston (MI) Clarkston: Beedle is a 6’5″, 250 lb. defensive tackle with no offers at this time.

Ray Buford – WR – Southfield (MI) Southfield: Buford is a 6’0″, 170 lb. wideout from the class of 2015.  He has no offers at this time.  As a sophomore in 2012, he had 52 receptions for more than 500 yards and 5 touchdowns.  Buford also visited Michigan for the game against Northwestern back in November.  Michigan’s coaching staff seems to want him as a cornerback.

Juwann Bushell-Beatty – OT – Paramus (NJ) Catholic: Bushell-Beatty is a 6’7″, 310 lb. prospect with offers from Florida, Florida State, Miami, Michigan, and Rutgers, among others.  The 247 Composite rankings place him as a 3-star, the #35 offensive tackle, and the #456 player nationally.

Cole Chewins – TE – Clarkston (MI) Clarkston: Chewins is a 6’7″, 210 lb. tight end for the class of 2015.  He has no offers at this time.  Some sites talk about him as if he’s a linebacker, but he looks too long and lanky to be a linebacker; I think he will likely end up at tight end or defensive end.

Rob Dowdy – OT – Westerville (OH) South: Dowdy is a 6’7″, 250 lb. prospect from the class of 2015.  He has offers from Indiana and Kentucky so far.  He visited Michigan a couple weeks ago, so he appears to be strongly interested in the Wolverines.  Westerville South is the high school of Marcus Ball (Arizona State), whom Michigan offered in the 2013 class.

Lawrence Gordon – DE – Saginaw (MI) Arthur Hill: Gordon is a 6’5″, 230 lb. defensive end from the class of 2016, so he just finished his freshman year.  He has no offers at this time, but he has recently visited Michigan State and Ohio State.

Jamarco Jones – OG – Chicago (IL) De La Salle: Jones is a 6’5″, 290 lb. prospect with offers from Florida, Florida State, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, and Tennessee, among many others.  He has expressed mild interest in Michigan and seems likely to stay somewhere in the midwest, but he does not seem to be very close to committing anywhere.  His 247 Composite ranking (which combines the rankings of Rivals, Scout, and 247 – along with ESPN whenever they rank players) puts him at the #4 offensive tackle and the #53 overall player in the 2014 class.

Evan Mallory – OG – Brownsburg (IN) Brownsburg: Mallory is a 6’4″, 285 lb. prospect for the class of 2015.  He has no offers at this point.  Mallory has good size but is a little slow afoot, but if he can improve his foot speed, he has a chance to become a legitimate prospect.

Lawrence Marshall – DE – Southfield (MI) Southfield: Marshall is a 6’3″, 215 lb. weakside end prospect with offers from Michigan, Michigan State, and Ohio State, among others.  He was committed to OSU for a few days, but that ended quickly.  In 247’s Composite ranking, he’s the #13 weakside end and the #198 player overall.

Malik McDowell – DE – Detroit (MI) Loyola: McDowell is a 6’7″, 290 lb. prospect with offers from Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, USC, and a host of others.  He is a 5-star or high 4-star caliber prospect.  Michigan and Notre Dame seemed to be neck and neck, but recent info suggests Michigan might be taking a lead.

Sam Mustipher – OG – Olney (MD) Good Counsel: Mustipher is a 6’4″, 285 lb. offensive guard prospect with offers from Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Maryland, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, and West Virginia, among many others; his father played football for the Mountaineers.  Good Counsel is the alma mater of Michigan cornerback Blake Countess, as well as the home of several other Michigan targets in recent years, including Stefon Diggs (Maryland), Wes Brown (Maryland), Dorian O’Daniel (Clemson), and Kendall Fuller (Virginia Tech).  The 247 Composite ranking places him as the #8 offensive guard and #119 player overall.

Brady Pallante – DT – Naples (FL) Barron Collier: Pallante is a 6’1″, 270 lb. prospect with a scholarship offer from Appalachian State and a greyshirt offer from Michigan.  He was very close to committing to Michigan’s greyshirt offer when it happened several weeks ago, but he has decided to wait out the process – at least for a little while – to see what other opportunities arise.

Jabrill Peppers – CB – Paramus (NJ) Catholic: Peppers is a 6’1″, 200 lb. prospect with a top group of schools that includes Alabama, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, and Stanford.  The 247 Composite rankings put him at the #1 athlete prospect (he could also play running back, wide receiver, or safety) and the #5 overall player in the nation. Peppers is the teammate of Bushell-Beatty, mentioned above.

Blaise Stearns – WR – Ann Arbor (MI) Gabriel Richard: Stearns is a 6’2″, 202 lb. receiver from the class of 2013.  He will be a student at Michigan in the fall, so it looks like he might be a walk-on in the future.  As a senior in 2012, he had 25 receptions for 540 yards and 7 touchdowns.  He also had 3 rushing touchdowns, 4 interceptions, and 1 defensive touchdown.  I don’t often say this about walk-ons, but based on his film, I think Stearns would have a chance of contributing to the team as a slot receiver or on special teams down the road.

Jared Wangler – LB – Warren (MI) De La Salle: Wangler is a 6’2″, 215 lb. linebacker prospect with offers from Bowling Green, Ohio, Toledo, and Western Michigan.  As a junior in 2012, he had 76 tackles, 15 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, and 1 interception, which was returned for a touchdown.  Wangler is the son of former Michigan quarterback John Wangler and the brother of wide receiver Jack Wangler, who will enroll at Michigan in the fall and walk on to the football team.

Maurice Ways – WR – Detroit (MI) Country Day: Ways is a 6’3″, 195 lb. wideout with offers from Iowa, Kansas, and some MAC schools.  He’s a 3-star, the #76 wide receiver, and the #591 overall player in 247’s Composite rankings.  As a junior in 2012, he had 51 receptions for 957 yards and 9 touchdowns.  Ways also visited Michigan last week.  He has supposedly struggled with drops at times, but athletically, I like Ways and think he might be headed for some big offers down the road.

K.J. Williams – WR – Bethlehem (PA) Liberty: Williams is a 6’2″, 190 lb. prospect with offers from Arizona, Michigan, Pitt, Rutgers, South Carolina, and UCLA, among others.  As a junior in 2012, he had 59 catches for 986 yards and 11 touchdowns.  He also plays safety on defense, but Michigan appears to want him as a wideout.  His 247 Composite ranking places him as a 4-star, the #15 athlete, and the #184 overall player.

Visitors: Michigan at Ohio State

Yes, Gareon Conley is visiting Columbus today.

This is always a big game for visits, and while it’s taking place in Columbus this year, it’s still a chance for Midwest prospects to see the Wolverines play football.  Hopefully they can be impressed by a Michigan win, because lots of kids who are interested in Ohio State are also interested in coming to Ann Arbor.

Dorian Baker – WR – Cleveland (OH) Heights: Offer from Pitt.

Drew Barker – QB – Burlington (KY) Conner: Visited Michigan over the summer. Class of 2014.

J.T. Barrett – QB – Wichita Falls (TX) Rider: Committed to Ohio State.

Kyle Berger – LB – Cleveland (OH) St. Ignatius: Offer from Ohio State. Class of 2014.

Marcus Boone – RB – Woodbridge (VA) Senior: Teammate of Da’Shawn Hand. Class of 2014.

Noah Brown – S – Sparta (NJ) Pope John XXIII: Offers from Boston College, Rutgers. Class of 2014.

Cam Burrows – CB – Trotwood (OH) Trotwood-Madison: Committed to Ohio State.

Jimmy Byrne – OG – Cleveland (OH) St. Ignatius: Offers from Notre Dame, Ohio State. Class of 2014.

Gareon Conley – CB – Massillon (OH) Washington: Committed to Michigan (sort of).

Ezekiel Elliott – RB – St. Louis (MO) John Burroughs: Committed to Ohio State.

Jalen Embry – CB – Detroit (MI) King: Class of 2014.

Jaleel Fields – DT – Aliquippa (PA) Aliquippa: Class of 2014.

Carl Fuller – LB – Detroit (MI) King: Offer from Syracuse. Class of 2014.

Clifton Garrett – LB – Joliet (IL) Plainfield South: Offers from Notre Dame, Ohio State. Class of 2014.

Shelton Gibson – WR – Cleveland (OH) Heights: Offers from Auburn, Nebraska, Ohio State.

Nick Glass – S – Atlanta (GA) St. Pius X: Committed to Georgia. Class of 2014.

Eric Glover-Williams – CB – Canton (OH) McKinley: Class of 2015.

Da’Shawn Hand – DE – Woodbridge (VA) Senior: Offers from Michigan, Ohio State. Class of 2014.

Damien Harris – RB – Berea (KY) Madison Southern: Offers from Michigan, Ohio State. Michigan reportedly leads. Class of 2015.

Joe Henderson – DE – Cleveland (OH) Shaker Heights: Offers from Cincinnati, Pitt. Visited Michigan. Class of 2014.

Dorian Hendrix – Huber Heights (OH) Wayne: Offer from Illinois. Class of 2014.

Dravon Henry – WR – Aliquippa (PA) Aliquippa: Offers from Ohio State, Rutgers, West Virginia. Class of 2014.

Mike Heuerman – TE – Naples (FL) Barron Collier: Committed to Notre Dame, offer from Ohio State, brother plays for Ohio State.

Michael Hill – DT – Pendleton (SC) Pendleton: Committed to Ohio State.

Mikel Horton – RB – West Chester (OH) Lakota West: Offer from Indiana. Class of 2014.

Jalen Hurd – RB – Hendersonville (TN) Beechville Senior: Offers from Alabama, Michigan, Ohio State. Class of 2014.

William Houston – FB – Dublin (OH) Scioto: Committed to Ohio State as a preferred walk-on.

Auston Johnson – LB – Torrance (CA) El Camino Community College: Offer from Texas A&M.

Trey Johnson – LB – Lawrenceville (GA) Central Gwinnett: Committed to Auburn.

Jamarco Jones – OG – Chicago (IL) De La Salle: Offers from Michigan, Ohio State. Class of 2014.

Marcelys Jones – OG – Cleveland (OH) Glenville: Offer from Ohio State. Class of 2014.

Derek Kief – WR – Cincinnati (OH) La Salle: Visited Michigan twice. Class of 2014.

DeShone Kizer – QB – Toledo (OH) Central Catholic: Visited Michigan. Offers from Michigan State, Nebraska. Class of 2014.

De’Niro Laster – WR – Cleveland (OH) Heights: Offers from Kansas, Minnesota.

Marshon Lattimore – WR – Cleveland (OH) Glenville: Offers from Michigan, Ohio State. Class of 2014.

Darron Lee – S – New Albany (OH) New Albany: Committed to Ohio State.

Tyquan Lewis – DE – Tarboro (NC) Tarboro: Committed to Ohio State.

Evan Lisle – OT – Centerville (OH) Centerville: Committed to Ohio State.

Avonte Maddox – CB – Detroit (MI) King: Class of 2014.

Josh Malone – WR – Gallatin (TN) Station Camp: Offers from Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State. Class of 2014.

Jalin Marshall – WR – Middletown (OH) Middletown: Committed to Ohio State.

Lawrence Marshall – DE – Southfield (MI) Southfield: Offers from Indiana, Michigan State. Class of 2014.

Daniel McMillian – LB – Jacksonville (FL) First Coast: Committed to Florida.

Raekwon McMillan – LB – Hinesville (GA) Liberty: Offers from Alabama, Notre Dame, Ohio State. Class of 2014.

Airius Moore – LB – Beavercreek (OH) Beavercreek: Offers from Cincinnati, Illinois. Class of 2014.

Donovan Munger – DT – Shaker Heights (OH) Shaker Heights: Offers from Auburn, Notre Dame, Ohio State.

Sam Mustipher – OG – Olney (MD) Good Counsel: Offers from Ohio State, Penn State. Class of 2014.

Robbie Odeneal, Jr. – LB – Kankakee (IL) Bishop McNamara: Class of 2014.

Billy Price – DT – Youngstown (OH) Austintown Fitch: Committed to Ohio State.

James Quick – WR – Louisville (KY) Trinity: Offers from Michigan, Ohio State.

Nick Richardson – OG – Westerville (OH) Central: Offers from Cincinnati, Michigan State. Class of 2014.

Austin Roberts – WR – Carmel (IN) Carmel: Offers from Florida, Ohio State, Stanford. Class of 2014.

Alonzo Saxton – CB – Columbus (OH) Bishop Hartley: Offers from Cincinnati, Wisconsin. Class of 2014.

Erick Smith – S – Cleveland (OH) Glenville: Offers from Cincinnati, Georgia Tech. Class of 2014.

Thaddeus Snodgrass – WR – Springfield (OH) Springfield: Offers from Notre Dame, Ohio State. Class of 2014.

Martrell Spaight – LB – Coffeyville (KS) Coffeyville Community College: Offers from Indiana, Rutgers.

Tracy Sprinkle – DE – Elyria (OH) Elyria: Committed to Ohio State.

Nile Sykes – DE – Oak Park (IL) River Forest: Offer from Illinois. Class of 2014.

Jayme Thompson – S – Toledo (OH) Central Catholic: Committed to Ohio State.

Ryan Timmons – CB – Frankfort (GA) Franklin: Offers from Arkansas, Purdue.

Johnny Townsend – K – Orlando (FL) Boone: Committed to Ohio State.

Kyle Trout – OT – Lancaster (OH) Lancaster: Offers from Michigan State, West Virginia. Class of 2014.

Will Ulmer – QB – Washington (DC) St. John’s: Offers from Maryland, North Carolina. Class of 2014.

Darius West – S – Lima (OH) Central Catholic: Visited Michigan multiple times. Offers from Cincinnati, Illinois. Class of 2014.

Parrker Westphal – CB – Bolingbrook (IL) Bolingbrook: Visited Michigan multiple times. Offers from Michigan, Ohio State. Class of 2014.

Korrin Wiggins – CB – Durham (NC) Hillside: Committed to North Carolina.

Mikale Wilbon – RB – Chicago (IL) De La Salle: Offers from Illinois, Iowa, Purdue. Class of 2014.

Eli Woodard – CB – Voorhees (NJ) Eastern: Committed to Ohio STate.

Christopher Worley – S – Cleveland (OH) Glenville: Offers from Michigan State, Ohio State, West Virginia.

Visitors: Michigan vs. Illinois

Jalen Watts-Jackson

Mike Barwick – DT – Cincinnati (OH) Summit Country Day: Barwick is a 6’3″, 275 lb. defensive tackle prospect.  He just has one offer (Western Michigan), and he looks like a low level BCS prospect.  He’s decently athletic, but he doesn’t use his hands well to shed blockers and isn’t explosive off the ball.  As a sophomore in 2011, he had 68 tackles, 3 sacks, 1 interception, and 1 fumble recovery.  I would be surprised if Michigan offered him anytime soon. (Highlights.)

Kei Beckham – CB – Trotwood (OH) Trotwood-Madison: Beckham is a 5’11”, 170 lb. athlete from the class of 2015. He’s the teammate of 2013 Michigan linebacker commit Michael McCray II.  (Highlights.)

Jaylon Brown – RB – St. Clairsville (OH) St. Clairsville: Brown is a 5’8″, 160 lb. running back in the class of 2014.  He’s a small, quick back who might be a third down option, but probably won’t receive much of a look if he doesn’t add some size.  Brown is the teammate of 2014 commit Michigan Ferns III. (Highlights.)

David Cornwell – QB – Jones (OK) Jones: Cornwell is a 6’5″, 215 lb. signal caller in the 2014 class with offers from Auburn and Indiana.  He reminds me a little bit of former Indiana quarterback Ben Chappell.  Cornwell isn’t a great athlete but has a little bit of ability to scramble; as a passer, he has a good arm and decent mechanics, but he’s got some accuracy issues.  Michigan is still looking to offer their first quarterback in the 2014 class, and Cornwell could grab an offer at some point.  He’s not an elite quarterback, but might be a decent player to follow one class after Shane Morris. (Highlights.)

David Dawson – OG – Detroit (MI) Cass Tech: Dawson committed to Michigan in February.

Nathaniel Devers – OG – Massillon (OH) Washington: Devers is a 6’3″, 265 lb. offensive guard prospect from the class of 2014 with a lone offer from Toledo.  He has visited and camped at Michigan before, and he could be in line for an offer down the road, but I don’t see him as an elite prospect. (Highlights.)

Michael Ferns III – LB – St. Clairsville (OH) St. Clairsville: Ferns committed to Michigan in August.

Ramroth Finnegan – QB – Columbus (OH) Whetstone: Finnegan is a 6’3″, 205 lb. quarterback prospect from the class of 2014.  He doesn’t have any offers at this point, and he doesn’t appear to have a big-time arm or be an elite athlete.  I would not expect an offer from the Wolverines to come for Finnegan. (Highlights.)

Brandon Fritts – TE – Mentor (OH) Mentor: Fritts is a 6’4″, 210 lb. high school receiver who looks like he’ll grow into a tight end in college.  He’s somewhat reminiscent of current Michigan freshman Devin Funchess.  As a sophomore in 2011, Fritts had 50 receptions for 800 yards and 9 touchdowns; in Mentor’s first six games this season, he had 400 receiving yards and 5 touchdowns.  His former teammate is current Michigan freshman defensive end Tom Strobel. (Highlights.)

Connor Hayes – OG – Traverse City (MI) West: Hayes is a 6’4″, 280 lb. offensive guard prospect from Traverse City.  He’s a 2014 prospect who already has offers from Central Michigan and Indiana.  He camped at Michigan this summer.  He appears to be more of a drive blocker than an all-around lineman, and could use some more work on his pass blocking.  He could be a backup option in the recruiting process, but he has the potential to grow into a legitimate BCS prospect. (Highlights.)

Khalid Hill – TE – Detroit (MI) East English Village: Hill committed to Michigan in February.

Da’mario Jones – WR – Westland (MI) John Glenn: Jones is a 6’2″, 185 lb. wideout who is committed to Central Michigan.  He also has offers from Bowling Green and Toledo.  Jones transferred to John Glenn this offseason after playing in New Jersey previously.  Michigan is still pursuing Crete (IL) Crete-Monee wide receiver LaQuon Treadwell, but Jones looks like a guy who could garner a late offer if things with Treadwell go south. (Highlights.)

Jamarco Jones – OG – Chicago (IL) De La Salle: Jones is a 6’5″, 285 lb. offensive guard prospect with offers from Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Wisconsin, and a few others.  While some sites list him as an offensive tackle, he reminds of class of 2011 recruit Chris Bryant, who has been playing guard at Michigan.

Marcelys Jones – OG – Cleveland (OH) Glenville: Jones is a 6’4″, 325 lb. offensive guard prospect.  He plays offensive tackle for Glenville, a school that has sent Frank Clark and Willie Henry to Michigan in recent years; however, he’s not a very technical player, and is more just a huge body.  He can push people around, but he’s not a guy who should be blocking elite edge rushers.  Jones already holds offers from Indiana and Ohio State.

Tyler Jones – DE – Albertville (AL) Albertville: Jones is a 6’5″, 270 lb. strongside end/defensive tackle prospect for the class of 2014.  He looks more like a defensive tackle to me, and I’m not sure he’s a Michigan-level prospect.  He has no offers at this point. (Highlights.)

Jake Khoury – DT – Traverse City (MI) St. Francis: Khoury is a 6’3″, 270 lb. defensive tackle from the 2014 class.  He’s the cousin of former Michigan center Rocko Khoury.  Jake camped at Michigan over the summer and doesn’t have any offers at this point; I do not foresee one coming from the Wolverines in the near future.  He’s a decent athlete, but he doesn’t deal well with blockers and appears to struggle with fulfilling his assignments. (Highlights.)

Tyree Kinnel – CB – Huber Heights (OH) Wayne: Kinnel is a 5’11”, 170 lb. cornerback from the class of 2015.  He attends the same school as former Michigan players Terry and Terrence Talbott, who have left the program due to injury and discipline, respectively. (Highlights.)

DeShone Kizer – QB – Toledo (OH) Central Catholic: Kizer is a 6’4″, 205 lb. dual-threat quarterback from the 2014 class.  So far he has netted offers from Boston College, Illinois, Louisville, and Nebraska, along with a few others.  He camped at Michigan, but the Wolverines have had several chances to offer and haven’t done so.  That leads me to believe that Kizer won’t be offered by Michigan, at least not very early in the process. (Highlights.)

Chase Lash – OT – Massillon (OH) Washington: Lash is a 6’5″, 287 lb. prospect for the class of 2014.  At this point he has no FBS offers.  His favorite school is Ohio State, so if both the Buckeyes and Wolverines come calling, he’ll probably be headed to Columbus.

Jourdan Lewis – CB – Detroit (MI) Cass Tech: Lewis committed to Michigan back in February.

Lawrence Marshall – DE – Southfield (MI) Southfield: Marshall is a 6’4″, 215 lb. defensive end from the class of 2014.  He has offers from Bowling Green and San Diego State.  Through seven games of his junior season, he has 35 tackles and 6 sacks.  He looks to me like a guy who could start off his career as a weakside end grow into playing the strongside spot. (Highlights.)

Mike McCray II – LB – Trotwood (OH) Trotwood-Madison: McCray committed to Michigan in March.

Shane Morris – QB – Warren (MI) De La Salle: Morris committed to Michigan last year.  Here’s a look at how his senior season is going.

Kyle Rachwal – TE – Lapeer (MI) East: Rachwal is a 6’3″, 215 lb. tight end/linebacker with no offers at this point.  He also visited for the UMass game a few weeks ago.Rachwal has some abilities on both sides of the ball, but I’m not sure that he’s a Michigan-caliber tight end or linebacker.  He’s the type of player who can probably get a scholarship to a MAC team or even somewhere like Indiana, but he’s just not on the same level as Jake Butt, Devin Funchess, James Ross, etc.  He also comes from the alma mater of former Wolverine Jake Long. (Highlights.)

Gelen Robinson – DE – St. John (IN) Lake Central: Robinson is a 6’1″, 230 lb. defensive end/outside linebacker in the class of 2014.  He is the son of former Purdue and NBA basketball star Glenn Robinson, and his brother is Michigan basketball player Glenn Robinson III.  Gelen might be a little bit short to play defensive end in college, but he could be a SAM linebacker.  He has been having a productive junior season and could very well hit a growth spurt, so Michigan will likely keep their eye on how he develops. (Highlights.)

Jeff Rotheram – OT – North Olmsted (OH) North Olmsted: Rotheram is a 6’6″, 290 lb. offensive tackle from the class of 2014.

Chance Sorrell – TE – Middletown (OH) Middletown: Sorrell is a 6’6″, 225 lb. tight end from the class of 2014.  He does not have any offers at this point, and he looks like a pure blocking tight end.

Dymonte Thomas – S – Alliance (OH) Marlington: Thomas committed last year and is having an excellent senior season.

Jordan Van Dort – OG – Zeeland (MI) West: Van Dort is a 6’5″, 280 lb. offensive line prospect from the class of 2014.  He doesn’t have any offers at this point, and he played tight end as a sophomore; however, it seems pretty clear that he’ll end up playing an interior line position in college.  He doesn’t have any offers at this point, but athletic linemen like him won’t go unnoticed.  I don’t think he’s an elite line prospect on par with the guys Michigan netted in the class of 2013, but he’s still a BCS-level prospect, in my opinion. (Highlights.)

Denzel Ward – OT – Chicago (IL) Hales Franciscan:Ward is a 6’9″, 285 lb. offensive tackle prospect with a lone offer from Purdue.  Ward trains with the Core 6 group of athletes, which includes Jamarco Jones and Joliet (IL) Plainfield South LB Clifton Garrett.

Jalen Watts-Jackson – WR/CB – Orchard Lake (MI) St. Mary’s: Watts-Jackson is a 6’0″, 172 lb. wide receiver or cornerback from the 2014 class.  He has no offers at this point, but they should be on their way.  He looks to me like more of a cornerback prospect.  I don’t see him having the run-after-catch abilities to play wide receiver at the next level, but he’s very thin and some added weight could change that perception a little bit.  Watts-Jackson is the former teammate of freshman Michigan linebacker James Ross. (Highlights.)

Jake Whitley – OG – North Augusta (SC) North Augusta: Whitley is a 6’4″, 300 lb. high school offensive tackle from the class of 2014.  While he has the size to play big-time college football, he looks a little stiff to be a legitimate Michigan prospect. (Highlights.)

Mikale Wilbon – RB – Chicago (IL) De La Salle: Wilbon is a 5’9″, 190 lb. running back prospect from the class of 2014.  He already has offers from Iowa and Purdue.  Wilbon is the teammate of Michigan offeree Jamarco Jones, and while he’s not a blazer or particularly big, Wilbon is a little bit shifty and a fairly powerful runner.  He does a good job of getting north-and-south, and I could see Michigan pursuing him down the road. (Highlights.)

Csont’e York – WR – Harper Woods (MI) Chandler Park Academy: York committed to Michigan back in May.

Recruiting Update: June 18, 2012

Class of 2014 linebacker Michael Ferns visited Michigan this weekend (image via Twitter)

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2014
Chicago (IL) De La Salle offensive guard Jamarco Jones was offered by Michigan on his visit to campus.  He’s a 6’5″, 285 lb. prospect with offers from Illinois, Ohio State, and Vanderbilt.  He plays left tackle for De La Salle, but his body type and pulling ability suggest more of a future at guard than tackle.  I really like his athleticism, strength, and mentality.

Detroit (MI) Cass Tech cornerback Damon Webb received a Michigan offer on Thursday.  The 5’11”, 170 lb. Webb transferred to Cass Tech this offseason and will play for the Technicians for the first time this fall.  Similarly to future teammate Jourdan Lewis, it appears Webb could play either cornerback or receiver in college.  The Wolverines want him for defense.

OFF THE BOARD
Somerville (NJ) Immaculata defensive end Tashawn Bower committed to Auburn.  He said not long ago that he would visit Michigan this summer, but when he made his commitment, he said he was shutting down his recruitment and that he was 100%.  You never know in recruiting, but it looks like that visit might not happen.

Avon (IN) Avon defensive end Elijah Daniel committed to Clemson.  Daniel never strongly considered Michigan and always seemed to want to head south.  Clemson just picked up defensive end Robert Nkemdiche, who is considered by some to be 2013’s top overall prospect, last week.  If you go to Clemson, you might not win many games . . . but it does give you a good chance to get to the NFL.

Oakland (CA) Freedom wide receiver Darrell Daniels committed to Washington.  Some people were surprised that Daniels picked the Huskies over USC, but those were his two leaders for a while.  Daniels expressed early interest in seeing Michigan, but it never seemed like a serious flirtation.

Matthews (NC) Butler quarterback Riley Ferguson committed to Tennessee.  Michigan already has its 2013 quarterback in Shane Morris, but Ferguson was one of only three guys that the Wolverines offered in the process.  Michigan’s staffs have gone after Butler hard in recent years, trying to reel in guys like linebacker Kris Frost, linebacker Peter Kalambayi, and both Christian and Uriah LeMay; however, the coaches have struck out ever since they got Jamar Adams back in 2004.

Akron (OH) Firestone wide receiver Kevin Gladney committed to Nebraska.  Michigan was pursuing him early and it was rumored that Gladney was close to committing, but that buzz went away and so did Michigan’s recruitment of him.  He was originally reported to be 6’3″ or 6’4″, but it turned out that he’s only 6’1″.  Gladney’s not particularly fast or elusive, and Michigan needs a playmaker as its third wide receiver, anyway, so it wouldn’t have been a great match.

Washington (DC) Friendship Collegiate Academy inside linebacker Yannick Ngakoue committed to Maryland.  He was offered just prior to Michigan filling up on linebackers, so it doesn’t seem like Michigan got too far into the process of going after him.  Regardless, Ngakoue appeared to want to stay close to home, he has a couple classmates committed to the Terps, and Randy Edsall is doing a nice job of recruiting since coming over from UConn.  Friendship Collegiate Academy has been churning out some quality talent in the last few classes (such as DT Eddie Goldman in 2012), so it’s good to try to develop a relationship there.

CAMP VISITORS
Here’s a look at some of the kids who are camping at Michigan this week.

WEEKEND VISITORS
Michael Ferns – LB – St. Clairsville (OH) St. Clairsville
Jamarco Jones – OG – Chicago (IL) De La Salle
Josh Malone – WR – Gallatin (TN) Station Camp
Christopher Murphy – CB – Kennesaw (GA) Harrison

Weekend Visitors: June 15-17, 2012

Chicago (IL) De La Salle OT Jamarco Jones: Jones is a 6’5″, 285 lb. lineman who looks like a future offensive guard.  He’s a class of 2014 prospect who already has offers from Illinois, Ohio State, and Vanderbilt.




Kennesaw (GA) Harrison CB Christopher Murphy: Murphy is a 5’10”, 175 lb. prospect for the class of 2014.  He received his first offer from North Carolina the other day.  As a sophomore in 2011, he had 27 tackles, 9 pass breakups, and 1 forced fumble.  Murphy participated in the Sound Mind Sound Body camp on Wednesday and Thursday.  A visit to Michigan’s campus isn’t certain, but he said he does hope to visit.