Recruiting Update: December 26, 2014

Tag: Jarrett Stidham


26Dec 2014
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Recruiting Update: December 26, 2014

Former Michigan commit Darrin Kirkland, Jr.

This is probably the last recruiting update for 2014, so grab some Klee-nex. On the plus side, there should be some good recruiting news in the coming days and weeks with a new coach soon to be hired and National Signing Day coming up at the beginning of February.

OFF THE BOARD
Waco (TX) Midway safety Kahlil Haughton committed to Oklahoma.

Mesquite (TX) Poteet linebacker Malik Jefferson committed to Texas. The 5-star prospect is the second 2015 linebacker to choose the Longhorns over the Wolverines, joining Cameron Townsend. Jefferson will be playing in the Under Armour All-American Game in early January.

Scottsdale (AZ) Saguaro wide receiver Christian Kirk committed to Texas A&M. Another 5-star, Kirk was high on my wish list, although he was a long shot even if Michigan had a good season and had coaching continuity. He’ll head to College Station to catch passes from Kyle Allen, who is from across town at Desert Mountain.

Indianapolis (IN) Lawrence Central linebacker Darrin Kirkland, Jr. committed to Tennessee. Kirkland was committed to Michigan for several months, but the Wolverines’ poor season and coaching situation led him to decommit late in the season.

Stephenville (TX) Stephenville quarterback Jarrett Stidham committed to Baylor after decommitting from Texas Tech. I always thought this seemed like a no-brainer because Baylor head coach Art Briles made his name as Stephenville’s head coach, but for whatever reason, Stidham was sold on the Red Raiders for a while. After all the points Baylor has thrown up on the board and the success of their quarterbacks, this looks like a good choice for Stidham.

MISCELLANEOUS
There are a bunch of all-star games coming up in about a week, so I posted all the Michigan targets/commits you can see in those games:

Over on Recruiting Season, I posted/updated profiles on Grand Rapids Christian’s Lukas Thompson, Cass Tech’s Demetric Vance, and Chippewa Valley’s Stefan Claiborne.
10Mar 2014
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Recruiting Update: March 10, 2014

St. Joseph (MI) St. Joseph defensive end Corey Malone-Hatcher (via Twitter)

New offers have been slow to come by over the past couple weeks, so there’s not a whole lot of action other than some pretty good unofficial visitors over the past three weekends. There are currently 75 offers (that I’m aware of) extended to class of 2015 prospects.

OFF THE BOARD
Stephenville (TX) Stephenville quarterback Jarrett Stidham committed to Texas Tech. Stidham had once been thought to be a Baylor lean, partly because Baylor head coach Art Briles used to be the head coach at Stephenville, although that was well before Stidham was around.

MISCELLANEOUS
I wrote another batch of scouting reports on 2015 quarterbacks (LINK), in which Stidham was #2 overall of the signal callers Michigan had been contacting.

A small group of 2016 and 2017 visitors were in town this weekend (LINK) to watch the Wolverines basketball team beat Indiana.

7Mar 2014
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Scouting Report: New 2015 Quarterbacks

Stephenville (TX) Stephenville quarterback Jarrett Stidham

Here’s another batch of quarterback scouting reports for the 2015 class. I spent a lot of time on these (too much time?), so hopefully they’re useful and enjoyable. You might remember that I did this for another group of quarterbacks at the beginning of January, but Michigan’s quarterback recruiting has stalled somewhat and some new names have popped up on the radar. Since that time, Blake Barnett and Jarrett Stidham have been offered, Doug Nussmeier was hired to replace Al Borges, and Ricky Town flipped from Alabama to USC, among other things. I’ll place this batch in order, and at the end of the post, I’ll give my own ranking of all the quarterback prospects.

1. Jarrett Stidham – QB – Stephenville (TX) Stephenville: Stidham is a 6’3″, 190 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Miami, Michigan, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, and Texas Tech, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 5-star, the #2 dual-threat quarterback, and #34 overall. He claims a 4.57 forty time. As a junior in 2013, he was 156/254 for 2,613 yards, 30 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions; he also ran 138 times for 821 yards and 14 touchdowns. Stidham is a polished spread quarterback, and he does a good job of making pre-snap reads and knowing where he wants to go with the ball. He has a little bit of a hitch in his delivery at times, but that doesn’t bother me much. He shows nice pocket awareness and stands tall while staying on his toes, so he’s always in a throwing position. He does not have a rocket for an arm, but he has above average arm strength. Perhaps the best thing about him is that he knows where to go with the ball and gets in there in a place where his receivers can run after the catch. One thing I noticed is that he does not have the most skilled receivers and running backs around him, yet he still puts up pretty big numbers. While Stidham is ranked as a dual-threat quarterback, he’s not an elusive or speedy runner; he makes hay on the ground by making good, quick reads in the option game. I see him more as a pro-style quarterback.

2. Ricky Town – QB – Ventura (CA) St. Bonaventure: Town is a 6’4″, 205 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Florida State, Georgia, Miami, Stanford, Texas, and UCLA, along with several others; he committed to USC in late January after being committed to Alabama. Michigan offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier recruited him to Alabama initially, and there is some scuttlebutt that Nussmeier extended a Michigan offer, too, but that has not been confirmed. Anyway, Town is a 247 Composite 5-star, the #2 pro-style quarterback, and #6 overall. As a junior in 2013, he completed 67% of his passes for 2,300 yards and 25 touchdowns. There’s a lot to like about Town, but not as much as Stidham, in my opinion. Town has superior arm strength, and he has quick feet taking his drop. He is not the most athletic guy and lacks creativity outside of the pocket, which will cause him to take some big and potentially dangerous hits. Town has a quick release at times, but sometimes he gets sloppy with his mechanics and holds the ball a little too low, causing a longer windup. The biggest issue I see with Town is that he tends to force the ball into tight windows, and he doesn’t always put it in the most catchable spot or lead his receivers to yards after the catch. Too many times he passes up wide open receivers to hit receivers who are in double-coverage or about to get lambasted. He has the ability to make every throw, which is tantalizing, but I’m not sure that he’s the best decision maker.

3Blake Barnett – QB – Corona (CA) Santiago: Barnett is a 6’3″, 195 lb. prospect with offers from Arizona, Cal, Ole Miss, UCLA, and West Virginia; he committed to Notre Dame in November 2013. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #3 pro-style quarterback, and the #83 player overall. His Hudl profile suggests a 4.7 forty, a 4.4 pro agility shuttle, a 30″ vertical, a 240 lb. bench max, and a 375 lb. squat max. As a junior in 2013, he had 2,332 passing yards and 22 touchdowns, along with 695 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground. I’m a little bit at odds with his ranking as a pro-style quarterback, because Barnett does a lot of work with his legs. He’s not a dynamic runner who will break open the game by running the ball, but he can keep a play alive, move the chains, and occasionally bust a long one; his running style reminds me of former Wolverine Tate Forcier. As a passer, Barnett has solid mechanics. He works mostly out of a shotgun spread look, so his footwork and progressions from under center might be question marks. He has adequate arm strength but shows nice touch on the ball, throwing some very nice corner routes and seam routes. Barnett also shows that he goes through progressions, is able to look off defenders, and check the ball down to his second and third options, at least. He looks like a Brian Kelly type of quarterback to me.

4. Brian Lewerke – QB – Phoenix (AZ) Pinnacle: Lewerke is a 6’3″, 180 lb. prospect with offers from Arizona, Arizona State, Louisville, Ole Miss, UCLA, and West Virginia. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #21 pro-style quarterback, and #483 overall. He claims a 4.67 forty, a 4.26 shuttle, a 32″ vertical, a 195 lb. bench max, and a 280 lb. squat. As a junior in 2013, he was 167/316 for 2,780 yards, 33 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions; he also had 464 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns. Lewerke is a kid with a good frame who looks like he’ll continue to grow and fill out to be well over 200 lbs. Listed as a pro-style quarterback, he can run a little bit and is difficult to take down on the move; he won’t run away from many people, but he should be able to move the chains if you forget about him. When he scrambles, he keeps his eyes downfield looking for receivers and can throw on the move. Lewerke has a quick release and can deliver the ball on a line, in tight spaces, or with touch over the top. I was not extremely impressed with his sophomore film, but I think he took a big step forward as a junior.

5. Brandon Wimbush – QB – Jersey City (NJ) St. Peter’s Prep: Wimbush is a 6’2″, 205 lb. prospect with offers from Miami, Nebraska, Ohio State, Penn State, Rutgers, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia Tech, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #5 dual-threat quarterback, and #163 overall. As a junior in 2013, he was 52/80 for 822 yards, 8 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions; he also ran 25 times for 237 yards and 2 touchdowns and claims a 4.65 forty. Wimbush is a thick and powerful kid who reminds me a little bit of former Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith. He has good speed without being blazingly fast, and he has enough power to run through a tackle here or there, too; if he’s running downhill at a cornerback or safety with 2 yards to go for a first down, my Monopoly money’s on Wimbush. He has a powerful arm with a little bit of a long release, though it’s high enough to prevent some batted balls. Wimbush has the speed, strength, and creativity to make things happen outside the pocket. I would like to see him get rid of the ball a little quicker and have a better command of the offense and reading defenses, because some of his throws take too long to develop, which won’t be as much of an option at the next level. The physical skills are there for Wimbush, and I wouldn’t even call him a developmental prospect, because he’s not a project; he’s just a guy who appears to need a little seasoning.

6. Travis Waller – QB – Anaheim (CA) Servite: Waller is a 6’3″, 185 lb. prospect with offers from Arizona and Washington. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #7 dual-threat quarterback, and #213 overall. Waller is a tantalizing prospect, but he’s a project. It’s not a surprise at all that Arizona is on his offer list – at first glance, his playing style reminds me of former Michigan commit Shavodrick Beaver. Waller has very good speed, and he’s a gangly but effective runner who shows determination and toughness in powering through tackles. His ball handling needs a lot of work, his footwork is inconsistent, and his team’s offense looks a little simple; that last point is perhaps more about his coaching than him, but nonetheless, it speaks to the level at which he’s expected to understand and perform. There are a lot of mirrored routes and simple route combinations, unlike those of a few other prospects on the list. He also plays in a somewhat gimmicky Texas Tech-style offense that has four or five receivers, extra wide splits by the linemen, etc. It’s a wide open offense that serves its purpose by opening up some lanes for him to run and throw, but it doesn’t lend itself to a lot of college systems. Waller has a somewhat long delivery, but he has a strong arm and can push the ball downfield. I mentioned Beaver up above, but his game is also somewhat reminiscent of former Baylor Bear and current Washington Redskin Robert Griffin III.

7. Kelly Bryant – QB – Piedmont (SC) Wren: Bryant is a 6’4″, 205 lb. prospect with offers from Clemson, Duke, Florida, North Carolina, Ole Miss, South Carolina, and Virginia Tech, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #19 dual-threat quarterback, and #549 overall. Bryant is a true dual-threat quarterback who can hurt teams with his arm and his legs. He lacks the speed and elusiveness of the great dual-threats, but he has good speed and is more of a slashing runner than a stop/start guy. In that aspect, he reminds me a little bit of Clemson’s Tajh Boyd. As a thrower, Bryant has decent footwork out of the shotgun, but his arm mechanics are questionable; he tends to push the ball, and because of that, he lacks great arm strength. He throws the ball well when going to his right, but he could work on squaring his shoulders when rolling to the left. Ole Miss and Clemson appear to be the leaders.

Here’s how I would rank the 20 quarterback prospects I’ve reviewed so far, and you may notice that some of them have been re-ranked. (This is mostly because I think Nussmeier wants a more mobile quarterback who can create with his feet, and it’s slightly because I’ve let things simmer for a bit longer.)

1. Josh Rosen
2. Jarrett Stidham
3. Kyle Kearns
4. Zach Gentry
5. Blake Barnett
6. Ricky Town
7. Brian Lewerke
8. Brady White
9. Kevin Dillman
10. Brandon Wimbush
11. Alex Malzone
12. Travis Waller
13. Kelly Bryant
14. Sheriron Jones
15. Nick Johns
16. Jack Beneventi
17. Jimmy Fitzgerald
18. David Sills
19. Riley Neal
20. David Edwards

Blue = Go ahead and offer these guys
Green = Offer if the first eight don’t bite
Red = I do not see this being a match

1Feb 2014
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January Coach Visits

Southfield (MI) Southfield defensive end Malik McDowell (#67) is Michigan’s top target remaining in the 2014 class

Since January is such a popular month for college coaches to hit the road and recruit, here’s a list of players who are expecting or have received visits this month.

2014
Ian Bunting – TE – Hinsdale (IL) Central*
Noah Furbush – LB – Kenton (OH) Kenton*
Jeff Jones – RB – Minneapolis (MN) Washburn*
Marlon Mack – RB – Sarasota (FL) Booker*
Malik McDowell – DE – Southfield (MI) Southfield*
Jared Wangler – LB – Warren (MI) De La Salle*
Chase Winovich – LB – Clairton (PA) Thomas Jefferson*

2015
Blake Barnett – QB – Corona (CA) Santiago*
Jake Browning – QB – Folsom (CA) Folsom
Nick Johns – QB – Washington (DC) Gonzaga
Kyle Kearns – QB – Pleasanton (CA) Foothill
Brian Lewerke – QB – Phoenix (AZ) Pinnacle
Alex Malzone – QB – Bloomfield Hills (MI) Brother Rice
Josh Rosen – QB – Bellflower (CA) St. John Bosco*
David Sills – QB – Elkton (MD) Eastern Christian Academy*
Jarrett Stidham – QB – Stephenville (TX) Stephenville*
Ricky Town – QB – Ventura (CA) St. Bonaventure
Ryan Willis – QB – Mission (KS) Bishop Miege
Brandon Wimbush – QB – Jersey City (NJ) St. Peter’s Prep
Andrew Dowell – RB – Lakewood (OH) St. Edward
Johnny Frasier – RB – Princeton (NC) Princeton*
Damien Harris – RB – Berea (KY) Madison Southern*
Soso Jamabo – RB – Plano (TX) West*
Ronald Jones II – RB – McKinney (TX) North
Kentrail Moran – RB – O’Fallon (KY) O’Fallon
Jacques Patrick – RB – Orlando (FL) Timber Ridge*
Mike Weber – RB – Detroit (MI) Cass Tech*
George Campbell – WR – Tarpon Springs (FL) East Lake*
Irvin Charles – WR – Haddonfield (NJ) Paul VI
Brian Cole – WR – Saginaw (MI) Heritage*
David Dowell – WR – Lakewood (OH) St. Edward
Tyron Johnson – WR – New Orleans (LA) Warren Easton*
Christian Kirk – WR – Scottsdale (AZ) Saguaro*
Kai Locksley – WR – Baltimore (MD) Gilman
Damarkus Lodge – WR – Cedar Hill (TX) Cedar Hill*
Juval Mollette – WR – Randleman (NC) Randleman*
Stanley Norman – WR – Gardena (CA) Junipero Serra
Kemah Siverand – WR – Houston (TX) Cypress Ridge
Bowman Archibald – TE – Dade City (FL) Pasco
Chris Clark – TE – Avon (CT) Old Farms
Austin Ervin – TE – St. Johns (MI) St. Johns
Jackson Harrison – TE – Columbia (TN) Central
Tyler Petite – TE – Moraga (CA) Campolindo
Anthony Rush – TE – Cary (NC) Cary
Jalen Wilkerson – TE – Douglas (GA) Coffee
Matthew Burrell, Jr. – OT – Woodbridge (VA) Hylton
Trevor Elbert – OT – Rockwall (TX) Heath
Jake Fruhmorgen – OT – Tampa (FL) Plant*
Mitch Hyatt – OT – Suwanee (GA) North Gwinnett*
Sterling Jenkins – OT – Pittsburgh (PA) Baldwin*
Harrison Moon – OT – Chattanooga (TN) Signal Mountain
Chuma Edoga – OG – Powder Springs (GA) McEachern
Richie Petitbon – OG – Washington (DC) Gonzaga
Jon Runyan, Jr. – OG – Philadelphia (PA) St. Joseph’s Prep*
Jashon Cornell – DE – St. Paul (MN) Cretin-Derham*
Jalen Dalton – DE – Clemmons (NC) West Forsyth
Landis Durham – DE – Plano (TX) East
Clelin Ferrell – DE – Richmond (VA) Benedictine
Keisean Lucier-South – DE – Orange (CA) Lutheran*
Charles Omenihu – DE – Rowlett (TX) Rowlett
Cassius Peat – DE – Tempe (AZ) Corona Del Sol
Darian Roseboro – DE – Lincolnton (NC) Lincolnton*
Darrion Daniels – DT – Dallas (TX) Bishop Dunne
Rasheem Greene – DT – Junipero (CA) Gardena Serra
Daylon Mack – DT – Gladewater (TX) Gladewater
Tim Settle – DT – Manassas (VA) Stonewall Jackson*
Elijah Taylor – DT – Cincinnati (OH) Moeller
Shy Tuttle – DT – Lexington (NC) North Davidson*
Christian Wilkins – DT – Suffield (CT) Suffield Academy
Jerome Baker – LB – Cleveland (OH) Benedictine*
Josh Barajas – LB – Merrillville (IN) Andrean
Asmar Bilal – LB – Indianapolis (IN) Ben Davis
Wyatt Cook – LB – Owings Mills (MD) McDonogh
Jordan Fox – LB – Jersey City (NJ) St. Peter’s Prep
Justin Hilliard – LB – Cincinnati (OH) St. Xavier*
Malik Jefferson – LB – Mesquite (TX) Poteet*
John Houston – LB – Junipero (CA) Gardena Serra
Darrin Kirkland, Jr. – LB – Indianapolis (IN) Warren Central
Arthur McGinnis – LB – New Orleans (LA) Warren Easton
Anthony McKee – LB – Columbus (OH) Walnut Ridge
Joshua McMillon – LB – Memphis (TN) Whitehaven*
Cameron Smith – LB – Granite Bay (CA) Granite Bay
Adonis Thomas – LB – Lawrenceville (GA) Central Gwinnett*
Tyriq Thompson – LB – Detroit (MI) King*
Anthony Wheeler – LB – Dallas (TX) Skyline*
Kareem Ali – CB – Sicklerville (NJ) Timber Creek
Kris Boyd – CB – Gilmer (TX) Gilmer
Shaun Crawford – CB – Lakewood (OH) St. Edward*
Minkah Fitzpatrick – CB – Jersey City (NJ) St. Peter’s Prep*
Iman Marshall – CB – Long Beach (CA) Poly*
Darrell Miller – CB – Cedar Hill (TX) Cedar Hill
John Reid – CB – Philadelphia (PA) St. Joseph’s Prep*
Tyree Kinnel – S – Huber Heights (OH) Wayne*
Marcus Lewis – S – Washington (DC) Gonzaga
Tyler Woodley – S – Powder Springs (GA) McEachern

This post is getting long, so hit the jump for 2016 and 2017 prospects:

2016
Messiah DeWeaver – QB – Trotwood (OH) Trotwood-Madison
Kentrail Moran – RB – O’Fallon (IL) O’Fallon
Miles Sanders – RB – Woodland Hills (PA) Woodland Hills*
Kareem Walker – RB – Wayne (NJ) DePaul Catholic*
Scott Bracey – WR – Richmond (VA) Benedictine*
Brandon Burton – WR – Gardena (CA) Junipero Serra
Cameron Chambers – WR – Sicklerville (NJ) Timber Creek
D.J. Morgan – WR – Bellflowers (CA) St. John Bosco
David Edwards – TE – Downers Grove (IL) North
Marquise Guinn – TE – Carthage (TX) Carthage
Jake Hausmann – TE – Cincinnati (OH) Moeller
Isaac Nauta – TE – Buford (GA) Buford*
Kaden Smith – TE – Flower Mound (TX) Marcus*
Naseir Upshur – TE – Philadelphia (PA) Imhotep
Sean Foster – OT – Mundelein (IL) Carmel Catholic
Thiyo Lukusa – OT – Traverse City (MI) West*
Erik Swenson – OT – Downers Grove (IL) South*
E.J. Price – OG – Lawrenceville (GA) Central Gwinnett*
Tommy Roush – OG – Traverse City (MI) West
Lawrence Gordon – DE – Saginaw (MI) Saginaw
Jarrod McLin – DE – Carthage (TX) Carthage
Prince Sammons – DE – Cincinnati (OH) Hills Christian
Dexter Lawrence – DT – Wake Forest (NC) Rolesville*
Ed Oliver – DT – Houston (TX) Westfield
Daelin Hayes – LB – Orchard Lake (MI) St. Mary’s
Keion Joyner – LB – Havelock (NC) Havelock
Robbie Robinson – CB – Hampton (VA) Phoebus
Aaron Matthews – ATH – Clairton (PA) Thomas Jefferson

2017
Bailey Hockman – QB – Powder Springs (GA) McEachern
Kahlee Hamler – WR – Orchard Lake (MI) St. Mary’s
Joshua Ross – LB – Orchard Lake (MI) St. Mary’s

*Prospect holds a Michigan offer

27Jan 2014
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Recruiting Update: January 27, 2014

Stephenville (TX) Stephenville quarterback Jarrett Stidham

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2014
Fort Lauderdale (FL) University School defensive end Richard Yeargin III decommitted from Notre Dame. He probably would have been an outside linebacker for the Fighting Irish, but he’s expected to end up at Clemson now, where I believe he will be a defensive end.

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2015
Corona (CA) Santiago quarterback Blake Barnett was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’3″, 195 lb. prospect with offers from Arizona, Cal, and UCLA, among others, and he has been committed to Notre Dame since last November. According to 247’s Composite rankings, he’s a 4-star, the #6 pro-style QB, and the #135 player overall. As a junior in 2013, he passed for 2,332 yards and 22 touchdowns, and he ran for 695 yards and 13 touchdowns. He runs a spread offense in high school and has a good combination of throwing and running abilities. Following Michigan’s offer, he stated that he was solid with Notre Dame but would check into what the policy is on taking other visits, so the offer appears to have stirred at least a little bit of interest.


Princeton (NJ) Princeton running back Johnny Frasier was offered by Michigan. He’s a 5’11”, 200 lb. prospect with offers from Georgia, North Carolina, and Penn State, among others. According to the 247 Composite, he’s a 3-star, the #57 running back, and #651 overall in the class. As a sophomore in 2012, he had 229 carries for 1,792 yards and 21 touchdowns, plus 13 catches for 194 yards and 2 more scores. Frasier has decent speed and vision, but his biggest asset might be his balance; he doesn’t run over tacklers, but he bounces off and keeps moving forward.

Berea (KY) Madison Southern running back Damien Harris decommitted from Michigan. Harris had been committed to the Wolverines since summer 2013, but the poor season combined with the departure of offensive coordinator Al Borges has made him rethink some things. His mother went on the record saying that the Wolverines are still #1 on Harris’s priority list, but it’s rare that kids decommit from a school and then end up signing with that school, the stories of David Dawson and Will Campbell be damned. One school that may benefit is Ohio State, which was high on Harris’s list before he chose the Wolverines; however, Michigan was his childhood favorite, so hopefully the 247 Composite #2 running back stays true to his youth.

Cedar Hill (TX) Cedar Hill wide receiver DaMarkus Lodge was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’2″, 190 lb. prospect with offers from Auburn, Baylor, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, Texas A&M, and Texas Tech, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #3 WR, and the #52 player overall. As a junior in 2013, he had 72 receptions for 1,255 yards and 22 touchdowns. He has very good speed and runs nice routes, but he is also very likely to stay in the state of Texas.

Orange (CA) Lutheran defensive end Keisean Lucier-South was offered by Michigan. I wrote up a scouting report on him last Friday.

Stephenville (TX) Stephenville quarterback Jarrett Stidham was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’3″, 190 lb. prospect with offers from Baylor, Clemson, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Oregon, TCU, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, and Texas Tech, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #2 dual-threat QB, and #46 overall. As a junior in 2013, he completed 160/268 (60%) of his passes for 2,687 yards, 30 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions; he also ran 143 times for 975 yards (6.8 yards/attempt) and 16 touchdowns. Baylor appears to be the leader for Stidham, which would make some sense because head coach Art Briles was Stephenville’s coach before moving on to the college ranks.


Lawrenceville (GA) Central Gwinnett outside linebacker Adonis Thomas was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’4″, 215 lb. prospect with offers from Florida, Florida State, Miami, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Texas A&M, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #40 athlete, and the #376 player overall. Thomas is listed as an athlete partly because he plays receiver, but he’s too stiff to be an offensive player at the next level. He looks like a SAM linebacker who may be able to grow into a weakside end at some point. Florida and Ohio State are two teams out front right now, and Michigan struggles to pull kids out of Georgia.

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2016
Lawrenceville (GA) Central Gwinnett offensive tackle E.J. Price was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’5″, 273 lb. prospect with offers from Auburn, Florida State, Miami, Ohio State, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin, among others. Price moves very well for a kid his size and should be a left tackle prospect going forward. Price is just the third lineman to have been offered for the 2016 class, following Erik Swenson (who is committed to Michigan already) and Thiyo Lukusa.

Flower Mound (TX) Marcus tight end Kaden Smith was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’5″, 235 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Clemson, Oklahoma, and Texas Tech. As a sophomore in 2013, he had 40 receptions for 640 yards (16 yards/catch) and 8 touchdowns. It’s early, but Smith is expected to be one of the top couple prospects at his position in the 2016 class. He visited Ann Arbor last summer and appears to have more than passing interest, but the general expectation is that he will stay down south. His school is the alma mater of former Michigan running back Stephen Hopkins.


OFF THE BOARD
Houston (TX) Cypress Falls outside linebacker Otaro Alaka flipped from Texas to Texas A&M.

Manalapan (NJ) Manalapan wide receiver Saeed Blacknall flipped from Rutgers to Penn State. Blacknall was the prize recruit remaining in the Rutgers class that has seen a great deal of attrition in the last couple months, including Michigan running back offeree Jonathan Hilliman (Boston College) and Detroit Country Day quarterback Tyler Wiegers (Iowa).

Goodyear (AZ) Desert Edge outside linebacker Ismael Murphy-Richardson committed to Arizona State. He never exhibited interest in his Michigan offer.

Ventura (CA) St. Bonaventure quarterback Ricky Town decommitted from Alabama and then committed to USC shortly afterward. Town is considered to be one of the top few quarterbacks in the 2015 class, and while he does not hold a Michigan offer, he was recruited to the Crimson Tide by offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier, who now holds the same position for the Wolverines. Michigan has thrown out a few offers for 2015 quarterbacks but is yet to really ignite a ton of interest, so it’s worth watching Town and others. I would not expect Town to have serious interest in the Wolverines even if offered, but this is interesting because Elkton (MD) Eastern Christian Academy quarterback David Sills – who holds a Michigan offer – has been committed to USC for several years.

Chandler (AZ) Hamilton offensive tackle Casey Tucker committed to Stanford. Tucker was committed to USC at one time and briefly flirted with interest in playing at Michigan, but he never visited Ann Arbor.