Tag: Joe Mixon

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

Scouting Report: Joe Mixon

Oakley (CA) Freedom running back Joe Mixon (image)

Name: Joe Mixon
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 207 lbs.
High school: Oakley (CA) Freedom
Position: Running back
Class: 2014

Notes: Holds offers from Arizona, Arizona State, Arkansas, Auburn, Baylor, Boise State, California, Cincinnati, Clemson, Colorado, Florida, Florida State, Fresno State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Houston, Idaho, Louisville, Miami, Michigan, Michigan State, Mississippi, Mississippi State, Nevada, North Carolina State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon State, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, UCLA, USC, Utah, Utah State, Vanderbilt, Virginia, Washington, Washington State, West Virginia, and Wisconsin . . . As a junior in 2012, he had 1,500 yards rushing, 450 yards receiving, and 31 total touchdowns . . . As a sophomore in 2011, he had 1,134 yards and 13 touchdowns . . . Rivals 4-star, #9 running back, #82 overall . . . 247 Sports 4-star, 95 grade, #8 running back, #75 overall . . . Committed to play in the 2014 U.S. Army All-American Bowl . . . Former teammate of class of 2013 Michigan offeree Darrell Daneils, a wide receiver who signed with Washington

Strengths: Very physical runner . . . Runs feet very well through contact . . . Keeps balance well with wide base when necessary . . . Able to get low in traffic . . . Shows ability to jump cut laterally . . . Shifty runner who makes cuts going near full speed . . . Appears to be a big part of the passing game . . . Shows the ability to catch the ball out of the backfield . . . Finishes runs really well . . . Will deliver a blow to tacklers rather than waiting to get hit . . . Stays inbounds to gain extra yardage

Weaknesses: Good but not great speed . . . Likes to jump over tacklers, which may cause him to take some unnecessary damage . . . Sometimes likes to run laterally and reverse field, something that won’t work as well against better competition

Projection: Running back.  I like Mixon a lot, and he looks like he could be a very good college running back.  He’s a very physical runner with good speed, and I think he looks like he would fit best in a downhill running scheme, because he can make full speed cuts and he runs with a lot of power when he squares his shoulders.

Reminds me of: Michael Cox.  This is not a joke.  Some of Mixon’s highlights look like some of Cox’s best plays, although Mixon looks like a more polished product.

Likelihood of committing to Michigan: Mixon recently released a list of his top fifteen schools, which includes the big-time programs you might expect (Michigan, Ohio State, UCLA, USC, etc.).  Pulling big-time kids out of California will be difficult, but at least the Wolverines have made the first cut.

U.S. Army All-Combine Team: Offense

Berea (KY) Madison Southern running back Damien Harris

The U.S. Army All-Combine Team was selected by Rivals, and numerous Michigan targets are on the list.  These are underclassmen who visit San Antonio and work out without pads, but it gives us a look at recruiting for 2014, 2015, and beyond.  Players of note:

FIRST TEAM
David Cornwell – QB – Jones (OK) Jones: No offer yet, but will perhaps be Michigan’s first QB offer for 2014.
Damien Harris – RB – Berea (KY) Madison Southern: Offered, class of 2015, Michigan currently leads.
Joe Mixon – RB – Oakley (CA) Freedom: Offered, class of 2014.
L.J. Scott – RB – Marion (OH) Harding: Offered, class of 2014.
Josh Malone – WR – Gallatin (TN) Station Camp: Offered, class of 2014.
Jackson Barton – OT – Salt Lake City (UT) Brighton: Offered, class of 2014, committed to Utah.

SECOND TEAM
Kaden Smith – TE – Flower Mound (TX) Marcus: Class of 2016, alma mater of Stephen Hopkins.
Austin Hall – OG – Phoenix (AZ) Brophy Prep: Class of 2014, teammate of 2013 WR target Devon Allen.

HONORABLE MENTION
Trace McSorley – QB – Ashburn (VA) Briar Woods: Teammate of 2013 target Matt Rolin (Florida).
Matthew Domer – RB – Chicago (IL) Mt. Carmel: Attends alma mater of 2012 DT target Vontrell Williams (Illinois).
Cordell Broadus – WR – Diamond Bar (CA) Diamond Bar: Class of 2015, son of Snoop Dogg/Lion.
Kaelin Deboskie – WR – Colleyville (TX) Heritage: Class of 2014, brother of former Michigan RB target Covaughn Deboskie (Arizona/Cal).
Jalen Embry – WR – Detroit (MI) King: Class of 2014, attends alma mater of RB/CB Dennis Norfleet.
Chigozie Onyekwere – WR – Washington (DC) Friendship: Attends alma mater of former Michigan targets Yannick Ngakoue, Eddie Goldman (Florida State), and Malcolm Crockett (Pitt).
Keon Paye – WR – Olney (MD) Good Counsel: Class of 2015, attends alma mater of Blake Countess and former Michigan targets Kendall Fuller (Virginia Tech), Dorian O’Daniel (Clemson), and Stefon Diggs (Maryland).
Ryan Crozier – OC – Fort Lauderdale (FL) St. Thomas Aquinas: Class 0f 2014, teammate of 2014 WR offeree Corey Holmes, as well as 2013 DE target Joey Bosa (Ohio State).

Recruiting Update: December 10, 2012

Wide receiver Eldridge Massington

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2013
Port Saint Lucie (FL) West Centennial defensive tackle Jay-nard Bostwick was offered by Michigan.  Bostwick is a 6’4″, 280 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Miami, Notre Dame, and Oregon, among others.  As a junior in 2011, he had 74 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, and 2 sacks.  He has set an official visit for Michigan on January 18, which doesn’t leave much time for Michigan to woo him, but the fact that he’s visiting puts Michigan in solid position.

Trotwood (OH) Trotwood-Madison cornerback Reon Dawson was offered by Michigan.  Dawson is a 6’2″, 175 lb. prospect who is committed to Illinois; he has also been offered by Pitt, Purdue, Virginia, and West Virginia, among others.  Dawson is the teammate of linebacker commit Michael McCray II and visited Michigan with McCray a few weeks ago, and he seemed very open to the idea of interest from Michigan.  However, he also has a defensive end teammate named Jarrod Clements who is committed to the Illini.  Dawson has supposedly taken a leap forward since his junior year, improving his stock enough to make him a legitimate Michigan prospect.  This offer appears to be an insurance policy against Massillon (OH) Washington cornerback Gareon Conley committing elsewhere, particularly to the Buckeyes.

Detroit (MI) Cass Tech offensive tackle Dennis Finley was offered by Michigan.  Finley is a 6’6″, 285 lb. tackle prospect who is committed to Michigan State; he also holds offers from Ohio State and Wisconsin.  I was a little surprised when Ohio State swooped in with an offer, because I was not impressed with Finley’s junior highlights.  Perhaps he has improved since then, but he was really slow off the ball in 2011 and seemed like a lower echelon prospect.  It is expected that Finley will remain committed to MSU, but it’s a curious development.  Is Brady Hoke truly trying to flip Finley, is he just trying to waste Mark Dantonio’s time, or is he trying to put pressure on fellow Technician offensive lineman David Dawson to commit?

Mesquite (TX) West Mesquite wide receiver Eldridge Massington decommitted from USC.  Massington is a 6’3″, 205 lb. receiver who tore his ACL early in his senior year.  Michigan was high on his list before committing to the Trojans, but it’s unclear if the Wolverines will re-enter the fray.  It’s looking more and more like they’ll miss out on Crete (IL) Crete-Monee wideout LaQuon Treadwell, so it might not be a bad idea to push for Massington.  However, the Texas product visited Alabama last weekend and plans to enroll somewhere in January to get top-of-the-line rehab for his knee.  If anything develops with Michigan, it will have to happen quickly.  Here’s a scouting report I wrote on Massington over the summer.

Plymouth (IN) Plymouth offensive guard Dan Samuelson was offered by Michigan, despite being committed to Nebraska.  Samuelson is a 6’5″, 275 lb. prospect who also holds offers from Illinois, Pitt, and West Virginia, among others.  Samuelson has indicated that he has no plans to change his commitment.

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2014
Oakley (CA) Freedom running back Joe Mixon was offered by Michigan.  Mixon is a 6’0″, 180 lb. back with offers from Arizona State, Cal, Oregon State, and Washington, among others.  As a junior in 2012, Mixon had 182 carries for 1,354 yards and 20 touchdowns.  His running style reminds me a little bit of Alabama freshman T.J. Yeldon, although Mixon isn’t as physically developed.  He’s a very high-effort, physical runner.

OFF THE BOARD
Massillon (OH) Washington wide receiver/cornerback Gareon Conley committed to Ohio State.  Conley had previously been committed to Michigan, but that was before the Buckeyes came calling.  I do not wish him ill, nor do I wish him luck.  The only thing I regret is that I spent so much time putting together his Recruit Tracker post throughout the season.  Argh!

Arlington (TX) Martin running back Kyle Hicks flipped from Texas to TCU, which is an interesting development because Texas typically dominates in-state recruiting.  He attends the alma mater of redshirt freshman quarterback Russell Bellomy.

Dallas (TX) Kimball defensive tackle Justin Manning committed to Texas A&M.  He is one of 33 (yes, 33) players currently committed to the Aggies.

Ashburn (VA) Briar Woods linebacker Matt Rolin flipped from South Carolina to Florida.  This had been brewing for a couple weeks.  Rolin was selected for the Under Armour All-American Game, but he tore his ACL early in the year and will miss the all-star game.

Los Angeles (CA) Loyola cornerback Cameron Walker committed to Cal.  Walker knew Michigan’s coaching staff from the time when they were at San Diego State, and he was offered fairly early in the process.  But as a field corner type of prospect who’s 5’10” and 180 lbs., he probably doesn’t offer what Michigan wants at this point, which is a bigger player to man the boundary corner position.

MISCELLANEOUS
I put together a list of players who plan to visit this coming weekend.  Cameron Hunt will be playing in the state championship game this coming weekend, so he’s postponing his visit to January.