Tag: Joshua Garnett

Recruiting Update: January 30, 2012

Phoenix (AZ) Brophy Prep wide receiver Devon Allen (#85) (image via The Roundup)

ADDED TO THE BOARD (2012, 2013, 2014)
Phoenix (AZ) Brophy Prep wide receiver Devon Allen, a 2013 prospect, received a Michigan offer last week.  Allen is a 6’1″, 190 lb. wideout who claims 4.5 speed but appears not to be a huge breakaway threat.  However, he’s an excellent route runner, shifty enough to make somebody miss here or there, and a very good blocker for a wide receiver.  As a junior, he had 44 receptions for 844 yards and 17 touchdowns and 26 carries for 228 yards.  He also holds offers from Arizona (where he’s being recruited by former Michigan coach Tony Dews), Arizona State, Oregon State, Purdue, Stanford, and a few others.

Woodbridge (VA) Woodbridge defensive end Da’Shawn Hand, a 2014 prospect, was offered by Michigan.  Hand is 6’5″, 245 lbs. as a high school sophomore, so it’s likely that he grows into a defensive tackle by the time he finishes high school.  He had 84 tackles and 21 sacks during his sophomore season.

Cleveland (OH) Glenville defensive tackle Willie Henry visited Michigan’s campus this past weekend and received a Michigan offer.  He’s a 6’2″, 270 lb. athlete with offers from Hawaii, Illinois, Louisville, Pitt, and a bunch of MAC (or MAC-level) schools.  You can see in Henry’s film that he’s an athletic kid with a pretty good motor (witness him chasing down running plays on defense and sprinting downfield to throw blocks on offense).  However, he’s a little light, needs to add some strength, and really  needs to learn the fundamentals of defeating blocks.

Bealeton (VA) Liberty defensive end Wyatt Teller, a 2013 prospect, was offered by Michigan last week.  He’s a 6’5″, 250 lb. kid with offers from Penn State, Tennessee, Virginia Tech, and several other programs.  He also claims a 325 lb. bench and a 400 lb. squat, which are pretty good measurables for a high school junior.



OFF THE BOARD
Elk Grove (CA) Pleasant Grove jumbo athlete Arik Armstead committed to Oregon.  The 6’8″, 280 lb. Armstead was originally committed to USC, but his older brother Armond, who was on USC’s roster, was upset about some issues with the program.  Arik decommitted and has gone on a months long journey looking for another school.  As the season and all-star games wore on, scouts’ feelings on Arik started to wane because he insisted on a desire to play defensive end.  At his size he looks like nothing other than an offensive tackle.

Fairless Hills (PA) Pennsbury offensive tackle J.J. Denman changed his commitment from Wisconsin to Rutgers.  Denman had previously been committed to Penn State.  He’s 6’7″, 305 lbs. and extremely indecisive, apparently, which makes him potentially dangerous if you ever run into him on the street.  My advice: Don’t run into him on the street.

Scottsdale (AZ) Saguaro running back/wide receiver D.J. Foster committed to Arizona State on Friday.  As a senior in 2011, he had over 3,000 yards rushing and 60 touchdowns, including 508 yards rushing and 10 touchdowns in one playoff game.  Saguaro is the alma mater of David Spade, who was born in Michigan.

Old Tappan (NJ) Old Tappan QB/ATH Devin Fuller committed to UCLA on Sunday.  The 6’0″, 185 lb. Fuller was being recruited by Michigan to play quarterback at the beginning of the cycle, but then the Wolverines started trying to reel him in as a defensive back.  Fuller, who wants to play quarterback in college, was considered to be Rutgers lean until Scarlet Knights head coach Greg Schiano jumped ship for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  New Bruins head coach Jim Mora must have convinced Fuller he could be the next Michael Vick, despite the fact that Vick wasn’t a very good quarterback when he was with Mora’s Atlanta Falcons.

Puyallup (WA) Puyallup offensive guard Joshua Garnett committed to Stanford on Thursday.  Garnett was down to Stanford and Michigan, and lots of people thought Garnett would choose Michigan.  Unfortunately, his connections to Michigan – and especially Erik Magnuson – just weren’t quite strong enough.  Approximately 83% of voters on this here blog said Garnett would pick Michigan, so you guys are boogers.

Shaler (PA) Shaler Area tight end J.P. Holtz committed to Pitt.  He was once committed to Penn State, but . . . well . . . strange things happened there.  Holtz appeared on Michigan’s radar when Lyndhurst (OH) Brush tight end Pharaoh Brown decommitted from Michigan in favor of Oregon, but it was a fleeting romance.

Castle Rock (CO) Valor offensive guard/center Alex Kozan committed to Iowa, according to Sam Webb.  Kozan is a 6’4″, 295-pounder who could have filled the hole left by Caleb Stacey’s decommitment and played center.  Now Michigan is down to fifth year senior Rocko Khoury, redshirt freshman Jack Miller, and position changers to play center in the fall, with very little depth for 2013.

Cincinnati (OH) Moeller wide receiver Monty Madaris committed to Michigan State.  The 6’2″, 190 lb. wideout eliminated Michigan a while ago and was down to the Spartans and Cincinnati.  He had 56 receptions for 1,137 yards and 16 touchdowns as a senior.

West Roxbury (MA) Catholic Memorial cornerback Armani Reeves committed to Ohio State.  The 5’9″, 185 lb. defensive back followed his best friend, linebacker Camren Williams, in becoming a Buckeye.  The Williams family has essentially adopted Reeves, so it was difficult to see this going in any direction other than toward Columbus.

Van (TX) Van linebacker Dalton Santos changed his commitment from Tennessee to Texas.  Several months ago, I mistakenly typed “Texas” on Twitter instead of “Tennessee” and everyone was like “YOU MEAN TENNESSEE, YOU MORON!!!”  Well . . . who’s laughing now?  I was just predicting the future. Santos originally committed to Oklahoma State before flipping to Tennessee, so what I’m taking away from this is . . . he really likes the color orange.

Ramsey (NJ) Don Bosco Prep cornerback Yuri Wright committed to Colorado.  The Buffaloes seemed to be his third or fourth choice behind Michigan and Notre Dame, but his tweets about wanting to get laid got him expelled from his private school and dropped by some schools, including Michigan.

Caleb Stacey, ex-Wolverine

Cincinnati (OH) Oak Hills offensive lineman Caleb Stacey decommitted from Michigan on Saturday in favor of the Cincinnati Bearcats

Cincinnati (OH) Oak Hills offensive lineman Caleb Stacey decommitted from Michigan on Saturday and committed to the Cincinnati Bearcats.  The 6’4″, 280-pounder said that he wanted to stay closer to home.

It’s hard not to guess that Stacey’s decommitment resulted partly from Michigan’s other pursuits along the offensive line.  Stacey was Michigan’s lowest rated commit, and even though he was the only one that many pegged for center, he might have thought that the road to playing time would be a difficult one.  Because let’s be honest – no kid thinks that Cincinnati is a better football team or that his chances of making it to the NFL are better as a Bearcat.  Of course, it’s certainly possible that he’s telling the truth about distance from home, but there are likely other reasons, too.

Michigan now has 23 commits in the 2012 class, four offensive linemen, and zero kids who are likely to play center.  While this does open up the possibility that Michigan could take two higher rated offensive lineman, such as Puyallup (WA) Puyallup OG Joshua Garnett and Chicago (IL) Simeon OT Jordan Diamond, it also means Michigan is dangerously thin at the center position for the future.  Aside from two seniors (Rocko Khoury, Ricky Barnum), the only player on the time with a bead on the center position is rising redshirt freshman Jack Miller.  Unless Michigan can pull another center in during the 2012 class, the 2013 center position will consist of a redshirt sophomore Jack Miller, inexperienced position changers from guard or tackle, and any freshman from the 2013 class.

For other updates on former Wolverines and former commits, check out the Ex-Wolverine Encyclopedia.

Mailbag: How do you want the class to finish?

Stefon Diggs is the top overall player left on Michigan’s radar

I am an avid reader of your blog and also enjoy most of your comments on MGoBlog. I was hoping you could comment on your site about how you would like to see the recruiting class finish up. It is commonly believed that there are four spots left, and here’s what I’m wondering: 

RB – Being held for Dunn, unlikely to take another RB otherwise. Do you think there’s another candidate? 

OL – There are several OL still high on Michigan (Banner, Diamond, Garnett, etc.) Could you provide your rankings of those players, which you’d want to see in a M uniform the most, and any thoughts about which makes a better fit based on the rest of the roster? 

WR – Now that we have one already in the fold, of the remaining options left who would you most want to see sign with M and why? 

Other – This had hoped to be Yuri Wright, but that hasn’t developed much. Who else would you consider here? A TE? Thanks for your insight! 

AC1997

Thanks for the e-mail, AC.

Regarding running backs, I don’t think there are any other candidates right now.  Drake Johnson is a bit of an insurance policy in case Canton (OH) Glenoak’s Bri’onte Dunn doesn’t come over to the good side, but I don’t know that there’s a pressing need to find an elite running back in this class.  There’s an outside shot that Greg Garmon could come to Michigan, but I don’t foresee that coming to fruition.  Michigan has Fitzgerald Toussaint for another couple years and the coaches seem to like Thomas Rawls, who’s the heir apparent to Toussaint.  I don’t think it would kill Michigan to lose out on Dunn, but they must  get an elite running back in 2013 if that happens.

As for the offensive linemen, here are some thoughts about the linemen still high on Michigan:

1. Puyallup (WA) Puyallup OG Joshua Garnett is the most athletic and most versatile lineman on the board.  His technique isn’t quite as solid as that of Michigan commit Kyle Kalis, but Garnett is the better athlete. Garnett could play tackle as well, but putting Kalis at strongside guard and having Garnett as the pulling guard could be a seriously powerful combination.  Aside from Stefon Diggs, Garnett is probably the best player left on Michigan’s board.
2. Lakewood (WA) Lakes OT Zach Banner is a potentially dynamic offensive tackle.  He’s not the best prospect, but a 6’9″ guy with his athleticism is extremely intriguing.  His bloodlines are a positive, too (his father is former NFL offensive tackle Lincoln Kennedy).  With those long arms, Banner could be an ideal blind-side protector.  I think 2012 commit Blake Bars is a future offensive guard, so Michigan could use another tackle in this class.
3. Chicago (IL) Simeon OT Jordan Diamond is a notch down from the other two prospects, in my opinion.  He has decent size, decent athleticism, and decent technique, but he doesn’t have the All-American potential of the above two players.
4. Lakeland (FL) Lakeland OT Evan Goodman has popped up on Michigan’s radar recently.  It’s unclear whether the Wolverines have offered Goodman, although he has plenty of other good offers.  He’s currently committed to Arizona State, but the coaching uncertainty has caused him to reconsider.  I’m not a huge fan of Goodman.  He’s certainly athletic – probably the second-most athletic kid in this grouping – but he lacks a punch and is a real project.  His technique will have to be overhauled completely before he can play at the next level, and even then, I’m not sure he has the requisite aggression to be successful.

Visitors for the Ohio State Game

Shane Morris, Bri’onte Dunn, and Dymonte Thomas were in attendance for last week’s victory against Nebraska and will be in town again for the Ohio State game. (image via Twitter)

Fenton (MI) Fenton P Kenny Allen: A preferred walk-on who’s committed to Michigan.

Terre Haute (IN) North Vigo TE Calvin Blank: Blank is a 6’4″, 226 lb. prospect from the class of 2013.  He holds an offer from Toledo.

Pickerington (OH) North DE Jake Butt: Butt is a 6’6″, 220 lb. prospect from the class of 2013.  He holds offers from Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Northwestern, Purdue, and UCLA.

St. Louis (MI) Ladue Horton Watkins WR Jehu Chesson: Chesson is a 6’3″, 182-pounder who holds an offer from Michigan, along with several other BCS schools.

West Des Moines (IA) Dowling Catholic WR Amara Darboh: Darboh is a 6’2″, 180 lb. prospect who will be taking his official visit to Ann Arbor this weekend.  It has long been rumored that Darboh would probably commit to Michigan shortly after his official visit, so he’s on commitment watch.

Chicago (IL) Simeon OT Jordan Diamond: Diamond is a 6’6″, 289 lb. prospect with an impressive offer list.  His teammate Chris Bryant is a true freshman guard for the Wolverines, and Michigan held an early lead before Diamond slowed down his recruitment and visited other schools.  At this point there is no clear leader.

Canton (OH) Glenoak RB Bri’onte Dunn: Dunn is a 6’3″, 215 lb. prospect who’s current committed to Ohio State.  The potential sanctions in Columbus might be problematic for Dunn, who would fit in well in a power running offense.  The rumor mill suggests that the hiring of Urban Meyer would be a negative for Dunn, since Meyer doesn’t have much of a track record for developing backs like him.

Farmington Hills (MI) Harrison TE Devin Funchess: Funchess is committed to Michigan.

Sylvania (OH) Southview S Allen Gant: Gant is committed to Michigan.

Puyallup (WA) Puyallup OG Joshua Garnett: Garnett is a 6’5″, 275 lb. prospect with offers from all over the country.  He is friendly with Michigan commit Erik Magnuson, who has been working on Garnett to get him to Ann Arbor.

Hudson (OH) Hudson LB Ben Gedeon: Gedeon is a 6’2″, 215 lb. prospect from the class of 2013.  He holds offers from Boston College, Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State, and Tennessee.

Birmingham (MI) Seaholm OT Dan Gibbs: Gibbs is a 6’7″, 320 lb. prospect with offers from Ball State and Eastern Michigan.

Ann Arbor (MI) Pioneer RB Drake Johnson: Johnson is committed to Michigan.

Shaker Heights (OH) Shake Heights WR/TE De’Niro Laster: Laster is a 6’3″, 215 lb. prospect from the class of 2013.  He holds offers from Akron, Bowling Green, and Temple.

Carlsbad (CA) La Costa Canyon OT Erik Magnuson: Magnuson is committed to Michigan.

Warren (MI) De La Salle QB Shane Morris: Morris is committed to Michigan for the class of 2013.

Farmington Hills (MI) Harrison DE Mario Ojemudia: Ojemudia is committed to Michigan.

Austintown (OH) Fitch DE Billy Price: Price is a 6’4″, 280 lb. prospect from the class of 2013.  He holds offers from Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Tennessee, UCLA, and West Virginia, among others.

Cincinnati (OH) Oak Hills OG Caleb Stacey: Stacey is committed to Michigan.

Crete (IL) Crete-Monet CB Anthony Standifer: Standifer is committed to Michigan.

Alliance (OH) Marlington S Dymonte Thomas: Thomas is committed to Michigan for the class of 2013.

Toledo (OH) Central Catholic S Jayme Thompson: Thompson is a 6’2″, 184 lb. prospect from the class of 2013.  He holds offers from Bowling Green, Buffalo, and Temple.

Crete (IL) Crete-Monee WR LaQuon Treadwell: Treadwell is a 6’3″, 183 lb. prospect from the class of 2013.  He holds offers from Michigan and Notre Dame.

Peoria (IL) Manual OT Logan Tuley-Tillman: Tuley-Tillman is a 6’7″, 280 lb. prospect from the class of 2013.  He holds offers from Illinois and Indiana.

Tyrone (GA) Sandy Creek CB Shaq Wiggins: Wiggins is a 5’10”, 160 lb. prospect from the class of 2013.  He holds offers from Cincinnati, Ohio State, Tennessee, and Wake Forest, among others.

Cincinnati (OH) Sycamore TE A.J. Williams: Williams is committed to Michigan.

*Attendees are subject to change.

Recruiting Update: October 12, 2011



Laquon Treadwell (in red), Anthony Standifer (in black) (image via ESPN.com)

 ADDED TO THE BOARD

Castle Rock (CO) Valor Christian OG Alex Kozan was offered by Michigan this past week.  Kozan is a class of 2012 recruit, which seems to mean that the coaching staff isn’t confident about their chances with Puyallup (WA) Puyallup OG Joshua Garnett.  Garnett is clearly the superior player.  Kozan looks like an old school Michigan guard, the kind that Lloyd Carr and Gary Moeller would have loved but that Rich Rodriguez wouldn’t have touched.  He’s 6’4″, 295 lbs. and plays with a nice, wide base, but he’s a little bit stiff.  Rivals lists him as the #28 offensive tackle in the country, but he looks to me like a guard all the way.  He’s decently nasty and moves his feet pretty well, but he’s built for a team that wants to pound the ball.

Crete (IL) Crete-Monee WR Laquon Treadwell, a 2013 prospect, was offered by Michigan yesterday.  Treadwell is a 6’3″, 190 lb. receiver who is teammates with 2012 cornerback and Michigan commit Anthony Standifer.  This is Treadwell’s first offer and he has stated several times that Michigan would be his leader if they offered.  Of course, we heard that same type of comment from Chicago (IL) Simeon OL Jordan Diamond earlier this year, and Diamond has so far held off on committing to anyone and looks less and less likely to join Michigan’s class.  There’s very little video of Treadwell on the internet, so it’s tough to get a feel for where he stands as a prospect.  Crete-Monee’s competition level is fairly low when compared to some other areas that Michigan has recruited heavily, so while Treadwell has been very productive this season, his statistics should be taken with a grain of salt. 

OFF THE BOARD

Flint (MI) Powers Catholic DT Danny O’Brien committed to Tennessee.  Before Michigan offered O’Brien, Tennessee was the leader . . . and after Michigan offered, Tennessee never really took a back seat.  Michigan did seem to surpass the other schools that were recruiting him, but not the Volunteers.  O’Brien is a 6’3″, 293 lb. (or more) defensive tackle who could be a 1-tech or 3-tech on the line.  I think he’s a nose tackle all the way, but others feel he’s better suited to a position where he can penetrate.  Rumors have been swirling that Michigan’s coaches cooled on O’Brien and stopped pushing for his commitment; even before those rumors popped up, I had been hearing that he hadn’t been very impressive as a senior.  I will be surprised if this one turns out to haunt Michigan down the road.  While the Wolverines need another body on the interior to go along with Kansas City (MO) Park Hill DT Ondre Pipkins, I don’t imagine O’Brien will be terrorizing the SEC.