Tag: Malik McDowell

Recruiting Update: April 7, 2014

Asmar Bilal (left) and Darrin Kirkland, Jr. visited Michigan together back in February (image via 247 Sports)

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2015
Indianapolis (IN) Ben Davis linebacker Asmar Bilal was offered by Michigan. Bilal is a 6’3″, 201-pounder with offers from Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Virginia Tech, and Wiscinson, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #7 inside linebacker, and #224 overall. He picked up the Michigan and Notre Dame offers at the end of last week, and those two appear to be the front-runners right now, with Notre Dame perhaps holding a slight edge. Bilal visited Michigan back in late February. Despite his ranking as an inside linebacker, Bilal is a lanky prospect with some explosiveness in the mold of a Chase Winovich and other players Michigan has pursued for the SAM linebacker position in recent years.

Indianapolis (IN) Lawrence Central linebacker Darrin Kirkland, Jr. was offered by Michigan. Kirkland is a 6’2″, 228 lb. prospect with offers from Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisville, Maryland, Mississippi State, North Carolina, Ole Miss, Penn State, Purdue, Tennessee, Virginia Tech, and Wisconsin, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #6 inside linebacker, and #201 overall. Kirkland had 110 tackles and 8 sacks as a junior in 2013. He’s definitely an inside linebacker prospect who probably looks the part of a middle linebacker more than anyone since Kenny Demens. Kirkland is a vicious hitter with pretty good instincts, but lacking in elite speed. Both linebacker offers probably have something to do with last week’s commitment by Merrillville (IN) Andrean linebacker Josh Barajas to Penn State. Barajas was offered by Michigan as a MIKE, and the Wolverines were in a good position with him, so this is an “EA Sports NCAA Football” moment – the #1 guy in Indiana commits elsewhere, so Michigan extends offers to #2 and then #3.

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2016
Hartland (WI) Arrowhead offensive tackle Ben Bredeson was offered by Michigan. Bredeson is a 6’5″, 270 lb. prospect with offers from Iowa State, Tennessee, and Wisconsin. He will likely be one of the top few players in Wisconsin for 2016, perhaps the best. Bredeson is a mauler, and while he may not have the height/length to play tackle over the long run, he could also be effective as a guard. He was offered when he visited for the spring game this past weekend, but the Badgers are the presumed leader here.

OFF THE BOARD
McKinney (TX) North running back Ronald Jones II committed to Oklahoma State. Jones had not visited Michigan and was a long shot, so it’s not much of a surprise that he didn’t pick the Wolverines. However, it seemed at one time that Baylor was the likely destination, and 247’s Crystal Ball had him at 46% for Baylor,  46% for Oklahoma, and 8% for Notre Dame.

Southfield (MI) Southfield defensive end Malik McDowell finally signed his National Letter of Intent to attend Michigan State. He committed to MSU on National Signing Day, but most of us know the story: his mother disapproved of the choice because of a bad experience, so she wouldn’t sign the paper. She finally capitulated on the last day possible, which was April 1. There had been persistent rumors that Michigan might be a compromise choice between Malik and his parents, but that is obviously no longer a possibility.

MISCELLANEOUS
Here’s a list of visitors from last week and from Saturday’s spring game.

I released my final TTB Ratings for the class of 2014.

I also posted my initial TTB Ratings for the class of 2015.

Tampa (FL) Plant offensive tackle Jake Fruhmorgen will announce his college decision at 3:15 p.m. on Thursday. He visited Michigan two weekends ago, but he is likely to pick Clemson.

Over on Recruiting Season, I profiled Desmond Fitzpatrick, Daelin Hayes, Michael Oliver, Abdallah Jaffal, and Ray Buford.

Who’s left in the 2014 recruiting class?

The Southfield trio of Ray Buford, Lawrence Marshall, and Malik McDowell

This is that crazy (and awkward) time of year when high school seniors get grown men’s hearts pumping. There will probably be little fanfare for Michigan on National Signing Day, which is on Wednesday. The thought is that Michigan is trying to get defensive end Malik McDowell, and they’ll bank the scholarship for next year if that doesn’t work. So the guys on this list won’t be picking Michigan, but I’ll still be interested to see how they pan out over the next several years.

Lorenzo Carter – DE – Norcross (GA) Norcross: The #18 player nationally, according to the 247 Composite, is leaning toward Georgia with the Bulldogs receiving the final official visit. Unless something crazy happens, I think he ends up a Bulldog.

Malachi Dupre – WR – New Orleans (LA) John Curtis: One spot ahead of Carter in the national rankings, Dupre has had LSU as his leader for a long time. UCLA received the final visit of his recruitment, but the thought is that he will end up in Baton Rouge playing for the Mad Hatter.

Adoree’ Jackson – CB – Gardena (CA) Junipero Serra: The #7 player in the land appears to be leaning toward Florida, where he might be able to best pursue dreams of doing the triple jump in the Olympics. USC is the likely second option.


Roderick Johnson – OT – Florissant (MO) Hazelwood Central: The #125 player has been expected to end up at Florida State for a long time, but Ohio State got a visit a couple weeks ago. It would be quite an upset if Johnson committed to the Buckeyes, who may lose offensive lineman Jamarco Jones to Michigan State.

Malik McDowell – DE – Southfield (MI) Southfield: The #32 overall player was a Michigan lean early, but now it seems like he’s favoring Michigan State. An uncle wants him to go to Florida State, and Urban Meyer really, really wants him in Columbus. Nobody really knows where he’ll pick to go, but chances are dimming for the Wolverines. I think it’s a Michigan-MSU battle because either the kid or the parents should win out.

Mattrell McGraw – S – New Orleans (LA) John Curtis: A teammate of Dupre’s, the #362 player overall has been rumored to be heading to Oregon for a while. Texas A&M also has a chance.

Steven Parker – S – Jenks (OK) Jenks: The #108 player nationally has been a supposed Oklahoma lock for a long time, despite taking several other visits and expressing interest in others. His final official visit took place this past weekend when he traveled to Auburn.

Damian Prince – OT – District Heights (MD) Bishop McNamara: Prince, a 5-star and the #27 overall player, was thought to be headed to Florida State for a while. However, the Seminoles have fallen off his list, and now it appears to be a two-horse race between Florida and Maryland. His best friend, Jalen Tabor, flipped from Arizona to Florida at the beginning of January, and that may be the push he needs to end up in Gainesville.

Lamont Simmons – CB – Jacksonville (FL) Raines: Simmons is the #970 player overall, but he has an excellent offer list and has taken visits to Auburn, Arkansas, USC, and Penn State over the past two months, with a visit to State College this past weekend. Despite getting the most recent visit, the Trojans will likely get his NLI.

Braden Smith – OG – Olathe (KS) North: Smith is the #63 player overall, and I think he should probably be ranked even higher. Smith doesn’t like to talk about recruiting, so he’s been difficult to read throughout the process. He visited Michigan last summer and removed the Wolverines from his list immediately. Now the thought is that he’ll end up at TCU, which is a somewhat odd choice for such a highly touted recruit. Auburn and Texas A&M also have a shot.

John Smith – S – Long Beach (CA) Poly: The #20 player in the country was looking around when Lane Kiffin was the head coach at USC, despite the fact that he appeared to want to wear a Trojans uniform all along. After Kiffin got fired, USC immediately jumped to the top of his list, according to recruiting gurus. It would be a surprise if he picked Notre Dame, Oregon, or UCLA.

Solomon Thomas – DE – Coppell (TX) Coppell: The country’s #25 prospect, Thomas has kind of been all over the place throughout the recruiting process, seeming at times to be headed to Ohio State and Texas. Now he seems likely to end up at Stanford with UCLA having an outside shot.


Denzel Ward – OT – Chicago (IL) Simeon: The #649 player nationally has been all over the place with his recruitment. He has been committed to both Michigan and Purdue, and he moved from Illinois to Florida to a different school in Illinois. The most recent buzz I heard had him likely committing to Syracuse, but he has also visited South Florida and Vanderbilt in recent weeks. I think the coaching change at Vandy will keep him away from Tennessee, so it’s the Orangemen vs. the Bulls.


Andrew Williams – DE – McDonough (GA) Eagle’s Landing Christian: Williams, the #231 player in the country, has long been considered an Auburn lock, but he has taken visits to Clemson and Georgia in recent weeks. I think it’s either Auburn or Georgia.


Richard Yeargin III – DE – Fort Lauderdale (FL) University School: The country’s #266 player decommitted from Notre Dame a couple weeks ago, and it was clearly because he was favoring Clemson. Texas offered him a week ago, but he has not visited Austin, so he’ll likely be picking the Tigers.


Kenny Young – LB – New Orleans (FL) John Curtis: Ranked #175 nationally, it looks like Young will probably pick UCLA over LSU and Texas A&M. With teammates Dupre and McGraw also making late decisions, it should be an interesting week at Curtis.

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

Scouting Report: Malik McDowell

Southfield (MI) Southfield defensive linemen Lawrence Marshall and Malik McDowell, left to right

Name: Malik McDowell
Height: 6’7″
Weight: 285 lbs.
High school: Southfield (MI) Southfield
Position: Defensive end
Class: 2014

Notes: Holds offers from Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Indiana, LSU, Michigan, Michigan State, Mississippi State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State, Stanford, Syracuse, USC, and Wisconsin . . . ESPN 4-star, 84 grade, #4 DT, #68 overall . . . Rivals 4-star, #4 SDE, #33 overall . . . Scout 4-star, #7 DE . . . 247 Sports 4-star, 97 grade, #3 SDE, #42 overall . . . Will play in U.S. Army All-American Bowl . . . As a senior in 2013, had 89 tackles, 7 sacks, and 3 forced fumbles . . . Transferred from Detroit (MI) Loyola prior to senior season . . . Teammates with 2014 Michigan DE commit Lawrence Marshall

Strengths: Very quick first step for a big man . . . Long body and fairly lean despite being 285 lbs. . . . Good wingspan . . . Can lock out offensive linemen . . . Good top-end speed . . . Quick enough to play on edge and keep mildly athletic quarterbacks in pocket . . . Violent hitter . . . Ferocious tackler who fights to bring down ball carriers . . . Does a good job of rolling hips through contact . . . Makes more hustle plays than many big men

Weaknesses: Lacks consistent technique . . . Stands up too high at times, letting blockers into his chest . . . Tends to play patty cake at times . . . Sometimes gets caught up in the trash . . . Needs to use his hands better to shed blockers

Projection: Defensive tackle. McDowell is long and lean now, but I think his body will develop into a defensive tackle’s at a little over 300 lbs. I don’t see him as a 350 lb., space-eating defensive tackle, but a quicker, 3-tech type of player. He might play end early in his career but will probably grow out of that role. From what little I saw of McDowell at Loyola before his senior season, I really thought I was going to be underwhelmed by McDowell’s senior highlights. At Loyola he didn’t show much of a motor and stood up way too high on a consistent basis. However, those highlights weren’t very extensive, and he seems to have improved significantly in the last year. It’s rare that 6’7″ defensive tackles even exist in the world, but there are the rare cases like the 6’6″ Ra’Shede Hageman from Minnesota.

Reminds me of: Kris Jenkins

Likelihood of committing to Michigan: The majority of recruiting gurus peg McDowell for Michigan, but things have grown murkier as time has gone along. Michigan was the early favorite, and now it seems places like Michigan State, Florida, Alabama, Florida State, and USC might be creeping up. Michigan fans have grown pessimistic in recent years because of several recruits stringing Michigan along throughout the process (LaQuon Treadwell, Jordan Diamond, etc.), but the Wolverines are still the favorite.

Highlights: Highlights can be found on Hudl.

Visitors: Michigan vs. Ohio State

Joshua Alabi – DT – Detroit (MI) Cass Tech: Alabi is a 6’5″, 270 lb. prospect with offers from Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Tennessee, and others. The Volunteers appear to be the early favorite. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, #29 OT, and #270 overall. UPDATE: Alabi will be headed to MSU instead.


Jason Alessi – S – Birmingham (MI) Brother Rice: Alessi is a 6’0″, 170 lb. prospect for 2014 with offers from Air Force, Akron, Harvard, and Yale. He’s committed to Michigan as a lacrosse player but was recently offered a preferred walk-on spot with the Wolverines. (Highlights.)

Trevon Avery – CB – Grand Blanc (MI) Grand Blanc: Avery is a 6’1″, 165 lb. prospect for 2015 with no offers at this time. He’s a 3-star quarterback to Scout. He’s also the younger brother of Michigan senior defensive back Courtney Avery.

Jerome Baker – LB – Cleveland (OH) St. Benedictine: Baker is a 6’1″, 205 lb. prospect for 2015 with offers from Florida, Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska, Ohio State, and Tennessee, among others. He recently declared Ohio State his clear #1, and it would be a huge surprise if he went anywhere else. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, #6 ATH, and #66 overall. (Highlights.)

Kei Beckham – CB – Trotwood (OH) Trotwood-Madison: Beckham is a 6’0″, 155 lb. prospect for 2015 with offers from Cincinnati, Illinois, and Kentucky, among others. He’s a former teammate of Michigan freshman defensive back Reon Dawson and linebacker Mike McCray. (Highlights.)

Ian Bunting – TE – Hinsdale (IL) Central: Bunting committed to Michigan in April.

George Campbell – WR – Tarpon Springs (FL) East Lake: Campbell committed to Michigan in August.


Freddy Canteen – WR – Elkton (MD) Eastern Christian Academy: Canteen committed to Michigan in June.


Stefan Claiborne – WR – Clinton Township (MI) Chippewa Valley: Claiborne is a 6’1″, 168 lb. prospect for 2016 with no offers at this time. He also visited Ann Arbor a couple weeks ago for the Nebraska game. (Highlights.)


Brian Cole – WR – Saginaw (MI) Heritage: Cole is a 6’2″, 190 lb. prospect for 2015 with offers from Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, and Tennessee, among others. Rumors keep swirling about him going back and forth between favoring Michigan and MSU, so it’s anybody’s guess right now. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, #5 ATH, and #58 overall. (Highlights.)


Mason Cole – OG – Tarpon Springs (FL) East Lake: Cole committed to Michigan back in February.

C.J. Conrad – TE – La Grange (OH) Keystone: Conrad is a 6’5″, 225 lb. prospect for 2015 with offers from Duke, Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, #8 TE, and #228 overall. As a junior in 2013, he had 59 receptions for 924 yards and 14 touchdowns. (Highlights.)


Jashon Cornell – DE – St. Paul (MN) Cretin-Derham Hall: Cornell is a 6’4″, 245 lb. prospect for 2015 with offers from just about everywhere. He’s a 247 Composite 5-star, #1 WDE, and #15 overall. So far he’s the only weakside end Michigan has offered in the class of 2015, and that appears to be purposeful as Michigan pursues him as their #1 guy. Cretin Derham is known for sending guys to Notre Dame, but they’ve had a number of elite recruits in recent years (Michael Floyd, James Onwualu, Seantrel Henderson) so it’s worth keeping up a good relationship. (Highlights.)


Shaun Crawford – CB – Lakewood (OH) St. Edward: Crawford committed to Michigan in August. UPDATE: Crawford can no longer attend the game.


Andrew David – K – Massillon (OH) Washington: David committed to Michigan in June.


Messiah DeWeaver – QB – Trotwood (OH) Trotwood-Madison: DeWeaver is a 6’2″, 180 lb. prospect for 2016 with an offer from Louisville. He has visited Michigan several times and camped in Ann Arbor this past June. He attends the alma mater of current Michigan linebacker Michael McCray. (Highlights.)


David Edwards – QB – Downers Grove (IL) North: Edwards is a 6’6″, 225 lb. prospect for 2015 with offers from Illinois, Indiana, Syracuse, and Vanderbilt. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, #42 ATH, and #348 overall. Michigan is looking at him partially as a quarterback, but he also might be a tight end, and I think that’s the position where Edwards would be more likely to find a slot from Michigan, in my opinion. (Highlights.)


Brendan Ferns – LB – St. Clairsville (OH) St. Clairsville: Ferns is a 6’3″, 208 lb. prospect for 2016 with no offers at this time. He’s the younger brother of 2014 Michigan linebacker commit Michael Ferns.

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


Jimmy Fitzgerald – QB – Champaign (IL) Centennial: Fitzgerald is a 6’3″, 205 lb. prospect for 2015 with a lone FBS offer from Illinois. As a sophomore in 2012, he completed 96/195 passes for 1,300 yards, 14 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, #26 pro-style QB, and #529 overall. Fitzgerald is one of the handful of quarterbacks that have been in touch with Michigan’s coaching staff.


Desmond Fitzpatrick – WR – Farmington (MI) Farmington: Fitzpatrick is a 6’0″, 170 lb. prospect for 2016 with offers from Indiana, Ohio, and Toledo. He has visited Michigan a couple times this season and also camped in Ann Arbor last June. (Highlights.)

Zach Gentry – QB – Albuquerque (NM) Eldorado: Gentry is a 6’6″, 215 lb. prospect for 2015 with offers from Louisville, New Mexico, New Mexico State, and San Diego State.

Lawrence Gordon – DE – Saginaw (MI) Arthur Hill: Gordon is a 6’5″, 230 lb. prospect for 2016 with no offers at this time. He has visited Michigan a couple times and appears to be one of the top few in-state prospects for his class.

Dele Harding – LB – Elkton (MD) Eastern Christian Academy: Harding is a 6’1″, 218 lb. prospect for 2016 with offers from UMass, Tennessee, and USC. He’s a teammate of 2014 Michigan commits Freddy Canteen and Brandon Watson. He visited Ann Arbor with his teammates back in July and genuinely seemed interested in Michigan at the time those two committed, partly because Michigan’s coaches intimated to him that he would be offered down the road but felt it was too early to offer many 2016 guys.


Damien Harris – RB – Berea (KY) Madison Southern: Harris committed to Michigan in August. He is having an outstanding junior season and was recently ranked the #17 overall prospect in his class by ESPN.


Drake Harris – WR – Grand Rapids (MI) Christian: Harris committed to Michigan in April. He did not play during his senior season due to a serious hamstring injury suffered in the preseason.

Daelin Hayes – LB – Orchard Lake (MI) St. Mary’s: Hayes is a 6’2″, 210 lb. prospect for 2016 with no offers at this time. The younger brother of Michigan redshirt sophomore running back Justice Hayes, Daelin has visited Penn State and Notre Dame in recent weeks and appears enamored with those squads. The fact that his brother is mostly buried on the depth chart probably does not help.

Lavert Hill – CB – Detroit (MI) Cass Tech: Hill is a 5’11”, 165 lb. prospect for 2016 with no offers at this time. He’s the younger brother of Michigan freshman safety Delano Hill. He has visited Michigan for most home games this year.


Justin Hilliard – LB – Cincinnati (OH) St. Xavier: Hilliard is a 6’2″, 225 lb. prospect for 2015 with offers from Alabama, Iowa, Michigan, Notre Dame, and Ohio State, among others. His brother C.J. Hilliard is a 2014 commit to the Hawkeyes. I did a scouting report on Hilliard a couple weeks ago.


Elijah Holyfield – RB – Atlanta (GA) Woodward Academy: Holyfield is a 5’11”, 190 lb. prospect for 2016 with a lone offer from Boston College. As a freshman in 2012, he had 66 carries for 645 yards and 10 touchdowns. He’s the son of famed boxer Evander Holyfield. (Highlights.) UPDATE: Holyfield no longer plans to attend.


Joshua Jackson – WR – Saline (MI) Saline: Jackson is a 6’1″, 180 lb. prospect for 2016 with no offers at this time. He’s the younger brother of Michigan senior wideout Jeremy Jackson and the son of running backs coach Fred Jackson.


Sterling Jenkins – OT – Pittsburgh (PA) Baldwin: Jenkins is a 6’8″, 305 lb. prospect for 2015. I did a scouting report on him a few weeks ago.


Nick Johns – QB – Washington (DC) Gonzaga: Johns is a 6’3″, 215 lb. prospect for 2015 with an offer from Virginia. He’s another on the short list of quarterbacks Michigan has been in contact with for the upcoming recruiting cycle. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, #30 pro-style QB, and #575 overall. (Highlights.)


Tyree Kinnel – S – Huber Heights (OH) Wayne: Kinnel committed to Michigan in August.


Darrin Kirkland, Jr. – LB – Indianapolis (IN) Lawrence Central: Kirkland is a 6’2″, 215 lb. prospect for 2015 with offers from Illinois, Indiana, Louisville, Northwestern, and Virginia Tech, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, #9 ILB, and #245 overall. He also visited for the Nebraska game. (Highlights.)


Thiyo Lukusa – OT – Traverse City (MI) West: Lukusa is a 6’5″, 300 lb. prospect for 2016 with an offer from Michigan State. He has visited Michigan a couple times this season and also camped in Ann Arbor in June. (Highlights.) UPDATE: Lukusa is no longer planning to attend.

Kendric Mallory – WR – Trotwood (OH) Trotwood-Madison: Mallory is a 6’2″, 175 lb. prospect for 2014 with an offer from Illinois. He’s also the former teammate of Reon Dawson and Mike McCray.

Corey Malone-Hatcher – DE – St. Joseph (MI) St. Joseph: Malone-Hatcher is a 6’3″, 205 lb. prospect for 2017 with no offers at this time.

Alex Malzone – QB – Birmingham (MI) Brother Rice: Malzone is a 6’2″, 185 lb. prospect for 2015 with an offer from Bowling Green. He’s perhaps Michigan’s top in-state quarterback target for the class, but likely a second-level option if other national targets don’t pan out. (Highlights.)


Lawrence Marshall – DE – Southfield (MI) Southfield: Marshall committed to Michigan in May. Earlier in the spring, he had been committed to Ohio State.


Jalen Martin – WR – Harper Woods (MI) Chandler Park Academy: Martin is a 6’2″, 180 lb. prospect for 2016 with a lone offer from Eastern Michigan. He attends the alma mater of Michigan freshman wide receiver Csont’e York.


Ostell Martin – OT – Detroit (MI) Cass Tech: Martin is a 6’5″, 315 lb. prospect for 2016 with no offers at this time. He visited Michigan’s campus a couple times back in the spring.


Malik McDowell – DE – Southfield (MI) Southfield: McDowell is a 6’7″, 290 lb. prospect for 2014 with offers from all over the country. He has alternately been rumored to be a Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, and USC lean, but the current vibe is that Michigan would be the choice if he picked today.


Tanner Muse – LB – Belmont (NC) South Point: Muse is a 6’3″, 207 lb. prospect for 2015 with offers from Clemson, Michigan, North Carolina, and North Carolina State, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, #17 safety, and #297 overall, although I believe he’ll be a linebacker in college. UPDATE: Muse no longer plans to attend.


Michael Onwenu – DT – Detroit (MI) Cass Tech: Onwenu is a 6’2″, 310 lb. prospect for 2016 with no offers at this time.

Brady Pallante – DT – Naples (FL) Barron Collier: Pallante committed to Michigan in April as a greyshirt and became a full scholarship member of the 2014 class earlier this week.

Jacques Patrick – RB – Orlando (FL) Timber Creek: Patrick is a 6’1″, 210 lb. prospect for 2015 with offers from Alabama, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Miami, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, USC, Wisconsin, and numerous others. He claims a 4.51 forty and is a 247 Composite 4-star, #7 RB, and #82 overall. As a sophomore in 2012, he had 231 carries for 2,032 yards and 29 touchdowns. It will likely be an in-state battle for his services, but he was excited about his Michigan offer and has a cousin coaching at Detroit King. (Highlights.) UPDATE: Patrick can no longer attend the game.

Donovan Peoples-Jones – WR – Detroit (MI) Cass Tech: Peoples-Jones is a 6’1″, 170 lb. prospect for 2017 with no offers at this time.

Jabrill Peppers – CB – Paramus (NJ) Catholic: Peppers committed to Michigan in May. He’s in the midst of an outstanding senior season and was named 247 Sports’ #3 overall player. UPDATE: Peppers’ playoff practice schedule will prevent him from visiting this weekend.


Martell Pettaway – RB – St. Clair Shores (MI) South Lake: Pettaway is a 5’9″, 185 lb. prospect for 2016 with no offers at this time. He has visited Michigan several times early in the process. (Highlights.)


Giovanni Rescigno – QB – Warren (MI) De La Salle: Rescigno is a 6’4″, 210 lb. prospect for 2014. He has no scholarship offers but was recently offered a preferred walk-on spot with the Wolverines. He has visited several times and is the teammate of 2014 Michigan commit Jared Wangler and best friends with freshman QB Shane Morris.


Darian Roseboro – DE – Lincolnton (NC) Lincolnton: Roseboro is a 6’4″, 265 lb. prospect for 2015 with offers from Auburn, Clemson, Michigan, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Ohio State, and Tennessee, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, #7 SDE, and #97 overall. UPDATE: Roseboro can no longer attend the game.

Joshua Ross – LB – Orchard Lake (MI) St. Mary’s: Ross is a 6’2″, 190 lb. prospect for 2017 with offers from Oklahoma and Michigan State. He’s the younger brother of Michigan sophomore linebacker James Ross.


Tommy Roush – OG – Traverse City (MI) West: Roush is a 6’3″, 270 lb. prospect for 2016 with no offers at this time. He camped at Michigan back in June and also visited for a game earlier this season.


Prince Sammons – DE – Cincinnati (OH) Hills Christian Academy: Sammons is a 6’8″, 260 lb. prospect for 2016 with an offer from Cincinnati.

Wilton Speight – QB – Richmond (VA) Collegiate: Speight committed to Michigan in February. He recently completed a solid season.


Erik Swenson – OT – Downers Grove (IL) South: Swenson is a 6’7″, 285 lb. prospect for 2016 with offers from Illinois, Michigan, Notre Dame, and Ohio State, among others. He has long declared Michigan his leader. (Highlights.)


Demetric Vance – WR – Detroit (MI) Cass Tech: Vance is a 6’1″, 170 lb. prospect for 2016 with no offers at this time. He has garnered some hype for being perhaps the best wide receiver prospect out of Cass Tech in a while, but he still has a couple years to develop.

Jared Wangler – LB – Warren (MI) De La Salle: Wangler committed to Michigan in August.


Brandon Watson – CB – Elkton (MD) Eastern Christian Academy: Watson committed to Michigan in June.

Maurice Ways – WR – Detroit (MI) Country Day: Ways committed to Michigan in April. Here’s a look at how his senior season went.

Mike Weber – RB – Detroit (MI) Cass Tech: Weber is a 5’10”, 195 lb. prospect for 2015 with offers from Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska, Ohio State, and Tennessee. Michigan was the early favorite, but he seems to be leaning toward MSU after fellow 2015 running back Damien Harris committed to Michigan a few months ago. (Highlights.) UPDATE: Weber is no longer able to attend the game.


Tyrone Wheatley, Jr. – TE – Manlius (NY) Canisius: Wheatley is a 6’6″, 235 lb. prospect for 2016 with offers from Alabama, Michigan, Penn State, and others. He’s the son of Tyrone Wheatley, a former Michigan and NFL running back who is the current running backs coach for the Buffalo Bills. The presumed favorite is the Wolverines.


Jhonny Williams – DE – Berrien Springs (MI) Berrien Springs: Williams is a 6’6″, 237 lb. prospect for 2014 who is committed to Missouri. He has also received a Notre Dame offer, and while Michigan’s offer is intriguing, it seems that his choice will come down to Mizzou or the Fighting Irish. (Highlights.) UPDATE: Williams will not be in attendance, and he changed his commitment to the Fighting Irish.

Mykelti Williams – S – Indianapolis (IN) Warren Central: Williams is a 6’0″, 195 lb. prospect for 2015 with offers from Akron, Indiana, and Ole Miss. He claims a 4.5 forty and is a 247 Composite 3-star, #35 safety, and #565 overall. (Highlights.)

Reagan Williams – LB – Jackson (OH) Jackson: Williams is a 6’3″, 232 lb. prospect for 2015 with offers from Kent State and Ohio. As a sophomore in 2012, he had 94 tackles, 8 tackles for loss, and 4 sacks. (Highlights.)


Khari Willis – RB – Jackson (MI) Lumen Christi: Willis is a 6’0″, 187 lb. prospect for 2015 with no offers at this time. (Highlights.)


Chase Winovich – LB – Clairton (PA) Thomas Jefferson: Winovich committed to Michigan in June. He just completed an impressive senior season of playing quarterback and linebacker.