Initial ESPN 150 Released for 2013

Tag: Mike McCray


17Apr 2012
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Initial ESPN 150 Released for 2013

Massillon (OH) Washington cornerback Gareon Conley surprised many by being ranked #63

ESPN released its top 150 players on Tuesday.  Here’s a list of all the Michigan offerees that made the cut:

– Shane Morris starts at #37
– Gareon Conley starts at #63
– Mike McCray starts at #75
– David Dawson starts at #92
– Logan Tuley-Tillman starts at #97
– Dymonte Thomas starts at #98
– Chris Fox starts at #105
– Jourdan Lewis starts at #107
– Kyle Bosch starts at #112
– Taco Charlton starts at #115
– Patrick Kugler starts at #121

3. Laremy Tunsil – OT – Florida
4. Vernon Hargreaves III – CB – Florida
12. Eli Woodard – CB – New Jersey (Ohio State)
14. Montravius Adams – DT – Georgia
15. Su’a Cravens – S – California
21. Cameron Burrows – CB – Ohio (Ohio State)
23. Robert Foster – WR – Pennsylvania
27. Kendall Fuller – CB – Maryland
34. Leon McQuay III – S – Florida
36. Keith Ford – RB – Texas (Oklahoma)

37. Shane Morris – QB – Michigan (Michigan)

39. Adam Breneman – TE – Pennsylvania (Penn State)
41. Joey Bosa – DE – Florida
42. LaQuon Treadwell – WR – Illinois
46. Jaylon Smith – LB – Indiana
52. Darrell Daniels – WR – California
56. Eddi Vanderdoes – DT – California
57. Michael Hutchings – LB – California
59. James Quick – WR – Kentucky
62. Priest Willis – S – Arizona

63. Gareon Conley – CB – Ohio (Michigan)

68. Ty Isaac – RB – Illinois
69. Chris Hawkins – CB – California (USC)
72. Ethan Pocic – OT – Illinois
73. Dorian O’Daniel – LB – Maryland (Clemson)
74. Demorea Stringfellow – WR – California

75. Mike McCray – LB – Ohio (Michigan)

77. Kevin Olsen – QB – New Jersey
78. Jake Raulerson – OT – Texas (Texas)
82. Jonathan Allen – DE – Virginia
83. Derrick Green – RB – Virginia
85. Justin Manning – DT – Texas
86. Shaq Wiggins – CB – Georgia (Georgia)
88. Elijah Daniel – DE – Indiana
91. Colin McGovern – OT – Illinois (Notre Dame)

92. David Dawson – OG – Michigan (Michigan)

95. Hunter Bivin – OT – Kentucky (Notre Dame)

97. Logan Tuley-Tillman – OT – Illinois (Michigan)
98. Dymonte Thomas – S – Ohio (Michigan)

104. Matt Rolin – LB – Virginia

105. Chris Fox – OT – Colorado (Michigan)
107. Jourdan Lewis – CB – Michigan (Michigan)
112. Kyle Bosch – OG – Illinois (Michigan)
115. Taco Charlton – DE – Ohio (Michigan)

119. Tashawn Bower – DE – New Jersey
120. Joe Mathis – DE – California

121. Patrick Kugler – C – Pennsylvania (Michigan)

123. Greg Webb – DT – New Jersey (Penn State)
130. Marquez North – WR – North Carolina
131. Standish Dobard – TE – Louisiana (Miami)
142. Evan Lisle – OT – Ohio (Ohio State)
145. Alquadin Muhammad – DE – New Jersey
147. Antwuan Davis – CB – Texas
149. Sebastian Larue – WR – California

10Apr 2012
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Initial Tom Lemming Top 100 released for 2013

Shane Morris is Tom Lemming’s top-rated Michigan commit

The Tom Lemming Top 100 for 2013 was released today, and six Michigan commitments can be found on the list.  Here are those six, along with Michigan’s other offerees on the list:

5. Su’a Cravens – S – California
7. Laremy Tunsil – OT – Florida
8. Ty Isaac – RB – Illinois
13. Adam Breneman – TE – Pennsylvania (Penn State)
15. Robert Foster – WR – Pennsylvania
18. Marquez North – WR – North Carolina
22. E.J. Levenberry – LB – Virginia
23. Shane Morris – QB – Michigan (Michigan)
25. Henry Poggi – DT – Maryland
26. Tray Matthews – S – Georgia (Georgia)
28. Leon McQuay III – S – Florida
29. Vernon Hargreaves – CB – Florida
30. Laquon Treadwell – WR – Illinois
33. Peter Kalambayi – LB – North Carolina
35. Jaylon Smith – LB – Indiana
36. Jonathan Allen – DE – Virginia
38. Montravius Adams – DT – Georgia
40. Cam Burrows – CB – Ohio (Ohio State)
42. Kendall Fuller – CB – Maryland
43. Derrick Green – RB – Virginia
44. James Quick – WR – Kentucky
48. Ethan Pocic – OT – Illinois
50. Logan Tuley-Tillman – OT – Illinois (Michigan)
54. Jake Raulerson – OT – Texas (Texas)
57. Elijah Daniel – DE – Indiana
63. Mike McCray – LB – Ohio (Michigan)
67. Joey Bosa – DE – Florida
69. Priest Willis – CB – Arizona
74. Steve Elmer – OT – Michigan (Notre Dame)
75. Colin McGovern – OT – Illinois (Notre Dame)
78. David Dawson – OG – Michigan (Michigan)
83. Rod Crayton – DT – Alabama
87. Chris Fox – OT – Colorado (Michigan)
89. Kyle Bosch – OG – Illinois (Michigan)
95. Uriah LeMay – WR – North Carolina

7Mar 2012
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Initial Scout 300 Released for 2013

Patrick Kugler is Michigan’s top-rated 2013 recruit, according to Scout

The initial Scout 300 was released on Wednesday.  Twelve of Michigan’s current commits appear on the list, with three of them nabbing 5-star ratings.  A total of 84 (or 28% of them) have been on the receiving end of Michigan offers. Here you’ll find the Michigan commits (highlighted in blue) along with the rest of the 2013 offerees:

5-stars:
3. Robert Foster – WR – Pennsylvania
4. Laremy Tunsil – OT – Florida
6. Vernon Hargreaves III – CB – Florida
9. Su’a Cravens – S – California
11. Montravius Adams – DT – Georgia
13. Ty Isaac – RB – Illinois
14. Keith Ford – RB – Texas (Oklahoma)
15. Eddie Vanderdoes – DT – California
16. Jaylon Smith – LB – Indiana
17. Justin Davis – RB – California
21. Justin Manning – DT – Texas
22. Adam Breneman – TE – Pennsylvania
24. Joey Bosa – DE – Florida
25. Patrick Kugler – OG – Pennsylvania (Michigan)
26. James Quick – WR – Kentucky
27. Michael Hutchings – LB – California
28. Shane Morris – QB – Michigan (Michigan)
31. Kendall Fuller – CB – Maryland
33. Priest Willis – S – Arizona
35. Dymonte Thomas – S – Ohio (Michigan)

4-stars:
37. Jason Hatcher – DE – Kentucky
39. Darrell Daniels – WR – California
40. Elijah Daniel – DE – Indiana
42. Jake Raulerson – OT – Texas (Texas)
47. Sebastian LaRue – WR – California
49. Kyle Bosch – OT – Illinois (Michigan)
50. John Montelus – OG – Massachusetts
53. Jake Oliver – WR – Texas (Texas)
57. Ethan Pocic – OT – Illinois
58. DeVeon Smith – RB – Ohio
68. Evan Lisle – OT – Ohio (Ohio State)
73. Marquez North – WR – North Carolina
74. Cam Burrows – CB – Ohio (Ohio State)
76. Laquon Treadwell – WR – Illinois
77. Greg Webb – DT – New Jersey
79. Standish Dobard – TE – Louisiana
80. E.J. Levenberry – LB – Virginia
82. Colin McGovern – OT – Illinois
86. Alquadin Muhammad – OLB – New Jersey
90. Eli Woodard – CB – New Jersey (Ohio State)
92. Chris Hawkins – CB – California
93. Peter Kalambayi – LB – North Carolina
94. Joe Mathis – DE – California
96. Leon McQuay – S – Florida
99. Steve Elmer – OT – Michigan (Notre Dame)
102. Jonathan Allen – DE – Virginia
104. Tray Matthews – S – Georgia (Georgia)
110. Michael Hill – DT – South Carolina
111. Billy Price – DT – Ohio (Ohio State)
113. Cole Luke – CB – Arizona
116. Kyle Hicks – RB – Texas (Texas)
118. Kevin Olsen – QB – New Jersey
124. Derrick Green – RB – Virginia
131. Devon Allen – WR – Arizona
132. Larenz Bryant – LB – North Carolina
134. Henry Poggi – DT – Maryland
136. Rob Wheelwright – WR – Ohio
137. Chris Fox – OG – Colorado (Michigan)
141. Shaq Wiggins – CB – Georgia (Georgia)
142. Tashawn Bower – DE – New Jersey
144. Elijah Qualls – DT – California
147. Jake Butt – TE – Ohio (Michigan)
149. Alex Anzalone – LB – Pennsylvania
152. Dorian O’Daniel – LB – Maryland
153. Logan Tuley-Tillman – OT – Illinois (Michigan)
159. Ben Gedeon – LB – Ohio
167. Hunter Bivin – OT – Kentucky
171. Ishmael Thomas – OG – Texas (Texas A&M)
173. Ryan White – CB – Kentucky (Louisville)
177. Eldridge Massington – WR – Texas
179. Wyatt Shallman – FB – Michigan (Michigan)
182. J.J. Gustafson – OT – Texas (Texas A&M)
193. Chase Abbington – OLB – Missouri (Missouri)
202. Mike McCray – OLB – Ohio (Michigan)
204. Christian Lacouture – DT – Texas
208. Darius Latham – DT – Indiana
223. Mike McGlinchey – OT – Pennsylvania
227. Gareon Conley – CB – Ohio
230. Matt Rolin – LB – Virginia

3-stars:
251. Jourdan Lewis – CB – Michigan (Michigan)
258. James Onwualu – WR – Minnesota
264. David Dawson – OG – Michigan (Michigan)
265. Marcell Ateman – WR – Texas
267. Cameron Walker – CB – California
283. Demorea Stringfellow – WR – California
287. Jaron Dukes – WR – Ohio (Michigan)
294. Tim Harris – CB – Virginia
300. Josh Augusta – TE – Illinois

6Mar 2012
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Mike McCray, Wolverine

Trotwood (OH) Trotwood-Madison linebacker Mike McCray

Trotwood (OH) Trotwood-Madison linebacker Mike McCray committed to Michigan on Tuesday.  He chose the Wolverines over offers from Arizona, Illinois, Mississippi, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Penn State, Purdue, South Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and several others.

McCray is a 6’4″, 230-pounder who claims a 4.61 forty.  As a junior in 2011, he made 132 tackles, 5 interceptions (3 of which he returned for touchdowns), 2 forced fumbles, and 1 fumble recovery.  As a sophomore he made 65 tackles, 3 interceptions, and 3 forced fumbles.

Ratings:
ESPN: 4-star LB
Rivals: 4-star LB, #44 overall
Scout: Unranked
247 Sports: 4-star ATH, 92 grade, #10 ATH, #168 overall

McCray’s father, as you all probably know by now, played linebacker at Ohio State in the 1980s.  Ohio State has yet to offer the Buckeye legacy, which is reportedly a thorn in the McCrays’ side and perhaps a reason why Mike the Younger has decided to choose the Wolverines.  It might not be wise to close the door on Ohio State making a run at him, but at this point, he seems solidly committed to Michigan and convinced that Ann Arbor is the place for him to be.  There were rumblings recently that Tennessee was his leader, but he canceled a scheduled trip to Rocky Top and instead visited the Michigan campus, where he pledged to the coaching staff.

McCray is a very good athlete with excellent straight line speed for a guy his size.  As a receiver and interceptor, he shows soft hands, makes good breaks on thrown footballs, and is hard to catch in the open field.  However, I tend to disagree with a lot of the scuttlebutt out there that he’s destined for the MIKE linebacker.  He does say that he’s being recruited as an inside linebacker, but he doesn’t have the requisite skill set for the position, in my opinion.  He needs to play downhill more and read run plays quicker.  There are times when he takes poor angles in run pursuit, and he’s also not as aggressive of a hitter as I would expect from a kid his size.  I don’t think his highlight clips are that impressive for a linebacker who’s supposedly the 44th-best player in the country (to Rivals), aside from the interception returns.  Defensive touchdowns are great, but a middle linebacker needs to make his biggest impact as a run stopper.

I also don’t think he should play defensive end.  Do you really want to take a guy who had eight interceptions in his sophomore and junior seasons (at least three of which were returned for touchdowns?) and make him a defensive end, where he’ll only drop into coverage on a rare zone blitz?  That doesn’t make much sense, either.

The way I see it, McCray looks like a future SAM linebacker.  He could still be used in coverage at times, and since he’s not the most instinctive run stopper, rushing him off the edge would force him to play downhill and take some of that indecision out of the process.  I see some similarities at this point between McCray and outgoing senior J.B. Fitzgerald.

For people who didn’t like my Logan Tuley-Tillman scouting report, stop reading here.  There is a monster at the end of this book.

I don’t see McCray as a truly instinctive linebacker, at least not to the same level as James Ross and Joe Bolden.  He doesn’t seem to be a real “finisher” when it comes to tackling.  He leaps at a bunch of guys and drags them to the ground with his weight, rather than wrapping up and driving his feet; on the numerous highlights I’ve seen, I think I’ve seen one impressive tackle.  There are times where he almost gets a guy to the ground and needs somebody else to come and clean up.  I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: I don’t like it when dudes jog into the end zone, and he does it multiple times.  This is a kid with all kinds of athletic potential  but he’s not college ready from the perspective of technique and football maturity.

Cue the nasty e-mails.

Trotwood-Madison High School is the alma mater of current Wolverines Roy Roundtree and Brandon Moore.  McCray, commitment #14 for Michigan in 2013, is also teammates with former Michigan target Cam Burrows, a cornerback who is committed to Ohio State.

TTB Rating: 74

6Feb 2012
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Recruiting Update: February 6, 2012

Columbus (OH) Marion Franklin wide receiver Jaron Dukes
(image via Columbus Dispatch)

Because this post was getting so long, here you’ll find mostly class of 2013 developments.  All of last week’s developments with class of 2012 kids, National Signing Day, etc. are encapsulated in Friday’s post.

ADDED TO THE BOARD (20122013)
Owensboro (KY) Apollo defensive tackle Hunter Bivin, a 2013 prospect, was offered by Michigan late last week.  He’s a 6’7″, 288 lb. kid with offers from Auburn, Indiana, Kentucky, Miami, Mississippi State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Tennessee, and Wisconsin, among others.  Bivin has developed a bit of a connection with his former high school opponent Jeremy Clark, the 2012 safety commit.  I’m afraid this one might go in Ohio State’s direction.

Avon (IN) Avon defensive end Elijah Daniel, a 2013 prospect, grabbed an offer from Michigan last week.  He’s a 6’4″, 253 lb. strongside end with offers from Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan State, Minnesota, Ohio State, Oklahoma, and Tennessee, among others.  His older brother Armonze is a linebacker at Marshall, but Elijah is likely to attend a bigger program.

Sicklerville (NJ) Timber Creek defensive end Dajuan Drennon, a 2013 prospect, received a Michigan offer last week.  He’s a 6’4″, 227 lb. kid with offers from Florida State, Iowa, Penn State, and Washington, along with several others.

Columbus (OH) Marion Franklin wide receiver Jaron Dukes, a 2013 prospect, got an offer from Michigan last week.  He’s 6’3″, 195 lbs. and also holds an offer from Toledo.  His favorite team as a kid was Michigan, despite living in the Buckeyes’ home city.

Cincinnati (OH) Moeller linebacker Shane Jones, a 2013 prospect, was offered by Michigan.  He’s 6’1″, 220 lbs. and looks like a future weakside linebacker or perhaps a MIKE.  As a junior he had 89 tackles, 2 sacks, and 1 interception.  Jones also has offers from Cincinnati and Indiana.

Wexford (PA) North Allegheny offensive guard Patrick Kugler, a 2013 prospect, was offered by Michigan this past week.  He’s a 6’5″, 265-pounder with offers from Florida State, Miami, Michigan State, Penn State, Stanford, Tennessee, and many others.

Bloomfield (NJ) Bloomfield offensive tackle Marcell Lazard, a 2013 prospect, received a Michigan offer.  He’s a 6’6″, 293 lb. lineman with offers from Miami, Virginia, West Virginia, and others.

Detroit (MI) Cass Tech cornerback Jourdan Lewis, a 2013 prospect, was offered by Michigan on Wednesday.  Lewis is 5’11” and 170 lbs., skinny like seemingly every Cass Tech cornerback.  Michigan seems to be the early favorite, and they have obviously developed a pipeline to Cass Tech (Terry Richardson, Royce Jenkins-Stone, William Campbell, Thomas Gordon, etc.).  His only other offer is from Toledo.

Columbus (OH) Bishop Hartley tight end Jacob Matuska, a 2013 prospect, received a Michigan offer on Wednesday.  He’s a 6’5″, 240-pounder with offers from Cincinnati, Illinois, North Carolina State, and Toledo.

Trotwood (OH) Trotwood-Madison linebacker Mike McCray, a 2013 prospect, received an offer from Michigan.  He’s a 6’4″, 230 lb. kid who looks like a future SAM linebacker.  He has also been offered by Boston College, Illinois, Kentucky, Purdue, Syracuse, Tennessee, and a few others.

NewLenox (IL) Lincoln-Way West offensive tackle Colin McGovern, a 2013 prospect, was offered by Michigan last Thursday.  McGovern is a lanky 6’7″, 280 lb. kid with offers from Illinois, Northwestern, Tennessee, and Wisconsin

Ashburn (VA) Briar Woods linebacker Matt Rolin, a 2013 prospect, got an offer last week.  He’s a 6’4″, 205-pounder who would likely be pegged to play SAM linebacker.  He also holds offers from Tennessee, Virginia Tech, and Washington, among others.

Sicklerville (NJ) Timber Creek defensive tackle Greg Webb, a 2013 prospect, was offered during Michigan’s blitz of New Jersey this past week.  He’s a 6’2″, 290 lb. future nose tackle with a 335 lb. bench and a 635 lb. squat, both of which are pretty impressive for a kid who’s just a high school junior.

Columbus (OH) Walnut Ridge wide receiver Rob Wheelwright, a 2013 prospect, got an offer from Michigan, too.  Wheelwright is 6’1″, 174 lbs. and is the younger brother of Ernie Wheelwright, who played wide receiver for the Minnesota Gophers and now plays for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the CFL.  Rob had 12 touchdowns as a junior, and he holds offers from Boston College, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Nebraska, Syracuse, and Wisconsin.

Louisville (KY) Trinity cornerback Ryan White, a 2013 prospect, picked up an offer from Michigan last week.  The 5’10”, 178-pounder is the teammate of fellow Michigan targets James Quick and Jason Hatcher, a wide receiver and defensive end, respectively.  While not quite as coveted as those teammates, White has also been offered by Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, and Louisville.

Dallas (TX) Bishop Dunne offensive guard Ishmael Wilson, a 2013 prospect, was offered by Michigan this past weekend.  He’s a 6’5″, 275 lb. kid with offers from Cal, Nebraska, and Vanderbilt.

Voorhees (NJ) Eastern cornerback Eli Woodard picked up an offer for the class of 2013.  He’s a 6’1″, 185 lb. kid whose skills indicate that he could stay at cornerback, despite being fairly tall for a corner.  He’s a big-time recruit with offers from Alabama, Cal, Miami, Nebraska, Notre Dame, and Wisconsin, among others.  The early returns suggest he’s leaning toward Ohio State.

OFF THE BOARD
Chicago (IL) Simeon offensive tackle Jordan Diamond committed to Auburn on Friday night.  Diamond was considered to be a heavy Michigan lean last winter and spring, largely because his former high school teammate Chris Bryant is an offensive guard for the Wolverines.  But the longer Diamond’s recruitment dragged out, the more murky it looked.  It became pretty apparent at some point that this would not go Michigan’s way . . . it just wasn’t clear whether he would pick Arkansas or Auburn.

Celina (TX) Celina offensive tackle Jake Raulerson, a 2013 prospect, committed to Texas.  While Michigan was recruiting him for offensive line, many other schools were recruiting him to play defensive end.  That might not be a bad place for a 6’4″, 250-pounder.

Toledo (OH) Central Catholic safety Jayme Thompson, a 2013 prospect, committed to West Virginia.  It’s somewhat unclear whether Thompson actually received an offer from the Wolverines.  He reported to Michigan blog Tremendous  that he did indeed receive a verbal offer from the Wolverines, but the other recruiting sites have refuted that notion.  Either way, he’s currently inclined to become a Mountaineer, but he said early on that he would be a Wolverine if Michigan offered, so this one might be something to watch between now and signing day.