Tag: Nico Collins

2017 Recruiting Down the Stretch: Wide Receiver

Pinson (AL) Clay-Chalkville WR Nico Collins

COMMITMENTS

Michigan’s wide receiver recruiting situation has been slow to develop, even though it’s been clear for two years now that the team would be losing two senior starters after the 2016 season in Jehu Chesson and Amara Darboh. The first player worth mentioning committed last Thursday, and that’s Detroit (MI) Cass Tech’s Donovan Peoples-Jones, a 5-star, the #1 receiver, and the #11 overall player in the class, according to the 247 Composite. He’s 6’2″, 192 lbs. and checks all the boxes you would want in a wideout. The next highest rated guy is Cheshire (CT) Cheshire Academy’s Tarik Black, who committed just one day earlier. He’s 6’4″, 208 lbs. and a 4-star, the #17 wide receiver, and #124 overall. Last – and sneakiest – is Suffield (CT) Suffield Academy’s Brad Hawkins, Jr., who pledged to the Wolverines as a part of the 2016 class. He had to attend a year of prep school, and nobody really knew whether he would qualify or if Michigan would still want him.

Hit the jump for a deeper look at Michigan’s wide receiver recruiting in 2017.

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2017 Recruiting: Who finishes out the class? – Version 1

Bradenton (FL) IMG Academy center Cesar Ruiz (image via Bleacher Report)

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It’s that time of year when concentration turns from bowl games to recruiting while we wait for the games to begin again. With early enrollees making permanent choices in the second half of this month, and then National Signing Day coming in early February, it’s about to get crazy around here. Here’s my look at whom I think will finish out the class. A couple notes beforehand:

• I don’t like to project decommitments, because I don’t like to give the impression that Michigan fans want players gone. However, I will point out players who are shaky in their commitments, along with some potential replacements down below.
• Fully committed players are in regular type. Projected commitments are in bold. Shaky commitments are in italics.
• Just because I list them here does not mean I am comfortable putting in a Crystal Ball for each of these players to Michigan. Naturally, I am more confident in some picks than others.

Hit the jump for my projected class:

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Visitors: Michigan vs. Maryland

Pinson (AL) Clay-Chalkville WR Nico Collins

2017

Aaron Banks – OT – El Cerrito (CA) El Cerrito: Banks is a 6’7″, 315 lb. prospect with offers from Michigan, Notre Dame, Oregon, UCLA, and USC, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #19 offensive tackle, and #163 overall. He has been thought to be leaning toward USC. This is his official visit.

Mekhi Becton – OT – Highland Springs (VA) Highland Springs: Becton is a 6’7″, 345 lb. prospect with offers from Georgia, Michigan, Virginia, and Virginia Tech, among others. He’s a 3-star, the #41 offensive tackle, and #381 overall. He has been under the radar a bit as Michigan has been recruiting a lot of higher-profile linemen. This is his official visit.

Eddie Brecht – OT – Lapeer (MI) East:

Nico Collins – WR – Pinson (AL) Clay Chalkville: Collins is a 6’5″, 195 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Auburn, Florida State, Georgia, and Michigan, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #13 wide receiver, and #189 overall. Currently, 64% of the Crystal Balls – including mine – are on Michigan. This is his official visit.

Hit the jump for several more visitors.

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Visitors: Michigan vs. Penn State

Detroit (MI) Cass Tech WR Donovan Peoples-Jones (image via 247 Sports)

2017

Toryque Bateman – OT – Gadsden (AL) Gadsden City: Bateman is a 6’8″, 305 lb. prospect with offers from Arizona State, Miami, Michigan, and Tennessee, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #43 offensive tackle, and #408 overall. Bateman was close to committing to Michigan at one point and the Crystal Ball is still 62% in favor of the Wolverines, but there have been rumors that Michigan might back off due to questions about whether he’ll qualify or not. UPDATE: Bateman did not make it to town.

Markquese Bell – WR – Bridgeton (NJ) Bridgeton: Bell is a 6’3″, 194 lb. prospect with offers from Clemson, Florida, Maryland, Michigan, and Rutgers, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #6 athlete, and #179 overall. I did a scouting report on him back in April (LINK). He said several weeks ago that distance would no longer be a factor in his recruitment, which led some to believe that he was leaning away from Rutgers and perhaps toward the Wolverines. UPDATE: Bell is now visiting for the Wisconsin game on October 1.

Ellis Brooks – LB – Richmond (VA) Benedictine:

Nico Collins – WR – Pinson (AL) Clay-Chalkville: Collins is a 6’5″, 195 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Florida State, Georgia, and Michigan, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #13 wide receiver, and #86 overall. Alabama was thought to be the early leader, then Michigan jumped to the front, and now there are rumors that Georgia is in the driver’s seat. This will be his third visit to Michigan in the last few months. The Crystal Ball is 62% in favor of the Wolverines. UPDATE: Collins did not make it to town.

Hit the jump for several more visitors.

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2017 Recruiting Update: July 21, 2016

Iowa City (IA) West wide receiver Oliver Martin (image via (Iowa City Press-Citizen)

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2017

Miami (FL) Columbus cornerback Trajan Bandy decommitted from Oklahoma. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #27 cornerback, and #235 overall. Even though former high school teammate Joshua Uche is now in Ann Arbor, Bandy named a top group he would be considering going forward, and Michigan is not in that group.

Iowa City (IA) West wide receiver Oliver Martin was offered by Michigan. Martin is a 6’0″, 188 lb. prospect with offers from Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Oregon, and Wisconsin, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #65 wide receiver, and #436 overall. He was a teammate of a handful of Michigan and targets on Team Hypercool at The Opening a couple weekends ago, and some of Michigan’s commits supposedly lobbied for the coaching staff to offer him. Michigan State and Wisconsin are the biggest competitors for his services right now. He’s visiting for the BBQ at the Big House in August (LINK).

OFF THE BOARD

Fayetteville (AR) Fayetteville defensive tackle Akial Byers committed to Alabama. You don’t often hear about Arkansas producing top-notch talent, but he’s a 4-star and #228 overall in the 2017 class. I like his quickness off the ball, and I think he should be a good player for Crimson Tide down the road.

After the jump are several more players who committed elsewhere, the BBQ at the Big House visitors list, and other tidbits.

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