ADDED TO THE BOARD
Scotch Plains (NJ) Fanwood defensive tackle Rashan Gary was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’4″, 290 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Florida, Ohio State, Penn State, and Rutgers, among others. While he’s listed most places as a defensive lineman, he looks to me a little more like an offensive player; however, as just a rising sophomore, there’s still plenty of growth and development to come.
OFF THE BOARD
Manalapan (NJ) Manalapan wide receiver Saeed Blacknall committed to Rutgers. Michigan was in his top group, and I believe the staff had a chance to reel him in if they kept working, but wide receiver recruiting for this 2014 class seems to be finished.
VISITORS Here’s a list of guys who visited campus last week: Cole Chewins – TE – Clarkston (MI) Clarkston: Chewins is a 6’7″, 208 lb. prospect for 2015 with no offers at this time.
Lavert Hill – CB – Detroit (MI) Cass Tech: Hill is a 5’9″, 150 lb. prospect for 2016 with no offers yet. He’s the younger brother of Michigan freshman Delano Hill.
Jalen Christian – CB – Damascus (MD) Damascus: Christian is a 5’10”, 160 lb. prospect for 2015 with offers from Nebraska, Ohio State, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Virginia Tech, and Wisconsin, among others. According to 247’s Composite ranking, he’s a 4-star, the #14 cornerback, and the #135 player overall. The last two Damascus players to be offered by Michigan – 2011 cornerback Brandon Phelps and 2013 linebacker/wide receiver Zach Bradshaw – both committed to Virginia.
Adoree Jackson – CB – Gardena (CA) Junipero Serra: Jackson is a 5’10”, 182 lb. prospect with offers from Florida, Florida State, LSU, Michigan, and USC, among others. According to 247’s Composite ranking, he’s a 5-star, the #2 cornerback, and #9 player overall. He was supposed to visit for the BBQ, but that didn’t fit with his schedule. Instead, he’s supposed to visit with Kentrail Moran (below) while visiting his hometown stomping grounds in Illinois this week. UPDATE: Moran did not visit.
Kentrail Moran – RB – O’Fallon (IL) O’Fallon: Moran is a 5’10”, 188 lb. prospect for 2016 with an offer from Northern Illinois. As a freshman in 2012, he had 138 carries for 700 yards and 6 touchdowns, along with 22 catches for 248 yards and 1 score. UPDATE: Moran did not visit.
Kaden Smith – TE – Flower Mound (TX) Flower Mound: Smith is a 6’5″, 235 lb. prospect for 2016 with offers from Alabama and Clemson. As a freshman in 2012, he had 14 catches for 192 yards. Smith played at Marcus High School last season – the alma mater of former Michigan fullback Stephen Hopkins – but is transferring to Flower Mound for the 2013 season.
Christian Kirk – WR – Scottsdale (AZ) Saguaro: Kirk is a 5’10”, 175 lb. prospect for 2015 with offers from Arizona, Arizona State, Florida State, Ohio State, and Texas A&M, among others. As a sophomore in 2012, he had 43 carries for 1,003 yards and 12 touchdowns. 247 Sports ranks him as a 4-star, the #4 wide receiver, and the #67 player overall in his class.
Chris Warren – RB – Rockwall (TX) Rockwall: Warren is a 6’2″, 220 lb. prospect for 2015 with offers from Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, Oklahoma, and Texas, among others. As a sophomore in 2012, he had 174 carries for 1,059 yards and 13 touchdowns. 247 Sports ranks him as a 4-star, the #5 athlete, and the #57 player overall, and ESPN just ranked him as the #122 player in his class.
Leonard Fournette – RB – New Orleans (LA) St. Augustine: Fournette is a 6’1″, 225 lb. prospect with offers from just about everyone; his two leaders appear to be Alabama and LSU. Michigan was not mentioned in regard to Fournette until Jabrill Peppers committed and started talking to and about him being a part of Michigan’s class. According to 247’s Composite ranking, Fournette is the #1 player in the entire class. As a junior in 2012, he had 196 carries for 2,136 yards and 31 touchdowns. That’s 10.9 yards/carry. Chances are slim that Michigan jumps in front of those two SEC schools, but it can’t hurt to get him on campus. There’s a chance that he might really like it, and it puts Ann Arbor in the minds of other top prospects.
Cassius Peat – DE – Tempe (AZ) Corona Del Sol: Peat is a 6’4″, 235 lb. prospect with an offer from Arizona State. 247 Sports ranks him as a 3-star and the #23 athlete in the 2015 class. He’s listed as a linebacker in some places, but he looks more like a weakside end prospect. His older brother Andrus was a 5-star offensive tackle in 2012 who spurned Michigan in favor of Stanford.
Orlando (FL) Timber Creek running back Jacques Patrick
With school ending at various times around the country, visits won’t really be limited to being on the weekends. These are a few players who have visited in the last couple days or will visit in the next week.
Kalen Ballage – RB – Peyton (CO) Falcon: I wrote up a scouting report on Ballage last week. UPDATE: Ballage canceled his visit due to the wildfires taking place in Colorado.
Dre Brown – RB – DeKalb (IL) DeKalb: Brown is a 5’11”, 190 lb. prospect for 2015 with offers from Illinois and Northern Illinois. As a sophomore in 2012, he had 108 carries for 759 yards and 9 touchdowns. He also plays cornerback for his high school, which may be his position when he reaches college.
Jalen Brown – WR – Phoenix (AZ) Mountain Pointe: The 6’2″, 170 lb. wideout has offers from Arizona, Arizona State, Michigan, Michigan State, Northwestern, Ohio State, Oregon, and numerous others. He was named Gatorade’s Player of the Year in Arizona after a junior season in which he had 67 catches for 1,235 yards and 18 touchdowns, to go along with his 26 tackles, 5 interceptions (1 of which was returned for a touchdown), and 1 fumble recovery. Michigan is looking for a slot receiver to complement the two bigger receivers (Drake Harris, Maurice Ways) who are already committed.
Jashon Cornell – DE – St. Paul (MN) Cretin Derham Hall: Cornell is a 6’4″, 230 lb. weakside end prospect with offers from Florida, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, USC, and lots of others. According to 247 Sports, he’s a 4-star, the #2 outside linebacker, and the #18 overall prospect for 2015.
Noah Furbush – LB – Kenton (OH) Kenton: Furbush is a 6’4″, 240 lb. prospect with offers from Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska, Northwestern, Purdue, and Tennessee, among others. As a junior in 2012, he had 115 tackles and 1 forced fumble. He is unranked by ESPN, Rivals, and Scout, but he’s a 3-star and the #52 OLB to 247 Sports. This is his second visit to Michigan. Personally, I think Furbush looks more like a future weakside end, but he’s being recruited as a SAM linebacker.
Jamarco Jones – OG – Chicago (IL) De La Salle: Jones is a 6’5″, 290 lb. prospect who has narrowed things down to Michigan, Michigan State, and Ohio State. According to 247’s Composite ranking, he’s a 4-star, the #4 offensive tackle, and the #49 overall player for 2014. Most projections have him going to Ohio State, but there are some rumblings that Michigan is making a late push. He has set an announcement date for June 27.
Jeff Jones – RB – Minneapolis (MN) Washburn: Jones is a 6’0″, 194 lb. prospect with offers from Kentucky, Iowa, Iowa State, Michigan State, and Wisconsin, among others; he has been committed to Minnesota since March, but is considering other options. According to 247’s Composite ranking, he’s a 4-star, the #9 running back, and the #144 overall prospect. As a junior in 2012, he had 110 carries for 1,002 yards and 9 touchdowns.
Stanley Norman – WR – Culver City (CA) Culver City: Norman is a 5’11”, 170 lb. prospect with offers from UCLA, Utah, and a few others. To 247 Sports he’s a 4-star, the #15 wide receiver, and the #157 player overall for 2015.
Jacques Patrick – RB – Orlando (FL) Timber Creek: Patrick is a 6’1″, 213 lb. back with offers from Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Miami, Michigan, Ohio State, and USC, along with many others. The class of 2015 prospect claims a 4.6 forty and had 231 carries for 2,032 yards and 29 touchdowns as a sophomore in 2012. Patrick is making a swing through the midwest to see Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame, and Ohio State, and his cousin Terel Patrick coaches at Detroit (MI) King – which sent Dennis Norfleet to Michigan recently.
Frank Ragnow – OT – Chanhassen (MN) Chanhassen:Ragnow is a 6’6″, 271 lb. prospect with offers from Arkansas, Cal, Florida State, Minnesota, Nebraska, and several others. According to 247’s Composite ranking, he’s a 3-star, the #41 offensive tackle, and the #527 overall player.
Reno Rosene – OT – Thousand Oaks (CA) Oaks Christian: Rosene is a 6’7″, 310 lb. prospect for 2015 with an offer from Notre Dame. According to 247 Sports, he’s a 4-star, the #14 OT, and the #164 player overall for his class.
