Norco (CA) Norco quarterback Victor Viramontes decommitted from Michigan on Sunday night. He committed to Michigan in June (LINK). The Wolverines had offered him after seeing him at one of their satellite camps.
I had given Viramontes a TTB Rating of 75. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #25 athlete, and the #427 player in the 2016 class. He was a standout quarterback and linebacker at Norco, but his college position was in flux because he was a bit of a project as a passer. He could end up playing quarterback, running back, fullback, tight end, linebacker, or strong safety at the next level.
Viramontes has reported offers from Colorado, Colorado State, Georgia Tech, Nebraska, Nevada, San Diego State, San Jose State, UNLV, Washington State, and Wisconsin. Now that he has decommitted, I would expect more offers to come through shortly. Before he committed to the Wolverines, Nebraska seemed a strong possibility, though they have Patrick O’Brien committed at QB. Based on Viramontes’s statement, it does not appear that Michigan will be an option moving forward.
As for Michigan, it’s unclear whether they will pursue other quarterbacks to replace Viramontes. Avon (IN) Avon quarterback Brandon Peters is already committed, and Viramontes was the type who would get a shot at QB before potentially moving to another spot. Michigan now has 21 commitments in a class that is supposed to be around 27 players strong.
UPDATE: I had to write this post quickly before I went to work, so I did not get a chance to offer much analysis. However, I thought since Viramontes committed that he would be one of the biggest flight risks in the class. As a talented athlete with a decent offer sheet, he’s not the type of kid who probably wants to sit behind Brandon Peters – who is recognized as an elite national QB – and other guys for four years. In my opinion, he’s the type of player who could go to Colorado or Nebraska and start for two or three years. There’s a good chance that he would have come to Michigan and ended up playing linebacker or H-back.
I think Michigan should continue to recruit quarterback/athlete types and perhaps look at players like Lansing (MI) Catholic Central QB/TE/OLB Tony Poljan or Ypsilanti (MI) Ypsilanti QB/WR/CB Marquis Smith as late offer candidates. Poljan recently decommitted from Minnesota, and Smith decommitted from Kansas. It’s good to have talented, all-around athletes on your squad, and while they’re not on the same level as Viramontes, they do offer some value and are within reach if the Wolverines want them.
