leonard taylor

Don't Buckle Up Yet, But...

check the 2:57 mark to see a defender get spot-shadowed before getting juked to the ground.

...stay vigilant? 247's Steve Wiltfong just put in a Crystal Ball pick for four-star CT WR Tarik Black to Michigan:

I was hearing rumblings coming out of the Barbecue at the Big House that the Wolverines moved into pole position for the Cheshire (Conn.) Academy standout.

I'm also told Stanford and Alabama are the biggest threats to Michigan. Notre Dame was once considered the top contender but the Irish have faded some. The Cardinal staff is expected out to see Black next week.

Black wants to announce at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl but I would not be surprised if he did something sooner.

Notre Dame was considered the leader for a long time; if they're not the main contender, that's great news for Michigan.

[Hit THE JUMP for a quick McCaffrey eval and more.]

Real, Live, Actual Football

Josh Ross (@Joshua_Ross05) can do more than just play LB. Catching, running for TD's, blocking...Josh knows Offense pic.twitter.com/6Qy9AXzALQ

— EliteFootballNetwork (@EliteFBNetwork) August 20, 2016

That's the good stuff.

High school football season is here, with scrimmages dominating the slate last weekend and the real games getting under way for the most part this weekend; the MGoCrew will be at the Prep Kickoff Classic on Saturday to see Southfield A&T vs. Detroit King and Cass Tech vs. Oak Park.

One Michigan commit performed so well last weekend that he's already earned a rankings bump on one site and could see a second follow suit soon. Four-star GA DT Aubrey Solomon ranked #207 overall on 247's (non-composite) rankings when he committed in June; after Barton Simmons saw his scrimmage, he's up to #110:

In Aubrey Solomon's first game of the year on Thursday night, he was totally dominant. The 6-3, 305-pound Michigan commit out of Leesburg (Ga.) Lee County showed outstanding motor, physicality and quickness in his team's win over Jones County High School. During a cycle in which the defensive tackle position doesn't have a lot of depth, Solomon is one of the rare interior defenders that would be among the best in the country in any recruiting class.

Scout's top analyst in the south, Chad Simmons, had a similarly glowing review:

Aubrey Solomon was a force against Jones County week zero in the Corky Kell Classic.  He may not have had a dozen tackles, but he was consistently pushing offensive linemen backwards, pushing the pocket back, forcing the running backs to change their lanes, and forcing the quarterback to throw early Thursday night.  Solomon has come into this season is great shape 295 pounds, and he played fast.  He flashed great quickness off the ball and a motor that did not stop.  He chased the ball, he had a key sack, and he was a force all night.  Solomon is currently the No. 2 defensive tackle in the South behind LSU commit Tyler Shelvin — that could change. 

Solomon looked great on the field. Off the field, he gave a 15-minute interview to 247 that requires its own section. Let's get to it after the jump.

[JUMP.]

Bama's Gain Is... Michigan's Gain, Too?

Alabama picked up two commits on the offensive line at the end of July, and they're expected to add five-star OT Jedrick Wills any day now. That may not seem like news that would lead a Michigan recruiting roundup, but word from multiple Bama insiders is the numbers crunch in Tuscaloosa will have a direct impact on at least one top Michigan target. Here's 247's Steve Lorenz on four-star IMG OC Cesar Ruiz:

I spoke with Hank South, our Alabama insider this morning, who confirmed that Bradenton (FL) IMG Academy Top100 offensive lineman Cesar Ruiz is NOT a take for the Crimson Tide, and barring more than one change to their current class, would not be regardless

When that news made its way over to the Scout board, their Bama insider, John Garcia Jr., confirmed he was hearing the same about Ruiz and added that four-star NY OT Isaiah Wilson could also get squeezed out by Wills:

Bama took in state OL Hunter Brannon on July 23, a kid who earned the offer at camp (UA wanted Ruiz to camp but he didn't make it). Numbers are tight and tackles are a much bigger need at this time. I'm not even sure they would take both Wills and Wilson should each want to join the class. Like with Nico Collins, a late spot may not be there for Wilson. Things can change but Bama feels good about each, the difference is Wills is much closer to ending his recruitment.

Alabama has been considered Michigan's primary competition for both Ruiz and Wilson. Ruiz said at the beginning of this month that Alabama, Michigan, and Oklahoma were tied at the top of his list; only a few days later, the Sooners landed four-star center Creed Humphrey. If Ruiz sticks to those top schools, his decision may have been made for him—he's also mentioned North Carolina as a school of interest recently but I haven't seen any indication they'd beat out Michigan.

Ice cold baby im ice cold #GoBlue pic.twitter.com/skJlgIuDBe

— Zay (@_LayZay_) August 10, 2016

Wilson, meanwhile, set up official visits to Florida State (Nov. 11), Michigan (Nov. 19), and Alabama (Nov. 25), with dates for Georgia and USC to be decided based on his basketball schedule—we'll see if those latter two materialize, as Wilson plans to make a decison in December. In the aftermath of his BBQ visit, he told Sam Webb that Michigan's "family atmosphere" stood out and played it coy about where the Wolverines currently stand:

These most recent Michigan experiences reconfirmed for Wilson why he has the storied program in his top five.  They’ve also caused those observing his recruitment to wonder if the Wolverines have moved up his list.

Said Wilson, “my response to that question is, Go Blue!’”

Take that how you will.

Yet another four-star lineman, CA OT Aaron Banks, is set to cut his list down to ten soon. After a better-than-expected BBQ visit, Michigan should make the cut:

"The trip to Michigan was cool," said Banks.  "It was nice.  It was better than I expected.  The school was bigger than I expected it to be.  I was with Coach (Tim) Drevno and one of his assistants.  We met up with Coach (Jim) Harbaugh but didn't get to spend as much time with him.  I met up with Jay Harbaugh some too.  Then we went to one of the stores and got some of the new Jumpman gear."

Banks plans to enroll early. Getting him back for an official visit will be of great importance if Michigan wants to push for his commitment.

Oh, and Scout's main analyst in SEC country, Chad Simmons, is projecting that Michigan will get four-star OG TJ Slaton:

This is probably the toughest one out of this group.  Slaton likes to keep to himself, a lot about his recruitment is unknown, and he could end up at a number of program.  Today though, over six months out, Michigan is the favorite.  The Wolverines landed his good friend, teammate Kai-Leon Herbert over the summer, and this only helps UM.  Herbert made his mind up when him and Slaton were in Ann Arbor a couple of months ago.  Clemson is in this, Florida State is there, and we will see what Slaton does this fall in terms of visits.

While Slaton isn't a lock, he's kept Michigan on top for a while now despite seeing other schools. There's a very real chance Michigan picks up three more elite O-line prospects, at which point one or two current commits might take a look around. No matter how it shakes out, it's hard to see a way in which Michigan doesn't have a great finish at OL.

[Hit THE JUMP for the rest of the roundup.]