Monday Recruitin' Gets Grimy
Cartwheels For Carlo
This is just great; newest Michigan pledge Carlo Kemp (Hello post here) filmed his commitment call to Jim Harbaugh:
"I had to do a cartwheel there" is an instant entry into the Jim Harbaugh Quote Hall of Fame.
The Denver Post has plenty of coverage on Kemp's commitment, including Kemp explaining why he made his decision:
"Do I see myself being there? Yes," Kemp said. "Definitely the town (Ann Arbor, Mich.) and atmosphere. And, of course, the academics at the forefront of it all. Michigan is one of the top, top academic programs and, of course, along with playing top-caliber football."
The chance to play for Wolverines coach Jim Harbaugh, Kemp said, was also a huge factor as "everything I wanted is at Michigan."
Also of note from that article: Kemp will enroll early. And, of course, there's another great Harbaugh story, as Kemp's high school coach is the son of former Bo assistant (and later Colorado head coach) Bill McCartney, whose household served as the all-important sugar sanctuary for the Harbaugh children:
Tom McCartney recalled that he could consume his cereal of choice, but the only cereals permitted in the Harbaugh house "were healthy ones." Hence, John and Jim Harbaugh regularly went over to the McCartney household "for sugar cereal."
When Kemp and Pagano, who already knew about the cereal story, met with Jim Harbaugh last month while in Ann Arbor, they presented him with a gift from McCartney: a box of Cap'n Crunch's Crunch Berries cereal.
"That was our favorite cereal growing up," McCartney said.
Said Kemp: "Coach Harbaugh just started laughing when we gave it to him."
Harbaugh has great taste in cereal, even if Cinnamon Toast Crunch is the undisputed greatest cereal on Earth.
Kemp wasn't the only player to commit to the program this weekend; Bowling Green (KY) TE Dane Drobocky announced he'll join the team as a preferred walk-on in 2016, per Tim Sullivan. You can see his junior highlights on his Hudl page. The coaches are making a very concerted effort to build the preferred walk-on program; Drobocky is the third in this class, joining QB Michael Shuster and WR Simeon Smith, and several other PWO offers have gone out in the last couple weeks.
[Hit THE JUMP for the rest of the roundup.]
Goon Squad
ESPN300 Chris Daniels wants to go into broadcasting & acting after football, Michigan catered to that on his visit pic.twitter.com/L6aZEsApkw
— Tom VanHaaren (@TomVH) November 8, 2015
Four-star TX DT Chris Daniels was the lone uncommitted official visitor for the Rutgers game, and what Michigan lacks in volume of visitor quotes is made up for by the incredible quality of this one, via Sam Webb ($):
Said Daniels, “I feel like with the defensive line what stood out to me the most was how grimy they get and how explosive they are. I feel like there’s a goon mindset that Coach (Greg) Mattison put in them.”
Daniels added that the visit was "awesome." He has one other official visit set to Oklahoma and plans to make a decision in early December; Michigan looks to be in good shape.
Michigan is in line for a very strong finish with their defensive line recruiting. Rivals analyst Rob Cassidy told Tim Sullivan he believes everyone else is chasing Michigan for five-star NJ DT Rashan Gary after speaking with him recently ($). No speculation is necessary regarding Michigan's standing with four-star TX DT Jordan Elliott, who reiterated to Webb that Michigan has a decided edge over his other finalists ($).
Simmons Gets His Offer
2017 Ann Arbor Pioneer LB/RB Antjuan Simmons has added offers from a who's-who of top programs this season; over the weekend, the hometown squad threw their hat into the ring.
Extremely honored & blessed to announce that The University of Michigan has offered me my 28th offer! pic.twitter.com/R5i9mlW7jS
— antjuan simmons (@_antjuan_) November 5, 2015
Simmons didn't mince words when talking about the offer's importance to 247's Steve Wiltfong:
"It was huge," Simmons said.
Simmons got the good news from Tyrone Wheatley and Jim Harbaugh after driving across the street to campus.
"It was big. It's the hometown power. I go to school right across the street. Plus the tradition and where their program will be in a few years."
Michigan should jump right to the forefront of Simmons' recruitment; he attended the Rutgers game and took multiple unofficial visits prior to receiving the offer.
The Wolverines extended offers to a couple more 2017 prospects. Three-star NJ OL Carter Warren told Tim Sullivan he wants to visit campus after adding his offer ($). Three-star OH TE Matthew Dotson told Brandon Brown that Michigan joined Ohio State, Michigan State, and Tennessee among his top group ($).
Commit Updates: Brandon Peters Remains Good
Maize n Brew's Mike Sanborn caught up with Brandon Peters after his four-touchdown performance led Avon to a playoff win over the defending Indiana state champs; while he knows a redshirt is a possibility, he's not enrolling early with his eye on the bench:
"We talked a little bit about redshirting, but I don’t know yet. I still have a chance to earn my spot," Peters said. Such a high level of talent combined with the benefits of enrolling early should have Peters right in the thick of the quarterback competition once the spring practice rolls around.
Peters headlines the rundown of top performers from last weekend's slate of games over at MnB, at well. Meanwhile, Kingston Davis now has 1650 rushing yards this season, a Prattville school record.
Scout's Allen Trieu has the latest on David Reese after his official visit to Nebraska:
"It gave me a lot to think about. Being on that side of the conference, you know they're going to win because of their tradition."
Reese remains committed to Michigan, but has two more officials coming up.
"I visit Florida on the 28th (of November) and Texas on the 10th (of December), that's all I have planned right now."
Something to watch with regard to Reese: 247's Clint Brewster, whose father Tim is on the coaching staff at FSU, just put in a Devin Bush Jr. Crystal Ball pick for the Noles ($). Bush plans to enroll early at the school of his choice, and if Michigan was holding a spot for him and doesn't land him, that could open up an early enrollee spot for Reese.
November 9th, 2015 at 4:04 PM ^
Oh no you didn't Ace....OH NO YOU DIDN'T!!!
November 9th, 2015 at 4:10 PM ^
It's the best.
Ingredients: Sugar and Cinnamon, . . . sprayed on top of toasted Sugar and Cinnamon.
I don't even need coffee in the morning.
November 9th, 2015 at 4:13 PM ^
You're probably right. I don't even eat much cereal anymore and when I do it's Raisin Bran or Frosted Mini shredded wheat because I'm old. FIBER!
November 9th, 2015 at 4:30 PM ^
Raisin Bran SUCKS. Raisin Bran Crunch is passable. But alas, my wife only buys that shitty Kashi cereal for the kids. I only get cold cereal such as Captain Crunch at hotels. Should I stash some boxes in our home somewhere and sneak eat them while she sleeps?
November 9th, 2015 at 4:35 PM ^
Dude the Kashi Blueberry cereal is off the chain.
Also, sneak eating? Just man up and do it when the kids aren't watching and in the garage, quietly, when it's dark out.
November 9th, 2015 at 4:38 PM ^
"Dammit, honey! This is MY house. If I want to hide a box of sugared cereal in the way back of the top cupboard, and then guiltily eat it while you are running errands, and then rinse out the bowl so that you can't tell, THEN I'M GOING TO DO IT! Is that clear???"
November 9th, 2015 at 4:45 PM ^
These are my two most consumed cereals by a large margin.
November 9th, 2015 at 5:40 PM ^
If you must have raisin and bran together in a cereal, get Raisin Nut Bran. Even my kids ask for it. If sugar is the goal, my vote is Cap'n Crunch.
November 9th, 2015 at 7:11 PM ^
I'm old too and like Raisin Bran for the taste and not for, well ... other purported benefits. Sugar Frosted Flakes are a classic! Yet, I have to admit, Cinnamon Toast Crunch is really very, very good.
Ace may be a tad hyperbolic in his assessment. It's certainly in the mix.
November 9th, 2015 at 4:14 PM ^
Nothing else comes close. Drinking down the left over milk after the cereal is gone like suckling off the teat of a goddess.
November 9th, 2015 at 4:49 PM ^
Does throwing like 8-10 full sized Oreo's into a bowl of milk constitute cereal? If so, I'll take either the Chocolate or the Vanilla one's any day.
November 9th, 2015 at 5:05 PM ^
I want to go to there. This sounds amazing!
November 9th, 2015 at 5:13 PM ^
And it is amazing. The only difference for me is that I stack them up in a glass and eat them whole, one by one. By the last one, it's crumbling pretty good, but the filling stays firm allowing you to get most of the oreo on the spoon.
November 9th, 2015 at 5:02 PM ^
Fantastic cereal milk soft serve ice cream at the Milk Bar in NYC and DC: http://milkbarstore.com/main/stores/, definitely worth seeking it out when in Brooklyn! I indulged at the Carroll Gardens location earlier this year.
November 9th, 2015 at 4:35 PM ^
FYI...stay away from the French Toast Crunch. Such a let down. I can't believe the same people made it.
November 9th, 2015 at 5:12 PM ^
Indeed. I consider myself quite the cereal connoisseur (easily have ten boxes in the cupboards right now ranging from lucky charms and apple jacks to kix). French toast crunch was a complete let down. I can't even pawn it off on my 3 yo daughter ("yuck").
November 9th, 2015 at 8:17 PM ^
November 10th, 2015 at 11:04 AM ^
I may be a lonely voice, but I was psyched when they reintroduced FTC. Say what you will, I think that shit is delish.
November 9th, 2015 at 5:05 PM ^
But who remembers Quake and Quisp? Pretty solid surgar/corn combos there.
November 9th, 2015 at 6:02 PM ^
Quake and Quisp are brands I remember, but who out there remembers when Count Chocula and BooBerry had a fight to the death (determined by mail-in voting), which resulted in the predictable demise of the inferior BooBerry? (Maybe it was FrankenBerry - I just remember that Count Chocula won.)
FrankenBerry was the best of the lot. It was made with a pink pigment additive that most kids could not digest. So parents were rushing their kids to the doctor because of pink fecal stools - a condition that the pediatricians termed "FrankenBerry Stool".
Now that's a monster cereal that succeeded in actually scaring a bunch of folks.
November 9th, 2015 at 5:12 PM ^
Hard to argue against CTC, but Cinnamon Life is basically the same thing except it kind of passes as an adultish thing...
Plus, look how effing happy that kid is... If you can make a Ginger smile, you've got something special!
November 9th, 2015 at 5:43 PM ^
November 9th, 2015 at 7:42 PM ^
Truer words have not been spoken!
November 9th, 2015 at 8:40 PM ^
Cinnamon Life is my favorite cereal by a very wide margin.
November 9th, 2015 at 5:25 PM ^
It's the cinnamon-sugar SWIRLS in everybite
November 9th, 2015 at 8:17 PM ^
This guy knows.
November 9th, 2015 at 4:14 PM ^
Cinnamon Toast Crunch on soft serve. Can't beat it.
November 9th, 2015 at 4:48 PM ^
I can't remember which buffet it was, but Wicked Spoon or Bacchanal had CTC ice cream and it was glorious.
November 9th, 2015 at 4:15 PM ^
Cinnamon Toe Crunch, as one of my kids used to say, is definitely the best.
November 9th, 2015 at 4:10 PM ^
Also from Kemp - direct shot at a certain purple faced coach. Hopefully more kids who have to compare these 2 staffs side by side understand...
“Besides seeing 110,000 fans at the game it was definitely the family atmosphere from the coaches (and) how nice they are all of the time,” Kemp said describing what stood out most about his official visit earlier this fall.. “At practice they’re not yellers, they’re teachers. They will yell like any other coach, but it’s not aggressive… it’s not harassment. They just want you to be the best that you can be. They’re teachers. They’ll break it down for you so you can get it right the next play. When you do they’re all jumping (and) they’re all excited for you. It really just felt like a family.”
November 9th, 2015 at 5:00 PM ^
You mean the over the top and crazy Harbaugh does not yell at and berate his own players on the sideline, instead saving his fury for people like the refs. This purple faced man yells at the refs, his players and tries to fight his coaching staff, yet does not have a full media narrative focusing on how crazy he is. I will need to research this further.
November 9th, 2015 at 4:08 PM ^
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November 9th, 2015 at 4:13 PM ^
Fuck you. CTC is number 1 yo.
November 11th, 2015 at 12:08 AM ^
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November 9th, 2015 at 4:10 PM ^
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November 9th, 2015 at 4:24 PM ^
My nephews visited for a week over the summer and they requested Cocopuffs which I remember liking as a kid. Well they left without finishing the box and I decided to try one more time... threw it out after the first bite. Not even sure how that qualifies as food.
November 9th, 2015 at 5:19 PM ^
When I was a kid Reese's Puffs was just peanut butter. I would mix those and Cocoa Puffs and it was glorious.
Now that's just normal Reese's Puffs. I missed out on millions.
November 9th, 2015 at 4:11 PM ^
Pretty telling they want Kemp in early but not reese. Thought we might save 1-2 slots for linebackers for EE due to depth situation next year and then 1 for a rb and 1 for a wr.
Don't know what that says about Marshall - hopefully he gets his head on straight this off season and is ready to work for that BUCK spot.
November 9th, 2015 at 4:38 PM ^
Does anyone know if there is a certain amount of early entry spots a school can do ?..... Why dont they just let as many kids that want to come early ---- enroll.....
November 9th, 2015 at 4:47 PM ^
There is not a specific # of EE that you are allowed to have. HOWEVER, you can only have 85 enrolled on scholly at a time. I don't have those exact numbers, but obviously it's limited as the staff seems to be very choosy who they're offering EE to.
November 9th, 2015 at 4:48 PM ^
I thought they could only back date 3 spots, but could take as many EE as they actually wanted. Unless there are scholarship numbers they are looking at and are trying to make sure they don't oversign based on future attrition?
November 9th, 2015 at 4:51 PM ^
Yes 25 in a class - you can backdate 3 so you can max at 28 in any single year*.
But you can only have 85 in total at any time no matter how you split them among years.
*Unless you are TN and you can recruit 50 a class.
November 9th, 2015 at 8:22 PM ^
I think all SEC teams can recruit 50.
November 9th, 2015 at 5:29 PM ^
Other than how he handled injuries, they also came down hard on him for pushing out some seniors before their final term after football ended. It was solely to free up room for EEs.
November 9th, 2015 at 4:50 PM ^
No limit on EE; limit on scholarship - can't have >85 at any time.
So you could in theory have 12 EE if you have some crazy attrition or coaching turnover. We wont be in that position as this class will be huge relative to how few are graduating. And this assumes 5-6 guys leave who won't be due to normal process. (i.e. transfer out)
November 9th, 2015 at 5:14 PM ^
thats a very real possiblity. theyll have the usual guys not brought back for 5th years (though theyll actually have numerous 5th year starters and impact players returning on both lines for first time in a while), guys hanging up the cleats or taking medicals due to injuries, etc, but i think they could approach 5-6 guys leaving for other reasons.
given the depth chart and situation at QB, RB, WR, etc, i think at least 1 from each of those spots will transfer
November 9th, 2015 at 6:16 PM ^
come after the winter semester.
November 9th, 2015 at 9:43 PM ^
November 9th, 2015 at 4:12 PM ^
Holy shit, that says a lot sbout him, when we have Gary and others still on the board.
November 9th, 2015 at 4:13 PM ^
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