recruiting roundup
darnay holmes
jaylen kelly-powell
deommodore lenoir
baron browning
jay tufele
popo amuvae
james hudson
dj johnson
toryque bateman
aubrey solomon
michael harley

Friday Recruitin' Divides 300 Pound Baby Comment Count

Brian

Maybe we can split him in half

6_4282672

wingspaaaaaaaan

AJC reporter Jeff Sentell appeared on the DawgNation podcast (DawgNation appears to be an AJC silo for Georgia athletics content) to talk recruiting, and naturally struck on GA DT Aubrey Solomon. Sentell talked to both Solomon and mom and came away saying that "from listening to [Solomon's] mother, that's 100% committed right there" and that he would be "stunned if Aubrey Solomon went anywhere but the University of Michigan." Sentell further reports that Solomon ducked out of the visit for a moment, claiming he had to go to the bathroom, so he could call his mom and get her blessing to pull the trigger. That's the opposite of a high-pressure pitch that might backfire as time goes by.

So of course the Georgia 247 site is reporting that Solomon will visit Georgia in July. This isn't as bad as it sounds: the visit was planned in advance of the sudden turn in Solomon's recruitment. It's common for guys to follow through on their word when coaches ask them to. I wouldn't be worried about that visit; any subsequent ones would be game on.

FWIW, that article contains a number of positive quotes about Georgia from Solomon's mother that were gathered before the trip to Ann Arbor. While I don't doubt Georgia is at least some threat the article gives off a bit of a whiff of saving face amongst subscribers—Sentell appears to have the latest, and he's considerably more neutral than a team site.

Give 'em the clamps, Holmes

CA CB Deommodore "Clamp Clampington" Lenoir hasn't drawn much mention around these parts since he first popped up on the radar, but Brandon Brown catches up with him and discovers he is planning an official, ideally when CA CB Darnay Holmes comes in. That would be all right. Argh Dave Brandon, part MCMXI:

"I really wanted to go to Michigan against Michigan State or Ohio State but those are both away."

Nebraska and Oregon are the other officials he's certain of. [UPDATE: Lenoir committed to Oregon yesterday. Nevermind.]

Speaking of Holmes, it looks like David Long's presence in Ann Arbor means at least a little something:

Holmes also has three officials he knows he'll take: Nebraska, OSU, and Michigan. The date for the M visit is also up in the air; he'll go to Columbus for the Game. UCLA's also involved  heavily.

I see that eyebrow, but don't scoff at the Cornhuskers. Nebraska is doing some work in California this year. They've got two commits from Holmes's teammates, both four stars.

Hello Harley?

On Wednesday I mentioned that Steve Lorenz had fired off a crystal ball for FL WR Mike Harley to Michigan. Yesterday Brandon Brown interviewed Harley, who says Michigan is his #1 and he will be pulling the trigger "either this weekend or next weekend," which gives other schools vanishingly little time to catch up.

Despite our KJ Hamler-related garment-rending, Harley looks like a solid pickup should he follow through. His stock is on the rise after an excellent Five Star Challenge…

…and whatever spurred 247 to put him on the ol' rankings rocket:

image

Blue is 247, green the composite. (That line is also an excellent demonstration of the usual pattern for recruits: get ranked, drop slowly as more dudes get slotted in front of you, big change only when you get re-evaluated.)

Baylor recruits released

Per Texas sources, Baylor's released five of the seven players who wanted out. The main guys of interest to Michigan fans in the aftermath of the Devery Hamilton are the two offensive linemen; Barking Carnival believes that TX OL Patrick Hudson will head to Texas and that TX OL JP Urquidez is a possibility "depending on mutual interest and swiftly tightening [scholarship] numbers." Urquidez is a 6'6" tackle and composite four-star who Michigan did have some early contact with. Longshot, obviously.

Quick hits

AL OL Toryque Bateman named Michigan and Tennessee leaders. He'll announce a top eight shortly, one that presumably includes those two schools. CA OL Chuck Filiaga has no top list but definitely wants to visit. Moving to Texas this fall so distance probably not much of a factor.

NV DT Greg Rogers is planning a summer unofficial and potential official visit this fall. Lorenz isn't enthused about M's chances with him.

On the other hand, Lorenz moved UT DT Jay Tufele up on 247's listing of Michigan's prospect as he is "far and away" the DT Michigan would most like to pair with Solomon. An OSU/M battle could be on the way; Michigan has a Polynesian edge in that case.

MI S Jaylen Kelly-Powell on Jourdan Lewis:

"He's a great player, a phenomenal person," Kelly-Powell said of Lewis. "He's humble, he's a great person just to be around. ... I watch him a lot and try to be just like him, try to be as good as him."

Kelly-Powell remains the lockiest lock on the board.

OH DE James Hudson reports back from his visit over the weekend, telling Brice Marich it was a "ten of ten". Hudson also provided some clarity on what spot Michigan is recruiting him for:

"I fit right into their defense because of my size. It means a lot (hearing about early playing time) and I feel like I could be a dominant 3-tech for them. They do a lot of the things that I do at my high school.”

Hudson's already 280 so that makes sense. If Hudson is a DT prospect for Michigan then you can fit a guy like CA DE DJ Johnson in the class relatively easily.

A Rivals reporter caught up with TX LB Baron Browning after his trips to Michigan and Notre Dame last weekend. Browning doesn't tip his hand at all, but making those trips with his brother and former Harbaugh player Barry can't hurt. Baron on Barry on Harbaugh:

“…he said ‘One thing I will say about Coach Harbaugh is that he is going to get the best out of you. He said that Harbaugh is really competitive. … He said that Coach Tolbert would definitely have me right and ready to compete."

A second planned unofficial to OSU next month is off. No indication where he's leaning or even where he might visit officially. Dude is one of the mystery recruits of the cycle.

Josh Henschke reports from Michigan's NorCal camp, which appears to be one of the more loaded camps they've had. CA DT Popo Aumave, CA DE DJ Johnson, CA TE Josh Falo and CA OL Aaron Banks all say they will take visits; CA RB Najee Harris also attended and worked out.

Johnson told Rivals that Michigan is "around his top schools" in part because Michigan will let him wear #1. I can get behind a DE with 1 on his jersey. Aumave says he'll officially visit M, USC, and probably Oregon.

So here's this guy

Also in dramatic smokebomb recruit entrances: GA LB Dennis Bell tells Maize and Blue News that he was on the verge of committing to Michigan:

Working at the U-M’s Shine Time Camp this week, he impressed the coaching staff enough to receive a scholarship offer from the Maize and Blue on Thursday. That was significant for Bell, who originally planned on committing the instant the offer came through, describing Michigan as his dream school. Ultimately though, cooler heads pulled him back from making the early decision.

“I was going to announce it today on Twitter, but then my coach was like ‘don’t do it yet,’” Bell said of his plan to commit. “He said wait until later in the summer. I think it will probably be the week before we go back to school.”

Bell, a former teammate of Elysee Mbem-Bosse, is a two-star only ranked by two sites and only has Georgia State and Miami (Not That Miami) offers per 247. His composite ranking is around 1700.

I'm dubious that this is actually a thing. Michigan appears to be "offering" people for PR purposes. For example, there was recently a farcical exchange between various sites about an offer to NC QB Jackson Gibbs, who is 1) a 2017 QB and 2) the grandson of Joe Gibbs. Gibbs reported an offer; various reporters said this was not a thing; Rivals got quotes that insisted it was a full offer, not a PWO; Rivals then clarified that this offer was not in fact committable. Soooooo… yeah. The destruction of the English language for marketing purposes continues apace.

Anyway, I don't expect anything to come out of either recruitment.

Okay then

Happy trails to CA OL Wyatt Davis, who announces today. Nobody expects it to be Michigan; OSU appears to be it.

Comments

74polSKA

June 24th, 2016 at 12:57 PM ^

Harley looks good to my untrained eye in that Rivals video. I give respect to a kid who puts a Bible verse about being humble at the beginning of his highlight reel too. Hope he goes Blue!

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His Dudeness

June 24th, 2016 at 1:23 PM ^

Can someone explain how it would be a good PR move to say a kid has an offer and then find ot that the kid actually doesn't have an offer? I'm not asking so much about the kid and his feelings here as much as how this could possibly be a good PR move. Unless they are telling a kid "go ahead and say we offered" and not actually offer and that will make a WMU or Miami (NTM) auto-offer an actual offer. Is that a thing?

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Farnn

June 24th, 2016 at 1:52 PM ^

I'd guess it's something like: "kid, you balled out today and if we didn't have some guys committed or very close to committing, we'd love to have you in the class. Here's a non committable offer, but we'll keep in touch as and if a spot opens up we'll let you know.". Gives the kid exposure and rewarda him for doing well.

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Albatross

June 24th, 2016 at 2:08 PM ^

It seems like we suffer from a lack of planning and focus. Michigan is going to always pull kids if you show interest, that has been been true thoughtout our history. It all comes down to who you are showing interest to and where you are focusing your engery. So I am left with the feeling that no matter where our class ends up, it could have been better with greater planning and focus.

As usual OSU is cleaning up this year and, surprise, they are doing it without the help of a million sattelite camps. They are just using the tried and true method of identify, pursue, commit. It is the way Michigan ruled recruiting for years, putting more players in the NFL for a span of 12 years than anyone but Miami.

It is discouraging that we seemed to have lost ground on Isisah Wilson as soon as he named us his leader. More discouraging still that we have had no updates of substance on DPJ. At this point i feel neither will end up in this class.

Contrast that with OSU's approach where they seem to build on their leads and it all comes down to focus and planning.

 

 

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Never

June 24th, 2016 at 2:17 PM ^

OSU has won a natty under Meyer and just sent eleventy bazillion kids to the NFL last draft. No "need" of multiple satellite camps.

There have been quite a few predictions by those in the know (Wiltfong, Lorenz, et al) for DPJ to Michigan, based on a bit of tea leaf reading and more "tangible" evidence.There also have been substantive updates.

No updates from Wilson as he has gone radio silent. iirc many expect it to come down to Michigan or Alabama.

Michigan is in on quite a few top notch OL. They're considered the favorites for JKP and Ambry Thomas. Alabama has become increasingly pessimistic about Nico Collins while Michigan's confidence is increasing. Lots of background noise wrt their recruiting yes, but some great music being played if you tune in.

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Brimley

June 24th, 2016 at 5:02 PM ^

Also, OSU is the only major program in a state that is, what, top five (?) in terms of high school programs and recruits.

Also also, I actually believe JH that he'd be in on top recruits without satellites (thanks HUDL) and that the primary thrust is to look at diamonds in the rough and just promote football.

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Quailman

June 24th, 2016 at 5:19 PM ^

A lack of planning and focus is most certainly not something UM suffers from with Harbaugh at the helm.

Michigan has not always pulled kids if they showed interest, look at the last 7 or so years. There is a strategy and a focus to what the coaches are doing. You and I have no idea where they are focusing their energy. But a top 5 class last year and another one developing this year seem to show they are focusing it at pretty talented players. 

It's a process, sometimes kids put UM out in front early, and it fades away. Just the same as UM got guys like Sheldon Johnson and the other Florida boys who were thought to be locks elsewhere but came around to UM.

Not sure where you are getting the negativity about DPJ, i'm not ready to say he is a lock, but most everything about him lately has been pretty positive. 

Was OSU suffering from lack of planning and focus when Sibley, who had been committed forever, was asked to greyshirt and then eventually left because the bucks had other RB that came around? 

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MGoStrength

June 24th, 2016 at 6:32 PM ^

If you are expecting UM to out recruit and beat OSU on a regular basis I think you are setting yourself up for frustration.  OSU has a geographical advantage in that they don't have an instate program as good as MSU & there tends to be more talent in the state of OH than MI.  Also, they've had more success in the past decade.  So, they have an advantage. 

 

I wouldn't call success beating OSU in recruiting every year.  I'd call success beating them in recruiting once every few years and being within 3-4 spots in the recruiting rankings of them.  That will give UM enough talent to be competitive with the right coaching staff.  For the most part, they've done that, they just haven't had the right coaching staff.  So, for Harbaugh to come in and and get two top 5 classes and get within a few class ranks of OSU in his first 2 years is promising.

 

Don't get me wrong, I'm super frustrated that our recruiting success in 2012 and 2013 hasn't panned out yet into beating OSU and that we've been beaten by them so many times in the past 10 years, but there's no reason to think we can't beat them in 2016, which would say a lot about the 2012 and 2013 classes.  There are no gurantees, but a win is do-able, even on the road.  Then, there's no way around it, 2017 will be a rebuilding year.  But, the way recruiting is going 2017 & 2018 should be good years.  If Harbaugh stays, the future is bright.  Kids are drawn to this guy.  He is electric.  Mattison remains a strong recruiter.  Wheatley is a great recruiter.  So is Partridge.  And, people seem to love Brown's tenacity and will even more if they have a great year defensively, which it looks like it will.

 

So, bottom line, is just hold off judgement for a few more years.  We will have a great class this year.  We had a great class last year.  And, they should only get better.  We have every reason to believe the OSU game is winable this year, all caveots apply.  Then, lets see how things play out.  I know we've heard this all before, but c'mon, it's Harbaugh.  He deserves a little more respect than Hoke and RR.  He's proven at every level multiple times.  There's only one Jim Harbaugh and we have him.

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Mr Miggle

June 24th, 2016 at 9:15 PM ^

Let's not worry about OSU's recruiting. They're on track to easily be #1 in the nation this year. It's unrealistic to have the goal of beating that result. Yes, they have some built in advantages. They should pull in top notch classes each year.

We're recruiting well enough for Harbaugh to field really good teams. Good enough to beat OSU or anyone else. That's my bottom line. He's doing that without yet having those results on the field. Things will only get better and OSU's recruiting should help ours. It's boosting the prestige of our conference and division. Recruits are already being attracted by our rivalry.

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MGoStrength

June 25th, 2016 at 10:26 AM ^

Agree with both you and Wiggle that OSU has always slightly out recruited UM in modern times and they likely always will unless they go through some massive problems like really bad coaching change or major NCAA sanctions.  And, I agree that we only need to be close to OSU, not neccessarily ahead of them.  They will always recruit well and we will be disapointed if we expect to be ahead of them in the class rankings on a regular basis.  I further agree that history shows that we typically recruit pretty damned well and close to OSU, even the past decade when we haven't been great on the field with only a few exceptions of the first year of a new coach when he only had a few months to put a class together. 

 

The only thing I will disagree with is the comment that history shows if we are close enough in recruiting we will be fine.  I do agree it's true with the right coaching staff.  Bo, Moeller, Carr, and Hoke (3 of 4 years) were all competitive, but with differing degrees of number of actual wins versus close losses.  But, the minute Tressel & Meyer got there despite being competitive we simply haven't won any games head-to-head with the exception of the one Tatgate year with an interim coach for OSU. 

 

So, while I truely believe that it's true if we recruit close enough to OSU with the right coaching staff (I believe Harbaugh's staff is that), we will win our fair share of head-to-head games against OSU, I'm not sure I'd make the leap to say history suggests it.  For the past 15 years that has not been true from my perspective.

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Mr Miggle

June 25th, 2016 at 2:27 PM ^

recruiting. But we are going to be behind them right now and we're not going to catch up by taking the exact same approach Meyer does. Innovating like Harbaugh does is making a difference, despite the illogical claims of Albatross. Ultimately, we're recruiting against about 25 other teams, not just OSU.

We can't worry too much about how well OSU recruits, unless they consistently beat us head to head. I don't expect that to be the case. We're already doing much better in those in-state battles with MSU. I don't think it's a coincidence that their recruiting is falling off.  

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MGoStrength

June 26th, 2016 at 12:10 PM ^

I'm not sure what Meyer's approach is, but Harbaugh is certainly unique.  I think his approach is effective and I think he's a better recruiter than Meyer.  UM and OSU offer different things and that's OK.  For Harbaugh to land 2 top 5 classes is pretty impressive.  But, as far as I can tell, UM has only beaten OSU in the team rankings 2 of the last 10 years.  Now, that's according to ESPN and they are within 1 or 2 spots in the rankings a number of years so it may be different on different sites. 

 

That's pretty good evidence that OSU typically recruits better than UM.  I didn't say UM will never have better classes than OSU.  I said OSU will always recruit well and if we expect to be ahead of them in the class rankings regularly then we will be disapointed. 

 

I know we are competing against the rest of the country, but OSU will always be a point of comparison to tell how we stack up nationally because they are one of the few regional teams that continues to be successful nationally year after year, in addition to our biggest rival.

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DHughes5218

June 25th, 2016 at 1:27 AM ^

I get the feeling that you're an Osu fan who is just posting so you can mention how great their recruiting class is this year. We get it. Yes, they do have an amazing class. That tends to happen after a national championship and putting all those players in the league, but the bad news for buckeye fans is Michigan is recruiting pretty damn well also. The talent from #30 in the rankings and #130 isn't absurd and when you factor in development, motivation, and system fit, the gap becomes nonexistent. The days of OSU taking the field with the superior athletes versus Michigan every year are over. Harbaugh did pretty well at Stanford against the PAC 12 powers and that was with inferior talent. In the NFL, where the talent gap is even less, you rely on getting the most out of your players and scheming to your strengths, Harbaugh excelled. For the first time in his career, Harbaugh will be leading a team onto the field that, talent-wise, is as good if not better than his opponent. I like Michigan's chances, this year and every year after. You can keep bragging about OSU if you want and enjoy it while you can because it won't last much longer.

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ghostofhoke

June 25th, 2016 at 1:11 AM ^

Albatross, you are an awful poster. You should do yourself and everyone a favor and stop following recruiting because you clearly are not able to grasp how it works.

OSU's approach is winning on the field, just like Bama's. That's what brings in the big recruits. Michigan is playing catch up but making up a ton of ground. When we're back in the top 5 elite programs consistently over the next few years we'll be steadily bringing in that top flight talent as well.



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1VaBlue1

June 24th, 2016 at 1:28 PM ^

Sooo...  Color me crazy, but I don't really like Darnay Holmes tweet with the dollar sign in it.  It was placed in a bad spot - "...go get your $ at #GoBigBlue"

I'm assuming (hoping) he means working towards the NFL while at UM, and not the Ole Miss model.  Anyone else see that and think 'what the?' ???

Otherwise, this was a nice read.  Especially the part about Solomon being 100% committed coming from a GA writer!

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schreibee

June 24th, 2016 at 3:52 PM ^

We are not "officially" Big Blue, and Michigan Stadium is not "officially" the Big House... but if a bunch of highly sought after football recruits want to get together and use Big Blue as a way of identifying with the University and each other, I have no more problem with that then if Keith Jackson wants to say "Whoa Nelly, it's a gonna be a barn burner at the Big House..."

Why would you?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

But I did agree with not liking "get your $ at Michigan"

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