Thursday Recruitin' Is My Guy
The Opening Updates: Michigan Commits
The Opening, Nike's questionably named elite camp, is now under way out in Beaverton, Oregon—the location is not helping matters, Nike. Brandon Peters has already been out there for a few days due to the Elite11 quarterback camp, which runs in conjunction with The Opening, and he's now joined by Michael Onwenu and a slew of Michigan targets.
Peters has consistently been mentioned by recruiting analysts as being among the top on-field performers at the Elite11. That didn't change on Tuesday, when he was one of just three quarterbacks to hit all six throws in the 7-on-7 drive-the-field drill, which earned him the #3 top performer spot from 247's Barton Simmons:
3. Brandon Peters (Michigan commit)
Stats: 6 for 6, 2 TDs
Quietly, Peters continues to be one of the most consistent performers in this Elite 11 group. There was never a doubt on any of his throws, he spun it well and put it on the money for every throw. Rarely do you see Peters throw a wobbler or skip a football.
After being left off the initial Elite11 list from the camp counselors, Peters snuck into a tie for 11th after Tuesday; when they updated the list today, Peters was omitted.
Onwenu, meanwhile, impressed both onlookers and those running the camp yesterday. 247's Brian Perroni ranked Onwenu fourth among offensive linemen after a strong performance in the OL/DL one-on-ones:
The 6-foot-3, 365-pound Michigan commit is stronger as a run blocker on tape but he was pretty much impossible for the defensive tackles to move on Wednesday. He had the entire offensive jumping up and down when he threw a defender to the ground like a rag doll.
The camp agreed with the recruiting analysts, selecting Onwenu as one of the "Final 5" offensive linemen who get to face off in a best of the best one-on-one session with the top five D-linemen, which included five-star M target Rashan Gary.
[Hit THE JUMP for the rest of the roundup.]
The Opening: Everyone Else Updates
With huge events like The Opening, recruits often give interviews to multiple outlets. In the case of Rashan Gary, that can lead to a lot of contradictory quotes. The good news is multiple reporters mention that Michigan and Auburn are seemingly out in front for Gary, though he's staying mum regarding favorites. The bad news is it's impossible to decipher where he's planning to take visits the rest of the summer. I want to believe this:
I'm also hearing Gary and the NJ/Pa group will likely visit #Michigan for the BBQ in July @TimS_Wolverine @rivalsmike
— Adam Friedman (@RivalsFriedman) July 7, 2015
It's hard to do so, unfortunately, since Gary told TomVH he'd be making a swing through SEC country ($):
"Next weekend I have Georgia and the weekend after that LSU," he said. "Also hitting Alabama, Ole Miss and Auburn again."
While Georgia and LSU seem set—Gary told Sam Webb he'd visit those schools, too—those others perhaps not so much; here's what Gary told Adam Friedman ($):
"I've been talking to Clemson, Baylor, Florida State, Alabama and USC," Gary said. "I'm trying to get out there."
There were rumors that Gary would be visiting Ole Miss, Auburn and Alabama in mid-July, but he says that isn't happening.
"I'm just getting back into my football team," he said. "We're building that bond so we can go win a state championship. That's the goal and that's what I'm focused on."
We'll see, I guess?
Four-star PA TE Naseir Upshur, who might as well be a member of the New Jersey contingent, has Michigan in his top two as his planned August 8th decision date approaches:
TE Nas Upshur says he still has his top 8 but Michigan and Florida State are at the top pic.twitter.com/1XDdLX51CY
— Tom VanHaaren (@TomVH) July 7, 2015
Upshur visited Michigan last month and will take a trip to Florida State next week, and he might also visit Alabama after that. His decision timeframe is less certain. He told TomVH he might make a decision in August ($). He told 247's Steve Wiltfong that he may pump the brakes after talking to his parents:
Upshur, who less than two weeks ago said he was going to commit on August 8th, is not 100% sure he is going to stick to that timeline, although he still may.
"I talked with my parents after I got back from Michigan and they think I am going too fast with things," he said. "So I am thinking about slowing it down. Michigan had the edge after the visit but I want to see some other schools."
Either way, Michigan looks to be in very good shape right now, though we'll see what develops after the visit to Tallahassee.
Top-100 CA ATH Lamar Jackson still has his eye on Michigan; he told Scout that Michigan is in his top seven, and he plans to make it up to Ann Arbor sooner or later ($):
“If I don’t make it this summer -- I want to make it this summer -- if I don’t I’ll take an official visit,” Jackson said. “Michigan is up there and I’m pretty sure they’ll be top five, for sure.
“Just cause (Jim) Harbaugh and the coaching staff, I get good vibes from them and they want me to play, they like my skill, technique and stuff like that. I feel I’d fit good in the scheme playing corner. It’s Harbaugh, so, I’m going to give it a shot.”
USC is the favorite there.
Four-star TX ILB Dontavious Jackson is still in the process of figuring out top schools and visits, but given what he told TomVH it sounds like Michigan will be in it until the end ($):
“I’m great at adapting, so weather isn’t going to affect me, and distance won’t either. I’m just looking for the best opportunity,” he said. “Michigan is on the up with the great, new coaching staff. Of course, Michigan also just switched over to Nike, and I love Nike.”
Four-star AZ DE Connor Murphy—the recruit Harbaugh babysat while recruiting his brother to Stanford—plans to visit Michigan "around the beginning of football season," per Steve Lorenz, and he has a lot of good things to say about Harbaugh:
"The Michigan visit will be an unofficial," he said. "Harbaugh is my guy. He's my brother's guy. Our family loves him. I want to go out there and see the community and see what I like about the place. I talked to him a couple weeks ago and he asked me what it was going to take to get me to come to Michigan. Over at Stanford he recruited tough guys and he's starting to do the same at Michigan. That's been his message; he wants to recruit the biggest, toughest, meanest guys. He wants guys like me there; I feel like that's my mentality."
Michigan appears to be gaining some steam here.
Sam Webb caught up with four-star FL LB Devin Bush Jr., who plans to make a commitment early in the school year, and M has a lot going in its favor ($):
“Coach Durkin, that’s my guy,” said Bush. “That’s my right hand man. We talk daily. He’s almost like becoming a father figure for me outside of the house.”
If that relationship was enough a lure, the recent commitments of his teammates and good friends Devin Gil and Josh Metellus have definitely added to the Wolverines’ appeal.
“It actually messed me up a little bit. I thought I was in the right track, all the right schools in mind and the next thing you know they committed. I’m like, aw man. Who wouldn’t want to play with their boys from high school, grew up with them. It’s huge.”
Auburn, Georgia, and Florida State, where his father played, are also in the mix.
Quickly: Four-star MD OG Terrance Davis still has Michigan out in front ($). Four-star Florida State TE commit Isaac Nauta is "definitely" going to take an official to Ann Arbor ($).
More 2016 Updates
Michigan is in the top seven for five-star CA LB Caleb Kelly. While that list is unordered, I've seen message board word that Kelly said Oklahoma leads with Michigan and Stanford rounding out his top three, but I can't find the quote; that would fit the general consensus on Kelly's recruitment.
Top-100 OT Landon Dickerson will take an official visit for the Oregon State game, and Michigan's interest sounds quite strong, per Rivals' Adam Friedman ($):
"I've been talking to Michigan and building a better relationship with the coaches up there," he said. "The more I talk with them, the more I become interested in Michigan. The education piece is awesome. They have a great engineering school. That's what has really caught my interest. I won't really be able to just take a day off and drive to visit them so I'd like to take an official visit up there and spend as much time as I can.
"I know they have four offensive linemen committed already and that was kind of a concern for me," he said. "When I talked to coach Drevno he said that, if they do get a fifth offensive lineman, they would always be able to make a spot for me if I wanted to go there.
Before people start freaking out about spots in the class, there's a long way to go here; Virginia Tech and Tennessee were Dickerson's early leaders, he recently visited Auburn and will take an official there, and he's got an upcoming visit to Florida State.
About that fifth O-line spot: four-star PA OG Johncarlo Valentin could very well be the guy to fill it, per Friedman ($):
"Michigan is hot," said Valentin. "I couldn't make it up on the last trip but that could have sealed the deal for Michigan. I'm still high on Michigan. I need to get up there with my family and if they like it that will probably be it for me. I'm still open to other schools until then."
Virginia Tech and Temple are the other schools pursuing him the hardest.
The top-ranked kicker in the country, Rockford's Quinn Nordin, will announce his decision tomorrow, per Rivals' Josh Helmholdt ($). While Michigan initially looked to be the destination, there's a good chance he picks Penn State tomorrow; the presence of Andrew David may have played a factor there, as could Michigan's dwindling number of spots in the class. Four-star CA OLB Camilo Eifler is choosing a school later today; it will not be Michigan despite their presence in his top six. Happy trails to him.
Etc.
Gotham's reckoning is upon us.
21 mph elevation mask @WINNERCIRCLECOS where animals are made 〽️ vid cred @SLUSHEE14 pic.twitter.com/XOgUUCEYzJ
— Victor viramontes (@Vicious_Vic10) July 8, 2015
In other news, four-star 2017 CB Jamyest Williams has Michigan outside of his top ten schools, though he still has them among five programs still under consideration anyway.
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or perhaps he was wondering why he would run on a treadmill while wearing a mask
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And it makes fat guys at the gym doing pull-ups look really stupid!
It helps take in oxygen, or reduces the amount of oxygen? I thought the whole point of the mask was to limit the oxygen your body gets - simular to if you were training at altitude. The premise being that your body becomes accustomed to training under more stress.
It reduces the amount of oxygen you are breathing in. This makes your body adapt to less oxygen intake and thus makes your body take in oxygen more efficiently. That essentially "helps you" take in more oxygen. You take in less, body adjusts, when you aren't wearing it you then take in more oxygen per inhale.
This is the key point: it helps you train your body to take in more oxygen, not utilization of oxygen (hemoglobin binding, transport, etc). It helps respiratory tidal volume (amount of breath per inhalation), which may or may not help improve performance.
These masks don’t actually generate lower oxygen concentrations in the air that you inhale, like an altitude tent; they use mechanical valves to generate resistance to inhalation instead.(Link here)
Vicious Vic is going to decommit and then commit to Colorado!!
the University of Tibet!
Just FYI, Isaac Nauta is now a 5 star to 247composite.
All reports are that he's absolutely killing it so far at the Opening and will be a 5* for most sites when they are re-ranked. Would LOVE to see a top class TE (who has good hands) commit to Michigan since we missed on Clark last year.
beginning mention of "The Opening" in Beaverton. Then I began the next sentence and you were discussing Peters. Can you put a NSFW disclaimer on this?
our QB recruit was named Johnson or Wood.
I think Peters works just fine.
As in, "Peters goes deep in Beaverton's Opening."
Wood Johnson.
Or six foot five Dick Johnson, he'd be a real big dick going to the openening in Beverton. He'd probably really tear it up and his favorite thing is going deep.
Everyone is buying into the hype that is surrounding this coaching group. It has to be hard for kids not to want to be apart of it. It looks to be fun next couple of month just seeing what will happen next.
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Well 35 days ago there were 19 scholarships open (if you believe Fab 25). A month later there are 5 (if you believe Fab 25). A lot of recruiting is when you commit as well. If he had pulled the trigger 3 weeks ago I think they'd have made room. Now as other kids come in and take those slots there doesnt seem to be the same room. With another K in the prior class there wasnt the urgency - he was a luxury pickup IMO. You could say the same for some of these guys from Flanagan IMO.
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Other schools may settle for the Jamy or even Jamyer Williams--we're gonna get the Jamyest.
#MichiganDifference
The leaders & the Jaymest!
I still worry about Onwenu weighing 365. That still troubles me for reasons that have nothing to do with football.
-Johncarlo Valentin ran the same 40 time as Tommy Kraemer (5.46), despite being 35 pounds heavier. Michael Onwenu ran .02 seconds slower than either of them, despite outweighing Kraemer by 62 pounds, and Valentin by 39. Onwenu is a freak. Also, Onwenu and Valentin are the two biggest guys at The Opening. I wouldn't be opposed to seeing that type of beef on the interior.
#TheOpening Finals | Day 2
#Final5 OL
Terrance Davis
Baveon Johnson
Greg Little
Michael Onwenu
E.J. Price pic.twitter.com/mBXlHbSbSH
— The Opening (@TheOpening) July 9, 2015
to my naive eye EJ Price didn't look very good in the video at the top of the post.
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I really hope Victor Viramontes ends up being the player his tape and projections make him out to be. He seems like one of those guys I'm going to love to cheer for and watch, he's just incredibly entertaining.
Viramontes seems like the arithmetic mean of Denard and Tate.
How can there be such a difference between onlookers evaluations and the coaches there? Saw this last year as well, and before you respond, "Trent Dilfer sucks" or something, first of all there's no statisitical proof of that with regard to his evaluations there, second of all there are a lot of qualified others coaching there, and third, many excellent college QB's have come through there out of the top 11. When Shane Morris was there and didn't make top 11 people on the board were blasting the Elite 11, but so far that looks accurate (though to be fair to critics, so far only 3 of the top 11 that year have distinguished themselves).
Onlookers/recruiting profilers base their rankings almost entirely on things related to throwing a football (or running with one).
Elite 11 Coaches base rankings on whatever the heck they feel like that day. Guy learned their playbook quick? Points! Guy competed hard despite missing early throws, points! Play adequately through injury, points! etc You can have a very bad day to all observers, but nail your last 7-on-7 or 2 minute drill and get tons of credit to Dilfer.
thanks. Not sure it 'splains everything, but it makes sense. Though you were a little flippant, it kind of makes sense that intanglibes would figure into grades actually.
Cannot wait for Vicious Vic!
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I am a big fan of O'Korn and Gentry, but if Vic can throw I think he can be a Dak Prescott lite. The elevation masks are always fun to see. In regards to Vicious Vic wearing one:
can we stop putting so much merit on workout/training snippets. Other than the kid is athletic and shows the ability to be a self-starter that's all those really mean. Training is good and we want the guys to show up ready to go but... there is so much more to being able to get on the field at the Big House than working out in pleasant and sometimes elite environments.
Training when an athlete gets to college is a significantly different proposition. Injuries, classes, sub-zero temps, exams, out the night befores.., S&C coaches that aren't paid by your parents to train you but rather break you down and build you up, plus doing about 300+ days a year for years.... are all things that really can start to separate kids. HS training is good but not a definate success indicator for getting into a full time D1 regimen/program
Absolutely understand why the Opening and other things exist nowadays but they are so dang artificial that much if not all doesn't mean anything. 7 v 7 does not always translate into "Tom Brady", there is not a single coach in the NCAA who cares what a SPARQ score is, most good D-line guys will win on a no pads, 1v1 drill against a linemen rushing a tackling dummy.
Yeah, you guys....stop getting so excited about watching elite athletes doing athletic stuff. Everyone knows, that's not what this board is for.
Now lets get back to talking about uniforms....
Nike only makes masterpieces...
Naseir Upshur putting on a show at 7on @TheOpening. @NaseirUpshur @Imhotepfootball http://t.co/qInpIcOjqo @TremendousUM @clintbrew247
— Ryan Bartow (@RyanBartow) July 9, 2015
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