The Franklin thing in a nutshell. PSU's OL coach catching strays from Anonymous NFL OL Coach:

Penn State’s Olu Fashanu

“He’s extremely athletic for his size. Their system is hard to watch. You’ve gotta sift through that stuff. The guys shuffle. They play with high-pad level. They don’t snap and strike guys. But he’s got all the traits. He’s a good prospect.”

Phil Trautwein has been their OL coach since 2020, but PSU's grim OL goes back farther than that.

Also. A couple of Michigan takes from that article:

Michigan’s Michael Barrett

“This is a really good player someone will get in the fifth or sixth round. Just a tough-ass kid. He’s a junkyard dog. Plays faster than what he runs. I hate saying that because once you get to the NFL that stuff catches up to you, but I like him a lot. I think he’ll be a really good special teams player too.”

And on Sainristil:

On Michigan’s Mike Sainristil

DB Coach 2: “He is one of my favorites. The habits are just so good. I’m not leery of his size because I think he plays a lot bigger. I have no reservations about him. He’s so aggressive and plays the ball so well in the air. I think he uses his lack of size to an advantage because he’s super quick and he’s able to get around blocks and people can’t get their hands on him.”

Scout 1: “He’s one of the best football players on anybody’s board if he’s on their board. Some guys will think he’s too small. Some guys will take him too high. Really good zone nickel. Really good player. He’s versatile, but the size is a concern. I like big guys. If he adds to your culture, it makes sense.”

DB Coach 1: “I’m not as high on him as some people. I think he’s a really good zone nickel. He has all the production with his eyes on the quarterback. He’s really good at that but does that fit what you do at that position? To me the highest value of the nickel is, can he cover the slot? And you don’t really see that as his major skill set.”

[After the JUMP: additional basketball man?]

Maybe one more basketball guy. Dusty May may not be completely done building his roster. Sam Webb had Mike Boynton Jr on for an hour and a half this morning and Bonyton said that "not everybody has made that decision" in reference to the players on the roster sticking around. I'd be surprised if that's in reference to Tschetter or Burnett, who both look like they'll have important roles.

So: Michigan is being listed by a couple wing/PF types. They were on a relatively short list for Stanford freshman Andrej Stojakovic (yes that Stojakovic), but he just cut it to three and Michigan is not included.

Michigan popped up on the long list of freshman Duke PF TJ Power, a top-20 recruit a year ago who proceeded to play about four minutes a game before being recruited over. Power just entered on Friday, the day that Michigan hosted (and likely got a commit from) Sam Walters, so it's unlikely Michigan's contact came before they knew what the deal was with Walters.

Michigan is also on the long list of Duke PF Sean Stewart. We'll see if anyone makes it to campus.

FWIW, Trey Townsend and Joshua Jefferson committed to Arizona and Iowa State, respectively. Justin Abson committed to UGA.

The already committed. Michigan officially announced Tre Donaldson and Sam Walters. The only transfer who's publicly committed but not announced is Danny Wolf.

College hockey changes on the horizon. The shifting sands of NIL and whatnot may cause a seismic shift in the landscape of college hockey:

Should players from the OHL, QMJHL and WHL be eligible for NCAA hockey, something they haven't been eligible for since the early 1980s?

“Those are the discussions we've had with the people from the NCAA,” said Minnesota Duluth head coach Scott Sandelin …

"…it is a little hard to defend the current system when we have college athletes that are benefiting in a big way from NIL, and yet we've said that people playing major junior hockey who are getting meal money or stipend, whatever it is, are professional, not eligible.

This would be a major realignment. In the past the NCAA has been loathe to let this happen because they've worried that players will pick the CHL over the NCAA because they can just go play college after their major junior career concludes at 20. Recent years probably mitigate those concerns, since major junior has seemingly lost ground with American prospects relative to the USHL and NTDP. It would still be real weird.

One thing that's seemingly not going to change: the worst tournament in sports.

“For a national tournament, this continues to be the best format,” Hockey East commissioner Steve Metcalf said. “I know there are other formats. The other suggested formats, I think, have fatal flaws for a national tournament. Neutrality is important. The majority of the coaches support the format we currently have."

If the prospect of North Dakota, Michigan, and Michigan State playing in the Blues' practice facility doesn't move people, nothing will. And that's the Hockey East commissioner, not ECAC or Atlantic Hockey. Even if the entire western wing of college hockey wants on-campus regionals that's not happening without some buy-in from the east.

Etc.: Potential first-rounder Matvei Gridin profiled on NHL.com. Some Tre Donaldson clips. Mike Boynton talks about things. Helmet communication suddenly happens. I WONDER WHY. This whole CFP debacle is a Mike Sankey grudge.