Four star CB Aaron Scott to announce July 30th.
4 star Jameer Grimsley is announcing this weekend.
Doesn’t look good on either front.
Geographically a consistent top-5ish class probably isn't achievable. Ohio State is basically the only northern school to accomplish it and that takes a combination of getting southern kids and having the best northern talent recruiting territory in their backyard. That's not to say that we can't get top-5 talent (as shown in re-ranked classes), but the recruiting sites and prospect grading will always favor the southern prospects (which may be merited).
In my opinion, if schools like UM, ND, and PSU are in the 6-11 range, they are crushing it in recruiting. That essentially means they've out-recruited one or several schools with geographical advantages -- Texas, Alabama, LSU, Georgia, Texas A&M, Florida, Florida State, USC, Clemson, Oklahoma, Tennessee.
I honestly don’t think the Michigan coaches give a fuck about the recruiting rankings, and why should they? They are consistently taking 3 stars and turning them into NFL draft picks. I like that they value character and potential over just talent.
Unlike basketball, 🏀 one football player does not make a team. But a bad locker room guy could ruin a team. Any seeming physical limitations are consistently fixed by the best S&C coach in the Country.
Whatever they are doing, it’s working. Any gains we make in the near future on NIL, recruiting more 5 stars or opportunities through the 12 team playoff, are a bonus.
I don't think they care until they play a team like UGA where the talent discrepancy is evident
What if Lockhart commits to OSU this weekend?
might change the calculus…
I agree it doesn’t look good. We really need cornerbacks. Hopefully we have some good contingency plans but scrambling for corners when our biggest rivals recruit 5 star wide receivers every year isn’t going to pay dividends
Nichols come on down.
As long as the portal is available I have no doubt that Michigan can bring in an experienced CB or two every season if need be. Having a competent DC means everything. Look at the positions Knowles put his highly rated secondary in.
OSU lock.
The reality is OSU still has the attention of their states players even though we won the last 2 years. They have grown up seeing OSU beat Michigan all their life. Maybe I am looking into this a little too much but this just continues to confirm that all Buckeyes just look at our last two wins as a fluke and that OSU will get back to the top. It’s not happening this year. Michigan will not lose more than one game this year and will be back in the playoffs. However, I do not think Michigan will continue to beat OSU every year so the series is going to start evening out with the home team winning the majority of the time. Go Blue!
My man from Springfield is not following in my footsteps. Too bad.
I hope that tomorrow there's no hard feelings.
I am calling it right now that Scott is going to commit to OSU but will be in Michigan’s class by the time he enrolls. Michigan is going to clubber lang OSU in AA this year and this kid is going to have a front row seat. The amount of negativity and staff uncertainty following that beat down will be of epic proportions. The entire state of Ohio will be outside Day’s house with pitchforks. He’s all blue even if he doesn’t know it yet. Even dad will come around to see the light. Save this post because it is a glimpse into the future.
Doubt most kids make their college decision on the result of one game. Even if they did, they see it as an opportunity to help the losing school. Especially if there’s a natural leaning to that school. Huge egos and talented athletes say “won’t lose when I’m there, will turn this around.”
I'd love for that to happen but I don't think there's ever been a flip like that in the rivalry, where a Oho commit, flips after they lose to us. Would be unprecedented and the family blowback would be horrific I will say with a coaching change it could happen but I still doubt it. Let's hope
Clearly torn. Doesn't feel like things go our way on these against Ohio for Ohio kids. But let's hope
Anything can change between now and signing day. I doubt the coaches will stop recruiting them until then.
Why is it so hard to get a good DB to come here?
Not sure. Why don't you ask Will Johnson?
He said he would like some help on the other side
This class would be coming in the summer before what could be Will Johnson's last season. The sky isnt falling but Clinkscale needs to kick it in gear. If OSU is targeting 4 CBs and taking 2 we should at least kick the tires on all 4. Im ok with the leftovers in this case.
Prob not possible at this point but even just one other WJ type player would be ideal. I'm sure the staff are doing what they can to salvage
Secondary recruiting really needs to improve.
What a waste of energy and resources. Failing on both Scott and west is terrible
Not at all. Need to build relationships with the coaches and network at all elite pipeline HS programs.
You can't force a kid to pick your team. They have to want to be there. It might take another win or two for those ohio kids to see osucks isnt the big dog on the street anymore.
Wingdings is still the gold standard. No point trying to fight it.
I have to get something off my chest since I can only take so much rosy, rosy subjective nonsense before I get annoyed.
This 24 class is shaping up to be very nice. Everyone should be comfortable with it. But I am so tired of so many of the insiders acting like it’s something that’s it’s not. It would be easy to be under the impression that it’s going to be one of the greatest Michigan classes ever they way they talk about it. Just in terms of recruiting rankings, it’s not. Not even close. It probably won’t even end up a Top 5 class nationally. At this point it would be surprising if it ended up with as many Top 100 kids as the 16 and 17 classes.
It’s shaping up to be a very strong class, Top 10, but frankly, it is what it should be and to me it just feels like it’s getting overblown largely in part to compensate for how poorly last year’s class wound up given the program’s success.
And as someone who attempts to have an objective view, it drives me nuts. Rant over.
To end on a more positive note, I feel like the program (from Ben Herbert to the entire coaching staff) is in a much better position to develop and take advantage of the kids in this upcoming class though. So I have no doubt that we will end up with many studs from this group.
Okay, go ahead and neg away.
But I am so tired of so many of the insiders acting like it’s something that’s it’s not
I mean the momentum for this class has changed a lot in the past few weeks. This class being a top 5 class looked very possible a few weeks ago then we lost Chiles, Mayo, Carter, West, and now it looks like we’re going to lose Tatum, Scott, Palepale, Uini, etc. Those were all guys we either led for or were top 2 for
After the OSU win this season, we will finish STRONG! Like last minute signing day 4/5 Star guys who we aren’t even talking about right now strong.
I think the hype was more about the speed that they were able to assemble a really good class, as opposed to the quality of the class at the final whistle. They had a guaranteed top-15 class by like May -- which left them with the luxury of taking some big swings to close the 2024 class with, as well as getting a jump on the 2025 trail. Notre Dame has been similarly impressive.
Its a very strong class but its only 1 class. They can end up with a stronger class next season. Honestly, I think the TCU loss hurt. I'm going to assume there were many of these recruits watching that game wanting to see how Michigan would manhandle TCU and it didnt happen.
Michigans first playoff win and a rematch with UGA would have been great for recruiting but something else happened... osu backed their asses in the playoff even though they got smoked at home people remember osu barely losing to UGA more than Michigan destroying them.
They were a FG away from being in the NC game. I believe that night factored in the decision for some of those kids.
The entire world puts that OSU loss as a second place finish in the playoff/season. 2 losses to end the season has been a killer for U of M. For OSU its a second place finish. Back to back 3 score wins vs OSU isnt enough I guess. Who am I to challenge insanity at these levels.
I agree, very frustrating. As impressive as last year’s win in Columbus was, it was somehow overshadowed by the Playoff, which OSU had no business being in.
Man, the secondary is looking like a real trouble spot in 2024 and 2025.
When in doubt portal it out. Michigan will continue to get kids to transfer here so long as we continue to win
Everyone wants the top X guys and we should be getting them. There are some things that make me feel good with the guys we are getting and their rankings.
1. With NIL, you get the Texas A&M deal where top players are just chasing the money and aren't about the TEAM, the TEAM, the TEAM. (I'm talking in general, not about Scott here.)
2. We're pretty good at scouting under the radar guys.
3. We have a pretty good recent history of turning the under the radar guys like Ojabo into stars. With the portal the guys who don't turn into stars usually transfer somewhere to get more playing time.
4. WIth the portal we (and everyone else) can get great players to transfer in to be on the big stage. Olu being the #1 example.
5. It seems like we have a pretty good culture. Corum came back. Getting an extra year out of Corum beats getting a 5* RB who may or may not pan out. (Bird in the hand.)
Nah, we're going to have another great year and either kids will de-commit from other schools or we'll be a highly sought-after destination for corners in the portal.
Success begets success.
Edit: Looks like me and '97 National had the same take. I was just slower with the trigger.
Portal man, portal. Michigan will have no problem grabbing an experienced CB. Plug and play.
Well that sucks. Hopefully they get Nichols who looks pretty good, but who knows what else they can do in the secondary. It's a little worrying how iffy the secondary recruiting has been the last couple years.
I think just being in a fight with OSU for Ohio kids who OSU is hard after is a good sign. You just wish they can close the gap faster.
You just have to keep beating them. Every year isn't reasonable (though wanted) but more often than not you gotta beat them for a bit here on out to turn that tide.
They have an entire generation of people that basically never saw them lose to Michigan. Someone born in 2000 was alive for 2 losses and probably only witnessed 1 loss until 2021. They made it to age 21 with a single loss in their memory. That's crazy.
If you beat them with regularity or just keep it 50/50, it'll go back to how it was when I came up in the 80s/90s and half of my friends in Ohio were UM fans. Losing so badly for so long REALLY hurt UM recruiting in Ohio. If OSU wants a kid they'll get them because it's a base from HS coaches to players that was hardened on maybe the best streak they'll ever have against UM. It really can't be discounted.
I was thinking the buzz on Clink was that he not only developed defensive backs but he was a great recruiter. I’d be lying if I said I’m not concerned over our long term prospects at corner. Scott is most likely Ohio St, Grimsley is trending to Bama and Nichols is trending UK. We haven’t even been mentioned with any others that I’m aware of. I’d prefer not to forgo corner commits for the 2024 class.
Have fun playing with Jeff Okudah cause that’s the development you’ll get at osu under Knowles. Maybe worse. Good luck to the kid.
I suppose anything can happen, but it’s probably pretty screwed up to commit to to Michigan on your Dad’s birthday when your Dad is a huge OSU fan.
I’d just say he’s gone and that it’s time to move on.
If we pull him, Jacob Oden deserves a lot of the credit as well as Coach Clink of course.
https://twitter.com/BriceMarich/status/1671536282676129794
OSU already having two 4 star CBs on board and his connections with Clink and the players makes me think this will fall our way.
For as many reasons as there is for him to come to Michigan (proven development, early playing time, etc.), do you really think he would commit to Michigan on his dad's birthday? His dad is a diehard OSU fan, and he's set his commitment date for his dad's birthday.
Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but I kind of doubt it. Seems like it would be somewhat of a middle finger to your Dad with telling him "Hey, I'm committing to the school you've hated your whole life. Happy birthday, by the way!"
If it was on any other day, I'd say Michigan's chances are very good. But at this point, Scott committing to OSU seems like a formality. In any case, his choice and his life. Best of luck to him save for the final Saturday in November, when I hope he has the worst games of his life 3-4 years in a row.
I certainly don't know his father, so I don't know how diehard he is. I grew up in PA. My dad was a PSU fan, but he told me that it was up to me, and he continues to be proud of my choice. If this were my son, and he chose OSU for all the right reasons and declared on my birthday, I would be thrilled for him.
In any case, I hope the decision he makes works out for him and his family. College is more than just developing your football talents, it's about developing these young men into the next generation of leaders for our world. That's why I was one of the few that continued to support Harbaugh throughout the rough years, because I think he provides the full complement of development, inside and out. Likewise, I would support this kid if it's truly best for him, as well.
I haven’t been enamored with Clinks recruiting. Will Johnson is a legacy so that was gift wrapped. Even last year was rocky until Hill commited way late. I agree I thought his rep was as a great recruiter. Have yet to see it.
I agree and also it seems like our coaches should be out there crushing DB recruiting and let heavy OSU leans in Ohio be like lotto tickets. Maybe they are maybe the are not but that is my hope. OSU is rarely let down in these situations.