Sam Webb: U-M Has "Slight Lead" for Otis Reese
With one week until Signing Day (Feb. 7), Sam updated the recruitment of Otis Reese this morning on WTKA. He said Michigan has a "slight lead" for him thanks in large part to his relationship with Chris Partridge. It didn't help Georgia that his main recruiter left, but proximity to Georgia is in their favor.
He also said that unlike the Aubrey Solomon recruitment - everyone knew for weeks he was going to Michigan - this one is going to come right down to the wire.
January 31st, 2018 at 12:02 PM ^
So essentially we are Clemson minus good quarterbacks and any semblance of luck.
Seems about right.
January 31st, 2018 at 12:05 PM ^
Patterson + luck evens out = Great 2018?
January 31st, 2018 at 12:41 PM ^
That's what I'm pulling for. You'd think at some point something has to go right for Michigan in the close big games.
January 31st, 2018 at 6:38 PM ^
January 31st, 2018 at 12:04 PM ^
Yeah obviously Clemson has recruited very well. I think that 90.02 number for Michigan is most accurate in what I was trying to compare - Harbaugh's full 2016, 2017, and 2018 classes.
I didn't want to count 2015, because he obviously had very little time to recruit, half of that already small class is gone, and those that are left are mostly high-level contributors who outperformed their ranking (Higdon, Perry, Kinnel, Gentry). Meaning that Michigan's 2018 team will mostly be those two top 5 classes, plus the few dudes who are still around and better than expected from the 2015 class. Somewhere between 17 and 20 of our 24ish starters next year will be 2016 or 2017 kids.
January 31st, 2018 at 12:20 PM ^
I included 2015 mostly as a "how will our roster compare next year to an average playoff team to help guide expactations" and less as an indictment or statement on Harbaugh recruiting. For recruiting 2016-2018 is the more accurate timeframe, but the future recruiting outcomes don't impact the 2018 roster.
January 31st, 2018 at 2:02 PM ^
appreciate that dose of actual facts!
January 31st, 2018 at 9:53 AM ^
January 31st, 2018 at 9:53 AM ^
Having a "slight lead" for a current commit doesn't feel all too promising. But, hell, I was 100% confident we were losing Solomon last year so maybe this works out
January 31st, 2018 at 9:59 AM ^
January 31st, 2018 at 9:54 AM ^
January 31st, 2018 at 9:56 AM ^
January 31st, 2018 at 10:59 AM ^
Yes because the NCAA comes down hard on blue blood programs when they are caught cheating.
/s
UNC basketball say hi!
January 31st, 2018 at 11:45 AM ^
You don't really think they'll get caught, do you? FFS, the state changed their public records laws to help UGA get away with it.
January 31st, 2018 at 9:59 AM ^
For me it's not so much about UM losing or gaining a player in a position of need. It's about UM being able to close the deal on the recruitment on a player they've presumably led for a majority, if not all the recruitment.
January 31st, 2018 at 10:00 AM ^
January 31st, 2018 at 11:23 AM ^
Drevno drinks tea.
January 31st, 2018 at 1:08 PM ^
Definitely Yoohoo
January 31st, 2018 at 10:50 AM ^
This recruitment is different. For what seems like the past 3-4 months, the only reason Michigan has "led" is because Georgia might not have room for him. Michigan is basically is top "safety" school, and Georgia is his not-a-sure-thing application to Stanford (to put it in context that more of us would understand).
Sometime these things happen when Michigan goes after the highly rated players from the SEC footprint. There will always be a danger that some will be pulled back closer to home .
January 31st, 2018 at 10:12 AM ^
January 31st, 2018 at 12:55 PM ^
That’s a bad straightdave, very bad. No no no.
January 31st, 2018 at 2:05 PM ^
too bad.
January 31st, 2018 at 10:07 AM ^
Just waiting on the bag man to show up in the final hour to scoop him up for Georgia.
January 31st, 2018 at 10:27 AM ^
Half-joking maybe the bagman will pay enough to someone else that Georgia won't have the room.
January 31st, 2018 at 10:09 AM ^
January 31st, 2018 at 10:10 AM ^
"He also said that unlike the Aubrey Solomon recruitment - everyone knew for weeks he was going to Michigan - this one is going to come right down to the wire."
Excuse me??
January 31st, 2018 at 10:14 AM ^
That's what he said. Even after Solomon posted the video telling us to F ourselves, the insiders all knew he was coming to Michigan. As others have pointed out, I'd feel a lot better at this point if Reese posted a video telling us to F ourselves.
January 31st, 2018 at 11:46 AM ^
I won't feel any better until I see JMFH on the go-kart track with Reese's younger siblings.
January 31st, 2018 at 10:15 AM ^
There might be a few higher ranked LB classes, but McGrone, Otis, Barrett is just about the perfect Don Brown linebacker/viper haul (if last year's LB crew wasn't already the ideal).
Already pretty stacked at the position but Otis is going to be on that Dude -> Animal scale.
January 31st, 2018 at 10:15 AM ^
i get it, everyone loves Sam and he has access to information that almost no one else gets but the cost of that access is he can almost never say anything critical of the team. Not even mentioning the fact that one of the most important recruits left on the board has dropped Michigan seems a bit odd considering the name of his segment is "recruiting roundup"
January 31st, 2018 at 10:39 AM ^
He may have said that Michigan had a slight lead with Patterson as well.... Different situation, but I think Reese is a Michigan lean.
January 31st, 2018 at 10:45 AM ^
Confirmed that its down to Notre Dame and UCLA
January 31st, 2018 at 10:18 AM ^
Why do I get teh feeling this one isn't gonna happen...
January 31st, 2018 at 10:23 AM ^
I listened to the same segment, and I don't think Sam said "everyone"—I believe Sam said he himself knew for weeks, because Sam was in contact with the Solomon camp all along. I'll stand corrected if somebody listens to the podcast and hears "everyone."
Aside from that, Sam also said that the fact that Solomon is from Georgia isn't a major factor in drawing Otis here because apparently they aren't that close. Sam said that getting Barrett is a bigger potential factor for securing Otis.
Sam used the word "tenuous" several times when describing the nature of Michigan's lead for Reese, so I'm somewhat skeptical that Otis will come here, but there's one thing in our favor that has nothing to do with Michigan—his brother is now starting for CMU, and I can imagine it would make coming north less of an issue for Otis and his family—if Otis comes to A2, then it would be fairly easy for Otis's family to see both him and his brother on the same weekend.
January 31st, 2018 at 10:50 AM ^
I was listening in the car and not taking notes. He might have said something like "we all knew" or something like that.
January 31st, 2018 at 10:21 AM ^
Looking at Georgia and other schools higher up all I surmise is that we are not elite. We are sort of like Washington (may be not even that given they actually went to a playoff). After all of last year and year before where M couldn't close the deal at OSU, I have concluded its better to just follow and enjoy games in a per game basis rather than dreams of making playoffs etc. Georgia et al keep getting elite classes and will make playoffs more so than not.
Wake me up when we find Deshaun Watson/Brady/Insert some other elite level QB - that'd be our only way to level the field and win against these schools.
January 31st, 2018 at 10:28 AM ^
January 31st, 2018 at 10:32 AM ^
Just like how Peters was THE QB? I'll wait till he wins against MSU etc.
January 31st, 2018 at 10:38 AM ^
January 31st, 2018 at 10:44 AM ^
Patterson was ELITE in a division where he had to play against Alabama, Auburn, LSU, and Texas A&M. Projected 1st round pick, former #1 QB recruit, Elite 11 MVP, but you're right he's not different than Peters.
January 31st, 2018 at 11:02 AM ^
But he was not ELITE. Mayeb agaisnt bad competition but he struggled some against elite competition. We're getting a good qb but not a Heisman guy.
January 31st, 2018 at 11:19 AM ^
Scouts are already saying that he will be one of the top QB's in the draft next year. He has ELITE talent. Whether we will put him in a position to succeed or not is the question.
January 31st, 2018 at 12:09 PM ^
I have the same view as Brian has. He is not the 5 star guy he was pegged to be during the recruiting. I would say better than what we have on campus, but not better than 2016 Speight. The SEC is a crappy conference, outside of the top two/three teams. In those games he looked BAD. Against terrible defenses he looked great! Shea also has turnover issues. He has played 10 college games, has 12 interceptions and 8 fumbles (luckily only 1 fumble lost). If you thought Speight had turnover issues, just wait. For reference, Speight has 10 career INTS, 6 fumbles (3 lost) in 21 games.
January 31st, 2018 at 1:41 PM ^
I will take Shea over Speight and day of the week and it isn't even close. Shea's ceiling is way higher. Speight had limited upside. Shea has the ability to take over a game, Speight's ceiling is a game manager.
January 31st, 2018 at 1:49 PM ^
How do you know this? Where is the evidence?
After multiple dong punches, I'd hope our fanbase takes a measured approach rather than everything is awesome
January 31st, 2018 at 2:05 PM ^
1. He is far more athletic.
2. He has better arm strength.
3. He is more accurate.
4. He gets through progressions very quick.
5. He has the ability to make plays when things break down.
Literally the only thing that Speight has on Patterson is Size.
Which dong punches are you referring to?
January 31st, 2018 at 2:37 PM ^
Items 1-5 are mostly conjecture.
Shea may become a good QB, but at this juncture, his stats say he is a wildcard.
January 31st, 2018 at 2:53 PM ^
not conjecture.
1. He is far more athletic. This is a fact.
2. His arm strength is superiorly better. ask any draft analysts
3. He is more accurate, career completion % 60.7 Shea, 58.8% for Speight.
4. He said he gets through his progressions quick, which he does. He never said it was better than Speight.
5. This is also a given.
January 31st, 2018 at 3:04 PM ^
If you aren't sold by his stats, which show he is better than any QB that walked on the field in a Maize and Blue uniform this year, then turn on the film.
Also, feel free to include some reasons as to why he Shea doesn't have a higher ceiling.