Visitors this weekend
Recruiting has been slow lately since Michigan has been busy winning a national championship and then hiring a new staff.
But Michigan hosted a few 2025 recruits for this weekend. The most noteworthy is probably Detroit (MI) Cass Tech ATH Alex Graham...who now plays for Bradenton (FL) IMG Academy. Graham is a top-100 player and could play a few positions at the college level.
They also hosted a guy who looks like a dude in New Jersey native Kamar Archie, a top-200 player.
Here's the full list of visitors (LINK).
February 4th, 2024 at 7:10 PM ^
Appreciate the info and update. You are the man!
February 4th, 2024 at 7:23 PM ^
Mags, any thoughts on visits that went particularly well?
February 5th, 2024 at 12:26 PM ^
Magnus totally dodged this question. So...BPONE?
February 5th, 2024 at 3:12 PM ^
I think Alex Graham had a good visit, but it's tough to expect much movement when there's no defensive coordinator on board. I feel like Michigan probably won't land a commitment until that's taken care of and he can meet the new guy.
2026 tight end Lincoln Watkins also had a good visit, and I think Michigan is in a good spot with him.
I *think* Michigan is also in a good spot for Rowan Byrne. I feel like the promotion of Moore was a good thing for that recruitment, as well as the promotion of Grant Newsome to OL coach.
February 4th, 2024 at 7:31 PM ^
Archie looks NFL jacked right now, yeesh
February 4th, 2024 at 8:45 PM ^
Ive found this is often times a bad sign for high rated HS prospects. The ones that mature early and are able to just physically dominate everyone at the HS level tend to have a hard time adjusting when that advantage is no longer as significant at the college level.
February 4th, 2024 at 9:31 PM ^
Agreed. The guys who are extremely physically gifted at an early age seem like they've often hit their ceiling, matured earlier than others, etc. Similar to how John Beilein felt about recruiting basketball players who were young for their class, the guys with big muscles and beards as high school sophomores or juniors...well...that might just be about the best they get to be.
February 5th, 2024 at 6:23 AM ^
Kid from OLSM for basketball has the potential to be just what has been described above. Good player but has physically been the same since his freshman year at OLSM.
A lot of kids physically mature in middle school. They are way bigger and stronger then by junior year they look exactly the same and their parents and themselves can’t figure out why they can’t get better
February 5th, 2024 at 6:58 AM ^
Greg Oden, come on down.
February 5th, 2024 at 8:49 AM ^
I don't really think this applies here. There is another reason he didn't make it in the NBA.
February 5th, 2024 at 10:47 AM ^
Yes, he was very effective in the NBA when healthy. But he never had a season in which he remained healthy.
February 5th, 2024 at 2:53 PM ^
Saying guys that mature early end up being busts is a lazy take. Greg Oden had an opioid addiction which contributed to his downfall. Leonard Fournette was 6’ 210lbs in high school and he was terrible at LSU. He only ran for 3,800 yards and 40 TD’s in 31 games. He also won a Super Bowl on a team where he was a huge part of their success. He earned the nickname “Playoff Lenny” Adrian Peterson was 6’1” 210lbs in high school who set the Freshman rushing record at Oklahoma with 1925 yards where he was a unanimous All-American and the first Freshman to finish second in the Heisman voting. Also the 3rd All-Time rushing leader in Oklahoma history. He experienced minimal success in the NFL where he was Offensive ROY, 2012 NFL MVP and Offensive Player of the Year. 4x First Team All-Pro, 7x Pro Bowler and 3x Rushing Leader with many more awards and finished his career with almost 15,000 rushing yards placing him 5th All-Time in history not to mention he rushed for 120 TD’s. That’s just a couple of guys that were men in high school who did pretty well for themselves. I could go on but I think I have made my point. It’s not about your size in high school, there are a lot of other factors such as injuries, work ethic, and personal problems that all factor in.
February 5th, 2024 at 2:00 PM ^
Yes, LeBron James is great example of this ⬆️ wonder what ever happened to him 🙄
February 5th, 2024 at 10:08 AM ^
I've always thought the opposite was true too-- when I see an offensive tackle mauling people with chicken legs or a linebacker bashing people with stick arms I pencil him in for 30-50 lbs of weight gain and a couple all big-ten appearances.
February 5th, 2024 at 9:48 AM ^
And then there are the Adrian Petersen, Jabrill Peppers, Herschel Walker and Bo Jackson types.
I think we've agreed there is some merit to Alabama's "buy all the 5 stars" approach to win 7 titles and they were typically the more developed at that age type player.
I prefer what Michigan has done as I thought I was watching an attempt at amateur collegiate student football players since this inspires faith in an otherwise shrinking pool of integrity.
I want 5 stars too but the sport going straight to pro payouts makes me question everything about it going forward as I can't imagine many of these top players having a normal, sit next to you in class, experience.
Dilemma for me is I also see their skills deserving the revenue sharing so; quixotic.
Sorry to digress.
February 4th, 2024 at 7:53 PM ^
Archie has 1 hell of an offer list. And The Hun School would be a great pipline. IIRC, they regularly have FBS talent. Plus Myron Rolle the Rhodes Scholar who picked FSU over us back in the day.
February 4th, 2024 at 8:59 PM ^
Didn't we have an OL from there maybe 20 years ago who had to leave for medical reasons?
February 4th, 2024 at 9:12 PM ^
I'm a dick. Owen Wafle is from The Hun. I knew it sounded familiar.
EDIT: You are talking about Anthony LaLota.
February 4th, 2024 at 9:20 PM ^
Nope, Jeff Zuttah. Quick google search on him... sickle cell derailed his football career but ended up with an MBA from Harvard... so seems to be doing well for himself.
February 4th, 2024 at 9:45 PM ^
He enrolled at Michigan...and his fallback school was Stanford...and he got his MBA from Harvard.
Pretty impressive dude.
February 4th, 2024 at 9:32 PM ^
Michigan also got Anthony Lalota from there a while ago. He eventually transferred to Rutgers and never really did anything.
February 4th, 2024 at 8:19 PM ^
But did they hand out cash? Im pretty sure I still have some HS eligibility left and I would be one heck of a TE or DL prosepct at 6'5 165. I cant run any more though, is that a deal breaker?
February 4th, 2024 at 8:31 PM ^
At that height, can you shoot the rock? We need a two.
February 4th, 2024 at 8:40 PM ^
Wouldnt be a bad idea for us to look for a one, three, four and five while we are at it. And definitely an HC.
February 4th, 2024 at 8:53 PM ^
OT: You're 6'5" and 165? I think you need more of this in your diet.
February 4th, 2024 at 9:31 PM ^
Don’t we all?
February 4th, 2024 at 9:32 PM ^
Amorion Walker, is that you?
February 5th, 2024 at 11:46 AM ^
I apparently don't "write real gud" either. I am 6'5 265! You all think admissions will be a problem? Maybe I can grad transfer into a PhD program?
February 4th, 2024 at 8:52 PM ^
It’s been so long I can’t remember what a hello post looks like.
February 4th, 2024 at 8:59 PM ^
It feels like a million years since Cass Tech was just a pipeline for Michigan. Always broke my heart that most of the talent that came to Michigan from Cass Tech never really matched the hype. Hope we land this one and he becomes a stud.
February 4th, 2024 at 9:42 PM ^
Well...I have to think the hit rate on players from Cass Tech would have been higher if Jim Harbaugh had been the coach at the time. Unfortunately, Rich Rodriguez and Brady Hoke didn't do a great job of developing their talent.
I also tend to think that having too many good players on one team can be problematic, and it can cause you to think too highly of some guys. If the #1 receiver gets all kinds of attention, bracket coverage, etc., the #2 guy might go off and make all kinds of plays with all the space he has...but he might be a D2 player disguising himself as an FBS guy.
Cass Tech used to collect so much talent that it seemed like everyone was a future star, and while there were a few true stars mixed in there, they weren't as frequent as lots of people thought.
February 4th, 2024 at 9:13 PM ^
Hold on a minute, we’re doing recruiting too? I thought it was just an Ohio State thing now! /s
February 5th, 2024 at 7:22 AM ^
Ohio State doesn't recruit, they shop.
February 5th, 2024 at 9:10 AM ^
We can complain, but what OSU is doing is impressive. I hate it because I am jealous. They want to give their coaches what they need to be successful.
Unfortunately, we do not have talent stockpiled like OSU did for Day when he replaced Meyer. Oriji and Denegal would never in a million years see the field as a starting QB at OSU. Unless he is an exception (and most people aren't thats why they are called the 'exception'), he is going to struggle initially as a head coach replacing a legend. I hope the University gives Coach Moore the time to build his team and proactively supports him by providing what he needs to have a LONG and hopefully legendary tenure at UM. I want nothing more than that.
I know I am tempering my expectations. Harbaugh is one of the best coaches in the history of the sport. I don't think we can underestimate how difficult it may be losing him.
February 5th, 2024 at 10:29 AM ^
Losing Harbaugh under these circumstances does hurt, especially in recruiting.
You'd expect that winning a natty would result in a huge recruiting haul. However, having to change head coach, OC, and DC (although the OC is now head coach) results in enough uncertainty about what defense and exactly what offense are going to be run to give recruits pause about fitting into the program.
I would also expect that every program that we are recruiting against is telling recruits about imminent gloom and doom that's going to come from the NCAA in terms of sanctions. The sooner that BS gets put to bed, the better.
February 5th, 2024 at 11:41 AM ^
Another factor is where we are in the recruiting cycle. The current class is wrapped up - most guys signed in December. I believe I read that Gatlin Bair was the last uncommitted prospect in the ESPN top 300. So this isn't the time of year when you get commits in waves.
There is, no doubt, a lot of ground to be made up with the 2025 class. If Elston, Clink, Hart, Bellamy stick around a lot of the foundation will be in place. If there is a bunch of turnover, then we'll see different names hit the big board as the new assistants start from scratch or focus on different guys.
I think Sherrone is going to be great as a closer. It just takes a lot more than a great closer.
February 4th, 2024 at 9:30 PM ^
Hold me, Tom VH!
February 4th, 2024 at 9:35 PM ^
Well, they chose an actual nice (for early February) weekend at least.
Seriously, the sky was awfully bright today. We struggled to recall that this was, in fact, the Sun.
February 5th, 2024 at 7:03 AM ^
I just hope they didn't go to the bball game. Wrestling meet would have been a much better choice.
February 5th, 2024 at 10:30 AM ^
OT, I wonder how the beer sales went at both events.
February 4th, 2024 at 9:38 PM ^
I'll take 100 hungry Kenneth Grant's over typicall 5 stars any day.
February 4th, 2024 at 9:58 PM ^
Or Mike Sainristils….
February 5th, 2024 at 12:37 AM ^
First rule of fight club: Don't talk up returning starters prior to the Spring portal. USC is "paying" attention.
February 5th, 2024 at 1:44 AM ^
the former food service staffer in me is quaking at 100 hungry kenneth grants
February 5th, 2024 at 12:18 AM ^
Archie looks like a grown man. No high school student should have arms like that.
February 5th, 2024 at 11:51 AM ^
PED's are still a thing.... actually a huge thing among athletes. If you aint cheatin, you aint tryin.
February 5th, 2024 at 8:21 AM ^
How do academics work at img? Do they have some sort of standard for kids who want to transfer there?
February 5th, 2024 at 10:10 AM ^
IMG is a football program. Education is an extracurricular activity.
February 5th, 2024 at 8:57 AM ^
Quite
February 5th, 2024 at 12:54 PM ^
Is Archie by any chance related to former Penn State running back Mike Archie? Just wondering as it's kind of an unusual last name and it makes some sense geographically.