Wednesday Recruitin' Is Still Committed
The Curious Case of the Cass Tech Commits
There was a minor hullaballoo late last week over the status of M commits Royce Jenkins-Stone and Terry Richardson, after a couple tweets indicated they'd like to take other visits:
Mr2012RJS i want to take my visits to Oklahoma Miami Florida Alabama and Iowa and get a feel for every school.
Terry_Rich Me n Royce both still taking visits are recruitment process not over till feb 2 we solid but still looking nothing personal
Royce backtracked within a couple of days:
great advise my coach gave me. T wilcher.
no visits 4 me . i will wait till i get to AA to get wined n dined =DD
So it sounds like Mr. Jenkins-Stone's commitment is as solid as they come, thanks to Coach Wilcher. Terry hasn't said anything about canceling his visits, but he tweeted:
People make newspaper articles on my tweets and royce tweets they outta hand with this recruiting stuff we are still in HIGHSCHOOL People!!!
So it sounds like he's upset that his words were made out to be more than he intended. ...But, in personal e-pinion, when you're a public figure, you have to expect attention based on your words.
Wide Receivin'
Michigan has offered OH WR Monty Madaris, he tells TomVH:
Coach Smith said they liked my film and they are looking forward to getting me up there for a visit soon. I'll be up for the BBQ on the 31st. Michigan is near the top of my list [now] for sure. They are one of the schools that I'm evaluating more than others. I have no idea when I want to make my decision but I would like to make it soon.
The Wolverines are certainly looking for a wideout in this class, and it sounds like they won't have to wait too long to hear Madaris's decision. He ran a 4.4-second 40-yard dash at Michigan State last weekend.
Speaking of wideout needs, CA WR Jordan Payton has scheduled his official visit to Michigan for the Notre Dame Game on September 10th.
MO WR Jehu Chesson has scheduled a Michigan visit ($, info in header).
Michigan State and Michigan are on the mind of MI WR Aaron Burbridge ($, info in header).
Tom talked to the coach of OH WR Dwayne Stanford and DE Adolphus Washington, who says the highly-touted pair won't be in Ann Arbor any time soon:
I don't think they'll be taking any more visits because of AAU basketball. I know they go away next week and when they come back we'll be in two a days so it will be tough for them to make it to places. As of now they have nothing else scheduled.
Coach Martin points out that Michigan is one of the few mutual schools on their top five lists, but they're softening their stance on being a package deal.
Etc.
The Crimson Quarry breaks down the recruitment of IN QB Gunner Kiel, noting that Oklahoma and Missouri's recent pickups at the position may reduce their chances of landing the nation's top signal-caller.
Of course, AJ fails to mention Michigan, reducing the competition to a head-to-head battle between Indiana and Alabama. That could either be prescient (CBS's Eye on Recruiting blog also omits Michigan) or foolhardy, but I'm guessing the Wolverines are unlikely to land Kiel at this point.
IL OL Jordan Diamond will cut his list to 10 schools soon, but it seems like he has a top 5 within that number:
Diamond said Iowa is among five schools that would definitely make the cut, the others being Michigan, Wisconsin, Auburn and Tennessee.
Ohio State sounds like his sixth school, pending a decision from the NCAA (which could be a long way off if Michigan's timeline (in a less serious case) is any indication). Diamond plans to take all five visits before deciding.
PA OL Adam Bisnowaty likes Michigan, but is not going to hurry a decision just because the Wolverines' class is starting to fill up.
CA DT Aziz Shittu will take his time coming to a(nother) decision on college ($, info in header).
Tennessee and Notre Dame lead for OH DE LaTroy Lewis ($, info in header).
MLive's Kyle Warber interviews OH S Commit Allen Gant, who - shocker - wants to beat Ohio State and play in Rose Bowls.
Is the door still open between Michigan and NY CB Wayne Morgan? It sure sounds like it:
Morgan currently holds offers from Alabama, Miami, Rutgers, Syracuse and UConn, among others. Michigan offered him and wanted him to commit in June, but the decision was made to go on visits first and find the perfect fit. Morgan said he is still in touch with Wolverines coaches, so they are not completely off the board.
His coach's version of events (Wayne thought he was moving too fast) differs from the internet consensus of events (the coach wanted Wayne to consider Rutgers, so he made him delay a decision), but either way the door is still open a crack. Regardless of which is true, I would assume that Wayne's place in the 2012 class is no longer available, barring any changes in Michigan's commit list.
The Big House BBQ recruiting event is still over a week away, but Tom is already hard at work putting together a guest list of known visitors. He'll update with the latest info when it becomes available, so keep checking back. There are a couple big uncommitted names planning to be there, including OH RB Bri'Onte Dunn and OH DE Chris Wormley.
The Detroit News's Bob Wojnowski talks about Michigan and Michigan State recruiting success in Ohio.
Happy Trails
NY DT Jarron Jones has narrowed his list of schools to North Carolina, Virginia Tech, Notre Dame, and Penn State. The Penn State decommitment is not considering Michigan.
Happy Trails, TN WR Drae Bowles, who committed to Tennessee.
Happy Trails, OH RB Alden Hill, who also committed to Tennessee.
2013
Duane Long runs down the three "must-have" players in Ohio next year. QB/WR/Ath Jalin Marshall sounds like he's all Buckeye, but CB Cameron Burrows hails from Trotwood-Madison, which has been kind to the Wolverines in recent years, and RB/S Dymonte Thomas has openly named Michigan his leader. Long on Burrows:
Burrows is the complete package. He can cover like an elite corner and he brings the hurt like a safety. He dazzled this spring at Ohio State with his feet and hips. Athletes Burrows size are not supposed to move like that.
...and on Thomas:
As great a back as Thomas is, make no mistake he is a great back, he may be a better safety. If you held a gun to my head and said choose a position I would say safety. He is a relentless kid with great speed and instincts. He is a great tackler and ferocious competitor. He has an ideal safety frame at 6-2 and about 190.
Thomas, as you may recall, is a cousin of 2012 RB Bri'Onte Dunn.
for the update. Good work.
"A head-to-head battle between Indiana and Alabama."
It makes sense though, he probably got to know Wilson last year when he was at Oklahoma and now Wilson is at the hometown school where Kiel could go and get instant playing time.
indiana has had some offensive successrecently and the ability to start from day 1 in the b1G would be enticing. they have had some decent receivers too, with belcher and doss.
so on one hand you have going to alabama, sitting for a year or two, hoping that saban does not bring in any other good quarterbacks and make them the same promises that he made you (yeah right) and having to sit out a year after you transfer. on the other hand, you could stay home, see your friends and family, be a local god/hero, have an offense built around you, start and be the star from the day you step on campus to the day you leave early as a junior.
I was kind of thinking the same thing, but IU has some hometown love and Alabama's QB situation might be a little dicier in terms of playing time coming up. Wouldn't surprise me to see Gunner stay home.
Thanks for the update..
Since it seems there is still a crack for Wayne Morgan, and I also saw where they updated Elijah Shumate's status on Scout to "High" for Michigan, are we still recruiting for one more DB?
Those are talented kids, but doesn't that seem kind of overboard? We have 4 DBs in the 2012 class and one already signed up for next year. I know Michigan has been thin at the position in recent years but right now that more seems to be due to a lack of experience than a lack of bodies (although we lose Woolfolk by the time 2012 gets on campus, we'll still have around a dozen kids competing for the starting spots).
Depth is never a bad thing, but if we have extra spots to fill I really hope that goes toward a second DT spot, a second WR, a playmaking RB (Brionte), or an athlete/QB hybrid like Fuller who can hold the spot for a year until Morris gets on campus and then be a contributor at another position.
It doesn't seem the coaches are pursuing either intensely. I really haven't heard much about us pursuing Shumate. My guess would be the coaches are just keeping options open, in case some kids decide to decommit down the road. We know Terry is interested in taking visits and has a lot of attention from other programs. He always seemed the most interested in getting away of Ross and RJS. If he were to decommit. We could afford to have only one corner in the class, but a second highly talented guy would be nice to plug in down the road (ala Morgan if it were to come to it).
I think you are right though, that the coaches would probably prefer to use the remaining spots for other talent at different more needed positions (WR, DT, FB, QB).
Shumate's update to "High" just means that he put us in his top five; not likely that we will take another DB unless one of the commits waffles.
if my name was Terry Richardson. Wayne Morgan might not have a spot - yet, but he will if Terry goes on "vacation".
If you don't want people to make public comments on your tweets, there's one easy way to stop it.
Don't tweet.
If they have thoughts they want to keep private, then they should use something more appropriate: Facebook or Google+ or whatever, text, or just tell someone, and then trust them not to share it.
Tweeting things and then complaining because people pay attention ... hey, that's the whole point of Twitter, to follow what other people say.
And that won't happen unless someone de-commits (perish the thought!).
Also, the coaches are wise looking for other options at WR. With us being unable so far to get Stanford on campus and Burbridge's academics still an issue, we need to have options. WR should be a high area of need in the remaining spots. It would be nice if we could squeeze two in, but that may not be possible.
Looking forward to the BBQ event - maybe another commit? We'll see (I don't have ANY inside information - just hoping!)
Like what I'm hearing about the top Ohio players in 2013. Keep the Big Blue pipeline open to the state down south.
I'm hearing that we are going to end our class with a target of 2 wr, 1 rb/fb, 1 ol, 2 dt
The RB/FB or the second WR could turn into a third DL is Wormley, Pipkins and O'Brien all want in.
Don't forget Washington if he ever makes it up to Ann Arbor. Who do we take from Wormley, Pipkins, O'Brien, and Washington? Is it first come, first serve?
I would rank these players in this order:
Pipkins, Washington, O'Brien and Wormley. Washington behind Pipkins only because we need a DT more than another DE first.
Not that Wormley's a scrub, but of that list, if we can only take three, I would prefer he be the one left off. But any three of that group is very good trio.
I would put Wormley above O'Brien (assuming either O'Brien or Pipkins, I'd rather have Pipkins). Ohio recruiting guru Duane Long continues to fawn over Wormley, even though he's sounding more and more like a Michigan lock every day. That's rare for Long, who usually hates on players leaning away from Ohio State.
Wormley is an elite athlete who needs to put it all together to see maximum success on the field. O'Brien is a big body who doesn't have the athleticism of Wormley (in fairness, they're projected for different positions, but even within their cohorts, Wormley seems better), and though his potential isn't maxed out at this point, it's seems to be much lower than Wromley's.
That said, I'd gladly take either of them, of course.
Don't we technically have seven spots left since they were shooting for 26? We have 20 right now, but one is towards 2013 so thats only 19.
Having two stud DBs in the class of 2013 would be a great thing, and it sounds like both of those guys are really good. Too bad all the Trotwood-Madison guys will be gone before Burrows gets to campus. I'd like to re-open that pipeline, they have a lot of talent. Trotwood-Mattison, amirite?
I want players that want to be here!!
Are we that far out of the loop for Gunner Kiel?
So you're telling me there's a chance.
"There are a couple big uncommitted names planning to be there, including OH RB Bri'Onte Dunn and OH DE Chris Wormley."
Did Bri'onte Dunn actually decommit? I know he's wavering, but I thought he was still technically verballed to OSU.
I think he meant uncommitted to Michigan. As far as I know Dunn is still committed to Ohio
Poor wording on my part. I meant uncommitted to Michigan.
This is a good message to T'Rich, that if you're taking visits, you're not committed. I fully expect everyone there to try and pry Dunn away from his verbal to Ohio State.
because we're offering a FB would be nuts, considering their importance on the field. A dominating defensive front is far more central to any team's success than any fullback.
Don't they have a few guys that can switch to positions like FB? I like the idea of bulking up both lines with the 2012 class, as there is too much talent to turn away at this point.
What about Isaiah Bell at FB? Supposedly he's never going to see the field on D and has built up a big frame (w some bad pounds), but still..
Nice breakdown. If Terry decides to decommit, then certainly Morgan would get another long look, but barring that I think he'll be playing somewhere else next year.
I know Dunn is coming to the BBQ, but I would be amazed if he went Blue. He seems like one of those kids who has his heart set on OSU but just doesn't want to sever all options in case the OSU situation worsens even more.
You'd be amazed if the situation at OSU worsened?
I think he is just echoing what Tom had previously been saying about Dunn: would take mutli year bowl ban and scholarship reductions. Basically it requires a USC type of punnishment for TSIO, which is possible, but it is tough to say currently.
It just seems people seem to think we will get Dunn, but without NCAA infractions no. It is just that Dunn, Washington, Stanford all don't really seem sold on UofM, and everyone seems to think they are.
Disclaimer, I do remember Tom saying somewhat recently something along the lines that Dunn might be a little more receptive of UofM regardless of TSIO NCAA punnishments. Which could be a Kalis effect.
Why aren't we mentioned in the Shittu article?
Comments